c28 - The New Year's Invitation
Harvey drove home and ordered a large amount of takeout to be delivered to his estate.
He had already done what needed to be done with Tony Stark; now he only needed to wait for Tony Stark to come to him on his own initiative.
Besides Tony Stark, there were currently very few individuals he could recruit who possessed sufficiently strong "destiny" or potential within the broader Marvel world.
Recruiting Bruce Banner, the Hulk would undoubtedly bring him a massive amount of Void energy.
However, Bruce Banner was still in a phase of avoidance, constantly suppressing and fearing the Hulk within him, much like his early comic portrayals where he sought cures rather than control.
Instead of mastering his immense power, he was still obsessed with eliminating it entirely.
Harvey intended to make Bruce Banner realize just how short-sighted and futile that idea was, but now was not the right time to interfere with the Hulk's trajectory.
As for Abomination, also known as Emil Blonsky his strength and potential were indeed inferior to the Hulk's, but still formidable enough to be valuable.
Unfortunately, Harvey did not know where Abomination was currently being detained likely under the authority of General Thunderbolt Ross so he had no practical way of locating him.
Directly approaching General Ross might yield results, but that would expose Harvey too early, something he deliberately avoided at this stage.
Nine years later, before the arrival of the so-called "Purple Potato Demon"—Thanos, the Mad Titan, if Harvey could evolve over a thousand times and acquire additional powerful templates,
he would be able to confront Thanos head-on rather than merely evade him.
Furthermore, once he obtained the Voidwalker Kassadin template, his operational range would no longer be limited to Earth.
He would be able to traverse planets, much like cosmic-level entities in Marvel Comics, establishing a Void Cult across multiple civilizations while hunting powerful extraterrestrial lifeforms.
Absorbing their life energy would grant him enormous evolution points, potentially allowing exponential growth far beyond his current limits.
If he could eventually acquire a "Dark Star"-type Void essence and integrate it with multiple templates,
Harvey was confident that even when facing beings on the level of the Celestials, he would at least ensure his own survival.
At present, it was still 2008, with roughly two months remaining before 2009.
The true explosion of superhuman activity and global-scale conflict would only begin after the Battle of New York in 2012, a pivotal event tied to the rise of the Avengers Initiative led by Nick Fury.
His rate of evolution and accumulation of Void energy would not slow with time.
On the contrary, as his strength increased, both efficiency and speed would accelerate, creating a compounding effect.
Thinking about this, Harvey revealed a faint smile as he casually continued playing his game.
※※※※※※
After Harvey treated Tony and subtly guided his thinking,
Tony Stark temporarily stopped his relentless attempts to contact him.
Tony Stark handed over the management of Stark Industries to Pepper Potts, much like in the comics where Pepper often assumed executive control,
and aside from a few critical decisions requiring his signature, he devoted himself entirely to research and development.
His conversations with Harvey Ambellaca had significantly broadened his worldview.
Combined with the rejuvenation of his body now biologically closer to his early thirties his mental clarity and stamina had improved drastically.
As a result, his development speed increased at an astonishing rate.
The Iron Man armor did not stagnate at earlier iterations such as Mark II or Mark V.
Instead, within just two months, Tony Stark pushed development forward aggressively, iterating toward advanced prototypes approaching later-model capabilities, with vastly improved performance, modularity, and combat efficiency.
Moreover, since the shrapnel embedded near Tony Stark's heart had been completely removed,
he no longer needed to rely on the Arc Reactor as a life-support device at all times unlike his earlier condition following his escape from captivity by the Ten Rings.
He now only wore it when operating or testing the armor systems, which significantly reduced palladium exposure and slowed any potential poisoning.
This meant that Tony Stark no longer suffered from the psychological pressure of imminent death,
allowing him to focus entirely on innovation rather than survival.
Two months passed quickly, and the American New Year arrived, bringing a festive atmosphere across the country.
On that very day, Tony Stark attempted to contact Harvey Ambellaca once again.
He wanted to spend the New Year with the one person who had both saved his life and expanded his understanding of the universe—a man he now genuinely considered a friend.
"Sir, Mr. Harvey Ambellaca rejected the call in less than two seconds."
Tony Stark had assumed that after their last interaction, communication would be easier.
Hearing this report from JARVIS, however, immediately shattered that expectation.
"Damn, this guy is still impossible to reach."
"Sir, based on prior patterns, Mr. Harvey Ambellaca likely assumed you were attempting to contact him repeatedly again, which influenced his decision to decline the call,"
JARVIS replied calmly.
"JARVIS, I never expected you to become this brutally honest,"
Tony Stark said with a helpless expression.
"So, should I attempt to reconnect?"
JARVIS asked.
"No need. I'll go find him myself. Just have lunch prepared for when I get back."
Tony Stark gave a brief instruction before heading out.
Harvey Ambellaca resided in an upscale area of Brooklyn.
The distance from Stark's mansion was not far, making the journey quick and convenient.
Within just over half an hour, Tony Stark arrived at an expansive estate spanning several thousand square meters.
He stepped out of his car and rang the doorbell.
Inside, Harvey activated the surveillance display and saw Tony Stark standing outside.
Without hesitation, he opened the gate.
