That evening, Gaia boarded Tony’s private jet, flying alongside Tony toward his villa in Malibu, California.
“Is it really fine leaving that girl alone?” Deep concern showed in Tony’s eyes.
Uncorking a bottle of champagne on Tony’s jet, Gaia replied casually, “Relax.
With Wanda around, Pepper will be fine.
As an old Eastern saying goes, Tony: ‘If you trust someone, don’t doubt them; if you doubt them, don’t use them.'”
“Alright.” Seeing that Gaia put it that way, Tony could only accept it, subconsciously adjusting the position of his left hand.
He turned his head and stared out the airplane window.
Little Gaia hopped onto Gaia’s lap.
“Hey, buddy, I think we should be careful.
Obadiah Stane can actually transform into Frankenstein’s monster—there’s no way this is simple.”
Gaia took a sip of his drink and pondered for a moment.
Agreeing with Little Gaia, he set down his glass and looked at Tony with a serious expression.
“Tony, I need all the information you have on Obadiah Stane.
Specifically, why he gained super powers.”
Although confused as to why Gaia had suddenly turned so serious, Tony was long accustomed to his unpredictable shifts.
He nodded in agreement.
“No problem.
I’ll have Jarvis pull up everything on Obadiah Stane right now.”
***
Three hours later, Gaia and Tony stepped off the private jet at the villa’s helipad and headed straight for Tony’s underground garage.
On the flight, Gaia had reviewed the files on Obadiah Stane, only to discover the guy had recently been in contact with an evil cult.
Who could hold back a facepalm at that?
At any other time, Gaia might have deliberated over it.
But now, he could instantly deduce that Obadiah Stane had struck a deal with a demon or an evil deity.
As the two walked side by side into the underground garage, Little Gaia was instantly awestruck.
“Holy cow!
Is this what it means to be cursed with knowledge?
This guy actually managed to build the Mark III suit in such a short amount of time!”
Gaia was equally stunned.
He had never expected the Tony of his universe to be so remarkable.
“Buddy, you really are a genius.
How long has it been since you were captured?
Less than three weeks, and you’ve already built three suits of Iron Man armor?!”
Hearing Gaia’s words, Tony’s face instantly darkened.
“Gaia.”
Gaia: “Hmm?”
“I was held by terrorists for over a month, and that happened two months ago.”
Gaia said in shock, “Huh?
Does time really fly that fast?”
Tony covered his face.
Even knowing he needed the big guy’s help, he couldn’t stop himself from deadpanning, “I know, I know.
You spend ten hours a day soaked in a dim gym, living like some super miner in a dungeon with no concept of time whatsoever.
I understand.”
Hearing this, Gaia halted instantly, giving Tony a dangerous look.
Whether with fists or trash talk, he had never backed down from anyone in his life.
Just as Gaia opened his mouth to trade barbs with Tony, his Spider-Sense flared violently.
Vaguely, he caught a roaring voice: *’Tony Stark!
My dear nephew!
Uncle Stane has come for you!’*
Without time to think about what was happening, Gaia shouted at Tony, “Tony!
Get into your suit!
Hurry!”
Seeing Gaia suddenly act crazy, Tony was about to ask if he needed someone to bring him meds.
The next second, a voice sounding as if dragged from the throat of a wild beast reverberated through the air.
“Tony Stark!
My dear nephew!
Uncle Stane has come for you!”
Accompanied by the thunderous collapse of a wall, Tony looked at Gaia with utter disbelief.
“How did you do that?”
“Go put on your suit!”
Tony understood the gravity of the situation.
As a flesh-and-blood ordinary human, he stood zero chance against an Obadiah Stane who had mutated into a three-meter-tall monster.
He immediately spun around and dashed toward the Mark III.
Seeing Tony leave, Gaia let out a soft sigh and pulled out the Spider-Man suit mask he had previously made for Peter.
Looking at the mask in his hand, Gaia couldn’t help but sigh wistfully, “I really didn’t expect that I’d be the first person to wear it.”
Little Gaia looked up at Gaia holding the mask, threw a quick jab-cross combination into the air, and urged excitedly, “Let’s move, buddy!
This is our debut fight as the ‘Failed Man.’ I can’t wait to beat up this mad scientist freak!”
“I have no desire to be a failed man,” Gaia retorted.
He slipped the mask over his head and ran toward the location indicated by his Spider-Sense.
“Tony Stark!
My dear nephew!
Where are you?
Are you trying to play hide-and-seek with Uncle Stane?
Stop hiding!
Once you wear out Uncle Stane’s patience, you’re going to die a miserable death!
Zehahahahahaha!”
The monster that Obadiah Stane had become raised his arm, blasting through the wall before him with an energy beam, laughing maniacally amid the sea of flames.
“Holy crap, man, what the hell are you?!
I don’t remember Frankenstein’s monster fusing with machinery.
Are you running a Warhammer build?!”
Looking at Obadiah Stane before him, Gaia felt he would never forget this sight for the rest of his life.
The creature stood nearly four meters tall, heavy machinery embedded deep into cyan skin, fused together seamlessly.
A faint silhouette of the movie version of Iron Monger was recognizable, except where the chest reactor core should have been.
There, a bloated, fleshy heart thumped heavily—thump-thump, thump-thump.
Hearing the voice, Obadiah Stane turned toward the sound.
Seeing Gaia in casual clothes wearing a red webbed mask, Stane burst into loud laughter.
“Tony Stark!
Are you scared?!
You sent a fool wearing a mask to die in your place?!
Then I’ll grant your wish!”
With that, Obadiah Stane raised his hand, aiming straight at Gaia and firing an energy beam.
Just as Stane assumed the masked idiot would perish under the attack, the very fool he disparaged easily dodged the beam, closed the distance at blinding speed, and landed a punch that sent Stane flying backward.
“Oh man, fighting on flat ground is seriously unfair for a Spider-Guy.”
Even as he complained, Gaia raised his hand, firing Silk to snare the newly landed Obadiah Stane, swinging him around by the webbing like a hammer throw.
“Let me give you a ride on the giant pendulum, buddy!
Let’s relive our childhood together!”
His Spider-Sense pinged again, flashing a vision of himself being flung through the air.
Little Gaia jumped out and stomped hard on Gaia’s foot.
“Looks like he’s stronger than us!
Let go of the Silk and dodge!”
Agreeing with Little Gaia, Gaia instantly released the Silk and leaped backward.
Almost at the exact moment Gaia jumped back, Obadiah Stane—or Iron Monger, as he could now be called—stabilized his posture and reached to grab the Silk to throw Gaia, only to find that Gaia had already released it and leaped clear.
After that brief clash, Iron Monger quickly realized the guy in front of him was no ordinary human.
He barked, “Who are you?!”
Keeping an eye on Iron Monger’s movements, Gaia sneered.
Straightening his back and lifting his chin, he declared with full lungs, “I’m your Grandpa Gaia!”
Iron Monger: “?”
Tony, who had just suited up and flown out to support Gaia: “?”
*Bro, seriously?
If you’re going to blurt out your real name, what’s even the point of the mask?*
Incomprehensible.
Utterly incomprehensible.
Even a genius like Tony had to admit he couldn’t wrap his head around Gaia’s logic and thought process.