Druid in the Marvel Universe Chapter 54: Stark's Gift

An old Ford pickup truck drove into the affluent area of Long Island, New York.

There weren't many cars on the road, but every vehicle that passed by Alvin honked in greeting. This left Alvin a bit puzzled.

Ginny, sitting in the passenger seat, was softly humming along with the car stereo. The little girl's voice was very pleasant, even though she couldn't quite remember the lyrics. But as long as she could hum the tune correctly, that was enough.

Alvin affectionately ruffled Ginny's little head, making her fluffy hair a bit messy. But Ginny didn't mind at all; she pushed the hair away from her face with her small hands and gave Alvin an incredibly sweet smile.

The truck drove down a deserted tree-lined path and stopped in front of an estate gate. Before Alvin could contact Stark, the iron gate automatically opened.

Alvin followed the road inside the estate and drove for another five minutes before stopping in front of an old-fashioned building.

Stark and Pepper were already waiting at the bottom of the steps for Alvin.

Alvin stopped the truck, walked around the front, and opened the door for Ginny. The little girl, dressed in overalls, jumped out of the passenger seat. She grabbed Alvin's right hand with both of hers and leaned back.

Alvin used his right hand to lift Ginny up, swinging her in the air. The little girl let out a bell-like laugh, shouting, "Daddy, higher!"

Hearing Ginny's request, Alvin swung his right hand forcefully, sending little Ginny flying up before catching her. The excited girl rubbed her dad's face with both hands, giggling.

Stark, holding a large dog, approached with Pepper, who had a look of envy in her eyes.

From a distance, Stark kicked the dog and occasionally issued commands, trying to make the dog act fierce to give Alvin a scare.

Unfortunately, the usually fierce Caucasian Shepherd was completely out of character today. It lowered its head and wagged its tail, trying to get closer to Alvin.

After several failed attempts, Stark glared disappointedly at Happy, who was standing far away. "What kind of lousy dog did you buy?"

Happy, rubbing his bitten butt, decided not to approach. Every time he saw Alvin, something bad happened.

Alvin petted the dog that Stark had dragged over and said with a smile, "Mr. Stark's way of welcoming guests is really unique. Next time, I'll have Thor and Dom be a bit more enthusiastic with you."

Stark laughed nonchalantly, reverting to his arrogant, punchable self, and said, "Buddy, welcome to my home, Stark Manor."

He then glanced at Alvin's old pickup truck and mocked, "How did you even get that antique on the road? The only place it belongs is in a museum. Buddy, it might be older than you."

Alvin shrugged indifferently and said, "I thought it was quite popular. A lot of people seemed very enthusiastic when they saw it on the road." He then put Ginny down, and the little girl, unable to resist the big dog, struggled to get down and play with it.

Stark smirked and said, "They probably thought you were one of those rich guys who love collecting junk. Oh, look at this heap of metal; it really shouldn't be in my estate. It lowers the class of the place." He then gestured for Alvin to follow him. "Maybe when you leave, you can pick a real car from my garage. Consider it a gift from me."

Suppressing the urge to punch Stark in the nose, Alvin said, "So, you called me here today just to give Ginny a big dog as a gift?" He looked at Ginny, who was wrestling with the dog's neck.

Understanding Pepper signaled that she would take care of Ginny, allowing Alvin and Stark to go about their business.

Stark, annoyed, glanced at the disobedient dog and said, "I called you over to give you a gift and to get your opinion on something!" With a smug smile, he led Alvin into the estate's basement.

At the basement door, Stark, feeling a bit proud, said, "Although it's a bit impolite, I think you'll want to see the gift first."

Stark placed his hand on the door, and the old wooden door flashed a blue light, scanning Stark's palm. A pleasant male electronic voice said, "Hello, Mr. Stark." The door then slid open automatically.

Entering the door, Alvin saw what looked like a futuristic mechanical workshop. There were machines he couldn't understand and impressive mechanical arms filling the basement.

A large piece of white cloth covered a big object, which Alvin guessed was what Stark wanted him to see.

Sure enough, Stark quickly walked over to the big object, grabbed the white cloth, and said, "Buddy, come and witness the greatest invention of this century, your gift." He then pulled off the cloth, revealing the big object underneath.

Alvin looked at the humanoid armor in front of him and marveled at the difference between a genius and an ordinary person. In just a few days, Stark had upgraded and rebuilt the armor he had made in the Afghan black prison into a more perfect version.

Standing at 2.5 meters tall, the originally terrifying mechanical frame had been replaced with superior materials, making it slightly slimmer but more technologically advanced. The joints were no longer rough metal but materials and structures Alvin couldn't understand, giving it a very high-tech appearance.

The cold gray shell had a matte finish, with sharp edges. Stark's genius had given the armor a watercolor-like paint job, making it look like a warrior returning from a smoky battlefield, stained with gunpowder.

Alvin admired the masterpiece of modern science and technology in front of him. The skull-shaped helmet and robust appearance, along with the giant axe at its feet, gave it a "fierce" and "violent" label.

This was a mech designed for combat; it didn't belong anywhere but the battlefield.

Alvin, amazed, examined the killing machine and looked at Stark, saying, "Buddy, don't tell me this is the gift you mentioned?"

Stark, looking smug, finally regained his confidence in front of Alvin, seeing Alvin's shocked expression.

Stark laughed heartily and said, "Buddy, that's right. This is the gift from the genius Mr. Stark. I think you'll love it."

Alvin stepped forward, touched the cold armor, and felt its terrifying aura. He turned to Stark and said, "Why? Are you trying to woo me?"

Stark jumped back in horror.