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A few minutes later, James's mother returned from work, completely exhausted. They ate and then retired to bed.

James couldn't sleep out of excitement—not that he needed to, anyway. He was already extremely wealthy, though not quite on par with Tony Stark, the Rands, or Norman Osborn.

Still, he wasn't far off, and unlike them, he had more influence. His company, Smith Industries, operated in far more sectors than theirs.

At the moment, Oscorp focused mostly on energy and military technology, Rand Enterprises specialized in medicine and energy, and Stark Industries dealt in energy, weapons, and a bit of everything—though primarily weapons and energy.

In comparison, Smith Industries was deeply involved in every aspect of the market, from entertainment to technology, space exploration to deep-sea research.

The closest competitor in terms of versatility was Roxxon Corporation, but it was still a fledgling company. Another contender would be Essex Corporation, but no one had heard of it yet.

"Wait, Roxxon is a fledgling industry, Paris!" James called out as he sat up in bed.

[How can I help?] Paris responded, her hologram appearing in the room.

"Can you see if we can buy Roxxon Corporation or at least acquire a controlling share?" James asked.

[Sir, don't you think it's enough? You've already bought most of the known companies in the world—some of which aren't even well-known yet. You own the Daily Bugle, Damage Control—now called Smith Constructions—and hold shares in Stark Industries, Rand, Oscorp, and many others. Each of these shares earns you millions. Why do you still want Roxxon Corporation?] Paris inquired.

"It's not about the money. It's about the authority it brings. Roxxon will become a menace to society in the future. I want to control its actions. I'm trying to make the world a better place, and I can't have a lawless company roaming around," James explained.

He was working to create a world as close to perfect as the Silver Surfer's—a world free of illness, crime, and other societal ills.

But James knew he could never achieve such a world unless he dominated the entire planet, much like Doom ruled Latveria.

With the powers he would gain tomorrow, that could be done easily, but it wasn't the kind of peace he wanted. The peace he envisioned could be achieved relatively easily, but Roxxon Corporation was a company with zero morality.

It was always the one looking for ways to disrupt ecosystems or ruin lives.

[So Roxxon is one of the big bads?] Paris asked.

"Not exactly, but sure, you could say that."

[That can be arranged, but you know your mom is the one handling most of this work,] Paris reminded him.

"Yeah, just forget it. We can deal with it later."

[Wise choice,] Paris said before disappearing. James closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.

=====

Unknown Location,

Vast Nothingness

In a void that stretched infinitely, a young man stood facing a towering golden being. The golden entity was so massive that the young man looked like an ant in comparison.

The being had a three-faced head, with two of the faces covered by cloth.

"Holy shit!" James shouted as he stared at the colossal figure before him.

[You are not of this world,] the giant being said, turning its massive head toward James.

James didn't know how to respond. Just moments ago, he had been relieved to finally fall asleep—something his body didn't need and something he hadn't done in months.

Now, he was standing before the most powerful being in the entire Marvel Multiverse, as its creator rarely intervened.

This being was responsible for overseeing the Multiverse, and it was terrifyingly efficient at its job.

This was the entity James had feared encountering: The Living Tribunal. At the moment, James was confused.

He hadn't done anything to warrant standing before the Tribunal. He hadn't used any of the powerful resources he possessed in the main universe.

Tenth Metal hadn't been introduced to the outside world in any way. James was genuinely baffled as to why he was here—and utterly terrified.