Before the race even began, the stands were already filled with noise and excitement. Men gathered in small groups, each with a beer in hand, scouting for a potential romantic encounter, while women swayed their fiery bodies to the music, waiting for prey to approach—ready to show who was the wolf and who was the rabbit.
Outside, youthful hormones filled the air. Inside the exclusive club, accessible only to the elite, desire simmered just as much—though hidden behind elegant masks and more refined tactics.
Brought here by Tony Stark, Melin was naturally an anomaly. His handsome looks and ethereal aura made him the center of attention the moment he appeared. Envy burned in the eyes of men, and the enthusiasm of women ignited like fire. Yet no matter how many beautiful socialites abandoned their original partners to flock to his side, he politely rejected them all, sitting alone in a corner sipping champagne while watching the lively scene outside.
Of course, that was just a cover. Ever since the plane had landed, Melin's Cosmo had been locked onto Athena's presence. With the protection of Cratia of the Crateris constellation, Dardi of the Canis Inferior constellation, and Arujedi of the Hercules constellation, her safety wasn't something he needed to worry about.
Still, it was only natural to keep an eye on one's wife.
(Ugh~ disgusting… what a creepy stalker!)
"I didn't expect you to be interested in this kind of event, Mr. Melin," Pepper said as she sat across from him, bringing along a new assistant.
Melin looked up and noticed it wasn't the Black Widow he knew, but another familiar face—S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Sharon Carter, Peggy's niece, and an excellent operative.
Her original assignment had been to pose as Steve's neighbor—Nurse Kate—to secretly watch over him. But since Steve had never been frozen in ice and had long been married to Peggy (making Sharon his niece by marriage), that cover no longer applied.
In his previous life, Melin's knowledge of the Marvel movies ended with Avengers: Endgame, and he barely knew anything beyond that. He only vaguely recalled reading that Sharon Carter's true identity later became complicated—possibly even a villain. But the Sharon before him was clearly still a righteous and capable agent; her Cosmo confirmed that much.
"Tony said I was starting to look like a lonely old man, so I came out to get some fresh air," Melin replied casually.
"Is that so? Haha, he's not wrong."
"New assistant?"
"Kate is the new assistant I hired for Tony. She's quite capable."
Hearing that name, Melin had to suppress the urge to laugh. Were S.H.I.E.L.D.'s code names really this lazy now? Not even changing it from her old alias?
Well, to be fair, she wasn't actually playing Nurse Kate this time.
"Nice to meet you, Kate. I hope your work isn't too tiring."
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Melin. The boss talks about you often."
While Melin was observing Sharon, Sharon was observing him in return. She didn't have clearance for classified files yet, so she knew little about him beyond his name—but she had heard it spoken often, with unmistakable respect, from both of her bosses.
At first glance, Melin seemed like an ordinary handsome man—aside from his striking looks and elegant demeanor. But her instincts told her otherwise. Something about him radiated quiet danger; her very biology seemed to warn her to stay cautious.
"Kate?"
Pepper's voice snapped Sharon out of her daze.
"Apologies, Mr. Melin, that was rude of me."
"No problem. Though you are being a bit negligent in your job."
"What do you mean?"
Melin tilted his glass toward the television. A bad premonition flashed through both Pepper's and Sharon's minds. On-screen, Tony Stark had just swapped places with the professional driver and climbed into the race car himself.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!"
Pepper didn't know what madness Tony was up to this time, but she rushed out immediately, completely forgetting to excuse herself.
Melin waved her off calmly. "Relax, Pepper. Let Tony have his fun."
"But… fine." She wanted to argue—it was dangerous, after all—but she trusted Melin's words enough to stay put.
This surprised Sharon. She'd already learned that Pepper was a strong, no-nonsense woman—especially when it came to Tony's reckless stunts. Usually, when she was angry or worried, no one could stop her—not even Tony's parents could calm her down.
But Melin could.
"I'll have to report this to the Director," Sharon thought grimly.
At that very moment, chaos erupted again on the broadcast. A deranged man stepped onto the racetrack mid-race, pulling out two electrified whips. A reactor glowed on his chest, the heat scorching his shirt away to reveal a muscular torso.
Crack!
