When Egghead Fury found Tony with Howard's remains.
The kid was lounging on a giant donut, sunglasses on, eating a donut.
Life was meant to be lived this freely.
Egghead Fury turned his head, glaring at Natasha with his remaining eye, as if to say: This is what you call "dying"?
"He looks pretty comfortable to me."
"I don't know."
Natasha was also confused. Just a few days ago, this kid was indulging himself, running wild in his battle armor, blasting watermelons with his repulsor rays, and drinking his filtered waste as water...
Nick Fury, his face grim, looked up and yelled at Tony: "Get down!"
"What for?"
Tony didn't have a good look on his face when he saw Nick Fury.
This guy was practically synonymous with trouble.
Tony found him annoying.
"What for?" Nick yelled, "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to eat on someone else's shop sign?"
"Oh, really?"
Tony's eyebrows shot up. He muttered something under his breath, and a minute later, he looked back at Nick Fury and provocatively said, "It's my shop now."
Nick Fury: ...
Honestly, it was just a small donut shop, and in such a remote location, it wouldn't have cost much to buy it. But Tony's behavior truly broke Nick Fury, who had to file expense reports every year.
If only all this money could have been used to build him safe houses!
However, the angrier Nick got, the more he wanted to recruit Tony to his team.
Not for any other reason than to solve the funding issue.
The Security Council already had reservations about his plan to reassemble a team of superpowered individuals. After the Animo incident in Manhattan, they had relented, but it was uncertain how much funding Nick would actually receive.
Without money, he couldn't move an inch!
He couldn't possibly pay out of his own pocket, could he?
Not only Tony Stark, but also the newly rising CEO Primus, Ben Parker, was within his consideration.
If he could bring Ben into the team, wouldn't there be fewer self-healing serums in the future?
Nick Fury's main strategy was to get things for free, a zero-cost acquisition, a racial talent, so to speak.
Of course, the accounts still had to be settled!
If the accounts weren't settled, how could he trick the old men out of their money?
At worst, he'd split it fifty-fifty with Primus.
He thought his plan was perfect.
During the crisis, he'd leverage Stark, and with Stark's pride and arrogance, the Avengers' future funding would be secured.
As for Ben Parker.
What did a teenager, especially a teenager with money, want the most?
Wasn't it the same as Tony, dreaming of becoming a superhero who saves the world?
Easy to handle!
Then he'd take Tony's battle armor and tell Ben Parker that if he joined them, he'd get the armor immediately in exchange for providing serums for free. Then, he'd take the serums and tell Tony that if he gave him the technology for the battle armor, he could immediately remove that thing on his chest.
Double-dipping, perfect!
It could only be said that Nick Fury's thoughts were beautiful, but reality might not go as he wished.
Just like now.
Tony still came down from the roof, took off his battle armor, whistled at Natasha, and then walked into the shop with Nick Fury.
He wanted to see what good ideas this black person could come up with.
"Tony Stark, the palladium poisoning isn't treating you well, is it?" Nick, thinking he had the upper hand, leisurely drank his beverage.
Tony, however, raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, upon hearing Nick Fury's words.
It seemed Ben Parker was right; anyone with a little ability probably knew he was on his last legs.
But that was in the past.
"So what?"
"We can help you!" Nick said frankly.
But this made Tony a little unhappy.
What did that mean?
One by one, they popped up saying they could help him. Did you all discover a new element, and I'm the only one who can't?
Was his genius reputation actually undeserved?
Thinking this, Tony looked unhappily at Nick Fury and said, "What, you guys found a new element too?"
"Too?"
Nick Fury keenly caught the word.
He didn't believe anyone else in the world could discover a new element, and had assumed Tony had surpassed his father, Howard Stark.
If that were the case, he had miscalculated.
However, Tony changed the subject, avoiding the matter.
Although he admitted he had lost to Ben in the discovery of the new element, he wouldn't publicize his failure.
But Tony didn't want to talk about it, and Nick Fury couldn't let the topic go.
All his goals and leverage today were placed on the new element. If Tony had truly discovered a new element, wouldn't it all be over?
So he pressed further:
"You didn't actually discover a new element, did you?"
Tony remained silent, but his eyes showed a hint of displeasure. Nick grew more anxious. In his panic, he resorted to the kind of suppressive dialogue he used on his subordinates, commonly known as PUA, and immediately said:
"You think you're the first person to discover a new element?"
