Rowan's face darkened as he caught sight of Tony's stunned expression.
"Get lost. She's my new employee."
"Employee? Really?" Tony looked doubtful.
"Heh. Tony, in some ways, her technological skills are far ahead of yours."
Rowan mocked with a half-smile.
"Impossible!" Tony flat-out refused to believe it. "This little girl? How old is she?"
"So what if I'm young? If you don't believe me, we can compare!"
Shuri had been taken aback for a moment by Tony's words, but once she heard his condescending tone, she immediately fired back in defiance.
Tony chuckled. This feisty little Black girl certainly had an attitude.
"Tony, this spaceship? She built it."
Rowan grinned as he dropped the bombshell.
"What?"
Tony's eyes widened in disbelief. He glanced at the ship, then back at Shuri.
"That's right!" Shuri lifted her chin proudly.
This craft was the culmination of Wakanda's technological advancements, completed just last year. It was her masterpiece, the pride of her work.
Unfortunately, she hadn't had it in her possession for long before Rowan took it, making it his personal battleship from then on.
"You expect me to buy that? Come on, Rowan, tell me where did you actually get this thing? It's impressive."
Tony rapped his knuckles against the ship's vibranium hull as he spoke.
Without waiting for an answer, he strode through the hatch.
The moment he stepped inside, his expression shifted part shock, part awe, part disbelief.
The interior was breathtakingly advanced. Unlike the usual cluttered cockpits of planes, with their mess of switches and buttons, this ship was sleek, seamless, and polished, dominated by smooth alloy panels and clean, minimalistic design. Every control was integrated neatly into the central console.
Seeing Tony head inside, Rowan could only follow.
Pepper Potts, curious as ever, joined them as well.
"Well? Not bad, right? My design speaks for itself!"
Watching Tony's astonished expression, Shuri couldn't hide the triumphant smile on her face.
She loved this moment of showing off.
Tony rolled his eyes, unwilling to believe for a second that Shuri had really built it.
"Rowan, stop playing games. Just tell me already where did this ship come from?"
Tony's curiosity was burning. His hunger for cutting-edge technology was even stronger than his appetite for beautiful women.
"It really was Shuri who made it," Rowan said with a shrug. "And she built it with vibranium."
The moment Rowan mentioned it, Tony froze.
He stiffly turned his head toward Rowan, disbelief etched across his face, though his eyes carried a rare seriousness.
He searched Rowan's gaze, trying to find even the slightest hint of a joke.
But to his disappointment, there was none. Rowan wasn't bluffing.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., scan this ship. Tell me what it's made of!" Tony ordered with uncharacteristic gravity.
At once, a beam of red light swept across the vessel.
"Sir, this ship is indeed constructed from vibranium," J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed.
"…"
Tony glanced around the ship in stunned silence.
At last, everything made sense. No wonder when he had tapped on the hull earlier, the metal had felt both strange and oddly familiar.
The entire thing… was vibranium.
A chill ran through him, his body slick with cold sweat.
From what he could see, even the interior was built with vibranium.
That meant the entire craft could very well be forged entirely from the rarest metal on Earth.
How much vibranium would that take?
Hundreds of tons?
Tony's heart pounded violently in his chest.
Beneath his shirt, the dark, branching veins spreading from the arc reactor pulsed more heavily.
After a long moment, he swallowed hard, his voice raspy. "Rowan, you need to tell me exactly what's going on here."
Rowan smiled faintly.
"The truth is, Wakanda possesses an entire vibranium mine."
"What?"
Tony sucked in a sharp breath.
And suddenly, it all clicked.
An entire mine then everything made perfect sense.
"Shuri is the princess of Wakanda. Their nation has always hidden away, developing technology far beyond anything the outside world has ever imagined."
"…" Tony stood in silence, letting it all sink in for several seconds.
"So… this ship really was built by you?" he asked weakly, staring at the tall, slender girl beside him. She looked no older than fifteen or sixteen.
What had he been doing at that age?
