“You know what, Roger? This little guy you brought back is absolutely incredible. I regret ever saying I’d send him to the zoo.” Stark snapped his fingers, and Jarvis immediately projected a multitude of data panels.
“He can actually strengthen his own body by consuming metal! Do you know that? His physical strength is now comparable to an adult man who works out regularly.” The unusually excited Stark even grabbed Nini, poking and prodding at her, completely absorbed in the thrill of discovering a new material.
“I *must* figure out exactly how he does it, and then apply the principle to my new invention.”
Seeing Stark in such a state of euphoria, Roger wasn’t surprised at all.
Though the situation had developed rather abruptly, it meant he wouldn’t have to spend extra money raising an Iron Eater Beast himself.
Simply perfect!
Very nice!
After getting the two little ones in the garage settled, Roger sprawled out on a beach chair and slowly sipped Stark’s vintage red wine, preparing to catch up on some beauty sleep on this lovely morning.
As a nocturnal creature, Roger’s lifestyle perfectly aligned with Stark’s irregular schedule.
The two of them basically slept all day and transformed into “spiritual young men” by night.
The depths of the night were often when inspiration struck hardest.
Poor Nini, however, was forced by Stark to pull all-nighters.
Every time she started to doze off, a large, delicious chunk of pure iron alloy was stuffed into her mouth.
She couldn’t stop eating, but she couldn’t stop either.
But since she was already here, it seemed rude not to eat.
And so, whenever Stark saw Nini’s mouth stop moving, he’d shove another piece in.
The moment she nodded off, her mouth was stuffed with food.
Just like that, she was forced from being one panda into two pandas.
Perhaps, this was truly a case of birds of a feather flocking together.
***
The sun dipped toward the horizon, painting the Malibu coast in shimmering gold.
The sea and sky merged into a single, seamless expanse of light.
Roger awoke from his slumber and stretched luxuriously, taking in the breathtaking view.
[You have consumed 10 Dimensional Crystals for a 10-draw reward. (20/100)]
[You have received the following Common Rewards: …]
[Congratulations! You have triggered a Special Exploration Event!]
[You have entered the world of the movie *Captain America*. You are now a foot soldier.]
[At this time, Steve Rogers has already earned a formidable reputation, and you are one of the soldiers under his command.]
[Amidst the endless flames of war, you fought side-by-side with Steve through a thousand battles, witnessing firsthand his flawless shield-throwing technique.]
[Suddenly, you grew curious and tried to catch the shield. You were cut in half by it.] New chapters come out on g.com first.
[Timeline disturbance detected. Exploration ended.]
[You have received a reward: *100% Shield Throwing Technique*.]
Staring at the purple-tier reward, Roger couldn’t help but chuckle.
*How did I end up with this ability?
Am I supposed to dress up as a big-assed Steve Rogers now?*
After a moment’s thought, Roger began to chuckle.
He was already brainstorming how to snatch Captain America’s shield mid-air in all sorts of dramatic poses during a battle.
Imagine it: the handsome, square-jawed Steve throws his shield with a flourish, only to stand there dumbfounded, arm outstretched, as his shield never returns.
The scene alone was enough to make Roger’s mouth water with anticipation.
While Roger was already eagerly awaiting his first meeting with Captain America, the man frozen in ice had no idea what bizarre fate awaited him.
***
A moment later, Roger had changed his clothes and headed to the garage, only to find it completely empty—not a single person or animal in sight.
Curious, he searched the entire house until he finally found them in the boxing gym.
Stark was actually teaching the Iron Eater Beast how to fight!
*What the hell!*
*Why isn’t he building armor?
Why is he wasting time on this flashy nonsense?*
Just as Roger was about to storm over and give him a piece of his mind, Stark exclaimed with delight, “Oh, Roger! You’re finally awake! Hurry up and make dinner! I’m starving, and I’m going to need your help with a super-cool experiment later.”
“Huh?” Roger tilted his head, almost thinking Stark had already built the Mark II.
But a glance at the calendar reminded him it wasn’t time yet—only a few days had passed.
Then it hit him: Roger recalled the disastrous flight test Stark had during the Mark II’s development.
*Looks like the kid hasn’t slowed down on the armor’s progress,* Roger thought.
*Maybe I’ll see the legendary Mark II sooner than I expected.*
Feeling a flicker of anticipation, Roger left the boxing gym and headed to the dining room, where he laid out a feast of exquisite dishes.
To ensure none of the food went to waste, he even called Pepper to join them for dinner.
As the round table filled with an array of visually stunning and fragrant delicacies, the two humans and one beast couldn’t resist their cravings.
They swallowed hard, their eyes wide with astonishment as they watched Roger approach.
When he lifted the lid, a rich, savory seafood aroma erupted into the air.
Tony, Pepper, and Nini gasped in unison, “Whoa!”
“What kind of cuisine is this? Is this a Manchu Han Imperial Feast from your hometown?” Stark grabbed a bowl filled with the rich broth and, without waiting for it to cool, took a huge, scalding gulp.
Roger wiped his hands on his scarf, then took it off.
“This is Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, that’s Sadness-Evoking Rice, and that one is Urinating Fish Balls…”
The two who had just picked up their cutlery froze.
Hearing these dish names, they were momentarily unsure whether they should even start eating.
“There’s nothing… anti-human or ‘dark cuisine’ in here, is there?” Stark asked cautiously.
Roger picked up a slotted spoon and tapped Old Tao.
“Stop talking! Hurry up and eat so you can get to work! Nini’s almost finished already.”
Stark and Pepper looked down and saw that nearly half the dishes on the table had already vanished.
Forgetting their restraint, they quickly grabbed their bowls and began to savor the delicious Chinese cuisine.
After a hearty meal, Little Pepper took Nini away, saying she needed a bath.
Nini, who had been with Stark in the garage, had never had any proper grooming and now smelled pretty bad.
Meanwhile, Stark mysteriously led Roger to the garage and handed him a camera.
“Alright! Get a good shot, this is the greatest moment in history. And you, Rash, get the fire extinguisher ready. If things catch fire, put it out immediately,” Stark arranged everything methodically before donning the Mark II leg armor and connecting the wiring to the arc reactor in his chest.
Holding the camera, Roger immediately recognized the scene.
Stark was about to be sent flying by the powerful thrust and smash into the wall—and that was going to hurt.
After a moment’s thought, Roger set the camera on the table and turned toward the refrigerator.
As he turned, a ripple of telekinetic energy spread out like a wave, enveloping the entire garage.
*Bang!
Crash!*
Returning with the ice cubes, Roger shook his head with a chuckle at the sight of Stark being blasted by the fire extinguisher.
Even though he had used his telekinesis to cushion the impact, Stark had still slammed into the wall hard enough to leave him bruised, dazed, and seeing stars.
(End of Chapter)