Looking at the smiling Leo, Tony didn't know what this guy was up to, but it clearly wasn't anything good.
Leo always found ways to screw him over; he was full of bad ideas.
This had to be more bad news—Tony automatically interpreted his words in reverse.
Although his instincts told him not to listen, curiosity won.
"Heh heh, what good news could you possibly have? Out with it—spit it out already."
After saying that, Tony perked up, suddenly very interested.
"Tch."
Leo glanced at him dismissively. Tony said no, but his body was very honest.
"The good news is I know where J.A.R.V.I.S. is being held. Does that count?"
"What? You know?"
Tony brightened and urged, "Quick, tell me—who attacked J.A.R.V.I.S.? Who's got that kind of power?"
"Don't rush. I also have some bad news. Want to hear it?"
Leo said it calmly; the show hadn't even started yet.
"Bad news? What bad news?" Tony tensed.
Fuck—of course this wasn't going to be simple. He grabbed his coffee to calm down.
"Heh heh, the bad news is I happen to know the person who locked up J.A.R.V.I.S. He said it would be very difficult without a billion."
Pfft!!
Tony, who had barely swallowed two sips, spat it out. Fuck! Which big scumbag wanted a billion?
"A billion…?"
He hadn't even wiped his mouth before he exclaimed.
Suddenly remembering something, Tony stared at Leo.
"Fuck you—you said your friend? Where did you get a friend? There's a saying: 'making friends out of thin air.'
Don't try to fool me with a 'friend.' That friend is you, isn't it? Besides you, I can't think of anyone who's that shady."
"Only you would try to screw me over like this. Forget a billion—I don't even have a hundred million. You wish!"
Tony scoffed at Leo's behavior. A billion, right off the bat—why don't you just mug me on the spot?
"Don't rush. Why would you think that? It's really not me. Isn't it just a billion? Do you, Tony Stark, lack such a small sum?"
"No! I'm short on cash—don't even think about fleecing me!"
He flatly refused Leo's sugar-coated bullets, blocking and deflecting them like a pro.
"All right. My friend said that if you're this uncooperative, he'll stay where he put J.A.R.V.I.S. Jarvis will just remain locked up then."
Leo shrugged. If Tony wasn't in a hurry, neither was he. They could take their time.
Still, Leo had to give Tony some face. If Tony didn't cough up the cash after three days, Leo would release him.
After all, his whole family ate his food, used his stuff, and lived in his house. You shouldn't be too stingy.
"Tch, you want to fleece me? No way!"
Tony spat, "At worst I'll just make another one. Won't it work the same?"
"All right, let's see how long you can be stubborn," Leo said nonchalantly.
Then he remembered something else. "Oh, and I'll use another room. I'll move back tomorrow. The doors and windows over there have been repaired."
"Suit yourself—there are plenty of rooms. Don't delay the great genius Tony Stark from his work," Tony said smugly, then chased Leo and Banner out.
He had to bury himself in work.
"Whatever you say. Good luck," Leo called as they left.
Leo was only teasing—extortion wasn't his real intention. He didn't truly believe Tony would abandon an old friend.
Howard Stark had lived for his inventions and women.
Even if he'd toned things down a bit later in life, he'd still enjoyed himself.
For Tony, childhood playmates were few, but Jarvis had been constant—taking Tony to school, playing games, and listening to him.
Jarvis was practically family.
After Jarvis's death, Tony named his AI after him. That alone showed how irreplaceable Jarvis was.
Leo stopped thinking and walked into the living room.
Wanda and Jean Grey had finished crying and were now chatting animatedly.
When Jean Grey saw Leo stride in with that smug smile, she shot him an unfriendly glare.
"Brother, you scummy playboy—how could you be two-timing? I really despise your character!"
Huh? What's going on? Why had my little sweetheart suddenly turned into a violent loli?
What happened in the few minutes Leo had been gone?
He scanned the room. The problem must have started with Wanda and Android 18.
"Hmph. Are you two slandering my character in front of Jean? Just you wait—you'll regret it!" he threatened, then shamelessly squeezed between them and hugged them both.
"You're such a rascal. I've never seen anyone as thick-skinned as you," Wanda said, helpless.
"No, since you two have already ruined my glorious image, what do I care? I'll just act the way you've labeled me!" Leo joked.
Thick skin meant more room to play.
When everyone else pretended to be serious, Leo preferred to be unserious.
While Leo enjoyed himself, somewhere else in the Multiverse the Time Variance Authority—TVA—was getting annoyed.
Loki had teamed up with Lady Loki Sylvie and ambushed many Timekeepers.
The TVA had committed nearly half its forces to stop the Duo.
Now they discovered the Universe where Leo was located had dramatically changed.
The timeline branches were growing higher and denser—Leo's time crimes were increasing in scale and impact.
They worried about the Lokis destroying the TVA and about Leo creating an independent parallel universe.
Listening to the reports, the TVA's Chief Justice—the only one who knew the full truth—had a terrible headache.
One troublemaker wasn't enough. Now there were two.
She wanted to find who was really pulling the strings behind the TVA.
She had a hint—was it Kang the Conqueror or Mephisto?—but now everything was disrupted again.
It was a massive headache.
"Someone, go to Leo's Universe now and create some trouble for him. Don't let him advance too quickly."
The Chief Justice called out, and, incredibly, someone immediately responded.
"My Lord—what do we do?"
The Chief Justice paused, then ordered, "Go to 1973 in a certain abandoned Universe. Capture Bolivar, and don't forget his disciple Stryker. Arrange identities for them, implant memories, and then throw them into Leo's Universe."