"This guy's level of extravagance is ridiculous,"
Tony Stark muttered as he drove in, observing the surroundings.
His own residence was luxurious, but most of its true value lay hidden in the underground lab.
Harvey's estate, on the other hand, openly displayed wealth everywhere, with decorations and artifacts far exceeding even Stark-level opulence.
Tony Stark had already investigated Harvey's background beforehand,
so he drove directly toward the main mansion without needing directions.
Harvey was already standing at the entrance, waiting.
"It's New Year's. Why aren't you celebrating with Pepper?"
"What brings you here?"
Before Tony Stark could even greet him, Harvey spoke first.
"I figured you'd be spending it alone, so I thought I'd come drag you out for once."
Tony Stark replied with a casual grin.
Tony Stark looked at Harvey, who was dressed in casual clothes, and smiled without any embarrassment.
"Don't give me that. Knowing your personality, that's hardly a reason to come looking for me."
"Just tell me what you want."
Harvey waved his hand dismissively, clearly unconvinced by Tony Stark's excuse.
"You saw right through me. But I've already had JARVIS prepare lunch. How about we head over to my place and talk?"
Tony Stark paused briefly before speaking, his tone casual, as if he had completely forgotten his earlier resolve not to rely on Harvey Ambellaca again.
"Have JARVIS add two more beef dishes to the meal, on top of what's already prepared, and I'll come over."
"I tend to eat more during the New Year."
Harvey replied without hesitation.
"Don't mention two cows even ten wouldn't be a problem for me,"
Tony Stark said confidently, patting his chest, displaying the same flamboyant confidence he often showed in both business and heroics.
"Alright, I'll change my clothes. Wait for me a moment."
Harvey nodded and closed the door.
A few minutes later, Harvey emerged, now dressed in a finely tailored suit, his demeanor calm and refined, exuding a natural elegance that matched the elite circles of New York society.
At home, he dressed casually, but when stepping outside especially when interacting with figures like Tony Stark his appearance naturally shifted to match the occasion.
Harvey opened the garage, paused briefly, then chose a relatively low-profile silver BMW instead of one of his more extravagant vehicles.
"No wonder so many wealthy young women in New York are eager to invite you to their parties."
"That face of yours… tsk, tsk, you remind me of myself back in my younger days."
Tony Stark remarked with a grin as he observed Harvey Ambellaca's refined appearance.
With his sharp features, well-built physique, and composed temperament, Harvey naturally drew attention, even in a city filled with elites.
"Tony Stark, instead of worrying about your 'third wheel,' why are you paying attention to this kind of gossip?"
Harvey pulled his car alongside Tony Stark's, rolled down the window, and spoke with mild irritation.
"That's not really my concern."
"Pepper manages Stark Industries now and attends all kinds of high-profile events."
"And since people think you and I are on good terms, quite a few of them ask her about you."
"Don't you ever spend time with those socialites?"
"Getting involved with them isn't just enjoyable, it also brings convenience."
"So why do you show zero interest?"
Tony Stark replied, first distancing himself, then immediately shifting into a teasing, inquisitive tone.
"Tell me, are those women with less status easier to deal with, or are you just more experienced than me when it comes to the wealthy ones?"
Harvey rolled his eyes at Tony Stark's shameless curiosity.
"That actually makes sense."
Tony Stark nodded, immediately accepting the logic, as if it answered everything.
"Let's go."
Harvey said simply, raising the window and driving off.
Tony Stark quickly followed behind in his own car.
In less than half an hour, the two arrived at Stark's estate.
Because of the New Year, the estate had been decorated with subtle festive elements, though still maintaining its signature sleek, modern aesthetic far from overly extravagant, yet unmistakably luxurious.
"Mr. Harvey Ambellaca, it's been a while."
Pepper Potts greeted him with a warm smile as he entered.
"It's been a while, Miss Pepper."
Harvey responded politely, maintaining his composed demeanor.
"We're heading downstairs to talk. Pepper, stay here for now."
Tony Stark said directly, already leading the way without giving her much room to question him.
He then brought Harvey into the underground research lab his true domain, filled with cutting-edge technology far beyond conventional understanding.
"Welcome, Mr. Harvey Ambellaca."
JARVIS's calm and refined voice echoed throughout the lab as Harvey entered.
"JARVIS, display the periodic table."
Tony Stark immediately gave the command.
Within seconds, a full holographic projection of the periodic table appeared in midair, each element clearly labeled and interactive.
"I've tested every known stable element."
"But none of them can replace palladium in the Arc Reactor."
"Harvey Ambellaca… do you really believe a substitute exists?"
Tony Stark rested his chin on his hand, his expression serious far removed from his earlier casual demeanor.
This wasn't idle curiosity.
Ever since escaping captivity and building the Arc Reactor originally to prevent the shrapnel near his heart from killing him, much like in his early comic origins, he had constantly sought a more stable and less toxic power source.
Based on Harvey Ambellaca's earlier hints, Tony was convinced that such a solution existed.
But despite his intelligence recognized as one of the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe—he had reached a bottleneck.
"I knew you didn't come all this way just to celebrate the New Year."
Harvey said calmly, a faint glint flashing in his eyes as he looked at the projected elements.
---