Tony didn't care much about strengthening potions. If he needed one, he could just make it himself.
What truly caught his attention was the possibility of resurrection.
Maybe many people believed that the dead should be allowed to rest in peace, that disturbing them was disrespectful, even unnatural. Some thought resurrection was inherently evil, a violation of natural laws that should never occur. But no matter how many reasons there were, Tony couldn't convince himself not to care.
"Resurrection… You mean actual resurrection? Not cloning or reanimating a corpse or something like that?"
"Of course not. The resurrection I'm talking about is real. The same person, body and soul, fully restored."
Ethan understood the difference clearly. He would never try to fool Tony Stark with shady tricks. Ethan might not always appear perfectly upright, but he would never cheat his friends.
"I know this isn't an easy decision for you, so you've got plenty of time to think it over." Ethan didn't press Tony to give an answer right away. After all, it would take a long time to build the battleship. Even if Tony agreed to the condition, Ethan would still need time to travel to other worlds to find the items or methods required to truly bring someone back from the dead.
"I do need time to think about it."
In truth, Tony was already leaning toward accepting. Beyond his deeply cherished mother, even regarding his father, whom he always thought he didn't like, he had come to understand things weren't what they seemed after watching the old recordings and seeing the relics.
He used to think maybe he'd be reunited with them after he died.
But if they could meet while still alive, why wait until death? Besides, who could guarantee there'd even be a reunion after death?
With his thoughts in turmoil, Tony didn't even crack any jokes like usual. He quietly left the lab, leaving Ethan and the others behind.
Ethan knew Tony needed time alone to process everything, so he didn't disturb him. Instead, he stood before the Prinz Eugen, now magically enhanced, and chatted idly with Logan.
"By the way, this ship doesn't seem to have any weapons for underwater enemies?"
Ethan didn't need to answer. Jarvis responded directly. The original Prinz Eugen had two sets of torpedo tubes, which were obsolete now, so they were being reworked into underwater weapon systems.
It was just that Tony found traditional depth charges ineffective. He wanted to install a weapon with better performance, but hadn't yet decided on a suitable design.
"Jarvis, save the design and shut down the projection."
Ethan had also been in the lab for quite some time. He was ready to take a break. He didn't necessarily need to go far—just getting off the ship and spending some quiet time on land would be good enough.
"Want to go out for a cup of coffee?"
"Pepper asked me to go shopping with her." Diana had grown very close to Pepper recently, which was a good thing. She could learn a lot about modern life from Pepper and better integrate into ordinary society.
At the same time, maybe due to age or something else, Diana had started to embrace more traditionally feminine interests—shopping, makeup, dressing up. Compared to her old self, who always wore a stern expression, she now looked much more womanly.
Watching Diana step into the elevator and leave, Ethan turned to Logan.
"I promised Laura I'd take her to the amusement park today." Logan suddenly reached out and patted Ethan on the shoulder. "I'd be really grateful if you could take Laura in my place…"
Before he could finish, Ethan had already taken a big step back and rushed straight into another elevator.
From the outside, the Stark Building looked like any normal skyscraper, but inside it had many unique features. For instance, many floors and areas were fully automated and controlled by Jarvis. In all his time coming and going, Ethan had barely seen any living people. Most of the staff hired by Tony worked only on the lower floors.
Ethan usually didn't interact with them. They had nothing in common, no shared topics, so he didn't linger on any floor. He walked straight out of the building, planning to stroll around and enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea.
He didn't go far. Just ahead of the Stark Building was a cafe with lots of outdoor seating. It was a great place to sip coffee and soak in the sunshine.
Ethan had originally planned to take a walk before getting his coffee, but then he noticed someone and changed his mind. He walked straight over and sat down across from the man.
The man looked surprised by Ethan's action, then glanced around in confusion.
"Looks like there are still empty seats, right?"
"Drinking coffee alone is boring. It's nice to have someone to talk to." Of course, Ethan wasn't really that bored. The reason he sat down was because he recognized the man in front of him.
Steven Grant Rogers, commonly known as Steve Rogers, more famously known as Captain America.
Steve Rogers looked at Ethan calmly, quickly sizing him up. "You know who I am."
"Of course."
Rogers frowned.
"You with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
He had only recently been discovered and thawed out after decades in the ice. He hadn't been awake long, and under normal circumstances, only S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel should know about him. Given his special status, it wasn't strange to think they might have someone monitoring him. What surprised him was that a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would approach him so openly.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Ethan caught the misunderstanding. "No, I'm not with S.H.I.E.L.D., but I do know Fury."
Rogers kept frowning, trying to figure out Ethan's true purpose. Then, noticing Ethan glancing at his sketchpad, he looked up at the Stark Building.
"You with Tony Stark?"
He had been sketching the Stark Building earlier, hoping to draw its attention or provoke a reaction from security.
But he was still wrong. While Ethan did have ties to Tony Stark, he was definitely not a bodyguard. Nor did he show up to investigate anything. He simply wanted to meet a "famous figure" from his past life.
To put it bluntly, he was a fan—though not a fanatical one.
"No need to guess. I just saw you and thought I'd come say hi… Anyway, I'm Ethan."
"Steve Rogers." Seeing Ethan's friendly demeanor and no signs of hostility, Rogers reached out and shook his hand. But he still stayed on guard, not ready to fully trust him.
Which was understandable. Even an ordinary person would be wary if a stranger randomly approached to chat. That went double for someone like Steve Rogers.
Ethan calmly ordered a lemon black tea and a small snack, clearly intending to sit and have a casual conversation.
"Doesn't feel great to sleep for decades, huh?"
Ethan cut a piece of cake with his fork and took a bite. Though his eyes were still on the pastry, his attention was fully on Captain America.
"It was just a moment for me. So, no, not particularly."
"I meant after waking up. Doesn't it feel like you're in a whole different world?" Ethan gestured around them. For Steve Rogers, waking up after 70 years meant finding himself in a world completely different from the one he knew. It was almost like waking up in another world entirely.
Even though he had been awake for a while, he still hadn't fully adapted. He felt disconnected, like he didn't belong.
"Want some advice?"
"Go ahead."
"Stop chasing the past. Trying to reconnect with old people and places will only make you feel more out of place in this world." Ethan really meant it. If Rogers kept living in the past, he would never be able to start a new life.
In the original storyline, Captain America remained stuck in that state for quite a while after waking up. It wasn't until he went through several battles and formed new bonds that he gradually let go of the past and moved forward.
Right now, he was like a ghost wandering through old memories. It would take time before he could return to being a person again.
After becoming a super soldier, not only had Steve Rogers's body been enhanced, but so had his mind and senses. He could tell Ethan's advice was genuine. Still, he couldn't help but wonder—why was this stranger being so kind to him?
"Did Fury send you?"
"Fury? He can't afford me."
Maybe because they shared the same lack of fondness for Fury, Steve began to think Ethan might be an alright person to talk to.
(To be continued.)
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