Marvel Transmigration: I Possessed Iron Man

Ding.

The computer screen flashed: Unlock successful.

"Forget it," Hans muttered, clearly wounded by the outcome.

Ding.

Ding.

All the monitors next to the production line lit up. Each robot was now paired with its own control terminal.

"Wow… impressive," Hans breathed, stunned.

"Garbage. All your software is garbage," Ivan muttered, chewing on a toothpick without sparing Hans a glance.

Hans's face flushed red in embarrassment. He turned and shot a furious glare at his assistant, Jack.

"Okay, fine. You've got skills. You actually cracked my firewall."

Ivan ignored him and rolled over a mobile lift, climbing up to one of the robots.

"Take a good look. Isn't it beautiful?" Hans said, brimming with pride. "These are just prototypes. Each one costs 125 million dollars!"

Ivan didn't respond. He grabbed the robot's head and ripped it off in one fluid motion, yanking out a mess of tangled components.

"Wait—" Hans barely had time to speak before the robot's head was already in Ivan's hands. His vision dimmed from the shock. It felt like someone had ripped out a piece of his soul.

"Oh God," Hans groaned, clutching his forehead before snapping at Jack. "Call someone. Don't let this lunatic destroy everything I've built!"

"What do you even want them for?" Ivan asked as he casually shoved the head back into place, almost giving Hans a heart attack.

"In the long run? I want these suits to win me a 25-year contract with the Department of Defense. I want Iron Man to look like a relic. I'm going to that big expo, and I'll dump all over Tony's front yard!" Hans said, watching Ivan descend from the lift.

"You get that?"

"No problem. I can do it," Ivan said with a crooked grin under his disheveled hair.

"Really?" Hans blinked in disbelief, the chaos moments ago now feeling strangely justified.

"Fantastic. I knew it! He's our savior—I had a gut feeling!"

"You nailed it, boss. Great call," Jack chimed in.

"Give me one week. I'll rebuild all of these suits," Ivan told him.

"Wait, did I hear that right? One week?" Hans's eyes widened.

His own team of top-tier scientists had estimated minimum six months, even with the arc reactor's data.

"You're not bluffing, are you? There will be consequences," Hans warned, his voice turning cold.

"I give you my word. If these suits aren't moving in a week, you can hand me over to the U.S. police—or better yet, to Tony Stark himself," Ivan said flatly.

"Haha! I knew it! Geniuses never follow normal timelines!" Hans laughed, thrilled.

"But first, get a doctor to fix my ribs," Ivan added, still chewing his toothpick. Sweat had soaked through his shirt—and even his underwear.

"And get me some clean clothes while you're at it."

"No problem. Jack, you're staying here for the week. Make sure Ivan has everything he needs. If anything goes wrong, it's on you," Hans ordered.

"Got it, boss. Leave it to me!" Jack saluted, slightly off-kilter.

--—--

Meanwhile, Aetheris drove off, the fire stirred by Betty Ross still raging inside him. He dialed Nova's number.

"Hello?" Her voice was groggy—half-asleep.

"Nova, it's me—Tony."

"Huh? Boss? Why are you calling so late?"

"The night's long, and I can't sleep. Mind if I come over for a drink?" Aetheris asked, a faint smile playing at his lips.

Money really did smooth out life. No matter the time or place, you could always find someone beautiful to comfort you.

"Of course not, boss. What would you like? I'll get it ready."

The blanket slipped off her, revealing Nova's slender waist.

"What I want… you already have. No need to prepare anything."

"You're terrible! Let me wash my face first—I'm still half-asleep."

"Make sure it smells sweet and fresh."

Aetheris ended the call and focused on driving. Light rain had begun to fall in patches, as though the sky was quietly preparing for a storm.

As the saying goes: The golden monkey brandishes his mighty staff; the skies are swept clean for ten thousand miles.

He sighed. Having a body this powerful wasn't always a blessing.

Just like Bruce Banner—The Incredible Hulk—even intimacy could become a dangerous endeavor. Living like a lonely beast was the only option.

When he arrived at Nova's apartment complex, he spotted a woman standing downstairs in her pajamas, shivering in the cold.

The sight tugged at his heart. He was happy to see her, but a trace of reprimand crept into his voice.

"Why'd you come down? What if you ran into some creep?"

"Hmph. This is a high-end place. People like that can't get in unless they live here," Nova replied, a bit sulky from the scolding.

"Still throwing a tantrum, huh?"

Aetheris reached out and gently pinched her soft cheek.

Nova puffed up her face but didn't pull away. She simply looked up at him in silence.

Feeling her smooth, tender skin under his fingers, Aetheris couldn't help squeezing a little tighter, molding her lips into a pout—then kissing her.

Only when her eyes misted with emotion did he finally let go.

"Cold?"

"A… a little."

"Then why didn't you say so?"

"I'm not cold anymore," she murmured, snuggling against the warmth of his chest. Her heart was pounding.

This overbearing man's aura made resistance impossible.

"Don't ever do something this silly again. If I say I'm coming, wait for me inside, alright?" Aetheris looked into her eyes.

She didn't know why, but an emotion long buried suddenly burst forth. Her nose stung, and tears slipped down her cheeks. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly from behind.

"It's been so long since someone cared about me like this…"

Since arriving in the U.S., Nova—fierce and independent—had done everything alone. Her family wasn't rich. She'd waited tables, delivered food, handed out flyers in the cold. She'd eaten leftovers after a long day, endured unwanted touches.

But in this foreign place, there was no one to stand up for her. Justice didn't exist. Even the American police showed blatant prejudice toward Asians.

Call them? They wouldn't even come.

She had thought of giving up of going back to her hometown. But she couldn't accept failure. She'd fought too hard, endured too long over a decade of effort. She refused to quit.

(End of Chapter)

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