A time traveler arrives in the Multiverse with an ability that turns confident assumptions into reality. If he believes an ordinary object should perform an impossible task, the rules of the world may simply adjust to make it happen. A bicycle can rise into the sky, common equipment can behave far beyond its normal limits, and even the human body can ignore expectations that should be absolute. The power sounds convenient, but every new idea raises a larger question: if reality keeps obeying what he thinks is “scientific,” how long will it be before no one—including him—can tell where logic ends and imagination begins?
Chapter 46: 045: I Am Iron Man
After taking out the group of terrorists who had purchased weapons from Stark Industries, Tony Stark flew back in his Mark III. Although he didn’t know why the military’s radar hadn’t detected him when he left the United States earlier, it picked him up as he returned. Consequently, the military dispatched two F-22s to intercept him. In fact, after acquiring Wakanda’s technology, the military capabilities of various countries had improved significantly. However, most nations were reluctant to phase out the weapons they’d previously purchased at great expense. It was fortunate that they hadn’t yet upgraded to the latest fighter jets; otherwise, Tony Stark might not have been able to shake off the Air Force’s pursuit so easily. With the help of Stark’s friend, Colonel James Rhodes, and S. H. I. E. L. D. agents, Tony Stark made it back home safely, though his identity was revealed to Pepper Potts in the process. After a heated argument, the seasoned “Sea King” Tony Stark ultimately persuaded Pepper to help him steal information on arms deals from Stark Industries. Just as Kraft had been powerless against the databases that were truly vital to other factions, Stark Industries operated on a closed, independent network. Even with JARVIS’s help, Tony Stark couldn’t hack into a network that had no connection to the outside world. Kraft had, however, learned a wireless hacking technique in his dream from a guy wearing an LED mask, nicknamed “Wrench”—but that method required a specially modified cell phone or some other device as a carrier, and he had to be physically near the target network to carry out the hack. In fact, Tony Stark had a similar method at his disposal, but he rarely went to the office anyway. Now that he’d been ousted from the company by the board, he had even less reason to return to Stark Industries. The moment he showed up, the person secretly trafficking weapons within the company would surely go into hiding, so he had no choice but to entrust this dangerous mission to the person he trusted most: Pepper Potts. Pepper successfully stole the data, but this alerted Obadiah Stanica to something amiss. He beat Tony Stark to his mansion and snatched the miniature nuclear reactor right out of his hands. “I hate sonic weapons…” With great effort, Tony Stark finally managed to shove the first reactor he’d hammered together in the Middle East into the gaping hole in his chest—just before the shrapnel in his bloodstream claimed his life. Having been thwarted twice in a row by sound-related issues, Stark felt he had to equip the future Mark IV with a sonic weapon as well. But before that, the most important thing was to settle the score with Obadiah! “Tony Stark is back.” As the Mark III flew out of the villa, Angela promptly reported to Kraft. “Again? This guy really is headstrong…” Kraft clicked his tongue, feeling a touch of envy. After all, he was just a teenager who had just turned fifteen. Deep down, he really wanted to show the world what he was capable of, but as a person of Chinese descent, he knew all too well that he could never receive the same preferential treatment from the U. S. government that Tony Stark did. “So, where does our playboy plan to go next to fight crime?” Picking up two dumbbells, Kraft asked as he went through his workout routine for the day. Although he had no interest in body modification, the biotechnology he’d encountered in his dreams wasn’t limited to that—there were also many supporting technologies, such as nutritional supplements and body-repair pods. With the help of these technologies, Kraft’s physical condition improved rapidly, and he didn’t suffer any injuries from overtraining. “New York.” “…What?” Kraft, who had been lifting weights, paused his movements and looked at Angela’s virtual image on the workbench with a puzzled expression. “Tony Stark fights crime in New York.” Angela repeated herself, then projected an image of the area near Stark Tower onto the wall. “Who’s this giant tin can? I have to say, it looks way more badass than Stark’s model.” Kraft eyed the Iron Tyrant on the screen, offering his critique. “Why is it that one after another, they all insist on giving themselves that catfish face?” He simply couldn’t understand Tony Stark’s bizarre sense of aesthetics. As for that hulking figure, it was clearly a knockoff—it didn’t even have a palm-mounted laser cannon,and the overall craftsmanship—to put it nicely, it’s rugged; to put it bluntly, it’s shoddy. On top of that, he’s even copied that catfish face, which clearly shows his taste isn’t great either. The only thing going for him is his massive size—he does look pretty imposing.” “Based on an analysis of the audio recording from the scene, the taller of the two is likely Obadiah Stani, the majority shareholder of Stark Industries.” “Wow! That really is… a total fall from grace.” Tony Stark has really had it rough—not only was he ousted from the company by the board, but the suit of armor he’d just invented was stolen by his own people. Kraft felt a bit of schadenfreude. “It’d be even funnier if the terrorists who attacked him back then had been hired by his own people.” After finishing his weight training, Kraft sat down in a chair, sipping an energy drink and munching on sunflower seeds as he watched the drama unfold. “Why does it feel like… Stark’s new armor isn’t even as good as the previous one?” As he watched, Kraft began to sense something was off. Stark’s red-and-gold armor wasn’t performing as well as the silver-and-white suit he’d fought against earlier—he was getting thoroughly beaten by that bulky, obviously low-tech-looking suit. “His power system seems to be malfunctioning,” Angela quickly analyzed Stark’s behavior. “Since he appeared, Stark has only used an arc pulse once as an attack; after that, he’s relied entirely on close-quarters combat. The probability that this is due to insufficient power is 73. 47 percent.” “Could it be that he hasn’t recharged his reactor since he got back from the Middle East?” Kraft scratched his head. “That’s pretty reckless… Doesn’t that mean he’s going to wear himself out?” In the video, Tony Stark also seemed to realize this wasn’t sustainable; he turned and flew up into the sky, and Obadiah, not to be outdone, took flight as well. Using ordinary rocket thrusters. “Pfft, that’s so LAME…” Kraft, who didn’t understand the plight of the hungry, pursed his lips with a look of disdain. The two tin cans flew higher and higher, eventually rising beyond the reach of the street cameras. “Should we send the Banshee fighter to do a live broadcast?” Angela suggested. “Forget it. It’s so chaotic over there right now—it wouldn’t be good if we were accidentally spotted.” Although it was fun to sit back and watch the show, Kraft chose to err on the side of caution. However, Tony Stark didn’t keep Kraft waiting too long. Before long, the two metal cans plummeted from the sky and crashed onto the roof of the Stark Tower. But since the nearby cameras couldn’t capture what was happening at the very top of the building, Kraft could only rely on distant cameras to see sparks and flashes of lightning on the roof, then use his imagination to picture the chaotic scene. Finally, a beam of light shot skyward from the Stark Tower. A powerful electromagnetic pulse knocked out all the nearby cameras, and Kraft’s show came to an end. “I wonder how it all turned out…” Kraft scratched his chin, curious about the final outcome. The next day, Stark Industries’ press conference answered Kraft’s questions. Tony Stark, dressed in a suit and tie, stood on stage. After reading a couple of lines from his cue card and pausing for a moment, he addressed the media. “I am Iron Man.”
