Author's Note:
Well, you did it; we hit 93rd place as of posting this chapter, so thank you, everyone, for getting me that high on the list. This is the highest I've ever gotten. Enjoy the bonus chapter and have a great weekend.
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POV Rio
After dealing with Megatron, things were somewhat quiet for me. Not for everybody else, though. Tony was nearly killed by Stane, and they had their big fight with Stane's death. Sector 7 seemed to be in a massive panic over what I did. Lara had been busy reconnecting with her father and trying to reestablish him in the world. Which has been quite difficult as he has been missing for over a decade and doesn't look like he has aged a day since he went missing. Then you have to consider that the Illuminati want to kill Richard Croft at all costs due to what he knows about the Illuminati. Which has drawn Shield into this mess.
Shield and the Illuminati have been at odds recently, and they have even come to blows. As such, the info Richard knows might be outdated, but it would still be invaluable to destroying the Illuminati once and for all. Thus, they are working together, though from what Lara has said, they aren't prying too deeply into where Richard was for the past decade.
The last bit of news I got was more of a rumor, really. But that's sort of like news, just without the commitment. Anyway, apparently, a large number of people arrived in New York and then went missing. And we're talking about like a few hundred thousand people. No bodies were recovered for most of them. Selene thinks that those who went missing might have been a part of the Vampire Hunter Coalition. But even she can't confirm that, so everything is just speculation.
Speaking of Selene, she was enjoying record profits as Stark Industries' stock skyrocketed after Tony announced he was Iron Man. Tony had already reached out to Selene about buying her stocks from her. But that would take a while to finalize, as Selene was trying to squeeze every last penny from Tony. Which is where I came in.
"Oh, you're back? What brings you to my humble workshop? Are you finally giving in and going to ask for a suit to upgrade that hunk of junk you showed me in Afghanistan?" Tony says mockingly.
"Nope, I come bearing an offer. A trade, really. I can heal your shrapnel and palladium poisoning issues, and even give you some info on a new element you might be able to replace palladium with, and I can even give you info on some stuff that Shield has been hiding from you, inheritance specifically," I offer.
"That's... Some bold claims. What do you want in exchange?" Tony asks.
"Two things buy the stocks that Selene has for 150 billion dollars. And 10% of all income generated from energy sales of Stark Industries," I explain.
"Whoa, hold up a moment. I don't even have 150 billion dollars. The 10% is fine. But how can I be sure you can deliver?" Tony asks.
"First off, you have the money in non-liquid assets. It takes some work and will require some serious downsizing, but that would be a minor hurdle for you. And to show sincerity, I will heal your body first. In fact, I will do so regardless of whether you accept the deal," I say honestly.
"Wait, what? Why even offer the healing as part of the deal if it isn't even a requirement?" Tony asks.
"You've changed a lot, and you're a superhero, but you're also on a ticking time bomb. The Arc Reactor is keeping you alive and also slowly killing you. I want Iron Man to be a long-term feature of this world, and you still have a lot of stuff to do to make up for your past," I reply.
"I-I... Thanks. How will this work?" Tony asks.
I take out the locket and show it to him.
"This locket, when opened, will bathe you in a healing light. I don't know how long it will take for it to heal you, but it should have no issue dealing with the issue. It might start pushing the Arc Reactor out of your chest as it heals the damage, but it should heal you with no issues, and if that doesn't solve it, then I have some other healing items that should do the trick," I explain.
"Really? How does it work?" Tony says while inspecting the outside of the locket.
"Even I don't know that much. I didn't make it, but from what I understand, a really powerful mage tried to replicate the mythical Panacea and failed. Instead, they made that locket that can only heal physical ailments," I reply.
"Only?" Tony says with a disbelieving tone.
"Panacea can heal anything, even injuries to the soul. So yeah, it's a failure," I reply.
"So do I point the locket at my face or my chest?" Tony asks.
"Your face. To me, the light will be blinding, but to you, it will be like a moth to a flame. You'll be stuck in that trance until you are healed or until someone stops you by taking the locket or closing it, and I need to stress that I don't know how long it will take to heal you completely. It could be a few hours or a few days, but it shouldn't be more than a week," I reply.
"What about nutrients? Water?" Tony asked.
