Harvey drove back home, ordering a bunch of takeout to be delivered to his estate. His work with Tony was done for now, and it was only a matter of time before Tony Stark came back to him, willingly.
Aside from Stark, there weren't many others with the potential and strong enough fates worth pulling to his side right now. The Hulk, Bruce Banner, was someone who could yield a great deal of Void energy if recruited. But Banner was still on the run, afraid to confront the power of the Hulk within him.
Instead of embracing his immense strength and learning to control it, he sought to rid himself of it. Harvey would make Bruce realize just how naive that line of thinking was. But now wasn't the time to go after him.
Abomination might be another target worth pursuing. While not as powerful as the Hulk, he still possessed considerable strength. The issue was, Harvey didn't know where Abomination was being held. Asking General Ross could lead him to the answer, but Harvey couldn't afford to draw too much attention to himself just yet.
In nine years, before the purple madman arrives, Harvey planned to evolve over a thousand times, gathering as many hero templates as possible. By then, he'd be able to face Thanos head-on.
And once he acquired Kassadin's Void Walker template, he wouldn't be limited to Earth. He could traverse planets, establishing his Void Cult wherever he went. The universe was filled with all sorts of monsters for him to hunt, absorbing their life energy and accelerating his evolution.
If he managed to secure the hero essence of Kha'Zix, the Voidreaver, and combine it with other hero templates, Harvey was confident that even if he couldn't defeat the Celestials outright, they would no longer pose a mortal threat to him.
It was 2008, with two months left before 2009. The explosion of superheroes wouldn't truly begin until the New York battle in 2012. But Harvey's rate of evolution and absorption of Void energy would only increase the stronger he became.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Harvey smiled as he idly played a video game.
After healing Tony and nudging him in the right direction, Stark hadn't been pestering Harvey with non-stop calls. Instead, he handed off his company to Pepper to manage, only dealing with major decisions while spending the rest of his time deep in research.
His conversations with Harvey had opened his eyes to a much wider world. Plus, his body, now younger and more energized, had drastically increased his productivity. In just two months, Tony had gone from Mark IV and Mark V all the way to Mark XVII, with significant improvements in each iteration.
With the shrapnel in his chest gone, Tony no longer needed to wear the arc reactor all the time, only using it when testing new suits. This slowed down his palladium poisoning dramatically, and Tony no longer felt the despair of death looming over him.
Time flew by, and before anyone realized it, the New Year had arrived in the U.S. The country was buzzing with festive spirit.
On New Year's Day, Tony reached out to Harvey. Grateful for everything Harvey had done for him, and considering him a friend, Tony wanted to invite him over for the holiday.
"Sir, Harvey Amberlock declined the call in less than two seconds," JARVIS reported.
Tony, who had expected this wouldn't happen anymore after their last meeting, cursed under his breath. "Damn it, that guy's still impossible to get a hold of."
"Perhaps he assumed you were calling because you needed another favor," JARVIS suggested.
"I never thought I'd hear something so cold and blunt from you, JARVIS," Tony said, half-joking, but a little hurt.
"Shall I continue trying to reach him?"
"No, I'll go see him myself. In the meantime, arrange for lunch to be prepared," Tony said as he got ready to leave.
Harvey's usual residence was a luxurious estate in Brooklyn, not far from Stark's own mansion. It didn't take long for Tony to drive over to the sprawling property. He pulled up to the front gate, stepping out to ring the bell.
Harvey glanced at the holographic display projected on the wall and saw Tony standing outside. With a quick tap, he opened the gate.
"Man, this guy really doesn't hold back on the extravagance," Tony muttered to himself as he drove up the long driveway, taking in the lavish surroundings.
The Stark mansion was opulent, but Harvey's estate, filled with priceless decor and covering more ground, put it to shame. Stark had done his homework on Harvey, so he didn't need directions to find the main house.
When he arrived, Harvey was already waiting by the door.
"Tony, shouldn't you be spending New Year's with Pepper? Why'd you come all the way here?" Harvey asked, skipping any pleasantries.
"I figured you'd be spending the holiday alone and thought we could hang out," Tony replied with a smile, not at all fazed by Harvey's directness.
"Cut the crap. Knowing you, that's hardly a reason. What's the real deal?"
"Fine, you got me. But hey, I've got lunch ready at my place. Wanna head over and chat?"
"Tell JARVIS to add two more beef feasts, and I'll come along. I tend to eat more around the holidays," Harvey said with a smirk.
"Two whole cows? No problem, I'll get it done," Tony grinned, slapping his chest as if to seal the deal.
"Alright, give me a minute to change." Harvey shut the door, leaving Tony waiting outside.
A few minutes later, Harvey reappeared in a sleek, well-tailored suit that radiated elegance. Even for a casual visit, he dressed to reflect his high status.
As Harvey pulled his silver BMW out of the garage, Tony couldn't help but comment. "No wonder half the wealthy socialites in New York are throwing invites your way. You clean up almost as well as I did back in my prime."
With his youthful good looks and natural charisma, Harvey easily turned heads wherever he went.
"Tony, shouldn't you be focusing on your fancy tech instead of gossiping about rich housewives?"
Harvey lowered his car window, shaking his head.
"Hey, it's not me who's curious! It's Pepper. She's been getting all these questions about you since she's handling Stark Industries. Apparently, a lot of young beauties and older ladies have taken notice of you," Tony said, brushing off the comment with a laugh. "You ever consider playing along? Could bring you some perks."
"Sure, Tony. And should I go for the easy-to-manage young women or the wealthy widows? You tell me, with all your experience," Harvey said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"Touché," Tony chuckled, admitting defeat.
"Let's go." Harvey rolled up the window and started driving, with Tony following closely behind.
After about thirty minutes, the two arrived at Stark Mansion. The place was dressed up for the holidays, though Tony hadn't gone overboard with decorations.
"Mr. Amberlock, it's been a while," Pepper greeted Harvey with a warm smile.
"Good to see you, Pepper," Harvey replied courteously.
"We're heading down to the lab for a bit. See you later," Tony said, wasting no time as he led Harvey to the basement.
"Welcome, Mr. Amberlock," JARVIS greeted Harvey as soon as they arrived.
"JARVIS, pull up the periodic table," Tony ordered.
The full chart of elements appeared on the large screen.
"I've tried every known element, but none can replace palladium. Do you really believe there's something out there that can?" Tony asked, rubbing his chin with a frown.
From their past conversations, Tony had gathered that Harvey's suggestion to find a new element implied such a thing was possible. But so far, his efforts had led to nothing but dead ends.
"I knew it. You only came to me because you need something," Harvey said, his eyes gleaming.