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Back at Stark Tower
"You know, I think that went well," Tony mused as he poured himself a glass of whiskey.
Seph, standing by the window with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, if by 'well' you mean you pissed off the entire military-industrial complex."
Tony shrugged. "They'll get over it."
But Seph wasn't amused. His eyes darkened as he turned to fully face Tony.
"You're sick."
Tony froze. His glass of whiskey hovered mid-air, but he quickly recovered, taking a sip and pretending to be unbothered.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony said lightly.
Seph narrowed his eyes. "Cut the act, Stark. You're dying."
Tony's grip on his glass tightened.
Seph took a step closer. "Palladium poisoning. The reactor that's keeping you alive is also killing you."
For the first time that night, Tony dropped his playful facade. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.
"Yeah… so what?" He finally said. "I know. I've known for a while."
Seph's fist clenched. "And you weren't going to tell anyone?"
Tony laughed dryly. "Tell them what? 'Hey guys, Tony Stark here. The genius billionaire playboy philanthropist is dying, so get your autographs while you can?'"
He shook his head. "Not exactly the news of the century."
Seph stared at him. "You're an idiot."
Tony smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "That's not new information."
Seph sighed. "Listen, I'm not here to give you some emotional speech. But if you think I'm just going to stand by and watch you kill yourself, you're dead wrong."
Tony looked at him warily. "And what exactly do you suggest? You got some miracle cure hidden in that pretty little brain of yours?"
Seph smirked. "Not a cure. But maybe a new element."
Tony stared. "What?"
Seph turned toward the lab. "Your father left behind a legacy, Stark. He was working on something… something big. You just haven't figured it out yet."
Tony frowned, following him. "What are you talking about?"
Seph smiled mysteriously. He walked out of the lab and grabbed a giant model from thin air before returning back to the lab and tossing it toward him.
"Your arc reactor is outdated. Palladium is killing you. But what if there was something else? Something cleaner, stronger?"
Tony's eyes scanned the giant model, his brain already firing on all cylinders. "This… this is insane. Where did you get this?"
"At your company. I was just looking around and found this." Seph smirked. "And you're welcome."
Tony looked up at him. "And what if I don't find it?"
Seph's gaze hardened. "Then I will."
----
The blue glow of holograms filled the room, illuminating Tony Stark's face as he scrolled through various equations and diagrams floating midair.
Seph leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching Tony with a look of mild amusement.
"Alright, genius," Tony said, rubbing his temple. "You keep dropping hints like breadcrumbs. If you know something about this new element, why not just tell me directly instead of playing 4D chess with my brain?"
Seph chuckled. "Because, Stark, if I just hand you the answer, you won't appreciate it. You need to reach the conclusion yourself."
Tony shot him a look. "You sound like a cryptic old wizard. Next thing, you'll tell me the answer was inside me all along."
"No, the answer's in your father's research. You just haven't realized it yet," Seph countered.
Tony groaned. "Ugh, fine. Keep your secrets, Gandalf. I'll figure it out."
At that moment, the door opened, and Pepper Potts stepped in, holding a tablet in one hand and a determined look on her face.
"Tony, we need to discuss the upcoming shareholders' meeting. The board is getting restless, and—"
Tony held up a hand, cutting her off. "No need, Pep. Already handled it."
Pepper blinked. "What do you mean by 'handled it'?"
A grin spread across Tony's face as he stepped forward, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Congratulations, Ms. Potts, you're now the new CEO of Stark Industries."
Seph froze mid-sip of his coffee. "Excuse me?"
Pepper's eyes widened. "Tony… what?"
Tony stepped back, arms spread. "Look, I've got enough on my plate. The Iron Man thing, the Expo, and, oh yeah, keeping the world safe. The company deserves someone who actually cares about running it, and there's no one I trust more than you. You've been managing my life for ten years. Running a multi-billion-dollar company should be a piece of cake in comparison."
Pepper opened her mouth, then closed it. Seph pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This isn't one of your jokes, is it?" Seph asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tony shook his head. "Nope. Dead serious."
Pepper took a deep breath. "Tony, this is… a huge responsibility."
"I know," Tony said softly. "That's why I know you're the best person for the job."
For a long moment, Pepper looked at him, then at Seph, who simply shrugged.
Finally, she squared her shoulders and nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."
Tony smirked. "That's my girl."
As Pepper turned to leave, Seph chuckled. "You just did this so she'd stop yelling at you about company stuff, didn't you?"
Tony winked. "A magician never reveals his tricks."
Seph chuckled and returned back to playing around, keeping an eye on Tony.
----
The next morning, Tony stood inside a boxing ring, bouncing lightly on his feet.
Seph and Happy stood outside the ropes, watching with mild amusement.
"Alright, Stark, let's see what you've got," Seph said, rolling his shoulders as he stepped into the ring.
Tony threw a few jabs into the air. "I've been watching Bruce Lee videos all night. I think I'm ready."
Happy snorted. "You're gonna get knocked on your ass."
Tony ignored him.
He lunged forward with a punch, but Seph sidestepped effortlessly, gripping Tony's wrist and flipping him over in one fluid motion.
Tony landed with a grunt.
"Ow," He muttered. "That wasn't very nice."
Seph smirked. "I told you, Stark. If you're going to fight in that suit, you need to be just as dangerous outside of it."
Tony got back up, shaking out his arms. "Alright, round two."
This time, Seph let Tony come at him with a flurry of punches. He dodged, weaving effortlessly between the strikes before stepping in and trapping Tony's arm in a joint lock.
"Pressure points, leverage, speed," Seph said calmly. "That's how you win close combat."
Tony tapped out. "Alright, alright, I get it. You're a ninja."
"Not just any ninja. The best ninja." Seph released him and stepped back. "Again."
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The titles of the next three chapters! (🔥Spoiler🔥)
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Chapter 91: A Mysterious Spy
Chapter 92: The Trickster
Chapter 93: A Spy's Frustration
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