However, Tony Stark wasn't exactly sure which situation it was.
He also didn't bother wasting brain cells on such trivial matters.
"JARVIS, have I ever met someone named 'Killian'?"
After a brief moment of thought without results, the playboy directly asked his trusted AI.
"Sir, I have checked your past schedules, visit records, media appearances, and other relevant records, and found nothing," JARVIS replied.
"So it's highly likely that this person contacted you while you were not present," JARVIS continued.
"This will require you to remember this person yourself, which I trust won't be difficult for you."
The AI's voice rang clearly in Tony's ears.
No official social records mentioned "Killian."
That meant the person wasn't on Tony's official contact list.
Figuring out the details would require the boss himself to think.
"No, JARVIS, you know I never waste my brain cells on such things," Tony corrected him seriously.
Although Tony's intelligence is top-tier even in all of America, remembering names—especially unimportant ones—wasn't his forte.
Even women he had deeply interacted with? Once they left his bed, Tony would have completely forgotten their names.
The playboy's brilliance simply wasn't meant for such trivial matters.
"Check this name—Killian—and see if there's anyone noteworthy."
Tony didn't waste time and immediately issued the command to JARVIS.
"Understood, Sir."
JARVIS loyally executed the command. Soon, the investigation results appeared.
Swish!
Several profiles of people named Killian were projected before Tony.
All were highly accomplished individuals from various fields—not ordinary people, but influential and powerful.
According to JARVIS's logic, even if Tony couldn't remember the names of these "minor figures," anyone with access to him wasn't truly minor.
They just seemed insignificant in front of the boss.
"So many?"
Tony murmured, then casually flicked through the floating profiles, filtering and examining them.
"Wait a second!"
When a handsome man with slick golden hair appeared on the screen—far more striking than Tony himself—he froze.
That face!
Extremely familiar.
Tony was certain he had seen this person before.
But exactly where? He couldn't recall immediately.
The reason was simple: Killian's appearance back then was very different from now.
Plus, at that time, Killian was a nobody, an easy target for Tony to toy with.
Tony probably forgot him the moment he left the elevator.
Add to that the many years that had passed—it was understandable that Tony's memory faltered.
"Aldrich Killian, founder of Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM)," JARVIS announced.
"Wow, this guy's story is truly inspirational," Tony commented.
JARVIS removed the other candidates and projected a detailed profile of Killian, including photos from when he had long hair and glasses.
Only then did Tony fully remember him.
It was almost ten years ago, at an academic conference in Bern. Killian had boldly squeezed into the elevator, trying to pitch a collaboration to Tony Stark—and Tony casually brushed him off.
Hilarious.
Tony, with his status, couldn't possibly entertain just anyone.
Especially when he was busy charming women, he had no patience for such insignificant clowns.
He vaguely remembered telling Killian to wait on the rooftop.
Sure enough, Killian actually waited. For how long, and how he felt when Tony never showed up—Tony never considered such trivial matters.
Yet Tony never expected that this once unimpressive guy would undergo such a transformation.
He became far more charismatic, successful, and dazzling than Tony himself.
Tony specifically checked AIM, seeing they held numerous military contracts and worked closely with the armed forces.
By ordinary standards, Killian had become a top-tier member of high society.
But why would this person one day oppose Tony?
Could it really be because Tony had toyed with him back then? Just a minor slight—surely not enough to hold a grudge for years, or even want to kill him?
Impossible. Tony felt certain of that.
He guessed their future enmity must stem from other causes.
But the diary gave no spoilers, so Tony didn't dwell on it.
Instead, he focused on the diary itself.
Soon, a term caught Tony's attention: Desperate Warrior.
Who was this person?
From the tone of the diary, this "Desperate Warrior" could directly challenge Tony's Iron Suits!
Undoubtedly, a super soldier.
So Killian's AIM would produce a batch of these super soldiers in the future?
Even Killian himself would be a super soldier!
According to the diary, his combat ability was astonishing—far surpassing Captain America.
After all, Cap couldn't even disable Tony's suits; he'd simply be pinned down.
So Killian had mastered a method to create super soldiers stronger than Captain America? Unthinkable.
Tony had never expected this once-overlooked guy to achieve such power!
But what did this have to do with the Mandarin?
Tony knew the Mandarin—he had investigated the Ten Rings after being kidnapped, discovering their leader.
Yet the diary suggested that if Tony lost to Killian, America would fall under the Mandarin's fear.
Were Killian's Desperate Warriors under the Mandarin's control? Was Killian actually working for him?
This explained how Killian had transformed from a nobody into a top business tycoon—backed by the Mandarin all along?
Tony's mind raced, considering multiple plausible possibilities.
One thing was certain: Killian and the Mandarin were tightly linked.
[I bet Stark doesn't even remember Killian's name now.][True, for a minor figure like Killian, Stark wouldn't remember.][He would never have imagined that the small-time guy he left waiting all night on the rooftop would become his third and most formidable nemesis.][Almost killed Stark and nearly the President!][If not for Pepper stepping in, even all of Stark's suits wouldn't have saved him.]
Tony Stark: "..."
Indeed, he had completely forgotten Killian.
Even seeing Killian's transformed appearance, he still didn't recall him.
But it wasn't Tony's fault—how could someone of his status remember everyone?
Yet that guy waited all night on the rooftop?
Tony never expected it.
That fool!
Waiting tens of minutes would've been enough—didn't he know Tony wasn't going to meet him?
Still, since it happened, Tony could only focus on the future.
He needed to consider the potential threat Killian could bring.
The diary emphasized Killian's danger—far beyond Iron Monger or Whiplash.
After all, someone capable of destroying several Iron Suits by hand isn't a run-of-the-mill villain.
Wait. Whiplash?
Tony froze.
The diary had teased Whiplash for a long time, and Tony had JARVIS investigate him.
But so far—nothing. Whiplash hadn't appeared.
Could he be hiding, preparing something big?
Maybe Tony would have to lure him out to Morocco someday.
Meanwhile, Killian apparently even tried to assassinate the President—a true terrorist act.
It seemed Tony's suspicions were correct: Killian had deep ties with the Ten Rings.
One thing was clear:
The diary had implied that without creating the Iron Legion, Tony would've died at Killian's hands.
Tony had assumed the Iron Legion defeated Killian.
But now he realized—it hadn't!
The Iron Legion alone wasn't a match for Killian!
How could Pepper have defeated someone capable of destroying Iron Suits by hand?
Wait!
The diary had mentioned Pepper was also a superhero.
Tony had almost forgotten, but it seemed she was formidable.
He wondered what kind of superhero Pepper would become.
He began imagining possibilities.
[Not just Killian—at that Swiss academic conference, two others were crucial to Stark.][Stark probably doesn't remember either.][One sacrificed themselves to save Stark from the Ten Rings.][The other removed the shrapnel from Stark's chest, letting him become truly human.][Removing the shrapnel also symbolized saying goodbye to the embedded Arc Reactor and to his past self.][Now, whether Stark would do it again is unknown.]
Eisen!
The first name flashing in Tony's mind.
Along with the bespectacled, scholarly-looking guy.
In the cave, Tony had shared a memorable time with him.
Through conversation, Tony realized he had met him at this academic conference—one of the diary's references.
He never imagined Eisen and Killian attended the same conference.
Both left significant marks on Tony's—or another Tony's—life:
One saved him, the other nearly killed him.
That seemingly ordinary conference wasn't ordinary at all.
Wait—a third person?
The diary indicated another top-tier doctor was involved.
Who could it be?
Tony tried to recall carefully, but couldn't.
[End of Chapter]