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Chapter 22: Brewing
News of unknown origin spread with uncanny speed, quickly diffusing throughout almost the entire Underworld in mere tens of minutes.
When many people first learned of this news, they simply didn't believe it and scoffed at it.
"Go to war with the Vampires? That recently famous Master Mechanic? Are you kidding? How could he possibly fight with Vampires? He's such a good boy."
Someone posted on a specialized dark website, with sarcasm and mockery, scoffing that Tony was such a good kid, rarely causing trouble and not at all like a High-Level Mutant. He made The Authorities' top officials quite relieved, leaving them speechless.
But this rumor continued to escalate, its influence growing steadily, and within a mere few hours, it stirred up a massive storm!
An unknown person uploaded a video, claiming it was a video of Tony's bloody battle with the Vampires!
Many people were alarmed. Some factions and international top Hackers were greatly shocked, and quickly used their respective methods to verify it. Various organizations urgently mobilized computer experts overnight to authenticate the video.
The video was blurry and unclear, but Optimus Prime could indeed be seen. In the footage, Optimus Prime wielded a rocket launcher in one hand and a Vulcan Cannon in the other, sweeping all directions. Even through the screen, one could feel the Killing Intent.
Some Hackers were very curious about the person who uploaded the video, attempting to cyber-trace them to expose this person in one fell swoop, to see who was so daring and what position they were in at the time. Were they Tony's helper, a Vampire, or a third party? But they failed. The person who posted the video was very cunning, cleaning up their tracks immediately.
Some factions seemed to smell a conspiracy, remaining very cautious and deciding to wait and see.
Regardless, many people understood that Tony was causing trouble again, and this time it was a big one! He single-handedly purged a Vampire Stronghold! This move made too much noise, and it was unknown how the Vampire Clan would react.
This night was destined to be a sleepless one. The news of Tony's major confrontation with the Vampires spread like wildfire throughout the Dark World. Many major factions also received the news; some were worried, some laughed, and some even danced with glee.
"Ha! That fool, are Vampires so easy to provoke? He's truly a big idiot asking for death. What a pity though, a High-Level Mutant is quite valuable." Kingpin, with his corpulent physique, slumped on the sofa, sneering continuously.
Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. rubbed his forehead and issued orders: "Monitor closely. If necessary, deploy High-Level Agents to assist Tony and purge that group of Vampires. They've been a bit too active lately. It's time for them to settle down."
Magneto hadn't slept for days. He stood before a massive and peculiar instrument. Upon hearing the news, he brushed it off: "Vampires? A bunch of trash. Good for the kid Tony to practice on. If he can't even handle this, he's just a waste... Never mind, send someone to help him."
The Authorities' reaction was the swiftest. They immediately came forward to announce to the media that the cause of the large fire was a drunkard accidentally igniting alcohol. The fire had been extinguished, with no confirmed injuries or deaths.
It was also on this night that Tony's nickname "Master Mechanic" became widely known.
Tony was completely unaware of this. He had originally thought he could destroy most of the evidence with the fire, and even if the remaining bits were discovered, The Authorities would feign ignorance and handle it. Even if someone tipped off the Vampires, it would at least delay his exposure, allowing him to make as many preparations as possible.
The Vampires might not be able to swallow this insult. If a fight truly broke out again, it would likely involve the Vampire Army, leading to a full-scale war.
Tony was pressed for time. He needed to quickly arm himself. Fighting Vampires, while seemingly exciting, wasn't a big problem as long as one wasn't bitten. The Vampire Clan was renowned worldwide; aside from their mythical Ancestor whose true depth was unknown, their pure-blooded descendants could all be killed.
It wasn't until Agent Coulson called him to ask him a few questions that he realized such a massive commotion had already been stirred up so quickly.
"Mr. Tony, not only have major organizations learned of this now, but this matter has almost spread throughout the entire Underworld, and many people have come to know you because of it."
Agent Coulson's tone remained gentle as he recounted the events to Tony. S.H.I.E.L.D. had also tried to find out who was leaking the information, but the other party was very cautious, leaving not a single trace.
Tony was both surprised and somewhat enlightened.
"Someone is scheming against me; I just don't know who," Tony said.
He wasn't foolish, but having only recently stepped into the Supernatural World, he still habitually judged many things with his Mortal way of thinking. A veteran who had experienced many things would not harbor wishful thinking; only inexperienced novices who hadn't seen much of the world would.
People like Agent Coulson, who had played with schemes and intrigues for most of their lives, almost instinctively calculated gains and losses.
Thinking carefully, from the Administrator he casually found, to the attack on the road which delivered a large number of heavy weapons to him, and finally, his confrontation with the Vampires—someone was indeed plotting against him, and seemed to be afraid he wouldn't have enough firepower, even arranging for people to deliver weapons to him mid-way.