The electric whips lashed the asphalt, leaving deep gashes.
A car sped past him—but the man swung his whips and cleaved it clean in half, the wreck exploding into flames against the barrier. Then he went berserk, cutting down every car that passed until Tony's vehicle came barreling toward him.
Tony, focused on driving, didn't notice the danger until it was too late. The whip came down hard, slicing through the car. Only his quick reflexes—slamming the brakes at the last second—kept him from being split in two.
"Tony!" Pepper screamed, covering her mouth in horror as she ran. Tony's portable armor was still with Happy.
"I told you to stay calm. Why are young people so impatient these days?" Melin sighed, shaking his head.
…
Tony's head was spinning as he crawled out of the wreckage—only to see a pair of boots approaching. The next instant, an electrified whip cracked down toward him. He rolled aside just in time.
The madman continued to lash out, trying to kill him, but Tony narrowly dodged each strike. He was desperate now, silently begging Pepper and Happy to hurry with the armor. But there was nothing left he could do to stall for time.
"Pepper! Happy! If you don't get here soon, I'm dead!"
Just as the whip was about to strike him again, a figure dropped from the sky—Mu. With his telekinesis, he froze the madman mid-swing.
"Mu!"
"You all right?"
"I'm fine—cough, cough—but you…"
"How should I handle this?"
"Just… take the reactor off his chest."
Mu nodded, forcibly tearing the arc reactor from the man's body and handing it to Tony.
"…Thanks."
Tony examined the device. Without his armor, he couldn't analyze its structure, but it clearly resembled his own design. He needed to bring it back for study—and to find out how this man had obtained such technology.
"Tony!" Pepper and Happy arrived, running to him. Tony opened his arms, expecting Pepper to embrace him in relief—but instead—
Smack!
A loud slap rang out.
"Are you insane?!"
"Wait—Pepper, let me explain—"
"Explain my foot! If you want to die, do it somewhere else—don't drag me into it!"
"Uh… okay, Pepper, it's fine, really," Tony said awkwardly, hugging her to calm her down while signaling to Happy.
Happy, catching on, politely turned his back.
Police soon arrived, subduing the now-weakened madman. With things under control, Mu quietly left. Though, once again, he somehow ended up stealing the headlines—replacing "Iron Man Attacked" with "Mysterious Savior Appears."
After an investigation, Tony learned that the reactor hadn't come from his company. The attacker's name was Ivan Vanko—codename Whiplash—and his technology came from his father, Anton Vanko.
Before being taken away, Ivan sneered, "How does palladium poisoning feel?"
Tony paused, then smiled. "Not bad."
In the original story, palladium poisoning nearly killed Tony. But this Tony, blessed by Melin, was immune to all toxins—including chemical elements. The only side effect was… occasional stomach trouble.
Ivan was stunned. That wasn't the smile of denial—it was the smile of someone genuinely unaffected.
But how was that possible?
Tony didn't bother explaining. He handed a $100 bill to a police officer and said, "Do me a favor—when you send him to prison, give him a bar of soap."
…
High above the clouds, the Archibaldo family's private jet flew back toward New York. Cratia of the Crateris constellation was complaining to Athena. "Miss, I'm never asking the boss for permission on your behalf again."
She wasn't the only one frustrated—Dardi and Arujedi were just as exasperated. Ever since their last outing, it seemed that wherever Athena went, trouble followed.
"Come on, I just wanted to watch the Monaco Grand Prix. Cratia, can't you help me with such a tiny request?" Athena pouted adorably.
"Uh…" Cratia was at a loss for words.
"Miss, I think—"
"Dardi, Arujedi, you won't help me either?" Athena turned those pleading eyes on them.
"Uh…" Both turned away, unable to face her.
"Hmph! Fine, next time I'll sneak out by myself!" Athena huffed, puffing her cheeks in mock anger.
The three Saints panicked immediately. To outsiders, their lady was graceful and composed, but before them, she showed her mischievous side—and they never knew how to handle it. They hurried to comfort her until she smiled again.
Athena turned to the window, her expression softening with a trace of melancholy. She had gone to Monaco hoping to meet that person—but it hadn't happened.
"My intuition is never wrong… so why didn't I meet him this time?"