A Problem Came Knocking

At the top of Stark Tower, Tony was tuning the portable Mark V armor in his lab.

When he finished the adjustment and raised his hand, the hand armor flew over automatically and snapped onto his palm. The impact was a little too strong, making Tony stumble.

"The force is a bit much. I can lower the speed a little."

He swiped across the virtual screen a few times, and Tony came up with a solution right away.

But once he'd immersed himself in his work and finished the modifications, he couldn't help thinking about his palladium poisoning. With a sigh, he picked up the large glass of chlorophyll a mechanical arm held out to him and gulped it down.

Back when he'd been kidnapped, shrapnel had lodged near his heart, and he'd had to use a magnet to keep it in place.

Although he'd built the Arc Reactor, a portable, controlled nuclear fusion device, and solved that problem in the long term,

the palladium in the reactor was now eating away at his life.

At this rate, he might not have much time left.

For a playboy who'd always enjoyed life, that was hard to accept.

"There's still time. I'll find a replacement, no doubt... J.A.R.V.I.S., what's on my schedule lately?"

After gulping down the green liquid and setting the empty glass on the table with a clink, Tony asked listlessly.

He'd left the company's affairs to Pepper Potts, and relied on J.A.R.V.I.S. to arrange all the little things.

"Sir, tomorrow you have a hearing concerning the Iron Man suit. Justin Hammer of the Umbrella Corporation will be attending as well. You can expect questions directed at you."

"The Umbrella Corporation again..."

Tony frowned at the thought. The rise of Umbrella Corporation had been bizarre. It had merged with