14

Tony was checking the holographic layout of the Titan, and with every turn, he was amazed as JARVIS pointed out technical capabilities he had never seen before. BT also spoke in detail about its own build and provided a more thorough diagnosis.

"Where did you get this thing? Don't tell me you made it yourself," Tony said, now curious, as he was sure the current technology he had seen around couldn't hold a candle to it.

"I never said I made it myself. I'm just riding the shoulders of someone else," Liam commented, unwilling to elaborate further. Tony went into deep thought for some time before speaking again.

"I want to conduct deep research on your Titan and then make some of the tech inside public—of course, excluding the weapons system. This Titan has so many advancements that it will help us a lot. That is, of course, if you agree."

"Do what you want. But clean your house first," Liam replied.

"Uh… I'll take care of it," Tony promised, though he felt a bit sad. He had already seen how Obadiah reacted when he spoke about shutting down the weapons manufacturing. He feared the worst but decided to give this man the benefit of the doubt.

Liam didn't stay much longer and left late at night, leaving BT behind for more in-depth research.

A few days later

The Stark Mansion

"I can't believe Tony Stark himself invited us to his home. Oh my god, I must be dreaming… Pinch me, Liam!" Chris exclaimed as they stopped at the gate of the huge mansion. Bonnie, too, was thrilled.

"Better start believing it," Liam said, remaining nonchalant.

She hadn't expected Stark Industries to invest in their company in such a big way. The board hadn't been happy with the decision, but once Stark laid out all the new inventions he was going to come up with, they fell silent. Unlike the original story, Tony personally took charge this time.

He met with the entire board and presented a plan for the future direction of the company. He reassured them that even if Stark Industries closed its weapons division, it could venture into clean energy and other products. Though the board of directors remained skeptical, they were willing to give Tony a chance to prove himself.

Meanwhile, Tony kept a close eye on Obadiah and noticed how his loyalists on the board were trying to derail him. Thankfully, the vote went in Tony's favor.

He had also started digging into Obadiah's life, and he didn't like what he found. By now, Tony almost fully believed Liam. The last defense Tony had against Liam's claims had crumbled, and he now saw Liam as his savior. Little did Tony know, when Liam said he didn't come to save Tony, he actually meant it.

Liam had really come to save Yinsen. The primary reason was that Yinsen was a good soul, but also because Liam wanted to see if the TVA would ever show up for this man. Today, the three teenagers would officially open their company, and Tony had invited everyone to his humble abode to celebrate the deal.

Even the parents of the three teenagers were flown to L.A. to finalize everything and sign the papers.

"You've climbed the ladder very fast. I'm proud of you," Phil said, approaching Liam.

"And I'm relieved that you're the one running point here in the deal," Liam replied. Phil had first come to apologize to Liam for withholding information about his background, which Liam didn't mind at all—Phil had only been following orders.

"Congratulations on the deal," Phil continued. "You're a millionaire now."

"Not yet. I don't consider credit amounts as real money. Until I have it in my hands, it's not mine."

"Hahaha..." Phil laughed. Liam met many people at the party. He met Pepper, who was handling the guests alone. The party went on for hours and even included dancing. The parents of the teenagers didn't hold back on the dance floor, enjoying themselves to the fullest. Bonnie invited Liam to dance, and he reluctantly obliged. Tony gave him knowing looks from the side.

Though the party was cheerful, Tony wasn't in the spotlight as usual. He kept to himself, occasionally talking to Pepper, Yinsen, and Liam.

Even Obadiah felt unwelcome at the party. He represented Stark Industries, so he could only smile and endure it, but inside, he was fuming. He could see Tony was beginning to suspect something, and he hated how things were progressing.

The party lasted until sometime after midnight, but these were wealthy people with their own lifestyles. Tony invited Liam, his friends, and their parents to stay the night, and they happily agreed.

Later that night, the three of them went down to the garage.

"So how many days does he have to live?" Liam whispered to Yinsen.

"You know about this?" Yinsen was surprised Liam was aware of the palladium poisoning. As the doctor who had performed the original surgery, Yinsen knew the situation well.

"It's not that difficult to figure out. What is he doing about it?" Liam asked.

"He's looking for alternative sources. Tony is now researching your Titan deeply while also working on his own armor," Yinsen replied.

"Hmm..." Liam didn't comment further. He could help Tony by pointing him in the right direction, but he felt there was no need. SHIELD would help him eventually, and Liam had already achieved the goodwill he wanted from Tony Stark.

He knew he had disrupted the timeline by now, and the TVA wasn't coming—at least not yet, or maybe never. Thus, he would have to safeguard some key points of the story. Liam just hung out with Tony for sometime before he went to bed, while Tony continued working. 

This was expected of him since he was running in devil time and had to find his way out of the problem. But before he went to bed, Liam needed to do his everyday routine. Go to his game world.