Not to mention that strange phrase, "For the glory of the Vampires"...
Someone was secretly instigating him to go to war with the Vampires.
"Mr. Tony, do you have any clues? We can use our resources to help you find the person behind this." Agent Coulson was highly proficient in psychology, keenly grasping Tony's inner thoughts. He understood that what Tony most urgently needed now wasn't to know who that person was, but rather a faction and background he could rely on.
Even if this faction and Tony were mutually using each other, both sides could accept it.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had been silently observing Tony, understanding what kind of person he was. To describe him with a somewhat inappropriate term, he wasn't a good person; killing and destruction were no longer remarkable matters to Tony. But he was an individual leaning towards Lawful Neutral. As long as there wasn't a deep-seated enmity, he was someone one could reason with.
Otherwise, Tony could have easily gone to Professor X and Magneto, where he would be freer, and they would surely be very happy to accept such a Fellow Mutant.
Tony didn't originally need to stubbornly guard his house. After all, it was located in New York City, with numerous cameras on every road. A person living in a metropolis effectively consented to being secretly observed. This wasn't limited to Tony alone; almost everyone living in a large city, once they stepped out of their homes, was exposed to cameras. Everyone knew this.
Therefore, The Authorities and Tony shared an unspoken understanding. They no longer tampered with Tony's house, fully respecting Tony's privacy, and Tony wouldn't openly cause trouble in front of The Authorities. This was a comfortable arrangement for both parties.
In reality, there was indeed a large number of people within The Authorities who held goodwill towards Tony, this nascent Level Four Mutant, and their numbers were considerable. They advocated for actively reaching out to and winning over Tony, bringing him into government agencies, and even building a special task force with Tony at its core.
Of course, individuals like General Ross certainly harbored more or less malice towards Tony.
This isn't to say that The Authorities' personnel were easy to deal with. Look at the situation: Which High-Level Combat Power was as agreeable as Tony? Professor X's domain was practically an independent kingdom, Magneto remained isolated overseas, ignoring The Authorities entirely. The Super-Soldier Program had repeatedly suffered setbacks. The official agencies found it incredibly difficult to recruit a Superpowered Individual.
They were desperate for a trump card that could suppress everything.
(end of chapter)
News of unknown origin spread with uncanny speed, quickly diffusing throughout almost the entire Underworld in mere tens of minutes.
When many people first learned of this news, they simply didn't believe it and scoffed at it.
"Go to war with the Vampires? That recently famous Master Mechanic? Are you kidding? How could he possibly fight with Vampires? He's such a good boy."
Someone posted on a specialized dark website, with sarcasm and mockery, scoffing that Tony was such a good kid, rarely causing trouble and not at all like a High-Level Mutant. He made The Authorities' top officials quite relieved, leaving them speechless.
But this rumor continued to escalate, its influence growing steadily, and within a mere few hours, it stirred up a massive storm!
An unknown person uploaded a video, claiming it was a video of Tony's bloody battle with the Vampires!
Many people were alarmed. Some factions and international top Hackers were greatly shocked, and quickly used their respective methods to verify it. Various organizations urgently mobilized computer experts overnight to authenticate the video.
The video was blurry and unclear, but Optimus Prime could indeed be seen. In the footage, Optimus Prime wielded a rocket launcher in one hand and a Vulcan Cannon in the other, sweeping all directions. Even through the screen, one could feel the Killing Intent.
Some Hackers were very curious about the person who uploaded the video, attempting to cyber-trace them to expose this person in one fell swoop, to see who was so daring and what position they were in at the time. Were they Tony's helper, a Vampire, or a third party? But they failed. The person who posted the video was very cunning, cleaning up their tracks immediately.
Some factions seemed to smell a conspiracy, remaining very cautious and deciding to wait and see.
Regardless, many people understood that Tony was causing trouble again, and this time it was a big one! He single-handedly purged a Vampire Stronghold! This move made too much noise, and it was unknown how the Vampire Clan would react.
This night was destined to be a sleepless one. The news of Tony's major confrontation with the Vampires spread like wildfire throughout the Dark World. Many major factions also received the news; some were worried, some laughed, and some even danced with glee.
"Ha! That fool, are Vampires so easy to provoke? He's truly a big idiot asking for death. What a pity though, a High-Level Mutant is quite valuable." Kingpin, with his corpulent physique, slumped on the sofa, sneering continuously.
Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. rubbed his forehead and issued orders: "Monitor closely. If necessary, deploy High-Level Agents to assist Tony and purge that group of Vampires. They've been a bit too active lately. It's time for them to settle down."
