"Minerva, contact Killian and tell him to hold the investment presentation at Stark Industries headquarters."
[Understood, Master.]
I informed Pepper Potts of this as well.
-Jin, that man is an old colleague of mine who used to hit on me.
"Oh dear... I made a mistake. Should I cancel it?"
-No, he's also requested a meeting with us, so let's meet him.
"Alright. Then, the schedule..."
Pepper still didn't like it. At any rate, after coordinating schedules with Pepper, I notified Killian. Killian readily accepted.
On the day of the meeting, I brought my secretaries and bodyguards to Stark Industries headquarters. Pepper and Happy were waiting at the entrance, so I greeted them.
"Long time no see, Ms. Potts. And Happy."
"Nice to see you, Jin."
"Long time no see, Chairman."
They greeted me with smiles, and we shook hands.
"You didn't have to come out this far to meet me. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
"Not at all. You're our biggest investor. And it's not like we're strangers. I'll guide you. Please come in."
Happy handed out visitor badges to my secretaries and bodyguards. We attached the badges to our chests and entered the building with Pepper guiding us. As we entered, I asked Happy how he was doing.
"Happy, how's work lately?"
"It's manageable. But Chairman, I'm worried about Mr. Stark. He doesn't pay any attention to the company anymore and barely leaves his house."
Happy seemed very worried about Tony too.
"Hmm... I see. I'll make some time and go see Tony."
"Thank you, Chairman."
We moved to the office and met Killian, who had been waiting.
"It's an honor to meet Chairman Jin, who is so difficult to see. I'm Aldrich Killian, CEO of A.I.M. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jin."
We shook hands lightly. Then Killian greeted Pepper.
"Pepper, long time no see."
Pepper seemed somewhat surprised to see Killian, who used to limp and be disheveled, now appearing in a neat suit without a limp.
"Aldrich, you've changed a lot. Is your leg completely healed?"
"I received intensive physical therapy for five years."
"I see. That's good news. Anyway, it's nice to see you."
"You haven't changed at all. You're still beautiful."
Killian spoke as if he still had feelings for Pepper.
"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm getting older too."
Pepper and Killian also shook hands lightly. We sat on the sofa and listened to Killian's explanation.
"The project currently underway at A.I.M. is called 'Extremis'."
Killian placed three beads on the office table and rolled them. Holographic images resembling a brain appeared from the beads.
"This is my brain. Interestingly, it resembles the universe, doesn't it? I need your help. Pepper, could you stand up and come here for a moment?"
Pepper stood up and approached Killian. Killian held out his arm and said to Pepper,
"Please pinch my arm."
Pepper hesitated, but Killian said it was okay.
"It's fine. Go ahead and pinch."
When Pepper lightly pinched Killian's arm, the part of the brain responsible for sensation on the hologram lit up.
"Wow! What's this?"
"The primary somatosensory cortex. The part of the brain that feels pain."
After confirming that it was his brain, Killian looked at me and continued his explanation.
"This is exactly what I wanted to show you."
Killian manipulated the hologram, pointed to a part of the brain, and explained.
"'Extremis' utilizes our bioelectrical potential... This is an empty space in the brain. What this means is that we can upgrade our DNA. This will accelerate human evolution and..."
Killian explained about 'Extremis'. In simple terms, Extremis activates dormant parts of the brain, leading to the evolution of DNA.
"'Extremis' enhances human capabilities. It's a technology that transcends biological limits."
While listening, I asked Killian,
"It's an amazing technology. I've also read Dr. Maya Hansen's paper. If that's possible, it would not only prevent aging but also enhance strength, stamina, and even regeneration, wouldn't it?"
Killian, pleased with my words, smiled and said,
"You hit the nail on the head. It is, literally, a technology that leads humanity to evolve."
