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*****
Ultimately, Fini chose not to leave. Instead, he silently deactivated his invisibility mode. With the armor shielding him, Tony wouldn't be able to recognize his face anyway.
The moment he saw Fini, Tony was clearly startled. However, perhaps emboldened by the security door between them and the confidence provided by the Iron Man gauntlet in his hand, he immediately spoke up:
"Would you care to identify yourself, you... unknown organism trespassing in someone else's home!? Are you an alien? Can you speak? And was that armor you're wearing stolen from some museum?"
As he questioned him, Tony began to display a look of intense scientific curiosity.
"Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tony Stark!"
Fini recalled the scene of his first meeting with the Ancient One and adopted a composed attitude. Unfortunately, the faceplate covered his features, depriving him of facial expressions and preventing him from maximizing his "mysterious expert" aura.
"Hmm... You can speak, and you know my name. So, was this premeditated?" Tony put on a thoughtful expression. While quietly sidling toward his computer, he continued to ask:
"How did you do that? The ring of fire? Is that your technology?"
"Indeed. It is a unique skill of ours. Many of us know it; it makes traveling wherever one wishes quite convenient." Fini teased Tony with interest.
Portals seemed to be unique to Earth. With so many people in Kamar-Taj, many indeed knew how to use them. It wasn't hard to open one, and calling it convenient was certainly no exaggeration.
"So, who exactly are you? And why have you come to find me?" Tony asked with a frown. If it hadn't been for Jarvis's recording, he would have activated the villa's countermeasure systems long ago.
This was the home of a former arms dealer; it was impossible for it to be undefended.
"Well..."
Fini thought quickly for a moment and began to weave a lie on the spot: "I am a Cosmic Observer. I discovered that you are manufacturing a special weapon. It may cause me to re-evaluate Earth's classification, so I have come specifically to investigate."
Tony was stunned, appearing somewhat shocked. He remained silent for a short while before asking: "Are you truly an alien?"
Fini didn't confirm it but misled him in another way: "Look at you. You surely don't truly believe there are no aliens on Earth, do you?"
"Beings like the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, the Aesir of Asgard, the Kree of the Kree Empire, the Skrulls, and so on—they have all visited Earth."
Though he couldn't see Fini's face, Tony could tell from the surprised and slightly mocking tone that he was being looked down upon. Usually the one doing the mocking, Tony found it a rare experience to be on the receiving end.
As a world-renowned genius, Tony was brilliant; he naturally wouldn't believe Fini's words so easily.
"So, what is the result of your observation?"
While Tony adjusted the repulsor on his gauntlet, his other hand was secretly manipulating the computer, ordering Jarvis to create a profile and perform a scan and analysis on Fini, while simultaneously preparing to engage the counter-attack systems.
Although Fini's eerie technology might prevent them from containing him, as his father used to say: act first, talk later.
"It's alright. But you, personally, are quite impressive," Fini praised.
Although Tony Stark had numerous flaws, no one could deny his talent. After all, looking across the entire universe, one didn't often see anyone capable of building a time machine.
"I think so too!" Tony replied without a shred of modesty. He then went as far as to actively open the security door and invited: "Would you like to come in and sit? Have a cup of coffee?"
Fini looked at Tony with some surprise. After hesitating for a moment, he stepped into Tony's workshop. A projected overall blueprint, likely of the Mark II, was still visible on the table.
Noticing Fini's gaze, Tony immediately waved his hand to shut off the projection and decisively shouted:
"Jarvis, seal all rooms. Lock on target. Hold fire for now."
Simultaneously, he aimed the repulsor on his arm at Fini. Only after the room was sealed and various weapons emerged from the corners did he look at the unfazed Fini and say, "Now, Mr... um... self-proclaimed Alien..."
"If you don't mind, how about you first remove that armor that looks like it was stolen from a museum, and then we sit down and have a proper chat?"
"Are you not afraid of provoking me and bringing disaster upon the entire Earth?" Fini asked with some curiosity as he watched Tony's series of actions.
This was, after all, Tony's workshop, so it was impossible for him to have installed any heavy weaponry; they were all small-scale weapons with limited lethality.
They were sufficient for dealing with ordinary people, but to deal with Fini, the most effective thing was likely the repulsor on Tony's arm, which was connected to the Arc Reactor.
"Who knows? Perhaps this 'alien' is just a human in a suit." Tony curled his lip. While aiming at Fini, he swiped open a screen and said: "I don't know how you got into my room yet, but kid, did you think you wouldn't be noticed while loitering around my house?"
"Damn it!"
Looking at the video on the screen, Fini couldn't help but curse. It was exactly the footage of him scouting the area when he first found Tony's house; he hadn't noticed there were cameras nearby at all.
"Just how many cameras did you install around here?" Fini asked huffily. He didn't bother denying it was him; there was no point. With Tony's personality, if he suspected something, he would investigate until he found out. He would be exposed sooner or later, and any accidents in the meantime would only be more troublesome.
"Who knows? Anyway, I'm rich. I'm actually planning to launch a few more satellites specifically to monitor my home."
Tony shrugged, his "money-is-no-object" attitude being truly irritating.
"OK, you win."
Fini deactivated Incursio. Since his identity was already exposed, there was no point in hiding further. Moreover, Tony hadn't fully built his suit yet, so fighting was meaningless.
Truth be told, he regretted this quite a bit now. If he had known this would be the result, he wouldn't have come for anything.
Seeing Fini act so decisively, Tony was instead somewhat surprised. On one hand, he cautiously verified Fini's identity, while on the other, he asked again: "Um... your armor... is it the latest nanotechnology!?"
"Did you actually get your hands on some new alien tech?"
The way Fini appeared and the way he deactivated Incursio were far too unexpected. Even Tony, known as a modern-day Da Vinci, couldn't figure out the reason for a moment.
"Weren't you going to offer me coffee? Do you plan to treat all your guests like this?" Fini said irritably, still feeling bitter about the surveillance. Technology really was the enemy of magic.
Looking at Fini's youthful face and his clean, weaponless appearance, Tony hesitated for a moment and lowered his arm, no longer aiming the repulsor at him.
"Alright, Mr. Halsey. Now, please tell me your reason for trespassing on private property. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind having my legal team battle your parents in court."
"Don't threaten me. The consequences are very serious." Fini frowned instantly. He did not like people using his family to threaten him; that was his bottom line.
But Tony being Tony—the number one tsundere in Marvel—even if he didn't actually intend to do it, he still had to mouth off.
"You should be considering your own consequences right now."
"Do you really think I'm out of options!?" Looking at the arrogant Tony, Fini let out a soft breath, focused his mind, and commanded: "Jarvis, you will temporarily follow my instructions. Delete all video and image records regarding me and ensure they are in an unrecoverable state."
"Certainly, Sir. It is a pleasure to be of service."
(End of Chapter)