"He told me to come and see..." Pepper murmured, exhausted, as if already on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
She turned to Jean with a look of sincere regret.
"Sorry… I honestly never imagined he would drag Mr. Morgan into all of this..."
Gwen, wearing her usual innocent and gentle expression, raised an eyebrow, feigning naivety.
"Is this… dangerous?"
Jean crossed her arms and let out a light sigh.
"Arthur already drives like he's in a Formula 1 circuit on a normal day... This is just a playground for him."
Pepper's expression faltered. She had assumed Tony had pulled Arthur into yet another one of his reckless stunts. But from the way Jean and Gwen spoke, it sounded like Arthur was just as reckless as Tony — maybe worse.
"Who do you think is going to win this race?" Gwen asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Obviously Tony," Pepper replied without hesitation. "He practically built that car with his own hands."
"I think Arthur will win," Jean said with a smile at Pepper.
The two women clinked their glasses delicately.
A silent bet had been made, sealed with smiles. Only Gwen kept a curious look — something seemed… off, as if something strange had just happened but slipped past her notice.
For now, though, it didn't matter. The track lights came on, the countdown began, and all eyes turned to the monitors.
---
Arthur stood out immediately. His yellow car gleamed under the sunlight, and although he wore a helmet like the others, his posture radiated an unusual calm. One hand rested lightly on the steering wheel, the other casually on the gearshift.
"Just a Sunday drive..." Arthur murmured, almost bored, as he left the other competitors behind like traffic cones.
With a few flawless drifts and a straightaway taken with surgical precision, Arthur seized the lead with ease. As he drove, his eyes quickly scanned the track and the stands.
"Strange… If things happen like in the movie… then that lunatic with the whips should appear… now."
As if the universe wanted to prove him right, the crowd erupted into commotion.
On the far side of the track, a hooded man — disguised as a simple staff member — calmly stepped onto the race line. In his hands, two electrified whips crackled with deadly energy. He lashed them against the asphalt, splitting it with fiery sparks.
His clothes began to burn away, revealing a crude suit of armor connected to an arc reactor in his chest.
It was Ivan Vanko.
"Right on time…" Arthur muttered, yanking the handbrake.
Vanko's eyes locked on the car in front — Arthur's. He had no idea who was driving, only that it was his first target.
He lashed the whip with force.
But Arthur reacted before the strike even landed. With a controlled, almost artistic drift, he dodged the attack, spinning the car and parking it a few meters away — as if saying, my turn to watch.
Vanko turned to the next car — one of the unlucky competitors coming up.
This time, the whip hit dead-on.
The car exploded into flames, flipping violently.
Chaos swept through the stands. The screams were deafening.
In the lounge, Pepper's eyes widened.
"Happy, get the car and go help Tony. NOW!"
Gwen clenched her fists, ready to act.
"Damn it, why didn't I bring my suit…?!"
"Gwen, calm down," Jean said firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Arthur's fine. Did you forget how ridiculously strong he is?"
"...You're right," Gwen admitted reluctantly, though her gaze remained fixed on the screen.
---
On the track, Tony appeared, driving like a battle-hardened veteran. His skills behind the wheel were often underestimated, but now they shone.
Vanko, upon seeing him, smiled as if victory was already his.
Whip.
Crash.
Flip.
Tony was thrown from the car by the impact, but thanks to the reinforced seatbelt and frame, he survived.
Dazed, he tried to get up, but Vanko charged again.
Another strike — coming straight for him.
Tony rolled across the ground, dodging by mere inches.
Then, a black car burst violently onto the track, slamming into Vanko like an enraged bull.
Happy was at the wheel.
And next to him, Pepper yelling:
"GET HIM THE RED SUITCASE! NOW!"
Tony staggered toward the side of the car, reaching out his hand while shouting.
Pepper hurled the red suitcase with force.
In an instant, the portable armor activated — metal plates snapping into place around Tony's body with bursts of energy. The Mark 5 came online, its triangular arc reactor glowing in his chest.
Arthur crossed his arms, watching.
"Hmm… That's not the Mark 5 from the movie."
In the version he knew, the suit was simplified, functional, but nothing fancy.
This one, however, was an upgraded model.
Tony had discovered the new element early, fixing the energy deficiency and boosting the armor's power.
Vanko tried to fight back, but the gap was overwhelming. The upgraded Mark 5 didn't need missiles — just precision, speed, and a far stronger reactor.
The villain was quickly subdued.
Tony ripped the reactor from Ivan's chest with his bare hands and crushed it like a piece of scrap metal.
"End of the line."
He walked over to Arthur, still in full armor.
"Looks like you won the race."
Arthur chuckled.
"And you doubted me?"
Jean and Gwen ran over to him.
"Arthur, are you okay?" Gwen asked, holding his arm.
"Who was that guy?" Jean wanted to know.
Arthur glanced at Vanko, now being dragged away by security.
"I think he's just another one of Tony's enemies."
Gwen shot Tony a sharp look.
"You almost put him in danger."
Tony raised his hands defensively.
"Hey! I didn't even know that lunatic was going to show up! Probably just another revenge-obsessed terrorist."
---
Later, in prison.
Tony and Arthur walked down a dark corridor toward an isolated cell.
Inside, Ivan Vanko stared at them with feral eyes.
"Tony Stark… you and your father are thieves!"
His voice dripped with venom.
"The palladium will kill you. And you'll suffer… slowly," he said with a satisfied grin.
Tony simply crossed his arms, unfazed.
"No, it won't. I already replaced the palladium. But thanks for your concern."
Vanko froze.
His face twisted in confusion and disbelief.
"...You're lying."
"I'm not. But hey, I liked your performance on the track. Dramatic. Intense. A little over the top, but effective."
Arthur tapped the bars twice, as if complimenting a street performer.
Tony turned to leave, and Arthur followed. Before they were out of earshot, Vanko's voice echoed down the corridor, shouting curses in Russian and slamming the bars in impotent rage.
"Do you always attract this kind of people?" Arthur asked with a smirk.
"Apparently, yes. I'm a magnet for bizarre sociopaths."
"I think that should be noted in SHIELD's files."
"Already is. Right next to 'genius,' 'billionaire,' 'playboy,' and 'philanthropist.'"
Arthur laughed.
"Idiot."
"Thank you. That's the nicest thing anyone's called me today."
(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."