"But it's a technology that's only theoretically possible and has many problems. First, activating dormant brain regions could cause unforeseen changes in humans. Also, even if DNA evolves as per Dr. Hansen's paper, without a control tower to manage it, wouldn't there be a risk of it running out of control? Could we possibly see your experimental data?"
Killian thought for a moment, then said,
"Hmm... That's a valid point, but I'm afraid that's confidential, so I can't show you."
"Then, could you tell me how far the research has progressed?"
"I can confidently say it has progressed sufficiently."
"I see. Then I'll take the time to see the research results for myself. After that, I'll decide whether to invest. I'm very interested, so I look forward to it."
"Understood. You will not be disappointed."
After Killian left, Pepper looked at me with a worried expression and said,
"Are you really going to invest? I'm not sure if I understand correctly, but it seems like a project to create superhumans. If it goes wrong, it could be misused for military purposes. Please reconsider..."
"Your concern is valid, Ms. Potts. But rather than letting that kind of technology leak out and be misused, it would be better for us to control it and use it for good. In other words, it's like guiding a newly forged sword to be used for chopping vegetables instead of killing. Besides, I haven't fully decided to invest yet. I still have time to watch and see. We'll check it out gradually."
"I see... It's almost lunchtime. If you're not busy, why don't you eat something before you go?"
"Sure."
As I was heading to the dining room guided by Pepper, I saw Happy hurriedly ending a phone call. True to his loyalty to Tony, he was probably reporting. Anyway, we moved to the dining room. Pepper, Happy, my bodyguards, and secretaries all ate together. As expected of Stark Industries, the meal was excellent.
"I'm planning to visit Tony around Christmas. If you have time, would you like to come along? I think Tony would be very happy to see you."
"Sure. I have something to ask him anyway."
Pepper seemed very worried about Tony, who was doing nothing and staying home all day. In other words, she wanted me to come along and check on Tony.
After setting a date, I returned home. My house was also preparing for Christmas, buying a tree and various decorations. I also contacted Natasha, who was out in the field.
"How are things? Can you make it back for Christmas?"
-I'm not sure. The work isn't finished yet.
"Don't make me out to be a bad boss. Toomes has a family. You have to let him go home for Christmas. Even if the work isn't done, take a day off and rest. Tell Captain America too."
-Okay. I'll try.
After ending the call, I went back to supervising training. Wanda was now practicing flying with telekinesis, as well as compressing energy to attack and defend. Pietro's ball retrieval rate had reached 90%, so that training seemed pointless. He and Jessica were now learning martial arts from me. Deadpool still hadn't gotten his driver's license.
Time passed, and the day of my appointment with Pepper arrived. I prepared and went to Tony's house with her. A giant rabbit doll was installed in Tony's yard. Seeing it, Pepper sighed.
"Is that a gift from Tony?"
"It seems so."
When I asked, Pepper answered.
"I hope I'm not intruding on your private time."
"Of course not. Don't worry."
We entered Tony's house. An Iron Man suit greeted us. I knew Tony wasn't inside the suit, but Pepper seemed to think he was, so I kept quiet.
"Wow~ Come in! Jin's here too."
"What's this? Are you wearing your suit inside the house now?"
"Everyone needs a hobby. By the way, did you see my Christmas present?"
"Yes, I saw it. It was hard to miss."
We sat on the sofa and continued talking.
"So, Jin, what's up?"
"Well, I want Banner for Christmas. And this might upset Ms. Potts..."
"What is it?"
Feeling sorry for bringing up business on such a day, I glanced at Pepper. When she nodded her permission, I showed Tony the blueprints for the Hulkbuster.
"Wow~! What's this? Amazing! Is this for Banner?"
"Yeah. He can't transform into the Hulk and is stuck at Stark Tower just doing research. I want to put him to use. And since this uses a lot of your Iron Man technology, I needed your permission."
"I see. Hmm... There's some tech here I don't have either. Let's make it a win-win. I'll use the technology from these blueprints too."
"Good. And this is a Christmas present."