"Of course," Shuri shot back with a proud grin. "Well? Do you believe me now?"
She beamed, clearly enjoying Tony's look of awe.
For once, Tony Stark was left shaken almost humbled.
His two greatest sources of pride had always been the same: his wealth and his genius.
And here, in the space of minutes, both had been effortlessly overshadowed.
How could he not feel crushed?
"But why are you working for him?"
Tony eyed Shuri suspiciously, then shifted his gaze to Rowan.
A dangerous thought flashed across his mind. Had Rowan… married into Wakanda for access to their vibranium?
The more he considered it, the more plausible it sounded.
After all, Rowan was annoyingly handsome.
And Tony didn't buy for a second that Shuri was just some "new hire."
A princess with access to an entire vibranium mine wasn't going to care about a paycheck.
The ship alone could buy out a small nation.
"I…"
Shuri's smug smile faltered, replaced by an annoyed glare.
This guy was infuriating.
"Wakanda has realized that keeping vibranium locked away all these years was a waste," Rowan said smoothly. "So, they've chosen to stand with me, hoping to contribute to world peace. Any problem with that?"
"…"
Tony rolled his eyes.
Yeah, right. He knew Rowan was dodging the question.
Still… judging by Shuri's deference, it seemed entirely possible that Wakanda really was following his lead.
After all, Rowan had practically recruited a princess.
"Rowan, we're good friends, aren't we?" Tony said suddenly, flashing a hopeful grin as he sidled closer.
Rowan chuckled. He knew exactly where this was going.
Tony had worn this same expression when begging him for samples of advanced alloys.
"I do have vibranium. If you want some, I'll sell it to you at half market price. But… you'll have to do me a favor first."
"Half price?" Tony quickly ran the numbers. On the black market, vibranium went for about ten thousand dollars a gram. Half price meant five thousand. To upgrade his armor, a hundred kilos should suffice that would run him about five hundred million. Expensive, yes, but hardly beyond his reach. "Alright. What's the favor?"
"Do you still own any property along your coastline? I'd like to build a villa there," Rowan replied.
"A villa? On my land?"
Tony blinked, then his mind began racing.
New York had plenty of luxury estates, but most were either too remote or crowded with neighbors. With Rowan's new ship, this cliffside coastline really was perfect.
"Of course. The entire stretch is mine," Tony said with a smirk, regaining a sliver of his usual swagger.
"All of it?" Rowan raised a brow.
That cliffside alone stretched seven or eight kilometers. And Tony had bought it all? No wonder there weren't any neighbors in sight.
"Then help me put up the villa. I just need the framework built within two weeks. Don't bother with walls or interior decoration."
"No problem," Tony said easily.
American construction might be slow for the average person, but with enough money thrown around, a luxury seaside villa's framework could definitely rise in two weeks.
Then, mid-thought, he froze. His mouth twitched.
"Wait… you're not planning on using vibranium for the walls and interior, are you?"
Rowan shot him a sidelong glance.
"You'll see."
He didn't answer directly, but yes he was planning to reinforce the structure with vibranium and exotic alloys. A fortress disguised as a home.
He had no intention of ending up like Tony in Iron Man 2, whose beautiful cliffside mansion had been blown to rubble by a few missiles.
If there was one lesson Rowan took from Swallowed Star, it was this: a true fortress could mean the difference between safety and ruin for loved ones.
…
Later, inside Tony's villa, Pepper discreetly pulled Rowan aside.
"Rowan, could you please talk to him? Tony's been so reckless lately. I hardly recognize him anymore."
Rowan paused, thoughtful.
He had noticed it too. Tony's steps were lighter, less steady than usual.
He already had a suspicion: palladium poisoning.
Tony likely believed his days were numbered, which explained his growing self-destructive streak.
"Pepper, when a man's personality suddenly changes like this, there's usually a deeper reason. Have you thought about what might be driving him?" Rowan asked gently.
"A deeper reason?" Pepper frowned, thinking.
"I'll give you a hint. For men, three things can break their spirit: failure in their career, heartbreak, or serious illness."
