"Tony, are you okay?" Ivan Vanko asked in a low voice over the phone while signaling the blonde bodyguard to follow him.
"What?"Tony couldn't quite place the voice. Speed up the playback, he thought. In fact, Tony had almost completely forgotten about Ivan Vanko after that day. As a wealthy genius with better things to do, Tony didn't spend his time thinking about a disheveled Russian thug.
Besides, his health problems kept him too preoccupied to hold a grudge. So when he heard the voice, Ivan wasn't even the first person that came to mind.
"Today, the Stark family legacy will be rewritten. What your father did to my family forty years ago, I'll do to you in the next forty minutes," Ivan said with a cold, detached smile.
He could already picture it: the chaos at the Stark Expo, his Iron Soldiers wreaking havoc, and Tony being blamed as the host. The public would turn on him.
Iron Man? Ivan sneered. What right does he have to be called Iron Man?
This call had only one purpose: to provoke Tony.For Ivan, there was no greater joy than watching an enemy helplessly await his own destruction.
If all went according to plan, Ivan would even kill Tony at the Expo.
"Ivan Vanko? Sounds like you're doing well," Tony said flatly, then muted his microphone.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., trace the call.""Yes, sir."
Ivan laughed darkly."Hope you're ready, Tony. Hope you're ready to face everything. Your life's about to change. Hahahaha—"Click.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., did you get his location?""Sir, I was unable to pinpoint it exactly. However, I did triangulate a general area.""Where?"
A map appeared on the screen.
"East Coast, Queens, New York."
As the map zoomed in, J.A.R.V.I.S. narrowed it down to a mid-sized area with 34 city blocks.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., list all locations in that zone capable of housing heavy equipment or industrial machinery."
Tony remembered the robotic suit that attacked him in Monaco. Something like that couldn't be built in a basement. It needed major hardware and a proper facility.
"Right away, sir."
J.A.R.V.I.S. began hacking into government infrastructure databases, pulling up data on all buildings in the area—owner info, purpose, capacity—displaying them one by one.
"More!"
But then a familiar face appeared on the screen. Tony interrupted the search.He saw Justin Hammer's grinning face. The site matched a known weapons depot.
Too convenient, Tony thought. Then he remembered what Ivan Vanko had just said.
"If you're rewriting the Stark family legacy, it's going to involve something big. But what counts as big?"
Suddenly, it hit him—"The Stark Expo."
"J.A.R.V.I.S., pull up today's schedule for the Stark Expo."
If Ivan wanted to publicly destroy the Stark legacy, what better way than to sabotage the Expo?
The homepage appeared, plastered with Justin Hammer's smug face. Below it, a caption read: "Securing Peace." And prominently featured were robotic Iron Soldiers from Hammer Industries.
Tony instantly recalled the tech used in the Monaco attack.Ivan Vanko was behind this too.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., get me Clark Kent on the phone."
Thinking of New York, Tony's first instinct was to call Clark. If anyone could help minimize casualties—even if Ivan's plan succeeded—it was Clark.
Meanwhile in New York, Clark Kent was enjoying dinner at home with his parents, telling them stories about the wonders of Asgard.
It had been days since he was last home, so he went to visit the moment he returned to the city. His parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent, listened in fascination as he described the mythical realm.
Upon hearing that Clark had a good relationship with Thor, they even joked about asking Thor to take them on a tour of Asgard someday.
After all, compared to Earth, the realm of the gods sounded far more magical. The stories alone were enough to make any Earthling curious.
"Uhh…"Clark hesitated at the request.
Should he say no? That would make him seem like a liar.Say yes? But Asgard wasn't exactly a safe vacation spot—rampant invasions, constant war, and eventually the place was nearly destroyed.
Not to mention the Bifrost Bridge was prone to malfunctions. Either the bridge breaks, or someone loses the sword.
He was still wondering how to respond when Tony's call came through—an excellent excuse to dodge the awkward moment.
"Hey Tony, what's up? Bit early for a call, don't you think?"
"Clark, remember the guy who attacked me in Monaco? Ivan Vanko. Turns out Hammer's Iron Soldiers are his work. He just called me—I think he's going to hit the Stark Expo. You in New York right now? I could use your help."
Clark was stunned for a moment.
Ivan Vanko again?He and Loki must be coordinating.This world just won't give anyone a break.
But Tony's tone was urgent, and Clark couldn't just stand by while the Expo was in danger. It was the busiest place in New York tonight.
"Got it. I'm heading there now. Don't worry."
"Oh—and if you see Pepper, watch over her for me. She should already be on-site."
"I'll keep her safe. Don't worry."
Clark thought for a moment. If this is Vanko's move, then Tony has probably already built the triangular arc reactor and the Mark VI armor by now.
But then again, everything was moving out of sync. Thor's arrival had already been pushed forward by several days.
So who knew where Tony actually stood in his progress?
After hanging up, Clark got ready to leave—but saw his father gearing up as well.
"Dad? What are you doing? Weren't you taking the night off?"
"I heard your call. That playboy Tony Stark's in trouble. I'm heading to the Expo. I can't pretend nothing's going to happen."
Clark looked at his father and instantly realized—there was no convincing him otherwise.Fine, Clark thought. Let him come. With Clark's current power level, protecting his father during a situation like this wouldn't be too difficult.
Besides, if he could handle things before anything erupted, maybe his dad wouldn't even have to see the action.
"Alright. Suit yourself. I'm going first."
With that, Clark leapt out the window, soaring into the sky. But before heading to the Stark Expo, he pulled out his phone and called Agent Coulson.
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