Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Debt Collection
Kyle took the box handed to him by the one-eyed Nick Fury, opened it, and saw three cylindrical metal rods. He picked up one of them and weighed it, estimating it to be almost ten kilograms.
"I thought you would have Phil Coulson deliver this, but I didn't expect the director to come in person," Kyle said.
"Asgard, the realm of the Aesir from Norse mythology, does it truly exist? Does Odin exist too? And what about Kamar-Taj? How can we find them?" Nick Fury asked in a low voice.
"Didn't I tell you? Sometimes, knowing too much isn't a good thing."
Kyle glanced at Nick Fury.
"Even if I tell you, can you find the place? Asgard isn't on Earth; you need to travel through Bifrost. As for Kamar-Taj, there's a sanctum in New York. You can try to find it if you can."
"One last question. What did you mean when you said we're all compromised?" Nick Fury inquired.
"Did I say that?" Kyle replied, pretending to be innocent.
Seeing Nick Fury's stern expression, Kyle decided not to strain their relationship too much. He thought maintaining a good rapport would be beneficial for future dealings.
"I can only tell you that S.H.I.E.L.D. has a big problem. By the way, here's some more news for you: Captain America isn't dead; he's frozen in the North Pole."
Kyle figured it was better to reveal this information himself, as S.H.I.E.L.D. would discover Captain America sooner or later.
Nick Fury remained silent, glanced at Kyle, and then turned and left.
After Nick Fury left, Kyle looked at the 30 kilograms of Vibranium in front of him, feeling a bit overwhelmed. The reason for trading Vibranium wasn't arbitrary.
Given its unique properties, Vibranium is ideal for making protective gear.
Kyle had various life-saving methods, but he couldn't always rely on them. However, Wanda and Pietro could benefit from it.
The best choice was, of course, Nano Armor—light and easy to carry.
But it was still ten years before Tony Stark would develop Nano Armor. Even if Kyle intervened to expedite the process, it would take at least six or seven years due to technological limitations.
Unless Tony did nothing but focus on nanotechnology, breakthroughs in a short time were unlikely.
However, Kyle couldn't afford to wait ten years to use the Vibranium.
After pondering for a long time, Kyle couldn't come up with a good solution.
So, he decided to visit Tony Stark and ask for his expertise.
After all, Tony was his savior, and it had been weeks since their last meeting. Kyle hoped Tony hadn't forgotten about it.
Thinking about Tony's possible reluctance to repay his debt, Kyle decided to confront him directly.
As for why he didn't call first? Kyle didn't have Tony's phone number.
Kyle lived in New York on the East Coast, while Tony Stark lived in Los Angeles on the West Coast, with a four-hour time difference between the two cities.
While it was getting dark in New York, the sky was still full of stars in Los Angeles.
Using Captain Jack's compass, Kyle teleported directly to Tony's villa on Malibu Beach.
He rang the doorbell but received no response for a long time.
Kyle frowned and used his keen perception to scan the villa.
He sensed a weakening presence inside the villa, indicating someone was in critical condition and might die within five minutes.
Realizing this was the scene where Obadiah had betrayed Tony, Kyle knew he had to act fast. If Tony delayed installing the old reactor even by a minute, it could be fatal.
With this in mind, Kyle stopped hesitating, used his telekinetic powers to force the door open, and quickly entered.
"Illegal invasion, please leave..."
Ignoring J.A.R.V.I.S.'s warnings, Kyle hurried to the living room.
He found Tony crawling on the ground, pale and struggling.
Kyle raised his hand, and Tony floated up.
Seeing Kyle, Tony managed a weak smile and said, "Kyle... basement... reactor..."
"Got it."
Using his telekinesis, Kyle swiftly moved Tony to the basement, found the old reactor, and installed it for him.
Tony froze for a moment, then slowly recovered.
Standing up, he looked at Kyle gratefully. "Hey man, you saved me again. Thanks. J.A.R.V.I.S., prepare Mark 3."
"Yes, sir."
As the parts of the Mark 3 armor began fitting onto Tony, Kyle marveled at the technological brilliance.
"Kyle, do you need something from me?" Tony asked while the armor assembled around him.
"Don't you remember? You owe me," Kyle said.
"I owe you? Really?" Tony seemed puzzled.
"Don't pretend you forgot. Six hamburgers and three glasses of Coke," Kyle said, with a look that meant he wouldn't let Tony off the hook.
"Oh... I remember. Are you here to collect the debt?" Tony asked, surprised.
It was the first time Tony Stark had someone come to collect a debt from him.
"What else?" Kyle said confidently. Then he added, "Actually, there's something else I need your help with."
"Okay, no problem."
Without even asking what Kyle needed, Tony agreed.
By this time, the Mark 3 armor was fully assembled.
"Man, let me deal with my personal issues first, then yours," Tony said.
"Need any help?" Kyle asked.
"No, I got this."
The next moment, Iron Man soared into the sky.
"Iron Man vs. Iron Monger? I wonder how much summoning energy Obadiah will provide," Kyle thought before teleporting away.
As soon as Kyle left, Rhodes arrived, looking at the empty villa in confusion.