Ignoring S.H.I.E.L.D.'s covert surveillance, Sean continued his life as usual...
With the troublesome obstacle of Worthington removed, both Oscorp Industries and Umbrella Corporation were rapidly expanding.
This resurgence had even reinvigorated the usually lazy and complacent Harry, who had reportedly begun attending board meetings more frequently, gradually asserting his influence.
Meanwhile, Dr. Connors was busy overseeing the clinical trials for the Chrysalis Serum. This was the crowning achievement of his life, and he preferred to handle it personally.
Gwen, her brief vacation over, had also thrown herself into the tedious work of collecting test subject data, monitoring vital signs post-injection, and compiling reports.
With everything progressing smoothly, Sean, as the administrator, found himself with unexpected free time. He used Skynet to keep tabs on recent developments...
Stark Industries, now having shut down its weapons manufacturing division, had publicly announced its pivot toward the energy sector, selling off its arms business and factories to fellow defense contractor, Hammer Industries.
This news sent shockwaves through the energy industry...
Traditional energy giants were stunned. Had it been any other company attempting such a crossover, these oil barons and energy magnates wouldn't have batted an eye... new entrants were expected to play by their rules.
But Tony Stark was different...
Leading what was once the pinnacle of the military-industrial complex, Stark was now charging into the rigidly stratified energy sector with groundbreaking new technology.
This was a silent challenge to the established order. The powerful figures who had built their fortunes on energy monopolies would never stand idly by while the playboy disrupted their domain.
Even Stark Industries with its vast influence couldn't recklessly encroach on this lucrative territory. An undercurrent of tension was building, waiting for the right moment to strike a fatal blow against Tony Stark.
While Iron Man faced mounting challenges, the Fantastic Four had become New York's darlings...
Compared to the scandal-ridden playboy, Americans (who valued family ideals) preferred the warm-hearted Reed, the stunning Susan, the lively Johnny, and the lovable Ben.
This quirky, wholesome team had won the hearts of the public, even spawning dedicated fan blogs with substantial followings.
This left Iron Man somewhat resentful... Despite his role in stopping Doctor Doom, certain tabloids had painted him as little more than a clown.
Such were the recent developments among the superheroes...
Meanwhile, the mutant situation had grown more precarious following Magneto's dramatic appearance. With strong backing from the White House and the military, William Stryker had begun assembling a specialized unit called "Weapon X" to combat mutant extremists threatening societal stability.
Sean's eyes gleamed. This might be the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the mutant factions...
Let Stryker deal with Professor X... as for the other mutant leader, Sean looked forward to a direct confrontation with the infamous Magneto.
"Jean Grey..." Sean tapped the desk thoughtfully.
In truth, the most dangerous mutant might not be Professor X alone.
The Phoenix, with her immense latent power, could manipulate matter at the molecular level once her dark persona awakened. At full strength, even Professor X and Magneto together might not be able to stop her.
By mutant classification standards, Jean was an Omega-level mutant... the highest tier which represented near-limitless potential.
The world's most powerful telepath, Professor X, was merely an Alpha-level mutant. Though his psychic abilities bordered on Omega-level, he still paled in comparison to the host of the Phoenix Force.
Jean wasn't the only mutant with Omega-level potential...
Take Bobby Drake (Iceman) for example... he could freeze moisture in the air, arbitrarily lower internal and external temperatures, and create ice without any medium.
By the laws of physics, this defied nature itself. Yet Bobby's powers weren't overwhelmingly strong.
Omega-level denoted immense latent potential, not absolute power...
Currently, among mutants worldwide, several possessed Omega-level potential. But the only one who had truly manifested such power was Jean Grey, the chosen host of a cosmic entity capable of manipulating the molecular structures of matter and energy.
Almost no mutant could harm her...
With a soft sigh, Sean turned his attention to an invitation on his desk:
"Stark Industries' 3rd Annual Firefighters' Family Fundraising Gala?" he read aloud.
'Does Iron Man really have the leisure to attend such events?'
Sean had assumed Tony would be preoccupied with the palladium poisoning in his bloodstream, the deadly toxin slowly spreading through his veins, threatening to kill the armored hero.
Later, prompted by Nick Fury, Stark would discover a new element in his father's legacy, synthesizing it to replace the palladium core in his arc reactor.
"Perhaps it's time to meet the reborn Iron Man," Sean mused...
.....
The fundraising gala for firefighters' families should have been held six months prior...
But back then, Tony had been holed up in his lab building the Iron Man suit. Then, following Obadiah Stane's betrayal, the event that was supported by local elites, wealthy donors, and government officials, had been shelved indefinitely.
It wasn't until Pepper Potts took over as Stark Industries' CEO that the idea resurfaced as a means to rehabilitate the company's tarnished reputation...
...
~Stark Mansion, Underground Lab~
Amid pulsating music, Tony replaced the palladium core in his chest reactor...
He pulled out a portable blood toxicity scanner... the reading showed 14%, which was higher than before. He frowned, exhaling quietly.
"Irony at its finest... the thing keeping me alive is also killing me." He lifted his shirt, revealing a web of blackened veins spreading from the reactor socket like a sinister, blooming mandala...
During the attack in Afghanistan, a close-range explosion had sent shrapnel piercing into his body. While most fragments had been removed, those near his heart could only be held in place by an electromagnet which Stark had repurposed into the arc reactor powering his armor.
However, the palladium fueling it was slowly poisoning him.
A genius like Tony knew the solution was simple: assemble a team of top surgeons, remove the shrapnel, abandon the Iron Man persona, and his failing body would recover.
"I am Iron Man," Tony murmured.
Giving up the suit and his newfound hero identity was unthinkable...
But continuing to use the arc reactor would allow the palladium to seep further into his bloodstream, corroding his organs until the playboy met a slow, inevitable end.
"So what? I am Iron Man." He stared at his reflection and repeated the words, as if convincing himself...