Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

After Tony Stark left, the ward fell silent, save for the low hum of the medical equipment. Chen Haotian remained in a semi-reclining position, eyes closed, resting, but his mind was racing. His initial encounter with Tony was merely an appetizer; the real test and game had only just begun. He needed to find a breakthrough, a piece of "evidence" that Tony, this extremely arrogant and inquisitive genius, couldn't ignore and that couldn't be explained by current science.

Directly demonstrating his time-traveling abilities is too risky; with insufficient energy and lack of proficiency in controlling them, it could easily backfire. Therefore, the information gap becomes his most powerful weapon. He knows the future, knows the crisis Tony is about to face, and knows the key moments in Iron Man's creation.

Time passed silently. Chen Haotian could feel the energy of the runes within his body increasing extremely slowly, reaching approximately 2.1%. This increase seemed related to his own mental activity and his interactions with the "key figures" in this world. This made him even more convinced that he must establish a deeper "connection" with Tony as soon as possible.

The next morning, Tony appeared again. This time, he was wearing a well-tailored suit, seemingly having just finished dealing with company business, but the scrutiny in his eyes was even more intense than the day before. He didn't exchange pleasantries, but pulled up a chair and sat down on the edge of the bed, his casual posture carrying an invisible pressure.

"How are you feeling? Stark's top-notch medical resources should help you recover faster than expected," Tony said, his eyes sharp.

"It's definitely much better now; at least my brain isn't a complete mess when I'm thinking," Chen Haotian replied calmly. "Thank you for your... generosity."

“Generosity is based on authenticity.” Tony leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped on his knees. “We didn’t go into enough depth yesterday. What else did your mother say about your father, Howard Stark, besides ‘amazing’? Like, what special gifts did he give? Or, what…unusual things did he leave behind?”

This is a more sophisticated trap, attempting to verify the authenticity of Chen Haotian's identity through details. Howard's private life is not entirely without clues, but details about a deeply hidden illegitimate child are extremely difficult for outsiders to know.

Chen Haotian sneered inwardly. His academic prowess, combined with his exceptional memory and analytical skills, allowed him to grasp the key point instantly. A perfectly timed reminiscence and a hint of barely perceptible melancholy crossed his face: "The gift… there was a pocket watch, very old, but it kept perfect time. My mother said it was something he… left on a whim, with 'Time will tell' engraved on the back." He paused, glancing at Tony. "That sounds very much like him, doesn't it?"

Tony's eyes sharpened instantly. He recognized the pocket watch; he'd seen similar design sketches among the old belongings in the mansion. And the phrase "time will tell" was indeed something Howard occasionally uttered. This detail was extremely difficult to forge. His resolve shifted slightly towards the "authenticity of blood ties," but a deeper doubt arose—if the identity was real, what did the timing and manner of this younger brother's appearance conceal?

"It seems our fathers do have some things in common," Tony commented noncommittally, quickly changing the subject to apply pressure from another angle. "What are your thoughts on the future of Stark Industries? Especially... the weapons division."

Chen Haotian knew that the main event was about to begin. He couldn't appear completely ignorant, as that wouldn't match his displayed level of intelligence, nor could he appear overly knowledgeable, as that would backfire. He needed to guide the conversation, to deliver that "prophecy" powerful enough to shake Tony's world.

He frowned slightly, seemingly deep in thought, before slowly speaking: "The weapons department... is the cornerstone of the Stark Empire, but it could also be its greatest hidden danger. Excessive power, if it loses precise control and proper guidance, will inevitably backfire." He looked directly at Tony, his tone carrying a strange certainty. "Like that thing in your chest, it kept you alive, but the toxicity of palladium is slowly killing you. And the miniaturization technology of the Arc Reactor you rely on—the core issue of magnetic confinement field stability—has not yet been perfectly resolved, especially under high-load output conditions, where the energy dissipation rate increases exponentially."

The air in the ward seemed to freeze instantly.

Tony's casualness and scrutiny vanished completely, replaced by extreme shock and a hint of horror at having his core secret exposed. He abruptly stood up, the chair sliding backward with a screeching sound. The area around his chest where the arc reactor was felt seemed to be burning. Chen Haotian's words were like a precise scalpel, dissecting his deepest technological anxieties and life-threatening crisis.

"Who are you?!" Tony's voice was low but filled with danger. "How do you know all this?!" These technical details, especially the reactor's defects, were top secret. Apart from him and a very few veterans who participated in the initial design (deceased or retired), no one else knew them. Even his most trusted Pepper and Rhodes did not fully understand the severity of palladium poisoning.

Facing Tony's sudden burst of pressure, Chen Haotian remained calm, but a hint of understanding and…pity appeared deep in his eyes. He sighed softly, as if stating a helpless fact: "I know far more than this. I also know that you will soon have a trip to the Middle East to demonstrate the so-called 'Jellicoe missile'."

Tony's pupils constricted sharply; the Middle East arms sales demonstration was a recently scheduled classified event.

Chen Haotian continued, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "In that desert, what awaits you is not flowers and orders, but a meticulously planned kidnapping. The Ten Rings Gang will use the weapons you made to attack your convoy. You will be injured, imprisoned in a dark, damp cave, and forced to watch helplessly as shrapnel slowly approaches your heart..."

"Shut up!" Tony interrupted sharply, his face turning extremely ugly. Chen Haotian's description was too detailed, too realistic, as if he had witnessed it himself, giving him a chilling sense of absurdity. This went beyond the scope of information leakage; it was more like... a prophecy.

"Why did you..." Tony's voice trembled slightly, forcing himself to calm down as his mind raced, analyzing all possibilities—advanced hypnosis? Psychological manipulation? Or...

Meeting his bewildered gaze, Chen Haotian slowly said, "As I said, I'm confused too. But these 'scenes' are crystal clear in my mind. Perhaps that's one of the reasons I'm here? To give you a chance to choose before you head towards that predetermined ending?"

He posed the word "choice," seemingly handing the initiative back to Tony, but in reality placing himself in a more detached and mysterious position.

Tony stared intently at Chen Haotian, trying to find any trace of lying or acting on his face, but he only saw a bottomless calm, and beneath that calm, a complex mix of emotions he couldn't comprehend. Shock, doubt, anger, and a sense of absurdity at being played by fate were battling fiercely within him.

Chen Haotian knew that the time was almost right. Too much of a good thing could be bad. He leaned back against the pillows, a hint of exhaustion in his eyes. "Believe it or not. I just... said what I knew. As for how to choose, that's your business." He closed his eyes, as if the earth-shattering conversation had drained all his strength.

Tony stood rooted to the spot, his chest heaving. He looked at the seemingly weak young man on the hospital bed and, for the first time, felt that things were completely out of his control. Technological secrets had been exposed, future encounters had been predicted… The mystery surrounding this suddenly appearing “brother” had not dissipated; instead, it had become even thicker and… more dangerous.

He didn't say anything more, gave Chen Haotian a deep look, turned around and strode out of the ward. The door closed behind him with a heavy sound.

Inside the hospital room, Chen Haotian slowly opened his eyes, a faint, cunning smile curving his lips. The seed of shock had been planted, and cracks had appeared in the dam of trust. Now, it remained to be seen how Tony Stark would process this "spoiler," and... when the rune within him would accumulate enough energy for a "demonstration."

The storm has begun.