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Tony's idea of "cleaning up" was exactly what you would expect from a billionaire with explosives at his disposal.
Still, it was not reckless, It was calculated. If the facility was left intact, it would only be a matter of time before intelligence agencies from all over the world came knocking.
Stark Industries might have stepped away from weapons manufacturing, but that did not mean Tony was about to let his designs leak into the wild.
More importantly, this place contained Iron Man suit programs and prototype data. One controlled explosion solved everything in one go, Clean, Final.
Even if someone managed to piece the computers back together, the core data would already be irreversibly destroyed.
There was also the small issue of Obadiah Stane.
The former second-in-command of Stark Industries was dead here. Even if he brought it on himself, neither Tony nor Jimmy had the authority to play judge, jury, and executioner in the eyes of the law.
With the explosion, the evidence disappeared completely. Nobody, no scene, no trace. He vanished from the world.
Some lines can be crossed, but getting caught is an entirely different matter. This outcome gave everyone an exit without forcing a public reckoning. No scandals, no awkward questions.
…
Tony was arguing back and forth with Coulson.
No matter how you looked at it, Coulson's agency had helped this time. Even if the department with the absurdly long name had not done much directly, they had successfully kept Pepper safe.
The problem was that they now wanted shared access to the Iron Man armor.
That demand was beyond unreasonable.
Tony might be a playboy, but he was not an idiot willing to give away his crown jewels. The terms they were proposing were so outrageous that even a kindergarten kid would know better than to accept them.
Tony responded in kind.
He offered to send their agency a ceremonial banner and hold a press conference to formally thank them for their "outstanding assistance," making sure their very long department name received proper public recognition.
When he mentioned the banner, he even told Pepper to make it extra large. Otherwise, their name would not fit.
Jimmy, meanwhile, was enjoying himself in the dining area.
Under the stunned gazes of Rhodes and Happy, he demolished steak after steak, each one a massive tomahawk cut.
Empty plates were stacked high beside him.
Happy nudged Yinsen and whispered, "Hey, Yinsen. Does your paycheck really cover Jimmy's appetite? That's twelve steaks already. And he's still going through salad and juice like it's nothing."
"It's fine," Yinsen replied calmly. "And he's not usually like this."
Jimmy glanced at the status panel floating before his eyes, wiped his mouth, downed the last of his juice in one gulp, and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.
For the first time in a while, he felt alive again.
[Name: Jimmy Halstead]
[Level: 3 (45%)]
[Age: 1]
[Abilities: Accelerated Healing, Feral Senses, Enhanced Smell, Advanced Hand to Hand Combat, Bladed Weapon Mastery]
[Equipment: Memory-Bound Adamantium Alloy]
[Strength: 33+]
[Agility: 47+]
[Mental: 25+]
[Unassigned Attribute Points: 5]
[Techniques: None]
[Remaining Gacha Spins: 3]
[Main Quest Progress:]
[1. Save the Dying Wolverine: Completed.]
[2. Continuation of the Bloodline: Completed.]
[Iron Man Storyline Participation: 74%]
[Side Quest One: A Kind Heart – Rescue Dr. Ho Yinsen: Completed.]
[Side Quest Two: Wolf's Claws – Personally End Obadiah Stane: Completed.]
[Attribute Allocation:]
[Strength +2]
[Agility +3]
Jimmy allocated the points, Two into Strength, Three into Agility.
He clenched his fists.
There was no immediate change. Enhancements like this worked subtly, reinforcing the body over time rather than delivering instant power.
They also came with side effects.
Like this one.
"Happy," Jimmy said casually, "tell them to bring more steak. Five more for now. If that's not enough, we'll order again."
Happy thought 'Seriously? Yinsen, how can you actually afford to feed this kid?'
…
Once the negotiations finally wrapped up, Tony walked over, clearly exhausted. When he saw the towering stack of empty plates beside Jimmy, he laughed and shook his head.
"Now I get it," Tony said. "That kind of strength does not come out of nowhere. Conservation of energy applies everywhere."
Then his expression softened.
"Yinsen, Jimmy, Thanks, Both of you."
"No need," Jimmy replied casually. "I was just worried that if you died, there would be no one left to give me my gift."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Oh! You already decided what you want."
"Yeah, I have."
Jimmy nodded and pulled up a rough sketch.
"I have been studying ancient armor designs lately. I want you to build me a full set using something durable, as strong as possible."
He pointed to the drawing again.
"And I want two blades. This shape here is a heavy cavalry saber. This one is a curved cloud blade."
Tony stared at him.
"They need to be wearable, and heavy, the heavier, the better."
Tony fell silent.
"Jimmy," he said slowly, "Stark Industries builds weapons. It is not a medieval blacksmith shop."
"That is exactly why I am asking you," Jimmy shot back, "No one else has materials better than Stark Industries. And no one else can make it this fast."
He leaned forward slightly.
"More importantly, this is a Stark gift. If it is not top-tier, do you really think that suits your reputation?"
Tony clicked his tongue.
"What makes a genius is not being slightly better than everyone else. It is doing the same thing and reaching a level no one else can touch."
"You made the Iron Man suit because your technology is advanced. But if you can make armor that is just as refined, just as comfortable, and just as perfect without relying on tech, that is what proves you are a genius."
Tony stared at him for a long moment.
"…I know you are flattering me."
Then he smiled.
"But why does it feel like my blood is boiling right now?"
"Wait for it," Tony said. "I will make it."
"No tech components in the armor," Jimmy said immediately.
Tony raised his hand and made an OK gesture.
"Deal."
"Good," Jimmy said, standing up. "Then I can sleep in peace."
He stretched and yawned.
"It is late. I am still a kid, you know. Staying up like you adults is probably bad for my hair."
He wandered off downstairs.
…
"It is too late today," Rhodes said as he stood. "I will come back tomorrow. The Air Force side is stable. I will prepare a statement and we can clear things up at the press conference."
With that, he left.
Happy followed soon after.
Tony looked around the suddenly quiet room and sighed, It had been a long day.
"I am Iron Man."
The moment Tony said those words, the press conference exploded.
At that instant, Rhodes and Coulson finally understood a fraction of how Obadiah must have felt.
Tony Stark was the worst kind of speaker for people trying to cover things up.
They had prepared over fifty witnesses to prove Tony was not present during the arc reactor overload incident.
As for Obadiah, the official story placed him on a private inspection flight that crashed into a mountain range.
The same stronghold Jimmy had fought his way out of.
Actors, politicians, officials, and military representatives had already spoken publicly. Some even had photos with Tony taken that very night.
Everything had been set up to prove that Stark was attending a party, while the lab explosion was caused by operator error leading to overload.
Then Tony opened his mouth.
"I am Iron Man."
One sentence.
With just one Sentence Tony offended the whole political and social system of Los Angeles.
After everything.
Turns out the real clown were them all along.
And now Stark Industries wanted to rebuild in Los Angeles.
No chance.
You stopped selling weapons, No weapons meant no taxes.
And without taxes, there was no reason for anyone to do you any favors.
The rebuilding plan was blocked completely.
Locked down, Dead in the water.
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