A Surprise Delivered to My Door

Ivan Vanko stared coldly at Stark Tower before him, his heart filled with rage. He had been preparing for this moment for a long time, and today was the day for his revenge.

He ran a hand over the advanced gear he wore, the crystallization of his years of effort and his will for vengeance, each piece tailor-made for Tony Stark.

His father had been persecuted by Howard Stark, but since Howard Stark was already dead, his son Tony Stark would bear the burden.

Ivan Vanko had originally planned to wait a little longer to exact his revenge. His preparations weren't quite complete, and he had intended to seek revenge on Tony Stark when he was better prepared.

However, while sorting through his father's belongings, he discovered a strange book titled The Gh'gth Revelations.

This book accurately predicted many recent events, which amazed Ivan Vanko.

But when he saw the prophecy that Tony Stark might die from palladium poisoning, Ivan Vanko couldn't be happy.

He was on the verge of achieving ultimate power and preparing to seek revenge on his enemy, and now he was told the enemy was about to die?

How could this be!

Ivan Vanko therefore rushed to Manhattan, intending to find Tony before he succumbed to poisoning and kill him.

Tony Stark had to die by his hand, not from poison!

Although his battle suit wasn't fully calibrated, it was sufficient, at least stronger than Tony Stark's battle suit!

Tony had been staying in Stark Tower for several days, not because he truly believed the nonsense of the Magic Conch.

It was because he was making one last attempt to solve his palladium poisoning problem.

"One more try."

Tony muttered to himself, his fingers flying across the keyboard, the screen flashing with complex data and models.

Time was incredibly precious to him, and each attempt might be his last sliver of hope.

Tony was completely focused on the data and models on the screen, trying to find a breakthrough for his palladium poisoning problem. But after countless calculations and attempts, he had to admit that this attempt had failed again.

The results displayed on the screen still offered no glimmer of hope, instead seeming to pronounce his doom.

Tony sighed and slowly stood up from his chair, an unconcealable weariness and disappointment in his eyes.

He looked up at the bustling Manhattan night view outside the window, his heart a mix of emotions. He knew that time was ticking away, and he seemed to be getting further and further from finding a cure.

He left the laboratory and went to the top floor, gazing at his Iron Man battle suit.

Tony gently caressed the suit's exterior, feeling its cold yet solid power, as if engaging in a silent conversation with it.

These days might not last much longer.

Just then, the unexpected happened. A sudden tremor shattered the silence, and Tony involuntarily lost his balance.

He instinctively reached out to steady himself but accidentally pressed the launch button on the suit's palm.

A dazzling beam of light instantly erupted from his palm repulsor, shooting forward.

And at that very moment, a figure descended from the sky – Ivan Vanko made his grand entrance.

"Tony Stark, die! Today, I will avenge my... Ah."

Before Ivan Vanko's hate-filled cry could fully dissipate, Tony's unintentionally triggered palm repulsor struck Ivan Vanko, who was charging forward, like a precise death sentence.

Despite its careful design, perhaps due to insufficient testing, the impact of the palm repulsor instantly pierced the battle suit's protective layer, directly affecting its internal structure and triggering a chain reaction.

The suit's precision components disintegrated under the explosive energy impact, circuits shorted, and energy conduits went haywire, turning the entire suit into an unstable bomb on the verge of detonation.

"Boom!" A deafening explosion erupted outside Stark Tower, flames soaring into the sky, and dust billowing everywhere.

Ivan Vanko's figure was mercilessly flung into the air by the force, battle suit fragments scattering like a meteor shower across the night sky.

A book was thrown from his chest, flying towards Tony. Tony blinked and reached out, catching the book. Upon closer inspection, it was The Gh'gth Revelations.

Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko struggled in mid-air, trying to stabilize himself, but the out-of-control battle suit had become a heavy burden. In the end, he could only watch as he plummeted towards the ground.

Tony stood frozen, staring at The Gh'gth Revelations in his hand in disbelief, unable to comprehend how the prophecy book he had been desperately searching for had suddenly fallen into his possession.

Was it really like the Magic Conch said, that doing nothing was enough?

No, that wasn't the point. The point was, what was going on with that person just now? Why did he have a battle suit similar to his own?

Tony's thoughts surged like a tide. He quickly snapped out of his shock and looked up at the explosion site. The flames gradually weakened, and the dust slowly dispersed, but Ivan Vanko's figure had vanished from sight.

Tony quickly put on his Iron Man battle suit, preparing to head to the explosion site to investigate.

He silently prayed that Ivan Vanko would survive. After all, only a living person could give him an explanation. If he died, all his secrets would go to the grave with him.

Upon reaching the lower floors, Tony discovered a distinct impact crater, with more battle suit fragments and metal debris scattered around.

At the edge of the crater, he found Ivan Vanko lying there, his battle suit in tatters, his body looking extremely weak.

Tony immediately activated the suit's medical assistance functions, performing a preliminary scan of Ivan Vanko's vital signs.

Fortunately, although the burly man's injuries were severe, he was still alive for the time being. If he received timely medical attention, he might survive.

Tony breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had a chance to unravel all the mysteries.

Tony activated the suit's emergency rescue system, summoning a rescue helicopter.

At this moment, the burly man struggled to get up.

"Hey, buddy, you're too badly injured to get up. Suicide is a serious crime, don't think you can fool Yahweh like that."

Such a jest would naturally not be heeded by Ivan Vanko, who had lost half his life.

"Tony Stark..." Ivan Vanko spoke with difficulty, his voice weak and hoarse, "You win... but this is not the end... My father's injustice... will one day be cleared..."

Seeing him in such a crippled state, on the verge of death, one couldn't help but wonder what deep-seated hatred he held.

"I don't think you'll have the chance, buddy."