The Roadblock

"Marvel's Magnetic Field Rotation"

At Stark's seaside villa, Tony Stark, with Pepper Potts helping him tie his tie, looked radiant, as if he had been reborn.

There's a reason for this, of course. His injuries are like an invisible shackle, confining him to this villa of several hundred square meters. There's also a Black Widow sent by S.H.I.E.L.D.. who is constantly monitoring him. Although she's pleasing to the eye, she's stricter than the etiquette teacher at the elite school—at least the etiquette teacher won't give him electroshock therapy for violating her rules.

Under this level of supervision, he hadn't tasted fine wine for a long time, and had almost forgotten what it felt like to drink it. During that time, he missed Coulson, with whom he could chat, joke, and drink.

Now that his injuries have healed and Black Widow Natasha has been transferred by Nick Fury to perform other missions, Tony Stark can finally roam freely.

And because of the corrosive effect of palladium on his body, his life used to be measured in days, but a few days ago he made a breakthrough in his research in this area. The site model of the first Stark Expo left by his father, in which the layout of important venues was arranged according to the atomic structure of a certain new substance, Tony Stark synthesized this new element crystal through a particle accelerator, thus creating the perfect Arc Reactor in Howard Stark's notebook.

Compared to the first-generation Arc Reactor's energy output of 3 billion joules per second, the new generation Arc Reactor boasts an energy output of up to 8 gigajoules per second.

Based on this, Tony Stark improved his Iron Man suit, which was manufactured within days using Stark Industries' industrial capabilities, and he felt great after the first test wear.

And now, he is all set to go to the second Stark Expo to deliver his opening speech.

The last Stark Expo was decades ago, hosted by his father. The event was so grand that it overshadowed even the Olympic Games, with only the Super Bowl coming close.

Tony Stark was always determined to surpass his father. Although he learned his lesson on the Arc Reactor, he was not going to let it go. He wanted his expo to be large, with many exhibitors and a wide variety of products. Most importantly, the expo would last for a year.

This is an excellent platform and opportunity for exchange. Creative people can attract investment, and people with too much spare cash can invest in projects that interest them.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Pepper Potts asked after she finished adjusting Tony Stark's clothes.

Her boss hadn't left home for a long time, and she was afraid that Tony, who didn't even remember his social security number, might get into trouble again, especially since he had been injured again before his first injury had fully healed.

Although both times Tony Stark was injured as a hero and the media sensationalized the incident, causing Stark Industries' stock price to soar, Pepper Potts didn't want Stark to take the risk.

"No, it's been a long time since I've driven myself. Now's the time to indulge myself." Tony Stark looked at himself in the mirror, unable to hide the smile on his face. "The company can't do without you as president. I, the figurehead, will take care of the spotlight."

Racing cars, appearing in public and under the spotlight, feigning familiarity with various celebrities, and tasting all sorts of drinks—these were all commonplace things for Tony Stark, and now, thinking about it, they were surprisingly exciting.

He wasn't looking forward to something so familiar and boring, but rather the feeling of regaining his freedom.

"Watch your speed. I know you've modified your car, but please slow down," Pepper Potts warned Tony Stark as he walked toward the garage.

"Don't worry, the car I've modified is the safest car in the world," Tony Stark said confidently.

The opening ceremony of the Stark Expo was held in the evening, and he would appear alongside a fireworks display. Tony Stark could already imagine himself standing on the stage, surrounded by applause and enthusiastic cheers from the audience.

Tony Stark, who had been away from the public eye for a long time, was quite impatient. The frenetic music blaring from the car stereo was no longer enough to express his feelings—his artificial heart continued to beat rhythmically, undisturbed by his emotions.

After leaving the villa, Tony Stark floored the accelerator. There were practically no other vehicles on the road. With his lightning-fast reflexes, which allowed him to control the Iron Man suit to perform difficult flight maneuvers, and the car's performance, he could react quickly to any situation, unless it was another Hulk vs. Abomination scenario.

For example, a figure wearing a tattered raincoat, hunched over, pushing a supermarket cart full of odds and ends appears on the road ahead. He seems unaware of the speeding car and continues to cross the road at a leisurely pace.

Tony Stark, who was speeding, immediately slammed on the brakes. One side of the road was a rock wall, and the other side was a cliff. No matter which way he turned the steering wheel, it would be a dead end. Straightening the wheel and slamming on the brakes was the only way.

Even if he hadn't stopped and hit that person, Stark Industries is a large and powerful company, and its legal team of hundreds of lawyers is not to be underestimated. They can always find a way to their advantage within the framework of the law, and it's even possible for them to amend the law to exonerate themselves.

Fortunately, just as Tony Stark said, his modified vehicle performed very well and successfully stopped a meter away from the man dressed like a typical American homeless person.

Tony Stark, sitting in the driver's seat, let out a long breath, then touched his forehead with both hands and found it covered in cold sweat.

After catching his breath, Tony Stark's steady heartbeat calmed him down. Suddenly, he sensed something was wrong. The surrounding area was full of cliffs, and there were no supermarkets offering free near-expiry goods. Why was this homeless man here?

Sure enough, the hunched figure straightened up, looking exceptionally tall and almost inhumanly robust, reminding Tony Stark of the scientist named Kent Clark.

"That's impossible."

Through the car window, Tony Stark saw the man's tattered raincoat suddenly burst into flames, revealing a metal-clad figure beneath—a Iron Man suit.

But what made him gasp was not the Iron Man suit itself—he no longer considered the technology his own—but the round, glowing object on the other's chest: the Arc Reactor.