Since JARVIS had been talked into a breakdown, Lance had no choice but to step out, hail a taxi himself, and head for Stark Tower.
New York taxi fares were outrageously expensive, especially compared to Gotham, where handing the driver twenty dollars meant they would happily help you ram into your pursuers.
Lance called an Uber. Throughout the ride, the driver kept sneaking glances at his cane in the rearview mirror, as if calculating how much it might fetch.
Half an hour later, he stood outside the bulletproof door of the top-floor laboratory in Stark Tower.
As he arrived, the door slid open automatically.
A smell of machine oil, scorched metal, and cheap pizza rushed out to meet him.
Tony looked like he had not slept in days, utterly disheveled, clutching a computer like a man on the verge of losing his mind.
Hearing footsteps, he spun around. "Good God, look! Look! Isn't this our great lawyer?"
Tony swept his gaze over Lance, who appeared perfectly at ease, and somehow that only made him angrier.
"What kind of nonsense were you feeding my perfectly functional AI in the car? You talked him into a breakdown! Love, trade-offs, job-hopping, what the hell was that? Are you here to fight a lawsuit or start a philosophical debate?"
"Uh, sorry?" Lance spread his hands, looking entirely innocent.
To be honest, he had not expected to leave JARVIS stuck like that. If anything, it proved the AI was genuinely thinking, which only made him want it more.
Tony looked like he had just swallowed a whole lemon.
He took three deep breaths, his chest rising and falling sharply, then suddenly barked, "Mark II!"
The laboratory ceiling slid open. A red-and-gold suit of armor shot down, assembling itself in midair in an instant. Iron Man hovered there, presenting the masterpiece he was so proud of.
If Tony wanted to show off, he had succeeded.
Because Lance's attention shifted immediately from JARVIS to Mark II.
He looked it over from top to bottom, almost in awe. "Perfect. A design ahead of its time. Pure genius."
With a click, the faceplate lifted, revealing Tony's triumphant grin.
Finally having the upper hand in something clearly improved his mood.
"Of course. Look who built it." Tony smirked. "Seems you do have some taste after all."
"Thanks for the compliment." Lance stepped closer, gesturing as if to touch the armor. In a rare display of generosity, Tony landed and extended his hand.
"Seeing it from a distance isn't the same as feeling it with my own hands." Lance looked straight into Tony's eyes through the helmet and said sincerely, "Can you give it to me?"
"..." Iron Man fell silent. With a click, the faceplate shut.
"I can trade it for my service fee," Lance added, unwilling to give up.
No response. Iron Man remained silent.
"Or something else…" Lance continued pressing.
"Shut up!"
The armor suddenly disengaged. Its components separated and flew back to the ceiling rack.
Tony stepped out, pacing back and forth across the lab, dragging his hands through his hair as he ranted.
"When someone doesn't answer, it means no! Basic social etiquette! Do I have to teach you that?! You… lawyer! Vampire! Hyena!"
"Are you a fucking bandit?!"
Lance reached up and touched his face, sounding slightly uncertain. "Thanks for the compliment?"
"No one is complimenting you!!!"
Tony was nearly furious beyond reason. It was hard to believe that much volume could come out of such a small frame.
Lance rubbed his ringing ears, calmly pulled over a chair, and sat down. He took out a notebook and a fountain pen from his briefcase.
"Glad to see you've recovered your energy." He flipped the notebook open. "Shall we discuss the details of the case?"
Tony: "?"
His anger felt like it had punched into cotton. He stalled for a moment, then took a deep breath and sat down with a huff.
"Didn't you show off your lawyer psychology last time? Why do you still need to ask me about the case? Why not just use your abilities again?"
Tony's tone dripped with sarcasm.
"Are you sure?" Lance raised an eyebrow. After getting confirmation, he spread his hands. "Alright."
He closed the notebook and leaned forward. "I hope you won't be offended."
"You even know how to spell 'offended'?"
Lance ignored him and continued.
"First, regarding your situation, Miss Potts didn't tell me much. Just the basics. In short, you were kidnapped, then you invented something extremely powerful and used it to escape."
"You've been recovering at home for about three months. Aside from seeming a bit mentally unstable, the fact that you can yell at me and throw a tantrum proves your physical condition is fine. You don't look like someone who's suffered severe trauma. I'm just a lawyer, so I don't understand your strange technology, but if it got you out of Afghanistan, it must be something extremely powerful."
"Combined with the fact that you shut down all weapons departments and publicly halted weapons manufacturing and sales at Stark Industries, it shows that what happened in Afghanistan is tied to the weapons division and had a massive impact on you."
"And then there's that fascinating piece I just saw. You called it Mark II. That's what pushed Congress and the military to come after you."
"You shut down weapons manufacturing, yet you're secretly developing something like that. Looks like you're planning something big."
When Lance finished, Tony snapped his fingers. "Looks like I really need to revise my opinion of you. All correct."
"Thanks. Just basic lawyer work," Lance replied.
"So now you understand," Tony said. "I've pissed off Congress and the military. Maybe a few other people too. Being my lawyer isn't the same as dealing with counterfeit liquor cases in New York."
Lance laughed. He leaned on his cane and stood up.
"Buddy, I know exactly what I'm walking into. In fact, if I wasn't going up against monsters like them, I wouldn't have come to you in the first place."
"The bigger the storm, the higher the price of the catch. My fee goes up with it."
He spread his hands, voice calm and sincere. "This is what lawyers chase. Fame and money. As for Congress and the military, let them come."
"I said it before. Two million dollars, and I'll make sure you keep being Tony Stark. Or a superhero. Or any other bastard you want to be. Makes no difference to me."
Lance extended his hand toward Tony.
"As long as you choose me."
The lab fell silent. Tony stared at the outstretched hand for a long moment, then laughed.
"Wow," he said, reaching out to shake it. "You really know how to talk."
"Then, happy cooperation?"
"Happy cooperation."
Tony gripped his hand firmly and shook it. "By the way, don't get any ideas about JARVIS or Mark II. That's a condition of working together."
"Deal." Lance smiled. "But I've reconsidered my fee."
Tony narrowed his eyes.
"Two and a half million," Lance said. "The extra five hundred thousand is for emotional damages. Compensation for you calling me a bandit."
Tony stared at him for three seconds, then burst out laughing.
"Fine!" He wiped at the tears from laughing. "Send the bill to Pepper. Now, counselor, let's talk about how to make those old men…"
"…shut up."