Coastal villa, underground research room
Tony frowned, holding a wrench in his hand, lost in thought, as if waiting for something.
Behind him, various data flickered rapidly across multiple monitors.
Apparently, J.A.R.V.I.S. was busy.
"Sir, everything is normal in the villa. There are no abnormal fluctuations."
After a moment, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s calm voice sounded.
"It's kind of like a ghost… could it be true?"
Listening to the report, Tony muttered to himself:
"There have been a lot of strange things lately."
First, the terrorists in Afghanistan were inexplicably slaughtered.
Then, out of nowhere, a "group" appeared in his mind—filled with strange beings claiming to be from other worlds.
Weird.
"Sir, your mood swings are abnormal. Based on your previous experience, I believe you may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms include excessive vigilance, an increased startle response, and possibly inattention, irritability, and anxiety.
Your situation matches the latter. I believe it's necessary to inform Ms. Pepper, and—"
Tony's face darkened. "Shut up, J.A.R.V.I.S. There's no need to tell Pepper. I'm fine."
If Pepper knew, she'd call in half a dozen private doctors to poke and prod him head to toe. And with the arc reactor in his chest, hospitals were out of the question.
Troublesome.
"Okay, sir."
J.A.R.V.I.S. muted himself without another word.
Tony leaned on the workbench, eyes unfocused. "Is there really a multiverse? Shouldn't that be just a theory?"
Indeed, many scholars had speculated, but no one had ever proved it.
And now? A ridiculous "chat group" had silently proved it in his own mind.
A group that connected people from different universes?
Just to let them talk?
The one who created such a thing had to be a genius. Someone like him.
"Interesting~"
Tony twirled his wrench. "J.A.R.V.I.S., create a new project on my private server. Name it 'Multiverse World.' Confidentiality level—highest. Keywords: Pioneer Star, Traveler Ying, Slime Rimuru… and Kamigawa Warrior Ethan. Don't forget that one."
"I need you to search those terms whenever possible and collect any useful information. Report to me if you find anything connected to me."
"Understood, sir."
J.A.R.V.I.S. complied immediately.
Tony knew it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. These people might not even exist in his universe. But gathering knowledge never hurt. He was a genius, after all.
With that aside, he returned to work. Mark II still wasn't complete, and until it was, everything else could wait.
"Sir, a project has made progress. Would you like a report?"
"Hmm?"
Tony, about to resume debugging, froze. "Progress? On that project?"
"Yes, sir. On the top-secret project 'Multiple Worlds.' I located the existence of a shareholder named Ethan in the company's shareholder list. I can't confirm if he's the one you're looking for, but I thought it best to report immediately."
"Oh?" Tony perked up. "Bring me his file. And while you're at it, list all the current shareholders of Stark Industries. I should take a closer look."
It was probably just a coincidence of names. Still, any lead was valuable.
Besides, it had been too long since he reviewed the shareholders in detail. And after what had happened to him, coincidence wasn't a word he trusted anymore.
"Okay, sir."
The monitors shifted.
First came a photo of Ethan, followed by lines of personal information and activity logs.
"Chinese boy?" Tony blinked, lips twitching. "I hate guys younger and better-looking than me."
"Sir, you are in your prime," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied smoothly.
Tony smirked, feeling a little better, then scanned the data.
Origin—ordinary.
Education—not from a top university.
Becoming a shareholder had been a coincidence.
But in six short months, he'd gone from holding nothing to owning 5% of Stark Industries.
"Sharp moves… but too coincidental."
Tony's brow furrowed.
He remembered clearly: after the Weapons Division closed, most shareholders had rushed to sell their stock. The only exceptions had been Stane and Ethan.
For Stane, it made sense. He knew what Tony was working on.
But Ethan? Strange.
"Sir, I also discovered two call records. The content is unknown, but they may be worth noting."
The screen shifted again, displaying two call logs.
Tony's breath caught as he checked the timestamps.
One call—seven days after his kidnapping. Stane trying to secure shares. That could be explained.
But the second call…
It was placed at noon on the exact day Tony escaped the terrorist camp. With less than a five-minute margin of error.
The military hadn't even found him until an hour later.
And Stane? That day, he had only three calls. Two incoming, one outgoing. Pepper and Rhodey were the obvious ones. But the other incoming call… was from Ethan.
The timing gnawed at him.
What was the explanation for that?
Could Ethan and Stane both be tied to his kidnapping?
The thought made Tony's stomach turn.
He didn't want to believe it. But suspicion was growing.
"Sir, should I notify—"
"Silence."
Tony's voice was sharp. J.A.R.V.I.S. obeyed instantly. Even the music in the background cut off.
The room fell into heavy silence.
"J.A.R.V.I.S. I want the full details of those two calls."
"Sir, that would be illegal…"
"I need it."
"…Understood, sir. Hacking into the communication base station and root server now to intercept the call content."
Tony said nothing, staring coldly at the glowing monitors.