After sending Wanda home, Carl handed the unconscious Ivan to Leo, instructing him to take the man to the airport. Without wasting a moment, Carl Apparated back to the exhibition hall square.
At that moment, Tony Stark had just shaken off a crowd of relentless reporters. Flanked by bodyguard Happy and his girlfriend Pepper Potts, he was about to enter his car when Carl appeared again out of thin air.
Tony blinked in surprise. "Carl? What's up?"
"I need your help. In three days," Carl said bluntly. "Do you have time?"
Tony's eyes gleamed with interest. "Yeah, of course."
He wasn't one to sit on unpaid favors, especially not after Carl and Wanda had just helped him deal with a very public crisis. Helping Carl was not just an obligation—it was an opportunity. It meant Carl trusted him.
"Good. Come to Old Bridge Town in New Mexico, three days from now. Try to arrive early. There might be a powerful enemy, so be prepared."
Carl stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Also, I found something useful for you. Your father left behind a large model of a future city. Study it carefully. It seems to contain the formula for a new element—one that might cure your palladium poisoning for good."
And with that, Carl disappeared again in a swirl of space, leaving Tony stunned.
Tony muttered under his breath, "Great. I was going to repay a favor, and now I owe him again."
He turned to Happy. "Change of plans. We're going to the Stark Building. I need to get something from my office."
Carl reappeared aboard his private aircraft. Moments later, Leo arrived with Ivan in tow. Once everyone was on board, the jet took off, heading for Sokovia.
The upcoming mission in Old Bridge Town came with a three-month reward window—Carl's system never offered generous time extensions for easy jobs. That alone suggested trouble. Bringing Tony would likely tilt the odds in their favor.
Carl never underestimated Earth's weapons technology. In some ways, it rivaled or even surpassed that of alien civilizations. The nuclear bomb, for example—developed with Eternals' (Phastos) assistance—was still feared across galaxies.
Even Earth's conventional modern weaponry—machine guns, missiles, bombs—was devastating when used effectively. The universe might label Earth as weak, but that was due more to the average human's physical fragility than any lack of scientific prowess.
Case in point: when Asgard was invaded, Carl noted how one bald Asgardian warrior used dual submachine guns to mow down enemies more efficiently than those wielding swords.
Tony, while technically just a human, wielded the Iron Man suit—an advanced weapon platform with excellent offense and defense capabilities. With his aerial firepower, Carl would gain significant tactical support. That's why he had nudged Tony toward discovering the new element—to boost his suit's energy core.
At 3:00 a.m., Carl's plane touched down in Sokovia.
He awoke from his nap and carried Ivan into a secluded mountain facility: a secret Hudson Group base that doubled as both lab and prison. Holding out his wand, he whispered:
"Healed as before. Forgotten. Filled with memory."
A flash of blue magic washed over Ivan's body. The spells not only healed his wounds but wiped his past and filled his mind with fabricated loyalty. Ivan Vanko, once a bitter rival of Stark Industries, was now a loyal Hudson Group scientist.
Satisfied, Carl called Leo to summon Dr. Smith and Lister Gem to the main lab.
"How's progress on the strengthening serum?" he asked.
Smith beamed with excitement. "Thanks to the rare research data you acquired and the experiments we've run since, we've completed Strengthening Serum No. 1."
Carl raised an eyebrow. "And it's stable?"
"Yes. Fully. As per your specifications, it causes no genetic instability. After multiple human trials, we've confirmed it produces no side effects."
Hudson Group had all but taken control of Sokovia—once a fragile state, hollowed out by war and later infiltrated by Hydra. With Hydra's secret base destroyed and massive Hudson financial investments flowing in, the region was now under Carl's quiet rule.
The remnants of Hydra, violent crime lords, and all those who resisted Hudson Group were now test subjects—unwilling residents of this mountain facility.
Carl leaned forward. "What exactly does the serum do?"
Smith activated a projector, cueing up a test video. "After injection, muscle mass and raw strength double. Results vary depending on baseline fitness—the stronger the subject, the better the improvement."
On screen, a subject began pacing violently inside a steel cell. As his emotional state escalated, he slammed fists into the reinforced walls. Seconds later, his body began to change—muscles swelled, veins bulged, and his body transformed into that of a world-class bodybuilder.
Smith paused the footage. "It's not quite as strong as the super-soldier serum, and certainly not as volatile as the Green Gene variant."
Carl nodded. He knew what Smith was implying—no mental instability, no grotesque mutations.
"But," Smith added, "when subjects become emotionally stimulated—particularly when enraged—their strength increases even further, exponentially in some cases. This transformation isn't permanent, but it activates when the user's heart rate spikes under emotional duress."
Carl considered the implications.
His body, already nearing its peak due to his previous world's training methods, had slowed in development. The world of shinobi demanded chakra and discipline. But even the strongest taijutsu specialists, like Might Guy and Rock Lee, only achieved god-like power when they opened the Eight Gates—temporary, often suicidal techniques.
Outside of chakra, true physical strength was limited. However, enhancing the body directly—using technology and magic in combination—could be revolutionary.
And the benefits went beyond strength. A stronger body also meant greater chakra reserves. Chakra was a balance of body and spirit. With one elevated, the whole would rise.
Smith turned off the projector. "We've tested multiple subjects. Results are consistent. No cognitive damage. No aggression spikes unless provoked. It's ready for field deployment."
Carl stood silent for a moment, mind racing with possibilities. He glanced toward the secure chamber housing the latest batch of completed serums.
A small smile crept across his face.
"Good," he said. "Prepare a sample for me. And get ready—something big is coming in three days."