After making up his mind, Rorschach didn't hesitate for long.
Instead of continuing to wander around the city, he turned the Cadillac around and drove straight back to Howard Stark's mansion.
By the time he arrived, Stark had already come outside after hearing the engine.
"Well?" Stark asked with a grin as Rorschach stepped out of the car. "How was it? Feels amazing, right?"
In truth, Rorschach wanted to say the driving experience was actually terrible compared to modern cars. By the standards of the future, vehicles from this era felt clumsy and outdated.
But of course, he couldn't say that out loud.
"Of course, Mr. Stark," Rorschach replied with a polite smile.
"As long as you like it," Stark said happily.
He was clearly pleased that someone appreciated one of his prized cars.
After parking the Cadillac properly, Rorschach handed the key back to Stark. Then he paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words before speaking again.
"Mr. Stark, I have a request," he said. "It might put you in an awkward position. But if you agree to it, we can consider the favor I did for you repaid."
That immediately caught Stark's attention.
A favor from Howard Stark was extremely valuable.
Yet Rorschach planned to use it already?
The billionaire suddenly felt curious.
What kind of request could possibly be important enough to spend such a favor?
"Go ahead, Rorschach," Stark said with interest. "Let's hear it."
Rorschach took a breath.
"I want to buy this car from you."
He pointed toward the Cadillac behind him, his tone filled with enthusiasm.
"I really like it. After driving it just now, I realized I can't live without it."
His performance looked exactly like that of a young man completely obsessed with a dream car.
Stark stared at him silently for several seconds.
Then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Rorschach… are you serious?" Stark asked. "Or are you joking?"
The request sounded ridiculous.
A favor from Howard Stark was worth far more than a car.
And on top of that, Rorschach wasn't even asking for it as a gift.
He was offering to buy it.
"Mr. Stark," Rorschach said earnestly, "I know it sounds childish. Maybe even ridiculous. But this really is my request. I genuinely like this car."
Stark studied him carefully for a few more moments.
Eventually, he confirmed that Rorschach wasn't joking.
Although Stark had expected someone like Rorschach to be more mature, he reminded himself that the young man was still quite young.
It wasn't surprising for someone his age to act impulsively at times.
"Rorschach," Stark said thoughtfully, "I did plenty of absurd and reckless things when I was young. Compared to me, you're already quite impressive."
He glanced toward the car.
"This vehicle isn't particularly important. If you really want it, I can give it to you."
Then he looked back at Rorschach seriously.
"But think carefully. Are you really going to use my favor for something like this?"
A favor from Howard Stark could become incredibly valuable in a critical moment.
It wasn't something most people would spend lightly.
"Yes, Mr. Stark," Rorschach said firmly.
Stark sighed softly.
"Well, it's a bit of a waste in my opinion," he admitted. "But since that's what you want…"
He tossed the car key back to Rorschach.
"The car is yours. You don't need to pay for it. My favor isn't that cheap."
Then he added with a faint smile,
"But that means we're even now."
"I understand," Rorschach said with a nod. "You don't owe me anything anymore."
Honestly, the situation had gone far more smoothly than he expected.
But thinking about it carefully, that made sense.
For someone like Howard Stark, a single car truly meant nothing.
"Well then," Stark said with a playful grin, "congratulations on getting the car you love."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark. Goodbye."
Rorschach waved before getting back into the Cadillac. The engine roared to life, and he drove away from the mansion.
Howard Stark watched the car disappear down the road.
After a moment, he shook his head and sighed lightly.
"Still just a kid," he muttered before turning and heading back into the house.
Meanwhile, Rorschach drove through the city while thinking carefully.
He had obtained the car.
Now the next step was obvious.
He had to uncover whatever secret it contained.
Ideally, he would bring the vehicle back to Hank McCoy. As a genius scientist, Hank could probably examine it thoroughly and discover anything hidden inside.
Considering their relationship, Hank would certainly help without hesitation.
But after thinking about it for a moment, Rorschach abandoned the idea.
He couldn't bring the car back to Xavier Manor.
Other mutants might notice it.
And the problem was that the car was connected to his system.
That was his greatest secret.
Even more importantly, the system had identified something unusual inside the car.
A special energy source.
More precisely, it was some kind of energy connected to the power that strengthened Rorschach himself.
Although the system had marked it as "unextractable" for now, analyzing the energy might still reveal important information.
Perhaps it could lead him to energy sources that were extractable.
When it came to something like this, caution was essential.
Rorschach quickly made a decision.
He turned the car onto another street and stopped in a quiet location.
After performing another thorough inspection—inside, outside, and underneath the chassis—he still couldn't find anything unusual.
Finally, he drove to a nearby auto repair shop.
There was only one option left.
If he couldn't find the secret normally, he would dismantle the car piece by piece.
Of course, dismantling a car required professional skills.
That wasn't something just anyone could do.
So he needed a mechanic.
The moment Rorschach drove into the repair shop, several workers immediately looked over.
"Whoa… tell me I'm not seeing things," one of them shouted in amazement.
The man was a tall Black mechanic holding a wrench, staring at the Cadillac with wide eyes.
"Is that a Cadillac?"
Although the car looked ordinary to Rorschach, to people of this era it was incredibly stylish.
Everyone in the shop turned their heads to stare.
"Normally, people who drive a car like that don't come to places like this," another man said.
He was wearing a hat and appeared to be the owner of the shop.
Walking over, he greeted Rorschach politely.
"Can I help you with something?"
"Of course," Rorschach replied directly. "I need a repair. Which mechanic here has the best skills?"
"Haha!" a slightly overweight middle-aged man nearby said proudly. "Not to brag, but I've been working on cars for more than twenty years. There's no vehicle I can't fix."
Even the owner nodded.
"I don't like his bragging," he admitted, "but I have to say he's the best mechanic here."
"Old Jack, right?" Rorschach said while looking at him. "Do you have time right now?"
Old Jack glanced toward the shop owner.
"Ryan," he said, "what do you think? Am I free?"
Ryan thought for a moment.
"For a customer like this… we can make time," he decided.
In a world like this, wealthy customers naturally received priority.
"Good," Rorschach said.
Then he looked straight at Old Jack.
"Start now. Help me dismantle this car."
.....
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