238 Chapter 236 The Man Behind Iron Man
It wasn't just a simple punch in the ten-ton impact; it was a strike that concentrated power at the fist's tip and released it with precise control and combat skill. Even something as tough as Iron Monger couldn't withstand this full-strength blow.
Kyle, in his Venom-covered state, had crimson eyes with a bewitching gleam, his black demonic face maintaining an icy grin. His massive physique, tensed from the battle, had his muscles bulging.
A third of his robust, dark right arm had sunk into the chest of the Iron Monger suit, nearing the flesh and blood of Stane within. The Iron Monger armor had caved in and cracked while arcs of white electricity flickered around the new power core.
Kyle stood still, exerting force with his right hand, lifting the Iron Monger suit off the ground until it was raised above his head.
The engines of the Iron Monger Armor ceased, and its limbs hung down like the defeated prey of the natural world.
The visual effect of this scene was undoubtedly awe-inspiring.
Tony had not blinked for a long time, his gaze fixed intently on the scene in front of him and he felt this extraordinary sense of power and unmatched combat proficiency.
Pepper, on the other hand, covered her mouth in astonishment, using this gesture to force herself to stifle her scream.
"It's over," Kyle said while shaking his head. He tossed the Iron Monger Armor forward, and the several-ton suit of armor flew several meters before crashing onto the rooftop of the third floor, raising a cloud of dust.
From the hole in the chest of the Iron Monger Armor, thick, viscous blood dripped along the damaged exterior, resembling a special type of machine oil.
Kyle's punch hadn't landed on Stane himself, but the force of the blow had been transferred to the inner workings of the Iron Monger's Armor. Stane's ordinary human body couldn't withstand such force.
"He didn't even warm me up," Kyle said somewhat uninterestedly while clapping his hands clean. The dark lifeform exoskeleton armor on his body gradually receded, revealing a regular windbreaker that Kyle had put on.
This was the difference between technology and mutation. Technology focused on black technological tools, while mutation emphasized superhuman physical abilities.
The best state was a combination of technology and mutation, as exemplified by individuals like Kyle himself, Captain America, Black Panther, and future heroes like Spider-Man.
As for Tony...
Kyle turned and looked at Tony, only to find that Tony had fallen unconscious, half-lying on the rooftop. He still wore the Iron Man helmet, but his chest's old power core had completely run out of energy, its once-bright glow now dimmed.
Pepper sat on the ground, holding Tony tightly. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Kyle and pleaded, "Godfather, please save Tony. It looks like he's not doing well!"
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, he won't die." Kyle calmly assured her and walked over, pulling three cards out of his Card Space.
---
One day later.
Tony's mansion, master bedroom.
In the early morning, a gentle breeze rustled the curtains by the bedside and the warm sunlight poured into the room. Tony, lying in bed, furrowed his brows. His brain slowly began to clear, and he opened his deep, dark eyes.
Images of battling the Iron Monger flashed through his mind. Suddenly, he sat up in bed, his upper body tense with confusion. He looked down at his hands.
His hands anxiously grabbed his shirt, and he abruptly pulled it open, urgently examining his chest.
There, his skin was smooth and unblemished, without any fatal wounds. There was no glowing power core, not even the slightest trace of scars!
"What in the world is going on?" Tony reached out and touched his chest, wearing a bewildered expression on his face as he did so. He muttered to himself, "Could everything I saw before have been a dream?"
As if his words had disturbed her, Pepper, who had been sleeping by the bedside, stirred and woke up. When she saw Tony, who was muttering and touching himself, she couldn't help but scold, "Tony, what are you doing?"
Tony was surprised to see Pepper. "Pepper, why are you here? Stane didn't harm you, did he?"
"You must be still half asleep," Pepper said, rolling her eyes at him. She reached out and touched his forehead, reminding him with concern, "Have you forgotten? Stane was defeated by your Godfather."
"So you mean my Godfather saved me?" Tony was still patting his chest as he spoke in a surprised tone. There was clearly a huge fatal wound there, but now he couldn't find a trace of it. It was truly perplexing.
Pepper responded with lingering fear, "That's right, Godfather is truly amazing. I was so worried the night before last that I actually cried. But instead of taking you to the hospital, Godfather drove you back here."
Recalling the magical events of the previous night, Pepper couldn't help but marvel, "Then Miss Raina used a surgical scalpel to quickly remove the power core and shrapnel from your chest. The amount of blood was truly terrifying."
"Removed the shrapnel directly?" Tony exclaimed with his mouth wide open. "Then how am I alive now, and completely healed?"
"That's the miraculous part about Godfather," Pepper teased, holding back some information. She continued, "At the moment the shrapnel was removed, you were really close to death. Your bleeding couldn't be stopped at all. And then, Godfather fed you a bean... to be precise, half a bean. In just a few seconds, your wounds healed themselves."
"A bean?" Tony was baffled.
The troublesome injuries that had plagued him were resolved with half a bean?
"By the way, before Godfather left, he left something for you," Pepper said, reaching into her suit pocket and handing Tony an envelope.
Tony took it with both hands and carefully opened it. Inside, he found only a folded, yellowed schematic diagram.
On the aged blueprint, there was a diagram of the atomic structure of some kind of an element, along with a paragraph of English text and a signature.
"Future technology energy source, new element — Kryon!"
"Founders: Howard, Kyle."
"It's written by my father," Tony said as he stared at the note in his hand with an absent look on his face, using his fingers to touch the schematic diagram.
"Tony," Pepper took a deep breath, looking at Tony as she said, "Godfather said you don't need to worry too much. You can follow your heart and do what you want to do. No matter what happens in the future, he will be there for you."
"I understand."
After a long silence, Tony nodded and carefully put away the Kryon blueprint. His gaze then turned resolutely to the Iron Man Armor.
Pepper sighed with relief and, taking on her role as secretary, picked up her work schedule. She explained, "SHIELD has taken care of Stane's affairs and is working with the military to prepare a public excuse to cover up your situation. However, you'll need to cooperate in person and clarify things at the press conference."
"Clarify that I'm not Iron Man?" Tony chuckled inexplicably, speaking seriously, "Arrange the press conference now. In thirty minutes, I will give the media an explanation!"
Pepper was momentarily stunned when she heard this. For some reason, as she looked at Tony's serious expression, her heart suddenly trembled with unease.
At the same time, on the other side of New York, in the bustling streets of Queens.
Kyle, wearing a hood and sunglasses, stopped in front of a luxurious and fashionable skyscraper, accompanied by Raina, who was wearing a black dress and sunglasses.
"Well done. The location here is excellent, and it's not far from both Stark Industries and the SHIELD headquarters. It's quite suitable as an external branch base for the Carl Family," Kyle praised and Raina, wearing a sun hat, smiled slightly in response.
"Vis, immediately contact the owner of this building. I want to buy the entire building," Kyle said, thinking aloud, "And also register a company, using the Card Sign as the company logo, under the name of the Carl Family's Head."
"The company's name will be the 'Supernatural Incident Bureau'!"
(End of this chapter)