Magneto hadn't slept for days. He stood before a massive and peculiar instrument. Upon hearing the news, he brushed it off: "Vampires? A bunch of trash. Good for the kid Tony to practice on. If he can't even handle this, he's just a waste... Never mind, send someone to help him."
The Authorities' reaction was the swiftest. They immediately came forward to announce to the media that the cause of the large fire was a drunkard accidentally igniting alcohol. The fire had been extinguished, with no confirmed injuries or deaths.
It was also on this night that Tony's nickname "Master Mechanic" became widely known.
Tony was completely unaware of this. He had originally thought he could destroy most of the evidence with the fire, and even if the remaining bits were discovered, The Authorities would feign ignorance and handle it. Even if someone tipped off the Vampires, it would at least delay his exposure, allowing him to make as many preparations as possible.
The Vampires might not be able to swallow this insult. If a fight truly broke out again, it would likely involve the Vampire Army, leading to a full-scale war.
Tony was pressed for time. He needed to quickly arm himself. Fighting Vampires, while seemingly exciting, wasn't a big problem as long as one wasn't bitten. The Vampire Clan was renowned worldwide; aside from their mythical Ancestor whose true depth was unknown, their pure-blooded descendants could all be killed.
It wasn't until Agent Coulson called him to ask him a few questions that he realized such a massive commotion had already been stirred up so quickly.
"Mr. Tony, not only have major organizations learned of this now, but this matter has almost spread throughout the entire Underworld, and many people have come to know you because of it."
Agent Coulson's tone remained gentle as he recounted the events to Tony. S.H.I.E.L.D. had also tried to find out who was leaking the information, but the other party was very cautious, leaving not a single trace.
Tony was both surprised and somewhat enlightened.
"Someone is scheming against me; I just don't know who," Tony said.
He wasn't foolish, but having only recently stepped into the Supernatural World, he still habitually judged many things with his Mortal way of thinking. A veteran who had experienced many things would not harbor wishful thinking; only inexperienced novices who hadn't seen much of the world would.
People like Agent Coulson, who had played with schemes and intrigues for most of their lives, almost instinctively calculated gains and losses.
Thinking carefully, from the Administrator he casually found, to the attack on the road which delivered a large number of heavy weapons to him, and finally, his confrontation with the Vampires—someone was indeed plotting against him, and seemed to be afraid he wouldn't have enough firepower, even arranging for people to deliver weapons to him mid-way.
Not to mention that strange phrase, "For the glory of the Vampires"...
Someone was secretly instigating him to go to war with the Vampires.
"Mr. Tony, do you have any clues? We can use our resources to help you find the person behind this." Agent Coulson was highly proficient in psychology, keenly grasping Tony's inner thoughts. He understood that what Tony most urgently needed now wasn't to know who that person was, but rather a faction and background he could rely on.
Even if this faction and Tony were mutually using each other, both sides could accept it.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had been silently observing Tony, understanding what kind of person he was. To describe him with a somewhat inappropriate term, he wasn't a good person; killing and destruction were no longer remarkable matters to Tony. But he was an individual leaning towards Lawful Neutral. As long as there wasn't a deep-seated enmity, he was someone one could reason with.
Otherwise, Tony could have easily gone to Professor X and Magneto, where he would be freer, and they would surely be very happy to accept such a Fellow Mutant.
Tony didn't originally need to stubbornly guard his house. After all, it was located in New York City, with numerous cameras on every road. A person living in a metropolis effectively consented to being secretly observed. This wasn't limited to Tony alone; almost everyone living in a large city, once they stepped out of their homes, was exposed to cameras. Everyone knew this.
Therefore, The Authorities and Tony shared an unspoken understanding. They no longer tampered with Tony's house, fully respecting Tony's privacy, and Tony wouldn't openly cause trouble in front of The Authorities. This was a comfortable arrangement for both parties.
In reality, there was indeed a large number of people within The Authorities who held goodwill towards Tony, this nascent Level Four Mutant, and their numbers were considerable. They advocated for actively reaching out to and winning over Tony, bringing him into government agencies, and even building a special task force with Tony at its core.
Of course, individuals like General Ross certainly harbored more or less malice towards Tony.
This isn't to say that The Authorities' personnel were easy to deal with. Look at the situation: Which High-Level Combat Power was as agreeable as Tony? Professor X's domain was practically an independent kingdom, Magneto remained isolated overseas, ignoring The Authorities entirely. The Super-Soldier Program had repeatedly suffered setbacks. The official agencies found it incredibly difficult to recruit a Superpowered Individual.
They were desperate for a trump card that could suppress everything.
(end of chapter)
