Heroism

As dusk fell, a heavy smog gently settled on the horizon, casting a mysterious hue over the otherwise magnificent sunset. As light shone through the smog into the ward, Stark, backlit, had a hazy halo of light spreading behind him.

Schiller stood on the other side of the bed, Connors came over with a syringe. The two discussed the data in hushed tones. Schiller turned to look at Obadiah, who was lying on the hospital bed, and then at Stark, who was sitting opposite him.

He kept his head down, his brown eyes hidden in the shadows of his eyelashes, like the sun trapped in a cage.

Stark rested his elbows on his knees and covered his mouth with his hand, his gesture indicating that he didn't want to speak, but his voice still escaped through his fingers, Blade and hoarse.

"... I saw a lot of things, the past and the future. I saw many versions of myself, and their different life trajectories."

His tone rose slightly for the first few words: "You may not believe it, but I understand all the truths and all the secrets."

His breath fell onto his hand, and Stark could clearly see the change in his breath when he lowered his eyes.

"Perhaps it was only a brief moment, but that moment felt endless to me. I saw everything I wanted to see."

He One Hand, raising the first few fingers and then putting them back down. "I saw Howard."

As clouds swept across the horizon, the light suddenly dimmed, and the tremor at the edge of Stark's voice carried a strange Magic Power.

In the hazy mist where the sunset and smog intertwined, Stark walked into a bustling expo. There he saw the man whose image in his memory had become somewhat blurred, standing next to a hovercar, introducing his great invention.

Stark left with the crowd, exited through the back door of the expo, and stepped into a dimly lit laboratory. The man there, holding a shield, was chatting happily with Steve.

After the laboratory lights went out, there was a violent shaking, a sharp screech of brakes, and a loud explosion...

The fragments froze, the sparks solidified, and time flowed backward. In the laboratory, Stark picked up a framed photograph of Howard and Obadiah, when they were both young.

When the lights in the lab came on, young Obadiah walked in, and Howard warmly embraced him. The two of them talked all night about those great inventions.

When Stark heard about their brilliant ideas, he was captivated, not because of their sheer power, but because he had never experienced such a friendship with these two, never had such a soulmate with whom he could talk all night long.

After the violent screech of brakes and the explosion, Obadiah's figure began to grow thinner, and more and more white hair appeared on his head. Stark saw that after he hung up a phone call, he began to tremble all over, as if he were triumphant, as if he were guilty, as if he had gone mad.

Stark stood in the lab as Howard walked past him, waving to Obadiah. Steve was adjusting the shield handle. A moment later, Pepper walked in while talking on the phone, and Schiller sat at the lab bench, twisting light bulbs.

Peter walked in carrying a steaming breakfast. The laboratory floor trembled violently, and a giant lizard monster leaped in. In an instant, it transformed into the refined Dr. Connors. Connors reached out and handed a syringe to Stark.

Stark looked up and saw Connors and Schiller both watching him. Connors reached across Obadiah's bed and placed the syringe in front of him.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will wake up after completing the last course of treatment," Schiller continued. "In addition, his lifespan may be extended, and his mind and body will become younger."

Looking at Stark's expression, Schiller said, "You should be deeply suspicious by now, because when you heard the news, you found yourself not happy."

"You're pondering why this is happening. You suddenly realize you're not as magnanimous as you appear. You might also be wondering if there's any real kinship between you and Obadiah, or if it's all because of someone you'd rather not mention..."

"Don't try to read my mind." Stark looked up at Schiller, and for the first time ever, Schiller didn't argue with him, because he understood that Stark was no longer simply the Iron Man of this universe.

The moment he became the One, many things changed.

Perhaps the energy consumption of the magic reactor prevented this moment from lasting too long, but fundamentally, the Stark in front of him had already understood the whole the Truth.

Stark stared silently at Obadiah, while Connors and Schiller remained silent.

Once this genius, cursed by knowledge, has seen through all the Universal Truth, he will no longer be troubled by those trivial emotions, nor will he be overwhelmed by the surging tide of sentimentality.

