"Jarvis?"
After dropping off Pepper and returning home, Tony found his house shrouded in darkness. Could Jarvis be slacking off?
"Jarvis?" Tony called out again, this time hearing a weak response from Jarvis: "Sir... welcome... home."
It was then that Tony noticed a shadowy figure standing near the floor-to-ceiling window. Just as he was about to ask who it was, the shadow spoke first: "I am Iron Man!"
"Tony Stark, did you think you were the only superhero in this world?"
"Stark, there are many others like you in this world."
"You just don't know it yet."
As the shadow moved closer to him, Tony asked in confusion, "Who are you?"
As the figure came into view, Tony realized that no matter how much light there was, this person remained a shadow.
"Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Coulson works for me."
Tony squinted his eyes. "So, you're the head of that special agent organization."
"To be precise, I'm the highest-ranking officer."
"Whatever. I have just one question. What happened to Jarvis?"
Tony was more concerned about Jarvis than whether Nick Fury might attack him or had other intentions.
Nick Fury, satisfied with Tony's reaction, nodded and said, "Don't worry. We just hacked into his system and shut him down for a while."
"That made it easier for us to get in."
"Looks like I need to upgrade my algorithm," Tony said, rubbing his chin. "So, what do you want with me?"
"I want to talk to you about forming the Avengers..."
As he spoke, Nick Fury picked up a remote-like device and pressed a button. The room's lights came back on, and Jarvis's voice returned to normal: "Sorry, sir."
"It seems my system was hacked."
"It's not your fault, Jarvis. I haven't patched you in a while."
"If you want to talk, take a seat."
"I just had a drink; I need to clear my head..."
Nick Fury glanced at Tony, then walked over to the sofa behind him and sat down.
"No problem, I'll wait."
...
"Boss, that's the situation."
Kingpin, who was enjoying the service of beautiful women in a hot spring, frowned. "You're telling me none of them saw when Alan got home?"
"He was just suddenly there?"
"That's right, Boss."
"Could this Alan Ford be a mutant?"
"If he is, maybe we shouldn't provoke him," the subordinate reported fearfully, still haunted by the recent troubles caused by mutants.
Most mutants were ruthless killers.
Kingpin frowned, deep in thought.
"Impossible. If he were a mutant, there's no way we wouldn't have found out when we checked all his records."
It's common knowledge that the backgrounds of mutants are rarely clean.
They can't withstand scrutiny.
But Alan was different. His background was too clean, as ordinary as any common civilian.
Who would believe he was a mutant?
"Besides, if he were a mutant, Professor X wouldn't have been so desperate to curry favor with others at tonight's party."
The subordinate thought about it carefully and realized that made sense. If a billionaire holding 60% of Stark Industries' stock emerged within the mutant community, it would represent a major turning point for mutants.
Though it might sound exaggerated, that's the reality.
"But then, how do you explain his sudden, unannounced return home?"
"That doesn't make any sense!"
Kingpin glared at him. There are plenty of things in this world that don't make sense.
"I think either they missed him, or you heard wrong."
The subordinate, terrified by Kingpin's angry tone, collapsed to the ground in fear.
"I understand, Boss. I'll immediately replace them! I'll get a new team right away."
"No need!"
Kingpin's massive body slowly rose from the hot spring, revealing muscles akin to those of a monster. His body was covered in countless gruesome scars.
It was clear that Kingpin hadn't reached this position through ruthlessness and cunning alone.
His strength was not to be underestimated either.
"But Boss, what do you mean by 'no need'?"
Kingpin glanced at him. "Alan controls so much of Stark Industries' stock. Today, he was even invited by Tony Stark to attend the party. Many people know him now."
"We have to take those stocks from him before his influence grows."
"Understood. I'll prepare everything immediately."
"Bring him to my office tomorrow. I want to sign the contract with him personally."
"That way, I can show him my respect."
"Hahaha..."
