Chapter 396: Chapter 396: Iron Man's Cooperation
Even though Robert could currently use telepathy to communicate with Peter Parker and the others, he couldn't see through buildings with his eyes. If the distance was too great, contacting Peter and the others would take time. Using technology would be more convenient.
Additionally, Robert knew that after Tony Stark met Peter Parker and the others, he had learned their true identities. This would allow Tony Stark to connect with Peter and the others, facilitating communication and cooperation during extraordinary events.
Robert wasn't thinking about the Avengers, even though he knew Nick Fury wanted to form a superhero team. This wasn't his motivation for getting everyone in touch.
In the Dragon Ball world, the Z Fighters also worked together to face various crises, provided the threat was significant but not overwhelmingly so. Otherwise, some Z Fighters wouldn't be able to participate in the battle.
"Alright, you're not with us much anyway, so it doesn't make a big difference," Susan Storm said, smiling and nodding at Robert's suggestion.
"I'm just worried that once we're in college, we won't have the same opportunities to train in the wilderness. Plus, the academic pressure will be much greater than it is now," Lorna said, frowning slightly. High school coursework wasn't challenging for her, but she couldn't guarantee she'd have enough time in college.
Pietro had privately mentioned that he wanted to follow Robert's example and not attend school at all, feeling he wasn't cut out for academics.
However, Lorna didn't agree. She believed that even as they stepped into the extraordinary world, they should have their ordinary lives. Unlike Robert, who was fully immersed in the extraordinary world, most people should have a balance.
Also, just because Pietro and Lorna currently had no financial pressure didn't mean they never would. Thriving in the extraordinary world didn't guarantee an income, as evidenced by Constantine's struggles.
For Lorna, the best solution was to have a public identity and continue engaging in the extraordinary world secretly. This idea was inspired by Clark's dual identity as Superman.
"It's fine. You'll have your lives. If you have time, you can continue your activities. If not, you can live your lives," Robert shrugged. While he had gathered the Z Fighters, he didn't intend to keep them all in the extraordinary world.
Everyone should choose their preferred way of living. Just because Robert liked the extraordinary world, training, and fighting didn't mean he expected everyone to follow suit.
Moreover, he had seen people leave the extraordinary world to live their lives. Krillin, Yamcha, and even Androids 17 and 18 had done so. Yamcha, for instance, couldn't keep up with the main powerhouses and spent most of his time living his own life, except during reunions.
So, if Peter Parker or Barry Allen wanted to leave the extraordinary world, Robert wouldn't stop them. Just like he didn't force Susan Storm and Lorna to stay when they initially struggled with fighting demons.
However, Robert had higher hopes for Peter Parker and Barry Allen. It would be a pity if they left the extraordinary world, even though their current strength placed them at the bottom of the Z Fighters.
"Robert's right. Even Tony Stark has his own identity. We can't just stay in the extraordinary world. It's only a part of the world, not the whole," Susan Storm said, nodding in agreement and looking at the others.
"Balance your lives yourselves. I'll go find Tony. Take care of Peter; he shouldn't take long," Robert said, disappearing in a flash.
Kara wasn't with the Z Fighters and didn't join the conversation. She was at home, feeling it was better to stay there with Clark injured and Lana away caring for him on the wilderness island. She had no urgent matters and knew she'd have less time at home once she started college.
Yes, Lana already knew about Clark's injury. Sudden weather changes without any sign of Clark worried her, and Robert couldn't keep it from her. Since Clark was mostly out of danger, letting Lana go to him provided peace of mind.
Meanwhile, at Tony Stark's place, Jarvis didn't stop Robert from entering through the roof. Seeing Robert, Tony's eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, "You're here? I was about to find you. Did you solve the ice giants after the fireball vanished? Did you fix the weather?"
"Yes, the ice giants are completely dealt with. There might be some left in the universe, but they're not a threat anymore. Their leader is dead, their elite warriors are gone, and their artifact, the Casket of Ancient Winters, is destroyed," Robert nodded, no longer considering the ice giants a threat.
"What?! That ice box is destroyed?" Tony Stark exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Yes, why?" Robert asked, puzzled by Tony's reaction. He didn't understand why Tony was so surprised, as he hadn't interacted much with the Casket of Ancient Winters.
"I wanted to study it. The frost power might've inspired new ideas. This is the first time an extraordinary item caught my attention," Tony sighed, explaining to Robert.
"Oh, there was nothing I could do. Even if I'd known, I couldn't have stopped it. I was at a standoff with the last frost giant and the Casket when Superman charged in and blew them both up," Robert shrugged, indicating it wasn't his responsibility.
"Superman? How did he appear? He hadn't shown up before. I thought something had happened to him," Tony said, frowning. He knew Robert and Peter Parker's identities but hadn't connected Clark to Superman.
Tony hadn't guessed this connection, finding the idea of Robert's brother being Superman hard to accept. Such knowledge would cause a major stir among official organizations, as both Robert and Clark could each destroy a country. Together, they could potentially destroy the world.
This was due to the official organizations' underestimation of Robert and Clark's power.
"The abnormal weather was his doing. He was worried the temperature fluctuations would cause more harm," Robert explained, seeing Tony still didn't know Clark's identity. He didn't feel the need to reveal it. Tony discovering the truth on his own was a different matter.
"That makes sense. He did a better job than I could've. No wonder he didn't show up during the event; he was handling more important things," Tony nodded, understanding. "He's been criticized a lot, especially by some officials who didn't step up but still wanted to bring Superman down. It's quite laughable."
"It doesn't matter. I don't think he cares," Robert shook his head. "I need your help with something."
"What? You need my help?" Tony was surprised. While he didn't see Robert as omnipotent, he didn't think there was anything he could help with, except for money. Despite transferring funds to Robert and discovering through investigations that Robert didn't need much money, Tony felt money was his only advantage over Robert.
"Do you need money?" Tony asked directly.
"No, I need a discreet communication device for Peter and the others," Robert explained. "They'll be going to college soon. I'm not attending, and they won't all be at the same place, so they need a convenient communication tool to stay in touch during extraordinary events."
"Also, you should keep a set of these devices. If they encounter public extraordinary events, you could help manage them."
Robert could have asked Jor-El to create the device, but Jor-El couldn't handle the publicity and extraordinary event fallout.
Previously, Peter and the others fought demons in secluded areas, rarely exposing themselves. But in college, spread across different locations, maintaining their hidden identities during extraordinary events would be challenging. Tony Stark was the best person to manage the aftermath.
"A communication device? No problem, leave it to me!" Tony's eyes lit up. "Your idea aligns with that of the bald director. This gathers a group of superheroes or extraordinary people together. Are we some kind of Avengers?"
"The name doesn't matter; what we do is important. Those official organizations with ulterior motives joining wouldn't benefit Peter and the others," Robert said seriously.
"Exactly. That's why I haven't agreed to join. I have money, technology, official connections, and public influence. Why would I work for someone else?" Tony said. Working with Robert's stronger team, where cooperation didn't mean taking orders, was more appealing than joining S.H.I.E.L.D., even if Fury claimed the Avengers were independent.
Moreover, Tony didn't like Nick Fury, who failed to act in crises but always sought benefits. Stark knew S.H.I.E.L.D. had hidden powerful artifacts but used them only once, against Robert, and failed.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s record is rather low," Tony concluded.
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