Malrick didn't know what was going through Tony's head.
He glanced at the Arc Reactor in Tony's chest and shook his head.
"You can't beat him."
Based on Wenwu's performance in the movie, it would take a late-stage Tony Stark—fully equipped with his most advanced suits—to have a chance against him. But Tony, still using a palladium-based Arc Reactor?
No chance. He was too weak.
"You haven't even seen fight, and you're saying I can't beat him?"
Tony glared at him. "What makes you think you know him so well?"
Malrick picked up the two bodies on the floor and started walking out.
"I know enough."
"The Ten Rings is an organization that's been around for over a thousand years, nad after the mystical weapons their leader wields—ten rings that grant superhuman strength and prolonged life."
"Legend says they also possess so kind of dinsional energy."
"Wenwu got those rings a thousand years ago, and he's still alive. How exactly do you plan to beat soone like that?"
In the MCU, the Ten Rings have the sa na as in the comics, but their powers are completely different.
The comic versions were thought-based energy weapons that absorbed and stored kinetic force. In the movies, the rings' abilities vary depending on who uses them.
Later, the comics even claid the Ten Rings were once divine weapons from a higher power—potentially as powerful as the Infinity Stones.
As for their origin in the movie? Malrick didn't know. Both users showcased strength that didn't even co close to city-level destruction—far below comic expectations.
Still, even that was more than Tony could handle right now.
"A thousand years old? Dinsional energy?"
Tony raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you're pitching a sci-fi script."
Malrick's expression made it clear he wasn't joking.
"Alright, fine," Tony muttered. "Thanks, Professor Malrick."
He suited up and began helping Malrick with the bodies.
"A thousand-year-old hitman cult... That's new."
"But if they're coming for , I'll go straight at them."
Malrick dumped a body onto the lawn. "And how do you plan on handling that?"
"With that poison reactor in your chest?"
He turned and headed back into the house for more corpses.
Tony followed him. "Co on, let try. If I fail, you step in. With soone like you around, I'll be fine, right?"
He hesitated, then asked, "Wait… You know palladium's toxic?"
Malrick hoisted two more bodies without breaking stride.
"I took chemistry in high school, thanks."
He paused at the door.
"If you're serious about fighting him, upgrade your armor—and patch the hole in your chest."
"And one more thing: why are you still using the reactor when there's no more shrapnel threatening your heart? Are you showing off at the risk of your life?"
Tony coughed awkwardly. "There are… complicated reasons."
Malrick gave him a look. "That guilty face says it all. Don't tell you forgot about the palladium poisoning."
"Forgot? No way! I'm… conducting an experint!"
Tony's voice cracked. "A toxicology study!"
Malrick put a hand to his forehead. "You're hopeless."
"I thought maybe you had a plan or sothing."
"Didn't expect you were just being reckless again."
A week ago, Tony still wore the Arc Reactor like a badge of honor. It wasn't until last weekend, when he stumbled out of the lab feeling sick, that he finally patched the hole in his chest.
"Ancient history!" Tony shouted, throwing another body down.
"Let's focus on upgrading the armor now."
He tried to put a hand on Malrick's shoulder, but Malrick dodged it.
Clapping his hands to save face, Tony said, "Since you don't think I can beat Wenwu, how about helping develop new tech?"
"Give a month—us, working together—we'll make history!"
"You wouldn't let your brother get beat up by so ancient warlord, would you?"
Malrick raised a brow. "Tempting. I've been waiting for soone to put you in your place."
Then he shook his head.
"Not happening. I've got plans. Heading to space soon, actually."
"But I did find sothing when I scanned through my father's old files at S.H.I.E.L.D. using my enhanced vision."
"He left behind a new elent, perfect for your Arc Reactor."
"The clue's hidden in the Stark Expo model. You should take a look."
Malrick decided to give Tony a head start this ti.
anwhile, he stacked the rest of the bodies and disintegrated them with a controlled heat ray. Then he blew the ashes away from the villa with a sharp breath.
"Wait—Dad created a new elent?" Tony removed his helt, stunned. "You're serious?"
"As serious as it gets. Consider it his last gift to you."
Malrick patted Tony on the arm and headed back inside.
"You can ask Nick Fury for the files. Everything your father wanted to tell you is in there."
Malrick had originally planned to head straight to the Ten Rings base and take Wenwu out himself, but since Tony wanted a shot, he'd let him try first.
If Tony failed, Malrick could always step in.
After all, this was Tony's personal fight.
Tony stood there for several minutes, dazed. He hadn't expected anything like this from Howard after all these years.
Eventually, he went back inside and found Malrick.
"So you're letting do it? I'll handle the Ten Rings myself."
"It's up to you," Malrick said. "But don't co crying to when you lose."
Tony grinned. "I knew you'd agree! That's why you're my brother."
He didn't take the sarcasm to heart.
Help? Who needs help?
Tony Stark would never ask for help—not even if he fell off the cliff behind his house.
He said it. That made it law.
Malrick sighed.
Tony was spoiled rotten. Maybe next ti, he'd grab a different version of him from the multiverse. (Just kidding... probably.)
"You're way too excited for soone who's definitely going to lose."
"Lose?" Tony scoffed. "With the new elent, everything changes!"
"That's wishful thinking," Malrick replied. "The Mark III with a new core still isn't enough. And the hole in your chest is a massive weakness."
"Unless you find a way to heal it. But that tech doesn't exist on Earth..."
He paused.
Or does it?
There was no such advanced dical science on Earth—but elsewhere in the universe?
Malrick's eyes narrowed with sudden interest.
He'd been planning to travel between worlds. Maybe it was ti.
For a first trip, he needed a low-power world, one where he could boost his strength, and maybe even find a cure for Tony's condition.
Why not kill two birds with one stone?
Malrick began calculating.
He'd studied his world-hopping ability. As long as he input the right keywords, the ability would estimate the energy cost for traveling to a matching universe.
It was like a dumbed-down search engine—enter keywords like "advanced dicine" or "low power level," and it would show the cost to jump into that world.
Once Malrick selected a destination and confird, the power would activate and transport him there.
One problem though—
The "engine" didn't recognize movie or show titles from his past life.
He could only search by vague phrases like "advanced healing tech" or "low-tier world."
---
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