...
"Master, the new house has been purchased, and all renovation plans are underway. We'll be able to move in soon."
It was morning, and Alan, while having breakfast, listened to Red Queen's report.
"What about my car?" Alan was more interested in his car than the house.
"It's already ordered and should arrive downstairs tomorrow afternoon."
"Good!"
Gwen now understood why Tony called Jarvis his butler. One reason was to honor his previous butler, and the other was that with an AI like this, everything became a lot easier. Just give a command, and everything gets done.
"Hey, is there any breakfast for me? I left without eating this morning," Gwen cheerfully asked as she landed on the balcony railing.
"Of course, it's already prepared. Spider-Woman, you need to be well-fed before going out to fight crime."
Gwen removed her mask and walked toward the dining table. "New York City seems to have calmed down a lot lately."
"Of course. Now, besides Daredevil and Spider-Woman, there's also Iron Man. Naturally, petty criminals wouldn't dare show themselves right now."
"Maybe after a while, when they realize Tony isn't really dealing with petty crime in New York, they'll start causing trouble again."
As Gwen ate her bread, she asked curiously, "How do you know Tony won't deal with petty crime in New York?"
Alan shrugged. "Just a guess. Besides being Iron Man, he has a huge company to manage. I don't think he has the time."
Gwen nodded in agreement.
In reality, that's not the reason. Alan knew that Tony was currently in a situation where he could barely protect himself. The palladium in the arc reactor was a toxic element. If Tony didn't have any external injuries, it might be fine, but he's using the arc reactor to keep himself alive.
Without it, the shrapnel in his body would pierce through the reactor and kill him. But using the arc reactor also means he risks palladium poisoning.
If Tony doesn't discover a new element to replace the palladium, death will become a pressing issue for him.
As Gwen ate, she occasionally glanced at Alan, who was browsing something on his computer. Thinking she hadn't been noticed, Gwen looked over at Alan again while eating.
"If you think watching me is a good side dish, I might as well stop cooking," Alan teased as he closed his laptop, smiling at Gwen.
Gwen blushed. "I wasn't! I was just thinking."
"Yeah, I was thinking."
"Thinking?" Alan listened as Gwen tried to cover up. "What were you thinking about?"
Gwen pouted. "Girl stuff. None of your business."
"Miss Gwen, there's been a robbery at the convenience store on Ninth Street."
"Alright, I'm on my way."
Grateful for the timely interruption, Gwen was glad the little thief showed up when he did. She decided to go easy on him this time.
Gwen leaped from the balcony and swung on her web towards Ninth Street.
Alan reopened his laptop and continued browsing information from NASA. He was still thinking about what he overheard yesterday from Reed and Susan, which left a strong impression on him.
If they are indeed the superhero team he thinks they are, then it won't be long before a super-being descends on Earth.
Knock, knock, knock...
Just as Alan was browsing the web, a knock sounded at the door.
"Red Queen, who's knocking?"
"Unknown."
A small screen popped up on Alan's computer, showing the surveillance feed from outside the door.
Four people were standing there, all dressed in identical suits. Although Alan didn't know who they were, their attire made it clear they weren't here with good intentions.
Normal people don't knock on your door without saying a word, standing like four wooden posts.
"Red Queen, search for their information."
"Yes, Master."
As Red Queen began searching, Alan stood up and walked towards the door.
"Stop knocking! If you break the door, will you pay for it?" Alan grumbled as he opened the door, finding the four men looking at him with disdain.
"Are you Alan Ford?"
Alan, noticing their attitude, smirked. "You come knocking on my door and don't even know who I am?"
The man in front, speaking in a condescending tone, said, "Our boss wants to see you." His demeanor suggested that meeting their boss was an honor, and Alan should be grateful for it.
"Your boss? Never heard of him!"
Alan replied bluntly, uninterested in these small-time thugs. He pitied them for living in a world where they had to rely on others' power to survive.
