In the Supreme Court, the presence of 3 elders at once already signifies that the matter is of great consequence. The more elders who appear, the greater the weight the Court places on the issue. Now, 7 elders gathered at the round table, something that had not happened in countless years.
This time, their assembly was prompted by two things: the sudden discovery of new elements and the unnatural upheaval in the vision of the universe. Each elder's face was clouded with solemnity.
Gladwin, the first elder to link the revelations with echoes of past lives, broke the heavy silence, "The glimpses of past lives shown by the Immortal Warrior not only guide our technological development," He said slowly, "But anything more that emerges could unsettle the entire Federation."
No one refuted him; instead, the others nodded gravely.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is clearly a force with formidable technology and combat capability," One elder remarked, "But even their strength cannot bridge the historical fault line in Terra's timeline. This is deeply troubling."
Hyeon recalled the anomaly once called the rainbow funnel, and his brow furrowed. "The signs were wrong back then, too. Tony's father was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders, and Tony now wields the power of new elements. If the figures of that era could barely withstand their dangers, what chance do we have if such forces reappear?"
Another elder pressed urgently: "The most important task before us is to accelerate the creation of new elements. This could determine the very future of Terra!"
"And the development of suits must not fall behind," Another added firmly.
Orson reminded them: "We discussed before that the temporal fault in Terra's history might conceal an even greater power system. The 'mechanical whale' was once only speculation. But with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s sudden appearance, I fear the threat hidden in that lost era is far beyond what we imagined."
The chamber fell silent once more. What they had uncovered so far was not the iceberg's tip; it was barely even the shadow beneath it.
Gladwin sighed again, "The more fragments the Immortal Warrior shows us, the more riddles appear. What concerns me most is whether the Terra of that era shares commonalities with our Terra Federation. If so, then the same forces that once attacked them could return to us."
Hyeon nodded, adding, "The vision we witnessed moments ago must be tied to the Immortal Warrior's past-life revelations. The birth of a new element triggered that blinding upheaval. Its importance to the Federation cannot be overstated. Even the fabric of the world trembles because of it."
For long minutes, the seven elders sat in heavy silence. Even at their rank, they had not anticipated that the heavens themselves would answer with such terrifying change. The likely cause, they all agreed, was some cataclysmic moment in Terra's past when new elements were first forged. Too many mysteries. Too many dangers.
Finally, they resolved:
– Use all available resources to produce new elements as soon as possible.
– Harness this energy to its fullest.
– Advance suit and battle armor research in parallel.
– Fully reinstate artificial intelligence assistance systems.
– Ensure Terra's technological base reaches, at the very least, the same level as the Terra that came before.
Above all, they concluded, they must identify the Immortal Warrior and protect him. His survival was vital to the Federation's fate.
Inside the Administration Office, the Director received the Supreme Court's urgent directive: "Lift all restrictions on artificial intelligence. Accelerate the development of new elements and advanced armor systems."
He drew in a deep breath. The Supreme Court's urgency made it clear: they sensed a crisis even greater than AI itself. The halt on AI research, nearly finalized, was reversed at once.
"Is there truly something more terrifying than artificial intelligence?" He whispered, issuing orders one after another while summoning his assistant, "How goes the search?"
The assistant answered bitterly, "Director, every one of the hundreds we investigated has been ruled out. None is the Immortal Warrior."
The Director's face darkened, waving the man away. The assistant hesitated, wishing to say more, but the Director's mood was so heavy he dared not press further.
Meanwhile, in the stream of past-life visions, Tony was still locked in battle.
The audience erupted in exclamations.
"F**k! Ivan's rolled out new gear!"
"Energy whips? Does this guy never get tired of them?"
"Tony, move!"
[ A massive suit slammed to the ground, its faceplate snapping open to reveal Ivan himself.He sneered, "Feels good to be back." ]
[ Sparks of electricity danced along the twin energy whips he snapped to life. ]
[ Rhodey stepped forward. "Tony, I've got a special weapon for him." ]
[ A shoulder-mounted pod deployed, "Let me take him out with the Ex-Wife!" ]
[ Tony blinked. "What?" ]
[ The launcher spat a small missile trailing flame, only for it to bounce harmlessly off Ivan's armor with a metallic plink. The smoke fizzled out pathetically. ]
"F**k! That's it? What a joke!"
"Man, even a fart packs more punch!"
"Tony looks stunned!"
"It's not just the missile that fell flat, it's your reputation!"
[ Tony groaned, "Hammer's weapon, right?" ]
[ Roddy admitted, "Yeah…" ]
[ Without hesitation, Tony's own systems locked onto Ivan. A hail of bullets rattled off the villain's reinforced suit, sparks flying. Ivan's whip slashed back, severing War Machine's gun in one stroke. ]
[ The fight raged across the rock garden, three armored titans colliding amid stone and water. Ivan's suit was massive, its defense daunting, and the whips' power relentless. He snared Tony by the neck with one lash and stomped down at Rhodey with a clawed foot meant to crush him. Tony caught the whip in both hands, yanking Ivan back, buying Rhodey a chance to escape. Yet a second whip lashed out, binding Roddy too. ]
[ Now the three of them formed a single line, both heroes ensnared, energy surging violently across their armor. ]
[ "Rhodey!" Tony shouted over the crackling discharge. "I've got an idea, want to be a hero?" ]
[ Rhodey squinted. "What idea?" ]
[ "I need a partner. Raise your hand!" ]
[ Lightning tore at their suits, fire bursting across the armor plates. At any moment, they could be shredded. ]
[ "This is your plan?!" ]
[ "Yes!" ]
[ "…Fine! I'm ready!" ]
[ Both raised their palms, aiming at each other. Energy cores flared, building to a brilliant white beam. ]
The audience watching live gripped their seats, palms sweating.
"What are they doing?"
"Are they insane?"
"Don't die on us, Tony!"
The screen blazed with unbearable light.