(Attendance… plz…)
….
Lemu chuckled. "I think I might have said that... But that's not important. What's important is, why are you guys here?"
This slimeball, Lemu, knew exactly why they were here; he was the one who nudged them into bringing the box over in the first place.
Fury looked at Stark and put the case on the table. "This is the box Howard left behind. Maybe your father can save your life after all."
"Oh, he already did..."
Stark rolled his eyes and gave Lemu a strange look. This guy had definitely been up to something behind his back again.
"Okay, okay, leave the box. See yourselves out." Lemu coughed and started ushering them away.
.…
Back outside the villa gate, Fury and Natasha glanced at each other. Fury put on a fake smile for a second and shrugged helplessly.
Ever since proposing the Avengers Initiative, Fury knew his role. He was basically the babysitter, responsible for handling logistics and fixing problems for difficult people like Iron Man.
Solve the problem, then get kicked to the curb? Yeah, that sounded about right.
.…
Written on the box was a line in English: 'Property of Howard Stark'.
Stark sat on the sofa, his hand resting on the case. Before opening it, he glanced at Lemu. "What are you up to this time?... Ah, forget it. Whatever."
Let him do whatever he wanted. The guy had too many schemes going on; Stark was tired of trying to guess.
He opened the box. Inside was an Arc Reactor design blueprint signed by Anton Vanko and Howard Stark.
Anton Vanko?
Stark didn't know the name and didn't really care.
There was also an old newspaper, two rolls of film, and a bunch of messy files, documents, and clippings.
The most noticeable thing was a thick notebook detailing the structural parameters of a new element.
Tony Stark took everything out one by one. He picked up the notebook and flipped through it. A familiar-looking photo fell out.
It was identical to the one Stark had shown Lemu before: a person who looked like Lemu, Howard and his wife Maria, and a husky lying at the bottom.
The only difference was, on this photo, the word 'Tony' was scribbled messily above the husky's head. The handwriting was hard to recognize.
"Hmm?"
Stark tilted his head hard, making a cracking sound in his neck. "Interesting."
Lemu stood nearby, his eyes scanning every single item inside the opened box. Invisible streams of data flowed and processed behind his gaze as the Great Sage analyzed everything.
However, apart from the photograph he'd already seen, the Great Sage didn't find any other useful clues among the contents.
It was a little disappointing.
Stark quickly flipped through the pages of Howard's notebook, nodding slowly as understanding dawned. He let out a small sigh. "Yeah... the stuff written in here, it looks like the same atomic structure you found hidden in that city model. The details, the parameters... they match up almost perfectly... Wow. The old man was really something else."
It was a strange, uncomfortable feeling – like his own dead father had just shown him up in the one area Tony felt he truly excelled in.
Of course, Stark didn't know the real story – that Howard had discovered this new element by studying the Tesseract. Tony just assumed his dad had cooked up a brand-new atom purely through his own genius and hard work.
Stark then casually grabbed the old film reel and loaded it into a nearby projector, letting out a short, almost sarcastic laugh. "Alright, let's see then. What pearls of wisdom did dear old Dad leave behind for me? I bet even on film, he couldn't resist talking down to me and trying to teach me a lesson..."
….
The video flickered to life. It showed Howard Stark trying to record an introduction for the Stark Expo opening.
He stumbled over his words several times, messing up and having to start over again and again due to small mistakes.
Watching this, Tony Stark felt a small smile forming. It made him feel a bit better, more relaxed.
...So, you were just a regular person after all, Tony thought. There were things even you couldn't get right easily.
Then, the scene in the video shifted slightly. Tony saw his younger self messing with the city model in the background. Howard looked annoyed and called someone over to take little Tony away.
Seeing that, Tony Stark leaned his head back against the sofa, a familiar unhappy feeling settling in.
That was the Howard he remembered from his childhood – cold, distant, never saying he loved anyone, always calculating.
"Tony..."
Suddenly, the Howard in the video seemed to look right through the screen, directly at Tony watching now. He called his name, almost like they were having a conversation across time.
"Tony, you're too young to understand all this right now. That's why I decided to record this for you."
Howard's face had a rare, gentle smile, completely different from the father Tony remembered.
He pointed towards the city model behind him, his eyes filled with a complex look of hope and expectation. "All of this... it's all for you. One day, you'll understand that this is more than just one invention. It's my life's work. It's the key to the future."
He paused, his gaze earnest. "I'm limited by the technology of my time, but someday you'll figure it all out... And then, you are going to change the world."
"My greatest creation... always... was you."
After saying that, Howard smiled proudly and confidently at the camera.
Then the screen dissolved into flickering static... much like the storm of emotions swirling inside Tony Stark's chest right now.
The father in his memory and the father on the screen felt like two completely different people, sharply divided.
One was strict, cold, uninterested in Tony's feelings or thoughts, focused only on business and plans, always mapping out Tony's future, leaving him no freedom.
The other, the father right here on the screen, spoke with warmth Tony had rarely seen, telling him plainly, word by word:
—I love you. You are my pride and joy.
A sudden, strong urge to cry washed over Tony.
They say people who build great things often treasure their children the most, seeing them not just as family, but as the ones who will carry on their work, almost like extensions of their own creations.
That saying hit home perfectly right now.
Lemu looked from Stark, sitting there silently, to the static-filled screen. He quietly turned and left the room.
Maybe, right now, Tony needed to be alone with his thoughts and feelings.
….
Monaco. A small, independent city-state nestled on the coast of southwestern Europe. Surrounded by France on three sides, it faced the blue Mediterranean Sea to the south. Despite its tiny size, it was famous worldwide.
People knew Monaco for amazing events like the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, the International Fireworks Festival, and especially, the Formula One Grand Prix.
This May, the world-famous Monaco Grand Prix, part of the Formula One World Championship, was happening once again.
But this year's race was extra special. The organizers had invited a very particular guest of honor to join the excitement.
"He's the super-genius, the philanthropist, the peacekeeper, the superhero—Iron Man!"
The announcer's voice boomed through screens and speakers set up all around the track, reaching every corner and sending waves of cheers through the massive crowds.
"Where's the applause! Let's give the loudest welcome possible to Iron Man!"
Right on cue, a streak of gold and red zipped across the sky above the racetrack. It circled a few times, leaving behind the whistling sound of wind and the crackle of sonic booms before disappearing from sight just as quickly.
(There may be some mistakes and all in the next 20 chapters as they are from 6-7 months ago from my patreon. But after that it gets better.)
….
If you want to read 20+ chapters ahead and unpublished fanfics you can check out my patreon or just take a visit.
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