Chapter 130: Doctor Octopus

At the main experimental building of Umbrella, reporters from major media outlets swarmed in...

Today was undoubtedly a major event that would shake New York. Stark Industries, under immense public pressure, was about to form a preliminary strategic partnership with this emerging research institution that had just gained a foothold in the biomedical industry.

One was an established industry giant at the pinnacle of its field, the other a rising young star. No one had expected these two geniuses to join forces to challenge the traditional energy sector and promote new energy solutions. The news exploded like a bomb, instantly capturing the attention of insiders and outsiders alike...

The reporters seated in the audience weren't focused on Dr. Otto Octavius delivering the speech. A nuclear physicist alone couldn't generate this much buzz.

Most were here for Tony Stark and Sean Cyphers, two frequently compared geniuses now teaming up to challenge the old energy order. That was the real headline!

People loved stories like this, straight out of fiction. Just as they endlessly speculated about the feud between Edison and Tesla, no one truly cared which of the two great minds was right or wrong, or who had been the true villain in the long-running "War of Currents"...

The truth rarely mattered to the public. They preferred carefully packaged legends.

Take Tony Stark's popularity for instance, not every New Yorker was a die-hard fan of Stark Industries. More often, they were far more interested in hearing which cover models the playboy had bedded this month.

"Umbrella welcomes you all. Today, you will witness the birth of a new energy source... safe, efficient, capable of providing uninterrupted power to cities, and most importantly, incredibly affordable."

The stocky Dr. Octavius stood on stage, a massive screen behind him alongside a metal machine shrouded by a red curtain. Gripping the microphone, his round face couldn't hide his excitement.

"What the hell is that thing?" Tony leaned backstage, looking utterly bored.

He was supposed to be in Monaco for the Grand Prix, where he was a member of an elite club.

"Mechanical arms developed by Dr. Octavius. Like your J.A.R.V.I.S., they assist him in nuclear fusion experiments, withstanding high temperatures and magnetic forces during the process," Sean replied calmly.

The two should have been the stars of this press conference, yet here they were chatting behind the scenes. Tony was tired of the reporters' endless questions, while Sean maintained his usual low profile, preferring to remain an ordinary spectator unless absolutely necessary.

"You don't look so good. I heard playboy Stark has turned over a new leaf. Guess the tabloids got it wrong again," the young man teased.

A glance at Tony's neck beneath his collar revealed increasingly prominent blackened veins, clear signs of worsening palladium poisoning. Unwilling to remove the arc reactor and the shrapnel in his chest, death would come for him sooner or later.

"Do I look that bad?" Iron Man laughed, though his makeup couldn't fully conceal his ashen complexion. "Probably just overworked and underslept." he reasoned.

Lately, he'd been obsessively upgrading the Mark armor. His botched debut against Doctor Doom still rankled, prompting numerous enhancements to the suit's capabilities.

"You sure those octopus tentacles are safe and controllable?" Tony watched as Dr. Octavius strapped on the AI-powered mechanical arms, skepticism in his voice.

The four heavy mechanical tentacles were directly controlled by Octavius through neural interfaces, with nanoprobes connecting to his synapses for seamless movement.

"Relax. The Red Queen oversees the arms. Even if Dr. Octavius loses control, nothing will go wrong," Sean assured confidently.

This wasn't the original timeline. Here, the nuclear fusion experiment wouldn't damage the inhibitor chip, turning Octavius into the infamous "Doctor Octopus" controlled by his own creation.

With Skynet's computational models correcting minor errors in Octavius' calculations, the artificial sun project had already succeeded. Now, they just needed to showcase the results before the media's flashing cameras.

"The Red Queen?" Tony's interest shifted from the stage to Umbrella's AI.

"Similar to your J.A.R.V.I.S. She's a capable little girl managing Umbrella's operations and security systems," Sean said with a shrug.

As they chatted, Dr. Octavius began the nuclear fusion demonstration. The hall darkened, curtains drawing back to reveal a peculiar metal device.

"Time for the main event." Octavius brimmed with confidence.

After countless tests and calculations, his team had finally achieved this lifelong dream.

"The key ingredient; highly rare tritium, of which only 25 pounds exist worldwide. All thanks to Umbrella and Sean's generous support!" The tentacled doctor made sure to flatter his young employer.

With deft movements, a tiny yellow crystal was extracted.

Donning protective goggles, the four-armed scientist initiated the reaction. Beams of light struck the suspended tritium, triggering a rapidly expanding orb of energy... a miniature sun.

"Nuclear fusion achieved." The display indicators stabilized, prompting congratulations from Octavius' assistant.

Applause erupted, camera flashes popping incessantly. The nervous doctor shared a relieved smile with his wife, their faces alight with joy. Fame and accolades awaited.

"Impressive work," Tony admitted grudgingly, the glow highlighting his pallor, "Still not quite my arc reactor, though."

Sean gazed contentedly at the blazing orb as his hand outstretched as if grasping the sun itself. While he could absorb multiple energy forms, some whimsical part of him still cherished warm, life-giving sunlight. If he ever met that Kryptonian, would he mistake Sean for one of his own?

"I need a break in Monaco. When my expo opens, I'll invite you as guest speaker... Edison and Tesla, huh? Reporters really have wild imaginations." Tony smirked dismissively.

He was Iron Man, one of a kind. Only tabloids desperate for sales would peddle such nonsense...

"Perfect timing. When you return, I'll introduce you to another weapons manufacturing prodigy," Sean said, his smile unreadable.

Tony snorted, sliding on sunglasses, "That title is cheap now? There are only two types of geniuses... Tony Stark, and everyone else."