Tony felt strangely uncomfortable when Arthur addressed him that way. It wasn't an insult, nor a sign of disrespect — it was just a straightforward way of communicating with him. Yet somehow, it sounded different, almost intimidating.
Still, Tony composed himself. It was hard to get irritated with Arthur. After all, he wasn't wrong: Tony was, without a doubt, Iron Man.
"I have to admit…" Tony began, leaning back in his chair with a half-sardonic smile, "you're not just a talented writer. You also have… an impressive knack for financial management."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Even in this whole crazy situation, you still risked buying shares in Stark Industries. Seems like you have a lot of confidence in my companies." Tony gave a small smile, as if joking, yet there was sincerity hidden between the lines.
The compliment was subtly twofold. Tony was praising Arthur, but also Stark Industries itself. Any observer could tell he was, almost instinctively, bragging about himself. Tony Stark had that gift: narcissism tempered by genius. And, frankly, he had every right.
Pepper and Happy were already used to it. Arthur, on the other hand, simply gave a slight smile. In his mind, if he had Tony's fortune, he would probably be even more egocentric.
Arthur then replied with the same calm confidence that defined him:
"Compared to Stark Industries, I trust my own vision more."
Tony blinked, surprised but amused.
"Interesting… I read your book Terminator. The setting and the robots were quite intriguing. To be honest, my first Mark 1 suit was, in a way, inspired by what I read in your books."
Arthur's eyes widened; he couldn't believe it. His book, written almost for fun, had influenced a real creation of Iron Man. It was surreal.
Tony continued, now more serious:
"But that Skynet AI… it's not reliable. If I had built it, it would have had no chance of rebelling against humanity."
The tone was confident, almost arrogant — but not without reason. JARVIS was loyal down to the last line of code. Tony could guarantee that with his life. He knew that as long as he controlled the AI, nothing would escape his domain.
Arthur smiled, with a faint inner irony.
"Just wait a few years, Tony… what you'll create in the future will be far more terrifying than any Skynet robot."
Pepper watched quietly, finding it rare that Tony opened up like this, especially to someone he'd just met. There was a silent respect between the two geniuses — two different worlds, yet similar mindsets.
Tony leaned forward and gestured:
"Pepper, go talk to some of the Stark Industries partners over there."
She looked in the indicated direction. There were indeed people who required her attention. Pepper understood the logic of the financial world: there was no justice, only opportunity. She nodded and walked away, elegant and determined.
Tony turned to Happy, handing him the car keys with a casual gesture:
"Happy, my car doesn't seem to be parked properly. Go park it again. Remember: the front of the car facing inward."
Arthur narrowed his eyes. Tony was, indeed, sending them both away. A strange method, but effective. He said nothing.
When the bar quieted down, Tony picked up his glass, sat at the counter, and addressed the beautiful bartender with a smile:
"Hey… bring me a whiskey."
While waiting, he gave her a playful wink.
"The women who came tonight are very beautiful. If you hadn't sent them away, I'd still be talking to them." Arthur chuckled as he ordered a whiskey as well.
Tony then turned his attention back to Arthur, serious, almost introspective:
"Now tell me, Mr. Morgan… in your Terminator world, what kind of power technology do these robots use? Do you think it would be possible to replicate something like that in real life?"
The words came out almost like a silent plea for help. Tony was worried, but his brilliant mind couldn't stop searching for solutions. JARVIS was analyzing possible elements, but Tony knew: there was no substitute for palladium. The same metal powering his Arc Reactor was slowly poisoning him.
Arthur immediately sensed the weight behind the question. Tony wasn't just curious; he was desperate. Iron Man, the symbol of genius and arrogance, was dying slowly, feeling powerless against his own body.
"In fact…" Arthur said calmly, "the technology in your Arc Reactor already far surpasses the energy used in the Terminator robots. As for whether it could be made in real life, that's something for you to consider, not a science fiction writer like me."
"Of course, I won't say I tried to replicate it but failed miserably," Arthur thought as he took a sip of his whiskey.
Tony absorbed the words with an ironic smile, silently accepting the bitter truth. He had tried everything, every possible solution. Asking Arthur was just another desperate attempt to glimpse an alternative.
"Thank you for answering, Arthur." He raised his glass, shaking Arthur's hand before blending into the crowd and disappearing from the party.
"Hey! Wait! I haven't finished… talking…" Arthur tried to call after him, but Tony apparently didn't even hear.
Arthur stood, dumbfounded.
"Why did he leave before I could say more?" he wondered.
But then he understood. Tony Stark was tortured, physically and mentally. He had already delegated everything: transferred his shares to Pepper, given the Mark 2 suit to Rhodes, even though neither fully realized it yet, and now awaited the inevitable. He didn't have time for long conversations — only for swift, decisive actions.
Arthur sighed, resigned but confident that future opportunities would come.
As he remained at the bar, a presence suddenly drew everyone's attention. A voluptuous red-haired woman entered the party, carrying a silent magnetism. People instinctively moved aside, clearing a path for her.
She walked toward Arthur, extending her hand elegantly:
"Hello, Mr. Morgan. My name is Jean Grey, and I'm a big fan of your books."
Arthur's gaze met hers, curious, intrigued, and in some way, excited. The seemingly ordinary evening had just taken an unexpected turn.
---
[End of Chapter]
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."