74 The Meaning of a Superhero

"Superhero, huh..." Tony Stark chuckled lightly, almost as if mocking himself.

"A superhero wouldn't get knocked out in front of a crowd"

"Only to be saved by a stranger... Maybe I should rethink this whole Iron Man thing."

"No one can avoid failure, Mr. Stark, even if they're Iron Man." Kagura Hitomi replied

"The world needs Iron Man. His purpose has never wavered."

"That's the problem, Hitomi," Tony Stark interrupted her.

"Iron Man's meaning isn't about whether I can beat Ivan. It's a symbol, and once that symbol is broken, Iron Man becomes just another weapon."

He stared at Kagura's golden eyes, as if finally finding someone to confide in.

"Hitomi, you should understand. Iron Man isn't just the suit, or the arc reactor, or even me—it's a symbol."

"In the past, people in war-torn or unfortunate places could only suffer in silence."

"But with Iron Man, they had someone to rely on, someone who could make the bad guys think twice."

"I didn't need to be everywhere. As long as Iron Man existed, the world knew that as long as he was out there, the villains would hide in fear."

"But things are different now. Now, there's this freak in an exo-skeleton who beat Iron Man in front of everyone. Maybe I survived, maybe I'll beat him next time, but the symbol of Iron Man is shattered."

"Now, everyone knows Iron Man isn't invincible. He can be beaten. Once that thin technical barrier is broken, the next villain might be even worse than Ivan."

"Anyone with the same tech as Ivan could fight Iron Man on equal terms. I've tried everything, but I can't see how to improve Iron Man. This seems to be the limit of the arc reactor and the suit technology."

"One Ivan might be manageable, but if next time they send an army of Iron Man-like soldiers, what am I supposed to do?" Tony sighed deeply again.

"Hitomi, the public opinion and the safety committee are right. If Iron Man can't protect the world alone, the tech behind the suit should be shared."

"So you just gave away Mark 2?" Kagura asked.

"Yeah." Tony nodded.

"The arc reactor tech will eventually spread. The suit itself is just another weapon. For everyone's safety, Rhodey and the military need it."

"But Iron Man isn't just a weapon, that's what you said, Mr. Stark." Kagura responded seriously.

"This self-destructive attitude isn't like you. You're the one who is Iron Man."

"That was true when Iron Man was unique, but now, anyone could become Iron Man."

Tony's voice grew more heated.

"I've done the math, tested everything, and there's no more room for improvement. The idea of Iron Man is over. Forget it, Hitomi. Thanks for your concern, but a superhero... maybe that's just a dream."

He looked disappointed. "Maybe 'Flash Blade' could do better than Iron Man."

"No, Iron Man isn't finished yet." Kagura shook her head firmly.

"Mr. Stark, Iron Man's meaning doesn't come from the suit or whether the arc reactor can be maintained."

She raised a hand and lightly touched Tony's chest.

"Iron Man's meaning is here."

Tony froze, as if those words had struck a chord.

"If you take off the suit, you're nothing. If you just give up because someone else is your equal, then you don't deserve that suit, Mr. Stark." She continued.

"But I believe in you, Mr. Stark. You are Iron Man. No one is more deserving of wearing that suit than you."

"Superheroes don't have to win all the time. Even the strongest will have a day they're beaten. People believe in Iron Man, not because he's invincible, but because he gives them hope."

"Wow..." Tony Stark whispered, as if Kagura's words had unlocked something inside him.

He lowered his head, deep in thought, and after a long pause, he raised his head again, his eyes starting to regain their spark.

"Hitomi, can I hug you?"

"Eh?!"

Kagura blinked in surprise.

"Come on, I just really need to thank you."

Tony smiled, moving toward her with open arms.

"Thank you, you saved me, you saved Iron Man."

"No... no, wait!"

Kagura's face flushed bright red as she pulled back slightly.

"This... This is not the place!"

"Is that so? Then how about a pat on the head?"

Tony smiled and gently patted her head.

"Hitomi, meeting you has been such a blessing! Thank you, you saved me, you saved Iron Man."

"Mm!" Kagura smiled.

"It's my honor to help you, Mr. Stark."

"You're right. I shouldn't give up. That's exactly what Ivan would want."

Tony straightened up, took a deep breath, and smiled confidently for the first time in a while.

"Alright, I think it's time to end this damn party and get back to figuring out Iron Man's future."

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Stark, speaking of that..."

Kagura twirled a strand of her silver hair, a mysterious smile crossing her face.

"Huh? What is it?"

Tony asked, intrigued.

"I might have some information on how to further improve the arc reactor tech."

She smiled, "I can't give you the tech directly, but I know someone who can."

"Who?"

Tony was shocked and then became very interested.

"Your father, Howard Stark."

"...Huh?"

Tony blinked, surprised, then shifted to a more comfortable position.

"You don't seem like you're joking, but I should remind you, my father has been dead for many years, and I don't exactly have fond memories of him."

"I know." Kagura nodded.

"But sometimes, even great people, though gone, can still bring us new knowledge. Remember when SHIELD came to me asking for the tech outline for the suit and the arc reactor?"

"Mm-hmm?" Tony nodded.

"I saw that report, but it didn't have the tech details. What does that have to do with improving the arc reactor?"

"After SHIELD got the report, they started investigating the source of the tech, and the result was..."

Kagura leaned closer to Tony's ear and whispered softly,

"The Palladium Arc Reactor isn't the full arc reactor tech."