After Christmas, New York was buzzing again as people were back to work again. It seemed peaceful like everything that happened on Christmas Eve never happened in the first place!
People just ignored the news anchor’s rant on the television.
Dio was also one of the people who ignored the news, as he was already knew everything that happened.
After a week, Dio grew impatient as Tony has not come or contacted him yet about the money.
Dio began to suspect that Tony has brushed off the bill completely.
But right after the New Year rolled around, Tony showed up at the restaurant.
“I haven’t seen you in a while, I thought you ran away with my money!” Dio said while showing his signature smirk.
“Well, I had to take care of a few problems that! But hey, I have the good news for you! You can keep the green vegetable juice to yourself for now. I don’t need it anymore as I am already cured!” Tony said while taking his sunglasses off and showing Dio his new Arc Reactor before it was circular and silvery-white in color, now it was triangular and blueish-white in color.
Now, Tony didn’t have to restrict his diet anymore as he was free of Palladium poisoning! He could go back to eating a cheeseburger every day without getting scolded by Pepper about his sickness, and he didn’t have to order the pricey vegetable juice that Dio sold anymore!
Dio was indeed surprised that Tony could come up with the new element for his Arc Reactor this fast, he thought that he could sell some more of that Vegetable Juice for Tony.
“This is indeed a little bit disappointing on my end, so who is the one helping you find the new element? Is it the SHIELD? Nick Fury, perhaps?” Dio asked curiously.
“Why? Can’t I find it myself?” Tony said annoyedly, he felt that Dio underestimated him.
“But I did get help for this, I can’t deny that the SHIELD contributed quite a bit in this matter.” Tony said grudgingly.
He found the new element thanks to his father’s data that Nick Fury left behind for him earlier, he refused to read them at first, but after the incident with the fake Abomination, he was desperate to find the new element as fast as possible!
Tony was surprised to see his father has already researched the effectiveness of the Palladium as a source of the Arc Reactor Energy, but he was also surprised that his father had also predicted that Palladium would become toxic in a long term use and already theorized the new element that would be safer to use!
Tony also couldn’t forget the last message that his father left at the end of the videotape that he found.
Howard Stark said that Tony was his greatest creation!
The sentence kept playing on his head, as Tony never really felt his father love!
“It seems that my vegetable juice has lost its only buyer. Congratulation, Tony! Would you like to dine in to celebrate?” Dio said while showing Tony his signature smile again.
“Hmm, of course, I want a glass of your Green Vegetable juice! It’s not that I need it to prolong my life anymore, but I really like the taste!” Tony said casually.
“Sure, it will still be $2.000.000 though!” Dio said with his signature smile.
“Fuck you and your greed!” Tony said while showing Dio his middle finger.
But he still paid for it!
Dio casually walked into his kitchen after receiving $ 2.000.000 from Tony and prepared the green vegetable juice for Tony to drink, this time adding the [Pearl Jam] only for the taste!
“Well, with that out of the way, how would you like the last treatment fee to be settled?” Dio said, reminding Tony of his debt.
Tony, who was still drinking his tasty beverage, almost squirted the juice out! He was surprised that Dio would ask for the money without any courtesy like this!
“I will pay for it, don’t you worry! Just send the new bill to my company, and Pepper will handle it later!” Tony said annoyedly. He finished his vegetable juice and immediately got up, ready to leave.
“Why do I feel that you don’t really want to pay? Are you blowing me off?” Dio said accusingly.
Dio was determined to look Tony up if he dared to say yes!
“Are you joking? Do you know who I am? I am Tony Stark! The owner of Stark Industries, that bill of yours was only a small amount of my fortune!” Tony said confidently.
Now, Dio was a little bit annoyed by Tony’s exaggerated tone, but he was still unsure whether Tony didn’t really want to pay or he just didn’t care!