As Qin Xiao and Tony left the ward, Ivan Vanko's furious curses, a mixture of Russian and English, echoed from within.
The police officers outside, mistaking Qin Xiao and Tony for having mistreated the prisoner, looked tense and watchful.
What truly tormented Ivan Vanko wasn't Tony's survival of the palladium poisoning, but the moment Tony revealed his new Arc Reactor and explained its origins.
For Ivan, this meant his father had truly lost to Howard Stark—a truth he found unbearable.
In reality, those who are driven out of a project always believe they were the true heroes and portray their rivals as utterly incompetent, regardless of their actual contributions.
From childhood, Ivan Vanko had viewed Howard Stark as nothing more than a glory-seeking businessman, not a true scientist. He believed all of Howard's achievements stemmed from his father and other scientists.
So when he learned that Tony Stark's father had invented a new element decades earlier, dramatically improving the Arc Reactor's power—a feat that could only be realized with modern technology—
Qin Xiao found it difficult to accept.
"Tony, this guy is now a living Arc Reactor. Countless people are watching him. The stick in your hands is about to be taken by someone else," Qin Xiao said to Tony as they left the hospital.
These words had been difficult for Qin Xiao to utter, requiring a significant internal struggle.
From the beginning, Qin Xiao had believed his greatest advantage was his omniscient and omnipotent nature.
Even though he had seen the Loki trailer before his transmigration and knew about the Time Variance Authority's existence, he had always trusted that having a system would keep him hidden from them.
But the Ancient One's words had changed his perspective.
He still had no intention of altering the plot, but he refused to follow it blindly.
He would let his heart guide him. Since the butterfly effect had already been set in motion, he would flutter his wings naturally and freely.
So when Ivan Vanko was left in the hospital, Qin Xiao knew that if the original plot were to unfold as expected, Justin Hammer would still rescue him.
Qin Xiao certainly didn't mind one last fight, but he chose to stand by his friend, giving Tony a subtle warning. After all, Ivan Vanko's primary target was Tony Stark.
"Should we notify Nick Fury and let him handle it?" Tony asked tentatively after a long pause, standing with Qin Xiao at the hospital entrance by the sea.
"To be honest, I absolutely trust Nick Fury when it comes to protecting the world. But don't forget, Tony, he's backed by the World Security Council. That group is packed with politicians from various governments, and you know how desperately the U.S. government wants your armor."
They had discussed this issue during their first trip to the Middle East, back when they first considered forming a secret organization independent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. The idea was to tackle problems that were being obstructed in certain regions—to protect the world more freely on a larger scale, or to deal with smaller issues.
Their previous actions, such as the Ten Rings Gang operation in the Middle East and Qin Xiao's solo mission to eradicate the drug lord in Mexico, were all examples of what this organization would handle.
Of course, Qin Xiao's primary motivation that time was Tony's money.
"I've even thought of a name and created a mobile app!"
Tony opened his phone's home screen, and there it was: an app called the Illuminati. *I wonder when Marvel will ever follow up on this Iron Man 2 Easter egg? Since Iron Man's dead, I'll fill it in myself. The members will definitely be different from the comics, though—this is the MCU, after all.*
"Oh?"
Qin Xiao looked at Tony's phone with genuine interest.
"It's not fully developed yet. It's basically a chat and task-sharing app. Discover a crisis, upload a mission, and have nearby agents resolve it. The main purpose is secure communication, of course!"
Before going to the Middle East, Qin Xiao had planted a seed for the future independent Avengers.
But after witnessing the massacre there, his thinking shifted slightly. He truly believed that some organizations and individuals should be dealt with through extreme measures.
After meeting with the Ancient One, Qin Xiao's mind was filled with even more thoughts.
But none of that mattered now. The important thing was that Tony and he had reached an agreement.
"Now I can fill in Ivan Vanko's name," Tony said, opening an app on his phone.
"You can just cross out his name. He probably won't see tomorrow!" Qin Xiao said, glancing at the hospital across the street.
"Boom!"
No sooner had he spoken than a massive explosion rocked the hospital opposite.
The blast not only severed the multi-story building in half at its waist but also sent a shockwave that swept through the entire street.
Qin Xiao reacted instantly, spinning around to shield Tony. He blocked a torrent of rebar, concrete, and other debris that would have been fatal to ordinary people.
Though they blocked the flying debris, the shockwave still sent both men flying into the sea.
*Gasp!*
Qin Xiao pulled Tony with him as they surfaced, sputtering seawater.
The entire hospital had been blown apart by the bomb, collapsing sideways and smashing into an adjacent building.
The streets were choked with dust, car alarms blared, and cries for help echoed from the rubble.
"Save the people first!"
Tony cast a complex glance at the hospital. The highly responsible Iron Man once again blamed himself for everything.
Qin Xiao glanced at him without a word and swam to the car they had arrived in, which was slowly sinking. He punched a hole in the trunk and ripped out Tony's Mark 5 armor.
With Tony's armor's scanning capabilities and Qin Xiao's superhuman strength, the two worked with arriving government rescue teams to pull everyone trapped beneath the rubble to safety.
"Light injuries don't count. Fifty-two critically injured, thirty-seven dead. Among them, a pregnant woman and five children. One person is missing!"
Tony's face was grim as he reported the numbers to Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao's expression was equally grim. In the news, such incidents were just numbers.
But seeing the dead, especially the children, up close sent a visceral shock through him.
"Ivan Vanko?"
Qin Xiao blurted out the name without hesitation. If only one person was missing, it could only be him.