I placed a pair of rings made of red diamonds on the table. Pepper and Tony looked very surprised. The combination of red diamonds and gold created a beautiful design reminiscent of Iron Man's colors. Truth be told, I had plenty of larger diamonds in my inventory. I could also make them myself, so they held little value to me. Rather, if this could help alleviate Tony's trauma a little, I would be satisfied.
"This is... a red diamond. That must have cost a pretty penny."
"No, I had some diamonds I acquired by chance, so the stones didn't cost anything."
"I see. Then I'll have to hand over Banner without any complaints. Take him and work him hard."
Tony joked as if trading Banner.
"Will do."
"By the way, should I use this as an engagement ring? Or a wedding ring?"
Tony looked at Pepper and asked. Pepper smiled and answered,
"Well, I suppose that's up to the person who receives it. But since you've gotten a good gift, how about taking off the Iron Man suit? Before I go down to the basement and find the crowbar to pry you out of it."
Pepper stood up and started heading to the basement. She seemed to have realized that Tony wasn't in the suit.
"Wait, wait. The basement is full of radiation..."
"Tony, give it up. I think she knows."
At that, Tony asked, surprised,
"You knew too?"
"Yeah. I'll stay up here. Talk things out and come back up."
"Damn. Can't you help me?"
"Me butting in would only make things worse."
Tony had no choice but to follow Pepper and the Iron Man suit down to the basement. I passed the time watching TV. I assumed that, like in the original story, Tony was in the basement talking to Pepper about the trauma he had suffered since The Avengers.
After a while, they came back upstairs. Judging by the atmosphere, things seemed to have gone well, so I decided to give them some privacy.
"It seems things went well. I'll be going so I don't intrude. See you next time."
"Okay. Thanks for the ring. Whether we get engaged or married, you'll be the first on the guest list, so look forward to it."
"Yeah, I will."
I left Tony's house and went to Stark Tower to get Banner, picking up Christmas presents along the way, and then returned home. Banner, who had been bored alone, readily agreed to help build the Hulkbuster when he saw the blueprints.
"To be honest, I was bored, so this is good. And if it's built according to the design, I might be able to contribute my strength without having to transform."
"Right?"
We came home, and I introduced Banner to the members who were busy decorating the house for Christmas. Banner greeted the members. The funny thing was the look he gave Jessica was quite suspicious.
'Surely... he's not interested in Jessica?'
After the introductions, I assigned Banner a room and showed him the lab. After the tour, Banner came outside and helped with the decorating. He couldn't stop smiling while talking with Jessica, so it seemed almost certain.
Starting the next day, Banner learned martial arts with the others in the morning, and in the afternoon, he began assembling the Hulkbuster using the parts I had sourced. However, since the name and purpose didn't quite match, I changed its name to 'Hulk Striker Mk.1' and began production.
It was a unit designed specifically for Banner, with greatly enhanced durability using Chitauri metal. We also produced many spare parts, designed so that damaged parts could be immediately replaced. Banner and I talked about various things and became more comfortable with each other.
Two days passed like that, and then Banner suddenly ran out of the lab and urgently said,
"Jin, quickly, turn on the TV!"
"What's going on?"
I asked Banner as I turned on the TV. The news showed a reporter asking, "When will you catch the Mandarin?" and Tony answering.
"My name is Tony Stark. I'm not afraid of you. You're nothing but a coward. I've decided to fight! You're as good as dead. I'll be coming for the corpse soon! This is personal revenge; it has nothing to do with politics! No Pentagon, just you and me! I'll give you my home address, so if you're a man, come find me. 10880 Malibu Point, zip code 90265. I'll leave the door open."
Banner and I looked at the TV in disbelief.
"This is insane... Why is he doing something so reckless? It'll put people in danger too."
"Tell me about it. Jin, you go help Tony. I still haven't finished assembling the Hulk Striker."
"Then, I'll leave the house to you."
"Got it."