After two days of renovations, Noah's house had transformed beyond recognition. He completely remodeled it to his liking. This rapid result was achieved thanks to the assistance of nanobots, whose productivity was simply astounding.
At the moment, Noah was sitting on the couch in the living room, with several photos of Taam lying on the table next to him. These photos were taken before his dive into the Atlantic Ocean, and he had decided to leave them here.
"Let's see if anything important has happened in the last two days," Noah said as he settled into the couch. A holographic screen rose from the table in front of him, and he began browsing through the latest news. Among the usual celebrity gossip, a few headlines caught his attention.
"Tony Stark's Iron Man throws a grand birthday party!"
"Two Iron Men?! Iron Man vs. Iron Man battle at Tony Stark's birthday."
"Justin Hammer to unveil new combat robots at Stark Expo!"
"Meteorite crashes in New Mexico."
"So this is the timeline. That means tomorrow will be the final battle between Iron Man and Ivan Vanko?" Noah thought, analyzing the news. He realized that events were now unfolding toward the end of the second Iron Man movie. Today, Nick Fury was supposed to pass on Tony's father's legacy, and tomorrow Iron Man would create a new element and battle Ivan Vanko.
He also noticed the third headline about the meteorite and wondered if it might be Thor's hammer. These two events did coincide in time. However, Noah decided to finish the Iron Man storyline first and then deal with Thor's matters.
Turning off the holographic screen, he picked up the dinner Lissandra had prepared for him—a large plate of noodles with sauce. Yes, noodles with sauce. Noah had mentioned once that he wanted to try Chinese cuisine, and Lissandra found some recipes online. Thanks to her abilities as an AI, she quickly mastered Chinese cooking.
"Delicious!" Noah said, enjoying the meal and thinking about his plan for tomorrow. According to the arrangement, he was supposed to meet with Peter and Ned. He decided to stick to the plan: head to the expo first and then see what tasks would arise.
Today, he planned to rest. The last few days had been extremely hectic. He barely slept, constantly thinking and studying new materials, and now his brain needed a break.
At that moment, Lissandra informed him that someone was calling. Peter Parker's name appeared on the screen. Noah answered the call, and Peter's voice came through the speaker.
"Good evening, Noah!"
"Peter, good evening. What brings you to me so late?"
"Did you forget that we're going to the Stark Expo tomorrow?"
"Of course not. Have you and Ned already decided where to meet?" Noah asked.
"Yes, let's meet at the entrance to the expo. How does that sound?" Peter suggested.
"No problem."
"Great, it's settled. See you tomorrow, Noah."
Ending the call, Noah decided to relax and unwind.
...
Meanwhile, in the early afternoon, while Noah was still working, chaos reigned at Tony Stark's coastal mansion. The shattered floor and scorched ceiling were reminders of the wild party from the night before. Nick Fury sat across from Tony, discussing the arc reactor situation. Several agents were guarding the balcony.
"That thing in your chest is based on unfinished technology," Nick Fury said, addressing Tony.
"No, it's finished. It just wasn't particularly effective until I... minimized it..." Tony began to argue.
Nick only smiled and started talking about Howard Stark's vision for the future of the arc reactor. When Tony asked about the connection between Ivan Vanko and his father, Nick explained everything, saying that Howard believed only Tony could finish his work.
Tony asked another question, "You said I haven't tried everything. What else haven't I done?"
Nick replied, "He said you were the only one with the means and knowledge to complete what he started."
"Is that what he said?" Tony asked.
"Mhm, was he wrong? If not, then you'll surely be able to unravel the secrets of your own heart," Nick Fury said, staring intently at him.
Tony stared back at Nick for a few seconds, then shook his head and said, "I don't know where you get all this information, but he wasn't exactly my biggest fan."
Tony went on to talk about his impression of his father: cold, calculating, unloving. Because of this, he found it hard to believe Nick Fury's words. It was difficult for him to accept that his father had placed all his hopes on him.
"That's not true," Nick replied, taking a sip of water.
"Well, then you clearly knew my father better than I did," Tony said sarcastically.
"I did. He was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Nick Fury said. Two agents brought over a large silver case, and Black Widow (Natasha) and Agent Coulson approached. Nick glanced at his watch and told Tony he had a meeting at 2 o'clock, so he had to go.
"Wait, wait, what's this?" Tony asked, eyeing the silver case.
"Natasha will continue working undercover at Stark Industries. You haven't forgotten Agent Coulson, have you?" Nick ignored Tony's question and continued. He nodded toward Agent Coulson and, before leaving, made it clear that he'd be keeping an eye on Tony.
"All communication channels are cut off, no external contacts. Good luck," Natasha said, looking at Tony. Then she turned and left.
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