"Dr. Yinsen, we had an agreement, didn't we?"
Tony Stark's gaze fell on the older man, his eyes carrying a rare seriousness.
Yinsen hesitated, torn. Nolan Lock's words echoed in his mind, striking deeper than he wanted to admit. What Nolan had told him wasn't wrong far from it. That was precisely why his heart wavered.
In Stark Industries, he wasn't sure if his skills would ever truly matter. Yes, Tony was a genius, but Stark Industries was a colossal machine, its gears grinding in ways that didn't always need someone like him.
But Lock Technologies… that was different. A company founded from the ground up by a single young man. Small, yes. New, certainly. But within that very newness lay possibility. There, Yinsen felt he might actually build something meaningful.
He looked at Tony again, who waited with uncharacteristic expectation. After a moment of silence, Yinsen sighed and spoke with quiet firmness.
"I'm sorry, Tony. Perhaps I should first take a look at Lock Technologies. But… we'll always be friends."
"...F "
The curse caught in Tony's throat. He wanted to lash out, to call Yinsen insane, ungrateful, anything. But he swallowed it back. This was Yinsen the man who had saved his life.
So instead, he forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Fine. If that's your decision, I'll respect it. But as for Nolan Lock's invitation… let's just say I'll keep my reservations."
He leaned back, feigning nonchalance.
Nolan, sitting quietly opposite them, watched the entire exchange with a smile. A smile that only deepened as Tony's pride took another hit.
"Heartache is something you can say out loud, Tony. Bottling it up won't make it hurt less."
The air thickened.
"F !"
This time, Tony couldn't hold it back. His outburst broke the silence like a crack of thunder, and for a moment, all three sat in an uneasy quiet.
Outside, the sound of gunfire and explosions faded. The skirmish was over. Soon enough, the three of them were piled into a military Humvee heading toward the nearest base.
The ride was long, and for once Tony was unusually quiet. Finally, he muttered, almost to himself, "You know… I think I've been wrong all this time."
Nolan turned his head, meeting eyes that for once looked uncertain.
"Oh? What's this? Don't tell me you're thinking about shutting down your weapons division."
Tony's head snapped toward him. "How the hell did you know?!"
Nolan smirked.
"Because I found one of your company's newest missiles in that rebel camp. Stark Industries' name stamped on the side in bold letters. I imagine that left a mark on you, didn't it?"
He leaned forward, his voice laced with mockery.
"You've always believed your weapons were built to protect the innocent. But what happens when they're used against them? This world, Tony, isn't as pure as you think."
Normally, Tony would have thrown his head back and argued, his arrogance filling every word. But not this time. Not after what he had seen, what he had lived through.
He said nothing.
Nolan shrugged.
"Honestly, I don't think you need to change. Even without your weapons, this kind of ugliness will always exist."
"It's not the same," Tony said, his voice low but firm. He shook his head, as if to clear away the lingering haze. This ordeal had changed him, scarred him, and Nolan could see it.
Nolan wasn't surprised. This was, after all, the road to Iron Man. Tony Stark had to fall before he could rise.
Nolan, however, had no interest in playing the martyr. His ambitions were simpler. Money. Power. Freedom. The fewer chains in his life, the better.
As for enemies like Thanos? If you had enough money, enough technology, they stopped being problems.
The convoy pressed on. Nolan busied himself chatting with Yinsen, drawn to the doctor's unshakable sense of sacrifice. Nolan knew he could never be that selfless but that didn't mean he couldn't admire it. Who wouldn't want someone like Yinsen by their side?
By the time they reached the military base, relief washed across every face that saw Tony Stark alive.
The next day, a jet descended onto the dusty runway. Pepper Potts rushed out, worry etched across her face.
"Tony, thank God you're safe!"
Tony, battered but unbowed, flashed his signature grin. The bruises and cuts only made him look roguishly alive.
"Of course I'm safe. I'm Tony Stark!"
Pepper all but threw herself into his arms. For a moment, the world seemed right again.
Before boarding the jet, she explained, "I've already informed the media you're alive. While you were gone, Stark Industries' stock crashed to rock bottom."
Tony chuckled. "Well, now that I'm back, that shouldn't be a problem, should it?"
Pepper smiled softly. Unreliable as he could be, Tony always had a way of making her feel safe.
Nolan, watching from the sidelines, filed away the information. The media knew. Which meant the markets would know soon, too.
Later, alone with his laptop, he checked the numbers. Just as expected Stark Industries' stock was skyrocketing.
Over the next few days, Tony stayed behind for medical treatment, while Nolan worked closely with the military to test his prototype systems. Yinsen, meanwhile, returned home to his family, promising to join Lock Technologies in New York once settled.
Tony wasn't pleased, and Nolan knew it. Which made the victory all the sweeter.
One evening, Nolan sat typing furiously on his laptop when Tony wandered over, curiosity piqued.
"Hey, what are you working on?"
"Stocks," Nolan replied casually.
Tony smirked. "You know, I've got a tip for you. Buy Stark Industries stock. My disappearance tanked the price, but now that I'm back, I can guarantee you'll make a fortune. Stick with me, even as a minor shareholder, and I'll make you rich."
Nolan chuckled, turning the screen toward him.
Tony froze. His eyes widened.
"You… you're Stark Industries' third-largest shareholder?!"
"Did you really think I came all the way out here for the desert heat?" Nolan's tone was cool, his smirk cutting. He clapped Tony on the shoulder.
"Thanks for the opportunity, employee. Keep working hard it makes me richer."
Tony's jaw tightened. He opened his mouth to argue but found no words. Nolan's smug expression said it all.
Minutes later, Nolan hit a final keystroke, and the markets shifted. He had just dumped his entire Stark Industries portfolio.
Tony's eyes nearly popped from his skull.
"Are you insane?! You just threw away a golden goose!"
But Nolan only leaned back, calm and collected.
"That golden goose already laid its egg. I've made my fortune. Thank you for letting me do so, Tony. But between your profits and mine… I think I'll take my own."
The look on Tony's face half rage, half disbelief was priceless.
Nolan closed the laptop with a snap, his smirk unshaken.
In that moment, Tony Stark realized something chilling.
The world didn't just have heroes like him. It also had men like Nolan Lock brilliant, ruthless, and utterly unapologetic.
And perhaps, that was far more dangerous.
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