"Let me tell you, you think highly of yourself, believing you're a genius, but in reality, someone discovered the existence of a new element long ago!"
These two sentences were like dancing on Tony's landmines!
He was already in a bad mood from losing to Ben, but he had also been reborn, feeling an unprecedented sense of ease.
But now?
Nick Fury's words were like rubbing salt into his wounds.
"Enough!"
He slammed his hands heavily on the table, making Nick Fury suddenly realize that the person before him wasn't his subordinate, but the real benefactor.
"I don't need you to remind me of my failures!"
With that, Nick Fury was confused again.
What did he mean?
Did this kid already know about Howard's situation?
Nick Fury instinctively sensed something was strange. His single eye swiveled in its socket, and he tentatively asked:
"How much do you know about Howard?"
"Who?"
Tony almost thought he misheard.
"Howard Stark, your father," Nick clarified.
"Why are you talking about him?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere between them changed. Tony's face was complex, showing displeasure and confusion, but he was no longer as angry.
Nick Fury was even more perplexed.
The next second, both of them spoke at the same time:
"So, the person you mentioned who discovered the new element wasn't Howard?"
"So you're saying my dad also discovered a new element?"
At this, both of their expressions changed. "Motherfucker," escaped their lips in unison.
For Nick Fury, an unknown force had contacted Tony Stark before him, and they had also discovered a new element. This was undoubtedly a potential threat.
Most importantly, his funding...
Was gone!
And for Tony Stark, this was another blow!
The thing he hated most in his life was being inferior to others, and even more so, being inferior to his own father.
Now, it wasn't enough that Ben had discovered a new element; that old man, dead for decades, was still teaching him a lesson.
Infuriating!
So infuriating that Tony refused to admit it.
He glared, extending his hand towards Nick Fury: "Where's the evidence?"
"What?"
"Evidence that Howard discovered the new element, give it to me!" he demanded forcefully.
Nick Fury: ...
He didn't have any damn evidence!
Limited by the era and technology at the time, Howard couldn't find the true form of the New Element. He only proposed a concept, waiting for future generations to discover it.
However, S.H.I.E.L.D. withheld Howard's remains, which is why Tony was completely unaware of this matter.
Now, he could only brace himself and say, "It's not really a discovery, but he did propose the concept of the New Element..."
"Oh?"
Tony's expression softened. "That's it? I thought he was much more impressive."
"I hope you can understand one thing, Howard was limited by his era," Nick said.
He wasn't just speaking well of Howard; he was emphasizing the relationship between Howard and S.H.I.E.L.D.
Without the leverage of the New Element, he could only deepen the connection between Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. in this way.
"Is that so?"
Tony said dismissively, "Was he also limited by his age?"
To him, losing was losing. He could always win next time. Making so many excuses was useless.
Howard might have been limited by his era, but wasn't Ben Parker limited by his age?
At sixteen, he could invent the Self-Healing Serum and discover the New Element. Such intelligence was enough to earn Tony's approval.
Of course, he would never admit that Ben was smarter than him.
This was just a temporary win or loss.
It was just that before, he was the only one who lost, but now, two Starks were losing.
Regardless, having someone to lose with made Tony feel a little more at ease. He relaxed, leaning back in his seat.
"If there's nothing else, you can go back?"
He was trying to get rid of them.
But Nick Fury still had one last question.
"I'm very curious, who actually solved this problem and revealed the true nature of this mysterious element?"
Initially, Nick Fury didn't expect any answer, but after hearing his question, Tony gave him a strange look.
He thought back to a few days ago.
After he finally decided to use Corrodium, he had contacted Ben.
At the time, Ben had said that someone would come looking for him in a few days, asking who provided him with the New Element.
"No need to cover for me, just tell him directly."
Ben's voice seemed to still echo in Tony's ears.
Now, only one sentence flashed through Tony's mind: Ben Parker, was this also within your calculations?
Since the person himself said there was no need for secrecy, Tony naturally wouldn't bother.
"Ben Parker."
"Who?"
"Ben Parker, the CEO of Primus. Don't tell me your S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't investigated him." Tony rolled his eyes.
How could he not know S.H.I.E.L.D.'s methods?
Back then, to get his information, they even sent Natasha into his company.
Too bad, at that time, the CEO of Stark Industries was already Pepper. He didn't get to taste the flavor of the Black Widow.
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