Tony's Return

Contacting Mystique was indeed a simple matter for Lu Yifang, and although Mystique didn't exactly care for him, her loyalty to Magneto was genuine.

So despite frowning deeply at Lu Yifang's request, she agreed because of Magneto's earlier orders.

After that, Fury used the stage he'd set up to have Mystique appear as Tony—just a secret appearance, meeting with those so-called major shareholders, no public press conference. Even so, Mystique's appearance was brief; she left quickly, which was naturally Fury's intention—only by mixing truth with falsehood could he make those in the shadows grow more restless.

Of course, Lu Yifang didn't participate in the aftermath, because something far more concerning had completely captured his attention.

"What? You've awakened as a mutant!" Lu Yifang stared in disbelief at the girl on the hospital bed.

"I guess so? I don't know how it happened either." Katie said, reaching her hand toward the bedside cabinet. Under Lu Yifang's gaze, her hand passed right through it.

"You really did awaken an ability." Lu Yifang grabbed Katie's hand. At first it felt solid, but the next moment it passed through his grip like a hologram.

Though surprised, Lu Yifang calmed down after a moment. Mutant awakenings had no pattern to them at all. Some people deliberately joined experiments, tortured by various drugs to the brink of death, nearly cremated and left disfigured before tragically awakening. Others might just sneeze, sleep, and wake up awakened.

"This ability is... Shadowcat!" After a moment of silence, Lu Yifang blurted out without thinking.

"Shadowcat? What's that? A title? Sounds pretty cool." Katie asked, puzzled.

"Since you like it, it's yours. Every mutant has a title named after their ability besides their own name, and many mutants even consider that title their true name." Lu Yifang explained, looking at Katie with a complicated expression.

He knew Shadowcat's name was Katie, but he hadn't expected this Katie to be the Katie he knew. Clearly, this deviated from the plot he remembered, but after the Liberty Island incident, if he still followed the plot one hundred percent, he'd be truly brain-dead.

A single butterfly flapping its wings could trigger a tornado, let alone this world where X-Men and Avengers were fused together. Such variables were perfectly normal.

"Then I'll gladly accept it. I really like the name Shadowcat." Katie smiled happily.

But just as she was about to say more, she let out a muffled groan and yanked her hand back as if shocked.

"What's wrong?" Lu Yifang asked quickly, sensing his own ability had activated automatically.

"Sorry, that was an involuntary reflex—I couldn't control it. Are you okay?"

"No, I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have touched you. I can't control my ability right now. Luckily, you're not afraid of it, or I'd blame myself forever." Katie said, pulling back the sheet. Beneath it, the mattress was full of finger-shaped holes.

"Did you make these while testing your ability?" Lu Yifang stared at Katie in surprise.

It sent a chill through him. He couldn't help but marvel at how domineering a Space-type ability was—phasing through objects and then solidifying to destroy them. Truly overbearing.

If Lu Yifang's reflex hadn't automatically triggered, instantly repelling Katie's solidifying hand, his own hand would have been severed by hers.

"Every newly awakened mutant is the same. Don't rush—this is your ability, like birds born with the talent to fly. With time and practice, you'll master it." Lu Yifang comforted her.

He knew Katie's ability was far from limited to this. If she kept growing, she might even touch the realm of time.

"Then can I go to that Mutant Academy?" Katie asked.

"Of course. Professor X and the others are good people—they'll welcome you. With Professor X's rich experience helping you, you should get familiar with your ability quickly." Lu Yifang said seriously.

So in the time that followed, he began explaining the Mutant Academy to Katie.

At a military base on the outskirts of New York, an Air Force transport plane landed safely. A man who looked utterly exhausted was helped down the ramp by a black officer, walking slowly.

The man stared at everything before him, his eyes full of confusion. A feeling of being reborn into another world washed over him, as if everything he'd encountered in the Middle East had been a dream.

But the cold, hard thing against his chest reminded him that this nightmare was real. It had left its mark not just on his body, but on his heart, something he would never forget.

His time in captivity hadn't been long, but it had permanently changed his beliefs and everything he once stood for. He was Tony Stark, but no longer the Tony Stark of before.

As Tony stood dazed, a blonde woman with slightly reddened eyes walked over.

Looking at this familiar woman dressed as a secretary, warmth surged in his heart, and a complex flood of emotions swelled within him.

"Your eyes are red. Crying for your long-missing boss?" Though he had so much to say, this was what came out.

His tone was flat, lacking the flashy flair of the old days, but carrying more sincerity.

"Tears of joy. I don't want to lose my job." Pepper Potts wiped the corner of her eye, speaking with a tsundere tone.

"Alright then, your vacation's over." Tony smiled and got into the car.

"To the hospital." Pepper said to the driver as she climbed in.

"I don't want to go to the hospital."

"Don't be difficult, Tony. You have to—"

"Nothing is a must." Tony turned his gaze to Pepper.

"I was held captive for nearly three months. Right now, there are only two things I want to do. One is eat an American cheeseburger, and the other is—"

"No!" Pepper immediately refused. Knowing Tony well, she guessed that after brushing with death, her playboy boss was probably thinking about a pool party again.

But this time, she was wrong. After those three months in captivity, the man before her was vastly different from the Tony Stark she remembered.

"I want to hold a press conference immediately." Tony said with utmost seriousness.

Half an hour later, Tony arrived at the prepared press conference venue as he'd wished. As he stepped out of the car, a bald, white-bearded old man greeted him. He was the second-in-command of Stark Industries and Tony's close uncle, Obadiah.

"Tony, I thought you'd go to the hospital." Obadiah hugged Tony.

"No, I'm fine." Tony took a burger handed to him by an assistant and strode into the press conference.

Looking at the crowd of reporters waiting for a big story, Tony sat down on the steps of the stage without any dignity, taking a big bite of his burger.

"Can everyone sit down? That way you can see me, and I don't have to be so formal."

Looking at Tony, who was completely disregarding his image and his strange reasoning, the reporters hesitated for a moment before all crouched down. After all, this genius and second-generation rich kid was famous for his eccentric temperament—nothing he did was surprising.

"It's good to see you," Tony said, looking at Obadiah.

"I never had the chance to see my father, so there are some questions I can no longer ask him. I really want to ask him now how he felt about what the company did, whether he was ever lost, whether he ever doubted himself." Tony spoke, his voice thick with resentment toward his father. Whether in his memories or in the present, that man had always let him down, time and time again.

"I see a lot of young American compatriots being killed, killed by the weapons I created to protect them. I've realized I've become part of this system..."

As Tony spoke, he sank into his memories. The reporters before him and the spacious press conference venue began to fade. In a daze, he felt as if he were back in that hopeless, dark cave. In his field of vision were the arrogant terrorists, the weeping women and children, and the various weapons bearing the Stark Industries logo surrounding the terrorists.

He seemed to see the doctor who had saved him again, watching him die in his arms, his face full of regret and unwillingness. All of this made Tony feel suffocated.

He closed his eyes and fell silent. A few seconds later, when he opened them again, his gaze had become resolute.

"So~ I'm shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International!"