When Tony opened the first box, Smith wasn't surprised at all—it was the cave version of the Arc Reactor, the very one that had saved Tony's life. But the second box piqued Smith's curiosity, since it hadn't appeared in the original story.
Tony picked up the Arc Reactor and set it aside, then moved on to the second box.
Inside was another container, and nestled inside that was a perfectly round, baseball-sized stone. A line underneath read:
"They say no man can resist a naturally smooth, round stone."
Tony held it in his palm—it really was incredibly round.
Though the gift wasn't expensive, Tony appreciated the thought behind it. It was completely natural, unpolished by human hands.
Smith Doyle, standing nearby, froze for a moment. That stone… if his senses weren't off, that was a Dragon Ball.
Even though it had taken on a stone-like form and couldn't be precisely located, he recognized it instantly. He couldn't believe Pepper Potts had gotten her hands on one—pure luck.
Smith grinned and teased:
"Lucky guy. That's a rare gift, all right."
Tony placed the stone back in its box and set it on the table, smirking as he said:
"No way—don't tell me you've never received something like this?"
Smith pursed his lips. Honestly, he hadn't. Not even a perfectly straight twig.
Tony walked back to his computer and sat down.
"I need to tweak some data and improve the Mark II."
"JARVIS, make a note—the main sensor cuts out above 40,000 feet. The booster system's got issues too, probably due to freezing."
JARVIS quipped:
"Sir, your instincts are sharp. If you're planning to fly to another planet, perhaps we should reinforce the exhaust system too."
Smith raised an eyebrow and added:
"Who knows? Maybe one day we will fly to other planets. It's a solid idea."
Tony chuckled and kept going:
"Get in touch with C.I.S.—tell them I want to upgrade the armor using seraphim satellite-grade titanium-gold alloy. It'll improve both power-to-weight ratio and durability."
"Got that?"
"Understood," JARVIS replied.
Tony grabbed a bottle of chlorophyll juice and took a sip. Smith frowned slightly—was Tony already using chlorophyll to counteract palladium poisoning?
He asked:
"Tony… has it already gotten that bad?"
Tony looked confused.
"What?"
Smith gestured toward the chlorophyll drink.
"Chlorophyll. If I remember right, it's used to counter palladium poisoning."
Tony glanced at the Arc Reactor in his chest and waved dismissively.
"It's not that serious. Just a little poisoning. The sooner I flush it, the faster I recover."
"I'm confident I'll find a replacement element soon. This is just temporary."
To Tony, palladium poisoning wasn't urgent. He believed that with a bit of focus, he could find a new element. Before becoming Iron Man, the current radiation level wouldn't have been fatal—he had time.
Smith, however, knew that in a little over a year, the palladium would become a serious, possibly fatal issue. Still, it wasn't the right time to press the issue. He'd make sure to tell Tony about the new element before S.H.I.E.L.D. stepped in. That would be a favor Tony wouldn't forget.
Just then, JARVIS spoke up:
"Would you like to see the concept render, sir?"
Tony grinned.
"Let's have a look."
At that moment, the lab's TV flicked on with a news broadcast.
"The red carpet is out at Disney Concert Hall tonight—it's a dazzling, star-studded event."
"The third annual charity gala for firefighter families, hosted by Tony Stark, is being held in full swing."
Tony tilted his head and asked:
"JARVIS, did we get an invite?"
"No record of an invitation, sir."
The reporter continued:
"L.A.'s elite are gathered under one roof tonight."
"The event's sponsor disappeared from the public eye after a controversial press conference."
Tony toyed with the Mark II faceplate while watching footage of himself from that very press conference, falling silent.
"Some say he's been bedridden for weeks with post-concussion syndrome."
"What's really going on? We may never know."
"One thing's for sure—you won't be seeing him at tonight's event."
Hearing the news anchor spin wild stories about him, Tony ripped off the faceplate with a scowl.
"A gala without the guest of honor? That's just wrong."
"Smith, how about we crash this party?"
Smith thought for a second, then nodded.
"They got food?"
"I'm starving."
Since fusing with Saiyan DNA, Smith's appetite had grown exponentially—easily 40–50 times what it used to be. John Wick once asked if eating that much was the only way he could power up.
Tony laughed.
"It's a gala—there'll be food and drinks, no doubt."
Smith gave an "OK" hand gesture. He was in.
"Rendering complete," JARVIS announced.
Looking at the golden armor on the screen, Tony said:
"That color's a bit much."
Smith glanced at it and teased:
"Whoa, gold overload. Tony, this fits your 'humble billionaire' vibe perfectly."
JARVIS tried to cover for it:
"Apologies, sir. I momentarily forgot your usual subtle taste."
Tony looked over at his red-black-gold sports car and reconsidered.
"Alright, throw in some red. Match the car."
"Perfectly aligned with your understated persona," JARVIS replied.
Watching the witty exchange with JARVIS, Smith couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy. But then he thought of Bulma and smiled inwardly—she'll build one for me too.
Meanwhile, somewhere far away in the Assassin's League lab, Bulma suddenly sneezed. Cold… or something else?
Tony refilled his chlorophyll and watched the recolored Mark armor.
"I like it! Let's paint it up."
"Beginning automatic assembly. Estimated completion in 5 hours."
Tony checked his watch, then smiled.
"Don't wait up, sweetheart."
He and Smith hopped into his Audi R8 and drove off toward the gala.
—End of chapter—
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