Evidently, the President of the Iron Nation didn't keep Bruce and the others waiting long before returning.
Or rather, it was because the matter he had gone to handle hadn't gone as smoothly as he had anticipated.
As a result, he had no choice but to return early to the Iron Nation.
"To be honest, I never thought there'd be a day when I'd see my old friends again." When Stark walked in, he first looked at Hawkeye, then at Falcon, and finally turned to Captain America.
"And you." Stark slowly walked toward Captain America.
Captain America watched as Stark came to stand in front of him, and he could clearly sense it.
In this region, there must have been some kind of friction between him and this version of Iron Man. Otherwise, things wouldn't be like this. After all, not in every universe do they stand on the same side.
Let alone the fact that even in his own universe, he and Iron Man ultimately didn't stand in the same trench.
"You smell of blood," Bruce spoke before Captain America and Stark could exchange words.
Stark shifted his gaze away from Captain America and turned toward Bruce.
"I thought the cologne would cover it." Stark theatrically sniffed his collar. "Hmm, very fresh."
"You might be fresh, but your people aren't exactly clean," Bruce said as he walked up to Winter Soldier and Jennifer, who had been following behind.
This made Winter Soldier and Jennifer study Bruce carefully.
But Bruce had already turned and walked away from them.
"Well, okay then." Stark didn't object, simply shrugging.
"I'd like to know where you're from. Maybe I can help send you back to your region. Or I could have Thor handle it." Stark walked to the side and poured himself a fine drink.
"Would you really?"
Stark, who had already raised his glass, paused mid-motion and chuckled.
The liquid swirled in the glass due to his sudden stop.
"Hahaha… cough cough."
Stark choked from laughing too hard and began coughing uncontrollably. Winter Soldier and Jennifer grew concerned and started to approach him.
But Stark waved them off.
"I want to know why you don't trust the Legion of Thunder Gods," Bruce said as he sat next to Stark and poured himself a drink, gently swirling it, watching the liquid reflect beautiful colors under the light.
Bruce's question didn't surprise Stark, nor did he ask anyone to leave. He simply sat there.
"One day you wake up and find that everything you've learned is being challenged—even though it all seems deeply etched into your very bones," Stark said. If anyone outside the War Zone heard him, it would probably be enough to get the Thunder God Legion to drag him off to Lord Doom's fortress.
After all, Stark's words were clearly casting doubt on Lord Doom's authority, questioning whether Doom was truly the creator of this world and everything in it.
"My mind tells me everything I've experienced is real, though some things are different. But my heart tells me to believe it all," Stark said, lightly tapping his temple with a troubled expression. Yet when he looked at Bruce, he saw no change in the Batman's expression.
Stark let out a self-deprecating laugh, then raised his glass and took a sip. "I forgot—you're from elsewhere. Your loyalty to your own world is unwavering. So, are you going to summon the Legion of Thunder Gods next?"
"No. We believe in you," Captain America suddenly stepped up beside Stark and placed a hand on the aged President of the Iron Nation's shoulder.
Stark paused, turning to look at the young man who had placed a hand on him. Remembering the fierce arguments he once had with another version of this man at the Watershed, Stark now truly wished this guy were the leader on the other side.
"Thank you."
Stark raised his glass toward Captain America, then poured himself another drink.
"So, I want to know—what's your real reason for coming here? It can't just be to chat with a guy like me about the Legion of Thunder Gods," Stark said, fully aware that despite not knowing exactly where these people came from, they clearly didn't come just to gauge his attitude.
"Before we deal with our own matters, we have to deal with yours. I need a region that can unite the majority of forces," Bruce said, turning to look at Stark.
Stark didn't understand what Bruce meant by that.
People from other regions couldn't possibly know what was going on in a different zone. The local lords kept such tight control that no information could leak out.
Perhaps only the Thunder God Legion had a general idea of the regions within the Battle Realm. But even they wouldn't interfere in the War Zone.
"You're outsiders. You probably don't understand our situation. In short, this is a long-standing issue—an inherited problem spanning a great length of time," Stark assumed Bruce and the others had no idea what kind of situation the War Zone was currently facing.
Not to mention, the incident that had just occurred at the Watershed had only further strained an already fragile relationship.
"The Superhero Registration Act. Then the New York Explosion. Followed by the Skrull invasion. And then Osborn's coup. In the end, it all led to the rise of two completely separate nations—nations that no longer communicate or negotiate with one another," Bruce recounted everything calmly.
"Looks like I really underestimated you guys." Stark studied Bruce closely, as if trying to figure out how he knew all this.
But he gave up quickly and casually set down his glass.
"You're right about everything. And today's summit—someone sabotaged it." As Stark said this, a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.
He was sure it hadn't been anyone from his own side. He genuinely wanted peace.
From every perspective, both the Iron Nation and the Blue Nation desperately needed peace—a peaceful environment and stable trade.
