Tony snapped out of his daze at once.
Close call. He had almost been swayed by that uncanny kid.
Shiratori Riku suddenly appeared beside him and handed over a glass of liquor, making Tony jump.
"When did you get here?"
"Not important. I should remind you, death is getting close."
Riku pointed at the arc reactor on Tony's chest.
Tony instinctively touched it.
"Right. I have tried the periodic table end to end and still cannot find a better element."
"Of course, your custom element is not on it."
Riku chuckled.
"Knowing your pride, you would not want my new reactor anyway."
"Tell you what. Since you called me big brother, here is a small hint."
"You have a brand-new element of your own. You just never noticed it."
Tony's eyes lit up.
"What? Are you serious? If that exists, I..."
"The answer is in the expo model your father left behind."
Riku did not tease him and simply named it.
Tony jerked his head up, shock flickering in his eyes.
"How do you know..."
"I told you, the longer you spend with me, the more you will feel the gap between man and god."
Riku smiled, clapped him on the shoulder.
"Go check that model and see if it matches what I said."
"When you save yourself, do not forget to thank your big brother."
With that, he ignored Tony and snapped him away with a spatial jump.
Tony's vision wavered. The next second he was back in his office at Stark Tower.
He stared at the familiar room, pupils narrowing.
"JARVIS..."
"Yes, sir. You are correct. You are now in Tony Stark's private office at Stark Tower."
"As for your instantaneous return, the likeliest inference is spatial technology."
Riku's earlier words rose in Tony's mind.
"The distance between mortal and god."
After two and a half minutes of silence, a spark flared in his eyes.
Mortal and god? Interesting.
It was the first time in years he had met someone who crushed him in pure research.
Yet the yawning gap did not crush his spirit. He felt more alive than ever.
A brain that sharp had finally found a rival who might match or even surpass him.
It felt like meeting a real opponent after too long at the top.
It felt fantastic.
After a while he steadied himself and turned to the model.
Whatever contests lay ahead with Riku, staying alive came first.
"JARVIS, pull every file on the 1974 Stark Expo."
"Ready, sir," the AI replied. "Shall I contact Ms. Potts?"
Tony shook his head, excitement he had not shown in ages playing across his face.
"No. Prep the car. I am going to the warehouse."
While Tony sped off, S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters went on alert.
The legendary top agent, the black-egg mother-of-all-cuss-words himself, Nick Fury, watched Tony's movements and the massive energy in the footage.
"Find the source," Fury told Black Widow on the screen. "Before anyone else."
In a shadowed conference room, Alexander Pierce watched the same feed.
"Suspend the Winter Soldier program for now," he ordered over the phone. "Priority one is to locate that energy source."
Sitting in Kingpin's boss chair, Riku caught both Hydra's and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s directives with ease through Wiretap Storm.
He did not care. If they could find him, that would be skill. He would not mind playing with them.
If they could not, then sorry, they did not even qualify to sit at the table as his toys.
With the Tony matter tidied up, Riku set out to enjoy himself.
In his past life he had been an ordinary office worker. Now it was time to play.
A small goal first, enjoy New York for a day.
Time slipped to the next day. The lights in Stark Industries' lab had been on for twenty-eight hours straight.
Tony stood at the bench, the dark smudges under his eyes proof he had not rested.
"Sir, you have been working over twenty-eight hours," JARVIS reminded him. "Ms. Potts has issued her tenth warning."
Tony knocked back an espresso.
"Tell her I will talk after I finish this piece of art."
He ran a hand over the surface of a new suit.
"How are the alloy tests?"
"Defensive performance exceeds all prior suits you designed."
Tony nodded, satisfied.
He disliked Riku's acid tongue, but he had to admit the guy understood him and had saved his life.
So he would build a suit for Riku as thanks.
Of course, there was a sliver of showmanship mixed in.
See? One day's work and I made a beast of a suit. I am not worse than you.
He stepped back to admire his creation.
"Black suits that guy's vibe. The same mystery, the same darkness."
"Speaking ill behind someone's back is not a good habit, sir."
"And are you sure Mr. Riku will like a suit you give him?"
"No no no, JARVIS, you do not get it. Power armor is a man's romance. He will love it."
"Otherwise he would not have copied the Mark V schematics when he hacked you."
Tony's voice brimmed with confidence.