Tony Picked Up the Hammer

Steve wanted badly to keep arguing with Tony, but Tony had already left, so he could only swallow his anger for now.

He had only recently awakened, and his body had not fully recovered. He had not even brought his shield.

The next time they met, he would definitely teach Tony a lesson and let him know what it meant to respect the elderly and care for the young.

Steve then looked around. This floor was a little too high up, so he decisively chose the stairs.

Tony returned home, and his mood had mostly recovered as well.

Steve Rogers’s words had made him realize that there was no need to hold it against him.

Back in Steve Rogers’s era, he had possessed the body of a Super Soldier while facing the technology of that time.

He could not be called invincible, but he had certainly been able to swagger around without fear.

That had nurtured the pride in Steve Rogers’s heart, something that did not show on the surface.

Tony understood that mindset and state of mind very well, because he too had once been arrogant and conceited.

It was not until he had truly witnessed the vastness of the universe and learned what it meant for there to always be something greater that much of his pride had faded.

Making Steve put aside the pride in his heart was simple: just show him things and power beyond his understanding.

Just as Harvey had once won him over, Tony could also help Steve understand humanity’s current situation sooner and make him set aside his pride. But Tony could not be bothered to do that.

He would rather spend that time doing more research.

Harvey had also noticed that Captain America Steve Rogers had awakened and had even clashed with Tony.

Although he had not heard their conversation clearly, Tony’s slight hand movement was enough to show that Steve had not left a very good first impression on him.

Tony’s personality had changed somewhat, but as long as someone approached him amicably, even if they could not become friends, their relationship would not become so strained. At the very least, they could still talk.

Of course, both men were naturally aloof and proud, so it was impossible for them to be friendly the moment they met.

But seeing this scene reminded Harvey of Winter Soldier Bucky.

Tony was now different from before, both in his way of doing things and in his strength.

If Tony discovered that Winter Soldier Bucky was the one who had killed his parents, Harvey wondered whether Tony would go berserk.

As the saying went, if you have not suffered another’s pain, do not urge them to be kind.

So Harvey would only watch. If Tony was willing to spare Winter Soldier Bucky’s life, that would be Tony’s own mercy. If he was unwilling, Harvey would not try to persuade or stop him.

But since Captain America had already awakened, it was nearly June 2011.

That meant Thor should arrive on Earth within three months at most.

That made Harvey thoughtful. When the time came, he might have to keep a closer eye on things, lest the Destroyer kill Tony, his money tree.

Tony was powerful enough to go head-to-head with Loki, but against the Destroyer from Odin’s Vault, his combat strength was still lacking.

Harvey then went back to focusing on his games.

It was easy for him to notice when Tony left, because the sound of thrusters igniting often came from high in the sky.

More than half a month passed, and June had just arrived. The blazing summer had come early.

Stark Industries was holding its customary technology expo.

That night, a storm suddenly appeared in the sky over a wilderness in New Mexico.

Aside from two women and an old man, who witnessed it all firsthand,

Tony in New York also received the news through Jarvis’s report.

"Jarvis, did you say a pillar of light descended in New Mexico?"

It was nighttime, so Tony had stopped working for the day and was relaxing with a drink. The moment he heard the news, he immediately stood up.

"Yes, sir. There was nothing unusual about the weather in New Mexico’s wilderness, but a storm suddenly formed, and a pillar of light shot down from the sky."

As Jarvis spoke, he displayed footage captured by a satellite.

"It finally came. You certainly made me wait."

Excitement flashed in Tony’s eyes when he saw the recording.

In less than thirty seconds, Tony had put on the Iron Man armor and set off for New Mexico.

New Mexico was not far from New York, but by the time Tony arrived, there was no sign of the other party.

"Jarvis, hack into all surveillance systems in New Mexico and the surrounding cities."

"Check the people and vehicles that came and went within the last half hour, then report to me immediately."

Tony did not sound anxious as he looked at the strange symbol etched into the ground.

As long as he confirmed that aliens had arrived, Tony was not worried about being unable to find them.

Tony then landed on the ground and examined the symbol, intending to use the Universal Translator to find out where this alien had come from.

But the normally all-powerful Universal Translator failed when faced with these rune markings.

Tony knew he did not recognize them, but Harvey definitely understood them.

"Should I go find Harvey? But if I ask for help over something like this, won’t it make me look incompetent?"

"Harvey said I could handle it, which proves the enemy should not be that powerful."

Thinking of Harvey left Tony standing there in thought.

After struggling with it for a while, Tony decided not to look for Harvey unless he encountered a situation he could not handle. It was better to find a solution himself.

As Tony waited, the sky suddenly brightened, and another pillar of light descended. With a BOOM!, the ground let out an earth-shaking roar.

This time, Tony did not need Jarvis to remind him. He saw it himself.

"Looks like more than one uninvited guest has arrived."

Seeing that, Tony quickly flew toward where the pillar of light had landed.

They were only a few kilometers apart, so Tony arrived in no time. He saw no one, but he did see a hammer.

"Jarvis, scan the area for any creatures matching humanoid life signs."

Tony hovered a hundred meters away. Rather than immediately approaching the hammer, he remained vigilant and asked cautiously.

"Sir, excluding reptiles such as lizards and scorpions."

"No creatures matching humanoid life signs have been detected within two kilometers."

Having received the order, Jarvis immediately scanned the area with radar and answered.

"…"

After hearing that there was nothing nearby, Tony slowly approached the hammer. It had caused a small-scale earthquake when it fell.

Tony hesitated for a moment, then reached out, gripped the hammer’s handle, and lifted. The hammer came up easily in his hand.

The moment he picked it up, Tony could clearly feel a force flowing from the hammer into his body.

The unknown force startled Tony so badly that he threw the hammer away.

Watching from above, Harvey’s eyes flashed with surprise.

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