Iron Heart

In central New York, Tony’s duplex villa.

"Pepper, please. In the administrative folder on Stanny’s office computer, there must be a list of Stark Industries’ under-the-table weapons deals. I need you to retrieve it."

"Tony, if I find the list, what will you do?"

"Of course, I’ll follow the list and destroy every one of those weapons myself!"

"Then I’m sorry. Even if I resign, I won’t help you."

Tony, dressed in casual home clothes, and Pepper, as always in a professional business suit, were discussing matters in the first-floor hall.

Pepper directly refused Tony’s request. As she finished her last sentence, she turned to leave through the door.

Tony stared directly at Pepper’s departing back and called out sincerely, "Pepper! Back when I was making money off the dead, you stood by my side and helped me. Now that I want to help those hurt because of me, you’re going to leave me?"

Those words deeply moved Pepper. She stopped, turned to meet Tony’s gaze, and said in a low voice, "Tony, you know I’m willing to do anything for you. But this will get you killed. If I help you, I’ll be pushing you into danger!"

Tony’s expression remained as calm as ever. After everything he had experienced in more than thirty years of life, he now appeared increasingly weathered and mature. Leaning back silently against the leather sofa, he smiled and said, "If it weren’t for this belief, I would have already died in that slum."

He looked at Pepper, his gaze resolute and unwavering.

At that moment, Pepper suddenly understood that she could no longer stop the man before her.

Pepper froze for a moment, then said with heartfelt emotion, "Tony, ever since you met Godfather Kyle, it’s like you’ve transformed into someone else."

"Godfather… he made me understand my mission." Tony’s face was steady as he said firmly, "Just as he said, there’s no need to care what others think. As long as you believe what you’re doing is right, that’s enough!"

Pepper seemed persuaded. With a soft sigh, she stepped forward and picked up the storage device and access card from the table.

Shortly afterward, a business vehicle drove out of the villa and headed toward the Stark Industries building.

At the same time, a sports car happened to speed past in the opposite direction, quietly arriving at the villa entrance.

Inside the duplex villa’s hall.

Tony picked up a glass and took a sip of water. Rising from the sofa, he was about to head for the basement.

Just then, a large hand suddenly reached out from behind him and jabbed a small syringe into his neck. Tony’s face quickly turned pale and livid, and he twitched slightly before collapsing onto the sofa.

The glass fell to the floor, shattering crisply into a pile of shards.

Though his entire body was paralyzed and difficult to move, Tony remained conscious. In his field of vision appeared an incomparably familiar, old, twisted face.

"Tony, didn’t expect this, did you? You were still careless. Back then, you gave me permission to freely enter and leave your villa."

Stanny walked up to Tony with a chilling tone. Casually taking a screw-removing tool into his hand, he prepared to remove the Energy Core device from Tony’s chest.

Tony stared at him with bloodshot eyes wide open, his gaze filled with confusion and shock.

"Tony, when I worked with the terrorists and put out the order to hunt you down, I specifically told them to spare your life. I didn’t want them killing a golden goose that laid eggs." Stanny’s expression grew slightly savage as he said coldly with anger, "But now, it was your godfather who forced my hand. With one simple sentence, he kicked out the man who had devoted decades of effort to Stark Industries!"

"What Symbol of Peace? What legendary hero! Tonight, I’ll crush him as easily as a cat or dog! Of course, I’ll need the Iron Man Armor you created to do that!" As Stanny spoke, he had already pulled the Energy Core from Tony’s chest.

Without the Energy Core, Tony was like a man who had lost his heart. His complexion became even paler and uglier, while the shrapnel within his body, no longer continuously suppressed by energy, began to damage his internal organs.

"Tony, I hope you go peacefully. I’ll send your godfather to heaven soon enough, so the two of you can keep each other company." Stanny chuckled. Holding the Energy Core that radiated dazzling daylight-white light, he lightly patted Tony’s face, then swiftly left the villa without lingering.

He would use this new Energy Core to activate the modified Mark I Iron Armor, then return to Stark Industries’ office building to take revenge on Kyle!

A short while after Stanny left.

Tony coughed violently. The paralysis had mostly worn off, but the injuries caused by the shattered shrapnel had reduced him to a critically ill patient.

"Am I going to die…" Tony smiled bitterly and panted weakly as he slumped down onto the cold floor.

The old core had been stolen during the day, and now the only new core had also been taken. Even if there were enough time to make another one, his body no longer had the strength…

Without an Energy Core, he could only wait slowly for death.

"How unwilling I am."

The hall was silent in the night. Tony’s body was losing strength and life force, inching closer and closer to death’s threshold, while several warm faces kept flashing through his mind.

His father Howard, Godfather Kyle, his butler Jarvis, even his girlfriend Pepper… Right, it seemed he had not even had the chance to confess his feelings yet.

His entire body was cold. Tony’s breathing was faint, and his eyelids were as heavy as lead as they slowly began to close.

Tap, tap—

Steady footsteps subtly rang out through the silent hall.

Through the slit of his eyes that he struggled to keep open, Tony saw a tall black figure slowly walking toward him.

"Godfather? Is that you? No… this must be a hallucination before death." Tony muttered with difficulty.

Then the figure stopped before him, crouched slightly, and asked, "Tony, are you giving up just like this?"

"Godfather, I have no choice. You were right. Only the strong can choose; the weak have no choice." Tony moved his lips weakly and answered helplessly.

"Of course you’re still weak right now, but you have the potential to become strong. Before you become a hero capable of standing alongside gods, with me as your godfather, it’ll be hard for you to die even if you want to."

Kyle shrugged, his calm tone brimming with confidence. He reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out a worn Energy Core that emitted a faint glow.

At the sight of the old core representing hope for life, Tony seemed to experience a final burst of vitality. His eyes flew open, sparkling with renewed brilliance. Strength flooded back into his body, and his muddled mind became completely clear.

"Godfather, it really is you?" Tony looked at Kyle crouching before him, filled with disbelief, excitement, and exhilaration.

"Who else could it be but me?" Kyle smiled and placed the old core into Tony’s chest. Encouraging him as if pumping him full of adrenaline, he said, "Go on. Let that guy see what you’re capable of."

"You’re Iron Man! From now on, work hard to keep up with me. Our enemies in the future will be more than a thousand times stronger than small fry like Stanny!"

There had once been a man who fought side by side with him, only to disappear after his plane crashed into the sea midway through the war.

Today, Kyle once again placed those expectations upon Tony, Iron Man.