Therefore, he will be able to make every judgment that affects his life clearly and be prepared to take responsibility for it, without needing anyone to remind him.

After the clouds on the horizon drifted away and the light shone in again, Stark stood up, leaned over and pulled the blanket over Obadiah, then said to Connors, "Let's proceed with the final stage of treatment."

Schiller said nothing. He pressed a button, and the Doctor and nurse came in. Stark walked out of the ward against the flow of people, and Schiller also went out. The two stood by the door.

Stark asked him, "You're the 'The One' too, aren't you? You knew all this all along, you knew how it happened, and how it will develop in the future—something the One can do..."

Schiller glanced at Stark and said, "In that instant, you should have been able to choose to become the One, so that the energy of the magic reactor would no longer hold you back."

"The One are the One, and they will no longer need any energy to maintain their status. But why didn't you do that?"

Stark suddenly chuckled and said to Schiller, "You want me to do that, don't you? You've given me a battery that allows me to break through these barriers and reach a higher level..."

"Perhaps you think that no one can resist such temptation, to instantly ascend to the highest level, see through all the Truth, and feel that everything is under control, and to become an Eternity god as long as you give a positive answer."

"You influenced Strange, you influenced the Sorcerer Supreme, you influenced Asgard and Odin, you influenced the Cosmic Demons, all so that I could make the right choice at that moment and become the One in the universe."

"So you must be very disappointed now. I wasted this opportunity and have turned back into a mortal..."

"I'm pretty good at psychology, right?"

Stark turned to look at Schiller. Behind them was the doorway filled with the sunlight of the setting sun, which framed their figures like silhouettes. The orange-red background was more vibrant than any color a painter could mix on a palette, almost overflowing from the canvas and spreading to the walls and floor.

"You have indeed surprised me somewhat." Schiller lowered his head, but his tone was calm. He said, "But long before you, someone taught me a lesson."

"Pride is a deadly poison. Whether a god or a man, when he believes he has the ability to change all situations, influence everyone's Destiny, and manipulate everyone as pawns, he is not far from death."

"This Pride will devour all humanity, causing people to lose their most precious wisdom and emotions, and become an externalization of rules and order. Whether you believe it or not, I have never thought of doing this."

"I am an ordinary person, and always have been."

"Actually, I don't know what I was thinking." Stark looked up, some light filtering through his hair, making his eyes sparkle, and the chain-like shadows seemed to have completely disappeared from him.

"You probably won't believe it, but when I learned that I could become the One in countless universes, merging with all the others, making all Stark my avatars and projections, when I knew all this..."

Stark looked down. It was as if he were still standing on a towering mountain peak, surrounded by a biting wind, with a sky full of stars behind him. It was an indescribable and ineffable space, and he saw that all the universes were beneath his feet.

Several Shade rushed toward him, about to merge into one, becoming a unique existence in the universe, free from so many Destiny, memories, and histories.

But the next second, Stark spread his arms and jumped down without hesitation. The Shade chased after him, but were blocked by the barrier of the Single Universe.

"... I refused this promotion."

"Is it difficult?" Stark asked himself and answered, "No, not at all. There's nothing to hesitate about."

"No matter how many difficulties those emotions and wisdom bring me, it is not a reason for me to abandon them. No matter how ugly human nature is, it is still a part of me, not dregs that need to be eliminated."

"A perfect and lonely God can never be more noble than a vulgar and bustling human being."

"You are indeed a hero," Schiller's voice rang out. "Because there is only one kind of heroism in this world: to see the Truth of life and still love it."

As his voice faded, the clouds suddenly dispersed, and the bright orange-red background in the picture frame darkened, like cooled steel, and the two figures slowly sank into the darkness.

"Beep—beep—"

A piercing machine whistle rang out from the ward, followed by a commotion, then someone shouted, "He's awake! He's awake!"

Interlude 2260-005, Card.