Pepper shook her head at the first two. Stark Industries' stock had rebounded strongly, thanks to Tony's rise as Iron Man. And as for romance… she was right here with him.
Then her expression froze. That left only one possibility.
Illness.
Her face drained of color.
Everything clicked into place. Tony's pale complexion. His constant vegetable juice. His sudden recklessness.
She snapped her head up, staring at Rowan.
He knew something. He had to.
"Rowan, please. Tell me what's wrong with him!" Pepper pleaded, guilt weighing heavy on her. She'd spent weeks arguing with Tony, too blind to see that his body might be failing him.
"Relax. He's not at death's door just yet. Help is on the way soon. Don't worry too much," Rowan reassured her.
Then he added meaningfully, "But Pepper… when a man's at his lowest, he needs comfort. From the right person. I think you understand what I mean."
Pepper's cheeks flushed as the words sank in.
Rowan hoped she did. He'd had enough of watching the two dance around their feelings.
If Pepper stepped up now, Tony would finally settle down and learn to shoulder real responsibility.
…
After finalizing the villa plans with Tony, Rowan borrowed one of his sleek Audis and headed to his company.
"Sharon, this is Shuri. Set her up with a managerial position."
Rowan brought Shuri to the company and called for Sharon.
"Supervisor?" Sharon's eyes widened as she looked at Shuri. The girl couldn't have been more than a teenager. Still, she knew Rowan never made arrangements without reason. "Understood, boss."
"Then arrange a few trucks and go with Shuri to Tony's villa to collect some equipment. She'll be in charge of everything. Your job is simply to cooperate."
"Got it." Sharon carefully noted down every instruction.
Shuri stood to the side, her small fists clenched, eyes shining with excitement.
Everything she had seen on the way here filled her with curiosity. It was all so new, so fascinating.
And now, for the first time, she would have complete control over her own laboratory. She could finally study whatever she wanted, without her father, mother, or brother restricting her.
As Sharon left to make preparations, Shuri was about to follow her to the ship to start moving equipment when Rowan stopped her.
"Don't think that just because you've stepped out of Wakanda you can do whatever you like. Remember, don't cause me trouble. If you mess up, I'll lock you in a little dark room for ten days, maybe half a month. Understood?"
Rowan fixed his gaze on her, his tone carrying clear warning.
"I… I understand…"
Shuri lowered her head and shifted uncomfortably. She could tell he didn't intend to harm her, but his presence still intimidated her.
"Also, I'm assigning you a research project. Since you're here to work, you'll need proper tasks."
Rowan tapped his fingers against the desk as he spoke.
"A research project? Fine…"
Shuri pouted, her excitement dimming. She had thought she'd be free to explore her own ideas. Apparently, there were still assignments.
Rowan ignored her reluctance. At this stage, Shuri's scientific talent already surpassed Tony's he had no intention of letting it go to waste.
"I need you to create a synthetic version of the Heart-Shaped Herb."
Rowan stated it plainly.
"What?"
Shuri's head shot up, her expression filled with disbelief. But in that shock was also a spark of excitement almost giddy delight.
A man-made Heart-Shaped Herb?
Was that even possible for her to study?
She had never dared to imagine it before. It felt outrageous, dangerous, even heretical yet thrilling all the same.
"Well? Can you do it?" Rowan asked.
Shuri hesitated for just a moment. The Heart-Shaped Herb was Wakanda's sacred legacy, something never meant to be tampered with.
But Wakanda had already surrendered. Her father's authority no longer mattered Rowan was the one in charge now.
Which meant…
"No problem!" Shuri's eyes lit up.
The truth was, she had always been fascinated by the Heart-Shaped Herb. Her father simply forbade her from studying it.
"Excellent." Rowan nodded in satisfaction.
He had no doubt she could succeed. After all, in the future she would manage to synthesize the herb herself and become the Black Panther.
Once Shuri left, Rowan locked his office door and shifted into the world of Swallowed Star.
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