"The locket will deal with any such issues. You won't even need to use the restroom until you are done. Oh, and you'll reek once you finish. Especially in your case, as the locket will remove any foreign bodies or buildups of nasty stuff in your body. Some comes from your sweat glands, but others will come out during your first bathroom break. It will not be pretty, trust me, I've tested it on a few people already," I reply.
"Got it, so take a shower after," Toyn jokes.
I roll my eyes, and Tony takes a seat on a recliner. I was about to warn him that it was a bad idea, but I chose to let him learn it the hard way.
90 Hours Later...
"Ugh! That was awful, and I'll have to destroy that chair now! Why didn't you warn me?!" Tony says while coming out of the bathroom.
"I did. You just didn't think about it properly. Also, you'll have to wash that Arc Reactor heavily to get the stink out," I comment while pointing at the Arc Reactor now lying on the floor.
"Ugh, yeah, I might just cut my losses with that one and destroy it. But, hey... Thank you. This means a lot to me. I really need to stop letting you save me; it's starting to hurt my ego," Tony jokes.
"Well, at least you didn't need my help when Stane stole your last Arc Reactor," I say with a grin.
"Ehem, well, um, yes. Uh, thanks for the warning ahead of time. I might not have made it otherwise, but seriously, thank you. I will buy the stocks tomorrow," Tony says while offering his hand.
"You're welcome, and since you've agreed to the deal, I'll trust your word and give you the rest of the info I promised. First off..." I say and start the long-winded explanation of how his father had left him a lot of stuff and how he helped found Shield.
We even started work on the element together, as I was knowledgeable enough to keep up. Tony was both mirthless and annoyed about Shields movements in the shadows.
"Now I get why you didn't want to reveal you were in Afghanistan. This is such a mess, and now I've got a lot of work to do, but I'll make sure the trade is finished by tomorrow night. Any other revelations you want to drop on me?" Tony asks.
"Well... There is one last one. But... If I tell you, you have to swear to think about it logically. If you let your emotions rule you, hundreds of thousands or even millions of people could die. Do you understand?" I ask.
Tony drops all jokes and looks at me seriously.
"I promise," Tony says seriously.
"Hydra is both still alive, and they were the ones that killed your parents. They used Captain America's old friend as a brainwashed killer to do it. Bucky Barnes, but I want to stress he had no control over his own actions, and that Hydra has nearly taken over all of Shield. Which is why you can't run off and start attacking them, as finding out who is friend or foe is the real issue. Not to mention, no offense, but you aren't strong enough to defeat them," I explain.
Tony goes pale and then flushes with anger, but after swinging through various emotions, he settles on frustration.
"How bad are we talking here?" Tony asks.
"I only know five people who aren't compromised in Shield, and Hydra exists outside of Shield as well. Hundreds of thousands of members and sleeper agents across the globe. I have no idea how deep they go, and if you don't wipe them out all at once, then they will tunnel down and rebuild before emerging at a later date. They have the manpower and resources to defeat you. Maybe not your armor, but behind that armor, you're just as fleshy and fragile as everyone else," I warn.
"Sigh. I need a drink," Tony says while grabbing a bottle of vodka.
He takes a sip and spits it out with a bitter face.
"What the hell?" Tony says with a grossed-out face.
"Your body has been returned to peak health, which includes your alcohol dependence. Same with sugar, caffeine, and a few other substances. They will now taste weird or even gross to your repaired body. You might still like some alcohols, but you will have to test them out yourself," I explain.
"Why the hell did you not mention that?!" Tony says with a horrified face.
"It isn't that big of a deal. You can still drink, you just have to force your body to like that poison. Same with bitter bean juice and fructose. I don't know why you would want to, but you can, and think about it, do you even miss them?" I ask.
"Of course I do! Wait... No, actually, I don't really have a craving for them," Tony says with confusion.
"Remember? No dependency," I reply.
"Ugh, fine, whatever, just go home. I have a lot to think about and work to be done, and don't worry, I won't attack Hydra mindlessly. I will avenge my father, but that can wait until I am fully ready. I assume I can count on your help when the time comes," Tony asks.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I say while shaking his hand.
I make sure I have everything, and then I teleport home.