Tony Stark

"Hey." Tony Stark unexpectedly caught up with them. "Kid... Okay, Mr. Zod!" The sharp-tongued Iron Man raised both hands. "Your— I mean, your partner. Your partner really is something to behold..."

He looked at the Smart Terminal, which was about twenty centimeters in diameter and hovered over Son of Krypton's shoulder like a decorative trinket. "I wonder which is more advanced, it or my J.A.R.V.I.S... Uh, what I mean is, Mr. Zod, the stealth-coating technology and advanced propulsion systems you've provided are decades ahead of anything we have on Earth, but..."

Iron Man said confidently, "I assume that's not all you have up your sleeve. Listen, Stark Industries is the most famous defense contractor in the business. I've shut that part down—I mean, in terms of energy development and application, Stark Industries can provide everything you need. I wonder if there's a chance we could work together, Mr. Zod..."

Aeo smiled.

He'd figured that Tony Stark, the CEO of a super-company worth over a hundred billion, with industries spanning finance, technology, defense, metals, and much more, couldn't be as useless as he was in the movies—nothing but a playboy, a smart mouth, and an arrogant jerk. Well, all right, in the movies he was still a genius.

As a successful businessman, Stark had immediately realized just how much value Aeo held when Aeo deliberately revealed a series of Kryptonian technologies to secure S.H.I.E.L.D.'s support. As a race that wandered the universe, the Kryptonians possessed immense potential; even a tiny fraction of their technology would take Earth a long time to absorb.

So our Iron Man had set aside his concerns about the extraterrestrial visitor and decisively cast a vote in favor. That was why Aeo had been laughing at the various identification documents above.

Aeo was quite grateful to Tony for that. So when Tony proposed working together, Aeo agreed without hesitation.

"Of course, Mr. Stark. The Empire welcomes all friendly allies," he said meaningfully.

Iron Man looked at Batman, then at the boy in front of him. Hesitating, he nodded and slapped Aeo's hand. "Then it's a deal!"

Aeo, who'd been watching from the side, finally showed a hint of surprise. "Okay, since you've already settled your 'business,' can we go now?" he asked Aeo.

Aeo shrugged.

"I mean..." Tony hesitated, then unexpectedly invited them again. "Since you two are rarely in Washington, D.C., Bruce, would you like to come see a show with me? A farce..."

Bruce and Aeo looked at each other.

"No..." Though surprised by his "old friend's" enthusiasm, Bruce recovered quickly and refused without hesitation.

"Uh, what farce are you talking about?" Aeo cut in before he could say more. "Here?"

Bruce swallowed his words and looked coldly at the other playboy. "What are you up to now, Tony?"

With business settled, Stark returned to his usual self, smoothly putting on his sunglasses. "Just follow me!"

A red Bugatti supercar pulled up in front of the three of them.

"Okay, but there are three of us, and your car..." Aeo perked up. He glanced at Bruce.

Seeing there was no way out of it, Bruce sighed and pulled out a device. "Don't worry about it!" A white Maybach stopped in front of him.

"See? Human technology does have its uses," Stark said with a shrug.

Damn, rich people really did whatever the hell they wanted...

And so the three superheroes swaggered away from Triskelion Headquarters, chatting and laughing.

Nick Fury and Melinda watched with grim expressions. "Sir, are we just going to let them leave?" Agent Melinda asked.

The one-eyed man gritted his teeth. "What else can we do? That guy"—he pointed at Aeo Zod—"has successfully stirred up the superheroes' distrust and concerns about us. If we use force, they're bound to retaliate hard. That might not be good for S.H.I.E.L.D. or for us!"

"Besides..." He looked at the white USB drive in his hand, his expression complicated. "He's not wrong. We do need the technology he has..."

"You mean..." Agent Melinda gasped.

Director Fury clenched his fist, his single eye flashing. "Pass the word down. The 'Sky' project is officially underway! We need to be ready before things take a turn for the worst..."

"Prepare for war!"

After a swift drive, Aeo and the others arrived at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

With the backing of the head of the Federation's famed Stark Industries and Gotham City's most powerful financial prodigy, Aeo had little trouble entering one of the core districts of the United States.

Along the way, Aeo's casual attire—everyone else was in suits or uniforms, so the reincarnator in ordinary clothes was naturally deemed improperly dressed—drew countless curious and appraising looks. But Aeo, who'd vaguely sensed the truth of the situation, paid no mind to the stares of these tiresome people. He followed Stark and Bruce Wayne at an unhurried pace, wearing a faintly amused smile, into a press conference hall in the Congressional Building.

"Click."

Stark swept through the doorway with theatrical flair, blowing kisses and waving to the countless news outlets present, as well as the influential figures and representatives from various factions who'd come to observe.

"Sorry, traffic was terrible. I got held up for a bit. I'm not late, am I? Hey, isn't that Mr. Norman from the Osborn Group? What brings you here? Sightseeing in Washington? Hmm, distinctive taste..."

"Look who we have here! Dr. Hank Pym? You've always been one of my idols in science and business. I always thought you were dead... Sorry."

"Uh, General Colton, what are you doing here? I thought you'd retired. At least, that's what the Pentagon said..."

"Hey, Justin!" Watching Iron Man make a show of calling out the many representatives and bigwigs—some public, some hidden—of the world's dangerous factions, Aeo felt a storm of emotion rise within him. He'd known this world wasn't so simple...

"How did I not know Hammer Industries had any business in this hall? I'm kidding." Iron Man's gift for running his mouth could rival Spider-Man's or Deadpool's. "Welcome!"

"..."

Aeo almost felt sorry for the little boss who'd just been thoroughly humiliated by Stark: Justin Hammer, Whiplash's backer in Iron Man 2. Everyone knew Tony had a big mouth, that he'd mouth off to anyone, anywhere, and now he'd walked right in and asked to be roasted. Honestly... Was he brainless, or just having a temporary lapse in judgment?

Everyone else had clearly heard about Stark's big mouth, too. Whether it was the Green Goblin or Ant-Man, they all just smiled and let it go. What they cared about was...

"Isn't that Bruce Wayne? The heir to Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City..."

"That's right! What's he doing here?"

"The family's legacy lives on! That's certainly something to celebrate..."

"Dr. Pym, I didn't know you had ties to the Wayne Family..."

"That was a long time ago, Mr. Norman! But that's not why we're here today, is it?"

"You're right!"

"...It really is Bruce Wayne! Huh, and who's that kid behind him?"

"No idea..."

"Well, it looks like today's show is getting more and more interesting..."