That battle of the gods in the Nevada Desert was already two months ago.
To most people, the World was still the same—noisy yet peaceful. But for those who experienced it, some things had changed completely. The Avengers had died once, thrown a post-disaster survival party, and then went back to their own new lives.
Steve Rogers became a regular at Kamar-Taj. That battle made him realize that relying solely on his fists and shield was nowhere near enough when facing supernatural powers. So, for the past two months, whenever he had time, he would have Mage Russell open a door to send him to Nepal. He didn't learn those tongue-twisting incantations; instead, he consulted the mages on the most basic energy applications—how to channel that white magic energy called Vishanti into his limbs and shield. This was a brand-new battlefield for him, full of challenges and opportunities.
Bruce Banner and Betty Ross could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Tony was very generous, giving them an entire floor of his Malibu cliffside mansion. With the California sun, the beach, and his lover by his side every day, it was more effective than any sedative. Banner found that once his inner anxiety and escapism were smoothed over, the big green guy was more well-behaved than ever. Sometimes, Banner even felt like Hulk was looking at the sea through his eyes; within that World-destroying rage, there was actually a trace of childlike curiosity and peace that even Hulk himself couldn't understand.
Johnny Blaze, on the other hand, chose self-exile. He disappeared the day after the party, and no one knew where he went. That contract with the Lord of Hell was like an invisible chain, completely severing him from his past life and preventing him from embracing the warmth that should have been his.
While some were peaceful and others struggled, Tony Stark's life was different from everyone else's; he had entered a brand-new state of high-speed excitement.
In the underground workshop of the Malibu mansion, AC/DC's rock music was blasting so hard it nearly blew the roof off. Having experienced the temptation of a Demon, the judgment of an Angel, and Lin Huai's miraculous resurrection, this series of events had smashed this hardcore science fan's worldview to pieces, only for it to be brutally reshaped in a mix of science and mysticism.
He didn't eat or sleep, focusing solely on studying the two Artificer Beyonder items brought back from the North Pole. Lin Huai, acting as a "tutor," and a curious-looking Banner sat beside him.
"So you're saying this hammer doesn't strike the molecular structure, but rather some kind of 'rule' that maintains the existence of this alloy?" Tony wore his invented "Rule Analyzer," staring at the holographic screen showing energy patterns completely different from physical models, his eyes as fanatical as a Lunatic's. "Then, if I reverse-engineer the principle of this 'Rule Shattering' and apply it, could I create a layer of 'Rule-Level Absolute Defense Armor' for my mark armor?"
"Theoretically, yes," Lin Huai took a sip of the coffee Pepper had personally delivered and explained leisurely. "But that would require you to have a deeper understanding of mysticism, and... some suitable Beyonder materials. At your current level, Tony, you're at most a... kindergarten senior class kid in the field of mysticism, just learning how to play with building blocks."
"Sir," Tony was about to retort with some genius metaphor when Jarvis's steady voice came from the ceiling. "There is a piece of breaking news I believe you might be interested in. Hammer Industries just held an online press conference. Its chairman, Justin Hammer, announced that Hammer Industries has made a 'historic, industry-disrupting' breakthrough in exoskeleton armor technology. They will hold an official new product launch in New York in three days, where they will showcase their new 'Iron Soldier' legion."
"Justin Hammer?" Tony sneered, taking off his head-mounted microscope. "That fly who's always buzzing behind me, who can't even copy my homework properly, wants to learn how to fly now? Let him make a scene. His stuff is just a mobile target painted with cheap fluorescent paint at best."
Tony dismissed it, knowing Justin Hammer's level all too well. But Lin Huai, who was refilling Tony's coffee, stopped his movements.
"Tony, remember what happened at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters two months ago?" Lin Huai's tone was casual, as if just chatting.
Tony paused. "Huh? Too much happened that day; my brain's cache is about to burst."
"Ivan Vanko," Lin Huai calmly spoke the name, instantly making the rock music in the lab sound a bit harsh. "Back then, anyone with a brain knew he was snatched from the S.H.I.E.L.D. plane by HYDRA. A genius who could independently build a miniature arc reactor, plus a terrorist organization that stops at nothing and has penetrated the highest levels of the government—do you think they've been peacefully vacationing in Siberia for the past two months?"
"Now," Lin Huai pointed at the news screen, where Justin Hammer's face looked somewhat distorted from over-excitement, "a second-rate arms dealer whose missiles even fail to fire suddenly announces a 'historic breakthrough' in cutting-edge technology. Don't you think that's a bit too coincidental?"
Lin Huai looked at Tony and summarized word by word: "If I were Ivan Vanko, a top-tier genius with a blood feud, I would definitely choose a stage that the whole World is watching to perform my revenge debut. The Hammer Industries launch sounds like a perfect choice. They lack real core technology, while Vanko lacks a legitimate, grand stage to showcase his work of revenge, and... a sufficiently stupid sponsor to take the fall for him."
"Jarvis!!!" Tony's voice instantly deepened, no longer containing a hint of contempt. "Immediately hack into all of Hammer Industries' internal and external network servers, email systems, and security networks! Check everything! I want to know every detail of this launch—the venue size, the invitation list, and... exactly what kind of hellish things they've built in whatever damn basement in New York!"
...Meanwhile, at Hammer Industries' secret research and development center in Queens.
Justin Hammer was bowing and scraping like a servant to a burly Russian man who exuded an aura that warned others to stay away.
"Mr. Vanko, look! I've arranged everything. The launch in three days will be the moment Hammer Industries... no, the moment you shock the World!"
Ivan Vanko didn't pay any attention to Justin's rambling. His cloudy eyes were fixed only on the row of cold combat Robots before him, which exuded a sense of violent aesthetics. The appearance of these Robots crudely imitated Tony's mark armor, but the design language was rougher and more savage. Connected to their power cores was his proud high-energy electric whip system.
"Tony Stark..." Ivan looked at the design blueprints for the launch venue on the screen, his lips curling into a cold smile filled with endless hatred.
He reached out a rough finger and gently stroked the white parrot in the cage beside him, which also came from Russia, muttering in Russian that only the two of them could hear:
"I will prepare a... grandest closing gift for you."