After returning Tony Stark and Yinsen to the Malibu estate, Carl quietly disappeared.
Tony and Yinsen stood for a long mont in silence, staring at the spot where Carl had vanished.
Neither of them spoke, until Tony finally broke the silence.
『Tony Stark』: "…So… our Superman just left like that?"
『Yinsen』: "Seems like it," he said, though his voice carried uncertainty.
"After all… he brought us all the way here in just a few seconds."
『Tony Stark』: "Right… okay, then."
Tony shrugged, then led Yinsen inside the sprawling seaside villa.
As they crossed the threshold, an elegant voice greeted them.
"Welco ho, sir."
It was Jarvis.
『Tony Stark』: "Jarvis, order five cheeseburgers."
"Right away, sir."
He looked at Yinsen.
『Tony Stark』: "Dr. Yinsen, anything you want?"
『Yinsen』: "Burgers sound great."
『Tony Stark』: "Got it. Jarvis, make that six. Add one more with extra cheese."
"Confird, sir."
『Tony Stark』: "Make yourself comfortable. I'm gonna go clean up."
With that, he disappeared into the bathroom.
He needed a long, hot shower.
He'd been trapped in a cave for weeks, filthy, grimy, exhausted.
And Tony Stark, billionaire inventor and global celebrity, had standards.
He couldn't face the press looking like he'd just crawled out of a grave in Afghanistan.
Especially since... he had plans.
anwhile, the internet exploded.
Tony Stark, missing for weeks, had been found.
The first report ca from an unlikely source: a delivery guy.
The young man had been making a routine drop-off near Malibu Beach when he spotted soone very familiar.
Tony Stark.
At first, no one believed him.
Tony Stark had been declared missing for too long.
A few people thought it was just a viral marketing stunt for a burger chain.
Others figured the delivery guy was chasing clout.
But then,
Stark Industries released an official statent.
"Tony Stark, Chairman and CEO of Stark Industries, has returned.
A press conference will be held in two hours."
The country was stunned.
The world buzzed with a single question:
Where had he been?
And just as importantly,
How did he get back?
Carl saw the headlines and casually opened his stock app.
As expected,
Stark Industries stock was surging.
After weeks of decline, the shares were finally climbing again.
It hadn't returned to its original levels yet, but the trend was strong.
Carl had funds ready to invest.
But he wasn't in a rush.
Because he knew sothing the world didn't:
The stock was about to fall again.
Why?
Because in a few hours, Tony Stark was going to make an announcent that would rock the entire market,
He would shut down Stark Industries' weapons division.
At S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters,
Nick Fury sat in his office, a press release in hand.
『Nick Fury』: "He actually ca back…"
He muttered to himself.
『Nick Fury』: "All this ti, and none of our people, nobody, found him."
『Nick Fury』: "And now he just walks out of the desert like it's nothing…"
He stared in silence for a beat.
Then flicked his wrist.
"Get Coulson."
Monts later, Agent Phil Coulson entered the room.
Polite and composed, as always.
『Phil Coulson』: "Director."
『Nick Fury』: "You saw the announcent?"
『Phil Coulson』: "Yes. I was just preparing to attend the press conference."
『Nick Fury』: "Good."
He nodded.
『Nick Fury』: "Find out what happened. Where he was. Who had him. And how the hell he escaped."
『Phil Coulson』: "Understood."
It wasn't just ordinary people who were curious.
Every major U.S. agency, FBI, CIA, S.H.I.E.L.D., they were all desperate for answers.
They'd poured resources into the search for Tony Stark.
And now that he'd co back alive?
They wanted everything.
At the press room, Tony Stark sat casually on the floor, legs crossed.
『Tony Stark』: "Everyone, take a seat, would you?"
『Tony Stark』: "That way you can see , and I can relax a bit."
His tone was light.
But his eyes held a weight they hadn't seen before.
Then he said it.
Calmly. Clearly.
『Tony Stark』: "Stark Industries will be shutting down its weapons division, effective imdiately."
The room exploded.
Reporters shouted over one another.
Caras flashed wildly.
Microphones thrust forward from every direction.
It was chaos.
Stark Industries' most profitable division, gone.
Back ho, Carl watched the livestream, a faint smile on his face.
He refreshed his stock tracker.
Just as he predicted,
The stock was crashing again.
Earlier, it had spiked with the news of Tony's return.
But now, with the weapons division closed…
It was in free fall.
Beside him, Isabella's eyes were glued to the screen.
『Isabella』: "Tony Stark actually ca back?"
Then she turned to Carl, eyebrows raised.
『Isabella』: "Why do you look so happy?"
She knew Carl held a massive amount of Stark Industries stock.
Even without being a businesswoman, she could understand:
Losing the weapons division was a disaster.
『Isabella』: "You're smiling… aren't you about to lose a lot of money?"
Carl turned to her, still smiling faintly.
『Carl』: "On the contrary… Tony just helped make even more."
『Isabella』: "…If you say so."
She didn't buy it.
She figured he was just trying to save face.
After all, Stark Industries made most of its money from weapons.
They were Arica's top military supplier.
With that gone?
Of course he'd lose money.
She said nothing more, assuming he was bluffing.
What she didn't realize was,
Carl was telling the truth.
He already had a plan.
He'd wait until the stock hit rock bottom.
And then,
Right before Tony revealed the painted Mark III suit and officially beca Iron Man…
He would buy in.
Because once the world found out that Tony Stark was Iron Man,
The stock would go nuclear.
End of chapter...
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