Then Tony Stark learned that "Pepper" Potts had jumped ship to Blade Tech Industries.
After all, Pepper was a bit too… well, that. Obadiah was smuggling Stark Industries' military hardware, of course he didn't want Pepper to find out, so he quietly hinted for others to squeeze her out.
Pepper couldn't swallow that humiliation. On top of that, Blade Tech Industries extended an olive branch, so she went there.
After Pepper left, Obadiah recruited a top management graduate from the same school as Pepper. The most important thing was that she was hot and sexy. Her ability wasn't as good as Pepper's, but she knew how to carry herself and how to be "understanding." Anyway, Stark Industries had already been squeezed out of the top spot by Blade Tech Industries. They didn't need Pepper to be that capable anymore.
"I'm going to bring Pepper and Happy back," Tony said after hearing all this. He fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
"Wait, Tony, I want to give Stark Industries back to you…" Obadiah started, not even finishing before signaling for his secretary to bring the contract.
Tony Stark opened the door and walked out.
"No need."
He tossed out that sentence and left, leaving Obadiah behind, tangled up inside, not sure whether Tony truly didn't care or was only pretending not to.
The media couldn't possibly miss the news that Tony Stark had returned, and Tony didn't intend to hide it either.
Then, at the press conference, he directly announced that Stark Industries' weapons division would be shut down.
But because he was no longer Stark Industries' CEO, that announcement was invalid.
"Why, Obadiah? Why won't you support me shutting down the weapons division?" Tony demanded.
Tony knew that the "second Yinsen," the one who had taken care of him, was actually sent by those terrorists to keep a close watch on him. But the first Yinsen wasn't. Stark Industries' weapons posed too great a threat to civilians. Tony wanted to shut down the weapons division and find the person smuggling weapons.
"Tony, you need to calm down. The company isn't mine alone to decide," Obadiah said helplessly, though inside he was thinking how lucky it was he hadn't returned Stark Industries to Tony.
Who the hell would've thought Tony Stark would pull this kind of stunt the moment he got back?
Stark Industries had military shareholders. Shutting down the weapons division?
Not happening.
Not to mention Tony couldn't control anything right now.
"Tony, you should be putting your energy into developing the Iron Man suit," Obadiah continued. "You have no idea, Blade Tech Industries has already released a new War Machine product."
The reason he treated Tony so well, besides Stark Industries' stock price rising after Tony returned, was because Tony Stark was currently the only genius who could catch up to Zodhis.
After all, nobody else could even replicate War Machine, but Tony had left behind a finished product. The only missing piece was the miniature fusion reactor.
"A new product?" Tony had JARVIS search Blade Tech Industries' new releases.
Then he saw the Iron Overlord.
As for War Machine Mark II, Zodhis announced it would be discontinued, because he realized War Machine Mark II was actually pretty strong, which wasn't good for his superhero training plan.
"He's already reached this level…" Tony stared at the Iron Overlord in shock.
Stats that completely crushed War Machine Mark I. Just the armor thickness alone was more than double War Machine Mark I's. That made it far harder to bring down, and its not-too-bulky size didn't harm its agility.
"What is Deep Sea King?" Tony looked up the Deep Sea King's information and fell silent when he saw that ferocious monster.
Zodhis had only met Deep Sea King once, and he had already created a War Machine designed to counter it?
The Iron Overlord had clearly been enhanced for close combat. The built-in AI was proficient in every human martial art. Even if the pilot couldn't react in time, the AI could react directly, attacking and defending on its own.
The weapon loadout also leaned toward heavy firepower as a first choice.
Tony understood Obadiah wanted him to develop the suit so they could compete with Zodhis, but Tony no longer wanted to sell the suit.
He used to have that thought.
But now, Tony Stark didn't want to do it.
…
"Tony Stark will probably be able to build the Arc cold fusion reactor in a few more months," Zod said with a smile. "When that happens, we'll see Iron Man. Though at this point, he probably can't really be called Iron Man anymore."
After all, he'd sold so many War Machines. "Iron Man" was everywhere.
Even the Iron Overlord already had orders, but because it was complicated to manufacture and expensive, the quantity wasn't large.
"Open your mouth."
Zod was lying with his head on Esdeath's thighs. Esdeath fed him a spoonful of ice cream.
Then she used the same spoon Zod had used and took a bite herself. The taste was pretty good.
"…I actually don't leave saliva behind," Zod said, watching her.
To prevent any of his DNA from being left behind and obtained by others, Zod had bound his own body with electromagnetic force and a biological force field. That meant he didn't shed skin flakes, didn't lose hair, and naturally didn't leave saliva or sweat.
He didn't even produce a scent.
"Then I'll taste properly right now," Esdeath said, not minding at all. She held Zod's face and leaned down.
After a fierce exchange of kisses, Esdeath finally pulled back, looking at Zod in a daze.
But she didn't see the emotion she wanted in his eyes, so she ate her ice cream again in disappointment.
For Zod, as long as he controlled the production of hormones in his body, desire was something he could manage extremely well. He wouldn't become weak due to anger, lust, or greed.
"I still need to go research the solar ray storm," Zod said. He patted Esdeath's perky butt, then got up and left.
The solar ray storm was naturally the cosmic radiation storm from the Fantastic Four incident. After Zod fully absorbed and processed it, it was now sealed inside a special container made of atomic alloy, ensuring not even a trace could leak.
Zod had actually been studying it for a long time, but the beast-soldiers used for experiments had suffered heavy casualties. If not for his atomic-level electromagnetic control allowing him to bring them back from the brink, nobody would dare try.
After that, Zod also tried experimenting on various unmodified street thugs, but their genes collapsed and they died as well.
"There's definitely a secret in here," Zod murmured, staring at the surging cosmic radiation storm. "It's just that my level still isn't high enough."
/-\
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