Chapter 11: Humiliating Iron Man
Tony Stark owned a private island, complete with a sprawling, ultra-luxurious villa built into the side of a mountain.
The estate was a paradise, boasting two levels of opulent living space, a helipad, a private tennis court, a golf course, and a freshwater swimming pool, among other lavish amenities. It was a secluded haven, and more importantly, it was where Tony stockpiled a massive amount of resources for building his technology. It was exactly what Ethan needed.
"How do you know I have a private island?" Tony asked, his curiosity piqued. He had never told anyone about it, not even Pepper. It was his secret base of operations.
"I managed to capture your precious JARVIS," Ethan said with a smug smile. "Is there anything I can't do?"
The mention of JARVIS made it click for Tony. He assumed Ethan must have gotten the information from his own AI.
"Name another price," Tony countered. "I'll give you a hundred million dollars. Just give me back JARVIS."
Ethan shook his head. "No. I want your island. And everything on it. You're not to take a single thing."
"I don't agree to those terms," Tony refused. "I'll just program another JARVIS. It's not a big deal." He had built the first one; he could build another.
"You can program as many as you want," Ethan retorted, his voice dripping with condescension. "But unless you can create an AI more advanced than mine, it will be useless. And I should warn you, refusing is not an option. The systems on your little island are already under my control. If you try to go there, you'll be attacked. And if you continue to refuse my generous offer, I will be forced to unleash my full power on your company and bring it to its knees. Don't doubt my ability to do so."
"You... you really want to make an enemy of me?" Tony sputtered, his face red with anger.
"Give me what I want," Ethan threatened, his tone leaving no room for negotiation, "or I will be the worst enemy you've ever had."
"You—" Tony was so furious he was speechless.
"I'm going to count to three," Ethan said coldly. "If you don't agree by then, I'll destroy you."
"One."
"Two."
Tony stamped his foot in frustration and shouted, "FINE! I agree!"
He had no choice. His AI was simply no match for Ethan's.
"You see? You are a smart man after all," Ethan said, his voice full of mock praise. "I'm very satisfied with this transaction. I look forward to our next collaboration. Hahaha..." He let out a triumphant, booming laugh.
"Hmph. Now give me back JARVIS," Tony grumbled.
"Goodbye," Ethan said with a dismissive wave, severing his connection to the Iron Man suit.
After taking off the helmet, Ethan commanded, "Nexus, release JARVIS."
"Affirmative, Progenitor."
"Ethan, you're amazing," Natasha said, her eyes wide with admiration. "You actually managed to blackmail Tony Stark. Not even S.H.I.E.L.D. would dare to do that."
"You have no idea how arrogant he was when I went to see him," Ethan said, the anger still simmering in his voice. "He refused to work with me and threw me out like I was trash. I had to get my revenge. And when my own armor is built, I'm going to pay him another visit. I'll make him regret ever turning me down."
"You really hold a grudge, don't you?" Natasha said with a playful smile.
"That's right, I do," Ethan said, his voice full of swagger. "So don't ever cross me. That includes you." With his ability to transform into a Titan and an AI that could rule the network, he had earned the right to be arrogant.
"I'm too busy falling for you to ever cross you," Natasha purred.
Ethan just chuckled to himself. Yeah, right. Like I'd ever believe that.
He grabbed a few bottles of hard liquor and began to pour them over the computer he had built.
"Ethan, what are you doing? Are you trying to destroy it?" Natasha asked, her eyes wide with alarm.
"It's too big and bulky to carry around," Ethan said as he pulled out a lighter. "So I'm getting rid of it."
With a swift, graceful move, Natasha stepped in front of him, blocking his path. "If you don't want it, you can give it to me. I'd love to have it."
She had seen firsthand what the machine could do. Even if it wasn't hers, the thought of it being destroyed pained her.
"Fine, you can have it," Ethan said shrewdly. "But the favor I owe you is officially cancelled."
The computer he had built was powerful, but only because it was running his unique Zola Algorithm program. Without it, it was just a slightly more advanced supercomputer.
Natasha thought for a moment. She had S.H.I.E.L.D. to help her with anything she needed; she didn't really need a favor from Ethan. And the computer he had built could bring her a lot of benefits. She could give it to S.H.I.E.L.D. for a handsome reward. She could sell it to Tony Stark, who would surely pay a fortune for it. Or, she could keep it for herself and try to create her own superintelligence.
After a moment of consideration, she made her decision. "Deal," she said. "The computer is mine, and your debt to me is paid in full."
"Done," Ethan said, turning to leave.
As soon as he was out of the apartment, he pulled out his phone. "Nexus," he commanded, "delete all data from that computer and restore it to a standard operating system."
"Affirmative, Progenitor."
"Next," Ethan continued, "I want you to take control of one of the Iron Man suits on the island and send it to pick me up."
His motorcycle couldn't get him to the island, and taking a boat would be too slow. An Iron Man suit was the perfect solution.
He hadn't gotten far down the street when he heard Natasha's furious scream from the apartment window. "ETHAN HUNT! YOU LYING BASTARD! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!"
She had thought she'd gotten the deal of a lifetime, a one-of-a-kind supercomputer. But when she tried to use it, she found that it was nothing more than a high-spec machine with a fast processor. The AI named Nexus was gone, and there was no trace of its data left on the hard drive. She had been tricked.
A few minutes later, on the street below, an Iron Man suit descended from the sky.
"Ah! It's a robot! Run!"
"Oh my god! Another supervillain!"
"Call the police!"
"Help!"
The pedestrians scattered in panic. The citizens of New York were used to seeing such things. It was either a superhero or a supervillain, and the odds were usually on the latter. For their own safety, their first instinct was to run.
Ethan ignored the chaos. He walked up to the Iron Man suit, turned, and stepped back. The suit's chassis opened, revealing the empty space within. He stepped inside, and the suit closed around him.
It was surprisingly comfortable. "Nexus," he commanded, "take us to Tony's private island."
"Affirmative, Progenitor."
Without any further input from Ethan, the suit's thrusters engaged, and it shot into the sky.
From high above, Ethan looked down at the bustling city below, the people like tiny ants. The feeling of looking down on the world was intoxicating. He felt like a god, the supreme ruler of all he surveyed.