He made a move to close the door, but the man stepped forward, sticking his foot inside to stop it.
Bang!
Alan, no longer in the mood to be polite, kicked the man out of the doorway.
The results of recent training were clearly evident. A man, nearly 1.9 meters tall and with a muscular build, was effortlessly kicked away by Alan as if he were a piece of paper. The impact was visually stunning.
The other three men saw Alan's attack but had no time to react. With three more swift kicks, they were all sent flying, landing on top of the first man in a pile.
Alan hadn't even used his full strength; if he had, these men would be doing more than just groaning in pain.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of other tenants. Everyone who lived in this building had some wealth, and with a moderate amount of money often came a short temper.
One man suddenly flung open his door, ready to start shouting, but Alan shot him a cold glance. The man immediately backed down, closing his door with a muttered "sorry."
This minor interruption wasn't enough to calm Alan's anger. Since arriving in the Marvel Universe, he had maintained a policy of not provoking others unless provoked first.
But today, someone had foolishly crossed the line.
Alan walked up to the four men. "Who's your boss?"
"I'm not telling you who my boss is..." The man at the front tried to hold his ground, but his words trailed off when he met Alan's gaze.
Alan's eyes began to glow with a faint golden light as his powerful psychic energy poured out. The man's vision went black, leaving him alone in a void with Alan.
Behind Alan, a golden dragon head radiated an aura of overwhelming authority, looking down on him.
The man had never seen anything like this before and was terrified out of his wits. He spilled everything he knew. "Our boss is Kingpin. He sent us to find you and bring you to his office."
Alan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Why does Kingpin want to see me?"
"I don't know, I really don't know. We're just following orders."
"Is that so?" Alan smiled coldly. "In that case, there's no need for you to keep your sanity any longer. Killing you would be too easy."
With a hum, a wave of psychic energy slammed into their minds, leaving the four men with blank stares. Their eyes became dull and unfocused. In an instant, they were reduced to mindless idiots.
"Get lost!" Alan whispered.
The four men screamed in terror as if they had seen a ghost and bolted down the stairs.
Alan returned to his room, thinking about whether he had recently had any dealings with Kingpin.
Since his arrival, he had attended only two social events—one at Oscorp Industries and another at Tony Stark's party. Neither seemed connected to Kingpin, yet here he was, being targeted.
After thinking it over, Alan came to one conclusion: it's all about the money. He's no fool; he knows exactly how wealthy he is, and how easily his assets could be transferred.
It was only a matter of time before someone tried to take advantage of that, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
"Red Queen, find out where Kingpin is."
"Yes, Master."
Kingpin, as a crime lord, had multiple hideouts. Even for the Red Queen, finding him wouldn't be easy.
But Alan didn't mind. He had all the time in the world. Since Kingpin had decided to target him, he'd better be prepared to face the consequences.
A while later, there was another knock at the door. Alan frowned—could they really be coming back?
Red Queen promptly informed him, "Master, it's the detectives. They responded to a report."
"A report?" Alan thought back and guessed it was probably that guy from earlier.
He walked over and opened the door, finding two detectives standing there. Alan asked curiously, "Is something wrong, officers?"
One of the detectives, a chubby man, replied, "We received a report about a fight here."
"A fight? Not at all! I've been watching TV inside the whole time," Alan said, feigning surprise.
The two detectives exchanged confused glances, seeing Alan's innocent expression. Did they come to the wrong place?
At that moment, the upstairs neighbor, the one Alan had frightened earlier, opened his door. "It's him! I'm the one who called it in. He has surveillance cameras—check them!"
The detectives looked up and indeed saw a camera.
"Would you mind if we take a look?"
"Not at all."
Alan invited the detectives to review the footage. After an hour of checking, the hallway was shown to be completely quiet. The detectives apologized and headed upstairs.
Someone actually dared to make a false report!
...
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