"Steve thinks I did it. He believes war is inevitable," Stark said, glancing at the other Captain America beside him. He quickly added, "I meant my version of Captain America."
Captain America nodded, indicating that he didn't mind. Ever since learning this was a multiverse convergence, he had stopped caring about such things.
"He even thinks whether I ordered it or not doesn't matter anymore," Stark said with a sense of desolation, as if everything from the past had abandoned him.
"Don't tell me you've never thought about the problems between you two."
Stark stood up and adjusted his clothes.
"Let's go. We need to check on some other matters. I also want to find out where the person who ruined everything has gone," Stark said as if he intended to lead Bruce and the others to a control room that had already been prepared.
"Mr. President," the Winter Soldier stepped in to stop Stark. He wanted his president to take this matter more seriously.
There weren't many troops in the control room to guarantee the president's safety.
Stark patted his forehead, seemingly blaming himself for his carelessness. He turned to Bruce and said, "Looks like it'll have to be just you and me."
When Captain America heard this, he looked at Batman with some concern.
No one knew what traps might be hidden there, or whether there was a power capable of taking Batman down directly.
"Alright. Let's go."
Bruce nodded without showing any concern. Stark seemed like a fairly reasonable man and didn't appear to be the type who would stab someone in the back.
Bruce also reassured the others present before following Stark out.
Though the Winter Soldier was still uneasy, this was Stark's own decision. He had no choice but to follow orders. He motioned for the guards to close the main door and left as well.
While they were walking, Stark suddenly spoke to Bruce.
"Your suit uses nanotechnology, doesn't it?"
"That's right." Bruce wasn't surprised that Stark noticed something about his suit. It was only natural. A top scientist wouldn't miss such a detail.
"Nanotech is great, but it does have some fatal flaws. If your supply of nanobots runs out, you're as good as dead. And when facing powerful enemies, nanotech often can't provide the solid protection you need. That's why I rarely use it anymore." Stark criticized the technology bluntly.
"But there's one thing it's still very useful for—intelligence gathering, wouldn't you agree?" Only after saying this did Stark stop walking and turn to look at Bruce.
Bruce simply stood there, not showing any reaction, and Stark didn't expect him to say much either.
"If you're willing, I can help you upgrade the armor you're using now."
After saying that, Stark pressed a nearby scanner.
The tightly sealed door beside them instantly opened, revealing a pilot operating a drone. Stark needed to find out where the gunman had fled after the ambush at the watershed.
"The drone found traces, Mr. President."
The drone pilot's voice came through.
Stark stepped in first, eager to see where the gunman had gone.
Bruce followed closely behind as Stark began speaking with the pilot.
"The shooter seems to have fled west," the pilot said, somewhat impressed. "Didn't expect the drone to pick up traces hours after the attack, sir. The tech is amazing."
"Well, the designer is pretty talented." Stark's words confirmed that the person who designed the drone was none other than the current president of the Iron Nation—himself.
The pilot paused, then spoke again. "Of course, Mr. Stark. I should've guessed. Stealth systems are working well, but the enemy's scanners could detect us at any moment. How far do you want me to pursue?"
"All the way."
"Understood, sir. But I should report—we're flying straight into some pretty nasty weather."
Looking at the flickering lightning clouds on the screen, Stark frowned.
Someone came to mind—though he wasn't ready to confirm it yet.
"Drone's been hit by lightning, sir. Emergency systems have switched it to hover mode. We're still airborne, but we've lost camera feed. I'm rerouting the system… It should be back—"
The pilot worked quickly. The screen, once pitch black, flickered back to life.
"There we go. Drone's back online. Wait, what is that?" At first, the pilot saw only a blurry shadow. But the next camera got a clear shot of the figure in front of them.
Stark looked like he had expected this—his worst suspicion had come true.
"Stark." The woman with white short hair stared coldly into the drone camera. "You sent a machine to spy on us? Hm? Maybe you're watching this right now, Mr. President. Or maybe someone will send you this footage."
"Listen closely, Mr. President."
"I am Ororo Munroe. In the name of myself and my husband, T'Challa—who died by your hand—I call you a coward, Tony Stark. If that offends you—"
In the next second, a bolt of lightning struck the drone and destroyed it completely. As for what she was about to say, Stark could already guess.
"Don't these people realize that by doing this, I won't be able to hear what else they had to say?" Stark rubbed his forehead—not because he mourned the poor drone, but because of how hostile the situation had become.
"So you see, this is almost impossible to reconcile," Stark said, turning to Bruce.
"No. It can be reconciled," Bruce replied, contradicting him.
"Oh?"
"We just need to find the one responsible for sabotaging the peace between the Iron Nation and the Blue Nation," Bruce said, locking eyes with Stark. "The real culprit."
(End of Chapter)
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