Tony had always been the center of attention, the protagonist wherever he went. This was the first time he had experienced being ignored. But faced with the gleaming bathroom laid out before him, Tony finally gave up resisting and obediently darted inside for a nice, comfortable shower.
After his shower, Tony changed into the same beach outfit Sherlock had prepared for Yinsen, put on a huge pair of sunglasses, climbed into the bed of the Raptor, and lay down beside Yinsen to wait for departure.
With the roar of the engine, the Raptor started up again, and everyone finally began their journey home. Tony and Yinsen could not get enough of the endless yellow sands and brilliant blue sky.
Though it all seemed rather monotonous to Sherlock, to the two poor bastards who had been trapped in a pitch-black cave for so long, everything was beautiful. Even the blazing sun overhead, hot enough to fry the oil out of a person, looked adorable to them.
Though the vehicle bounced violently across the desert, especially for the two unlucky men in the back whose asses were nearly shattered, they still enjoyed every second of it. They even shamelessly claimed that it made them feel alive.
In response, Sherlock and the other three rolled their eyes so hard they nearly reached the sky.
Compared to the search for Tony, the return journey was undoubtedly much faster.
When Sherlock's Raptor drove into the military base once more, Tony in the truck bed nearly drew the attention of every soldier in the entire base. If Rhodes had not stepped in, Tony might have been gawked at like a zoo animal at the gate for quite a while.
As for Rhodes, after cracking a joke about Tony's happy wagon, he had a doctor give Tony a quick examination before preparing to stuff him onto a plane and send him back to the United States.
After all, Rhodes truly could not bear the worry of keeping Tony here any longer. God knew how agonizing the past few days had been for him.
As for Yinsen, Tony had originally planned to bring him back to the United States as well. But Yinsen refused. In his own words, this was his home. Rather than going to the United States, he wanted to stay here and become a doctor without borders.
Tony could only offer Yinsen his heartfelt wishes and tell him to call if he ever had any problems. Yinsen did not refuse, and so they parted ways right there at the base.
The only issue was Sherlock's group.
Sherlock's group had been invited back by S.H.I.E.L.D. Now that the mission to find Tony was over, they should logically have boarded S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plane back to New York.
Yet just as Sherlock, John Wick, and the others were about to board the plane S.H.I.E.L.D. had arranged, Tony forcefully insisted that Sherlock come with him, saying he would personally send Sherlock's group back to the United States.
What was more, Tony offered terms no one could refuse.
To Sherlock, Tony promised to modify Sherlock's Raptor. While guaranteeing its comfort, Tony swore he could turn it into something even more badass than a Baja racer.
To John Wick and his wife, Tony promised them a trip they would remember for the rest of their lives, with every expense covered by Tony himself. They could have another romantic honeymoon in Los Angeles.
As for Doro, Tony simply threw out the promise of a gourmet feast and an entire family of oranges. This little foodie drooled a stream at Tony's offer and naturally had no intention of refusing.
And so, tempted by Tony's capital—otherwise known as money power—Sherlock's group practically defected as a whole and decisively boarded Tony's plane.
Even after Tony's plane had taken off, Hawkeye, who was still waiting for Sherlock's group in the cabin, found it incredibly strange. Why had they not boarded yet? Were they really not in a hurry to go back?
Meanwhile, while Hawkeye waited in the cabin for Sherlock's group and pondered the task Black Egg had assigned him of recruiting Sherlock, Sherlock was already aboard a plane high in the air, curiously looking around and touching everything like a country bumpkin.
But Sherlock could not really be blamed for acting that way. After all, even across both his lives, this was the first time he had ever seen anything like this!
Sherlock had seen private jets in novels and movies in his previous life, of course. Naturally, he was curious beyond belief.
Yet after Sherlock finished touring Tony's private jet while carrying Doro, only one thought remained in his mind: Fuck rich people!
Sherlock had thought that achieving financial freedom already made him wealthy enough. He had never expected Tony to be the textbook example of an obscenely rich bastard!
Who the hell would have thought there was a bedroom on a plane?
More importantly, judging by the signs of use, that bastard Tony had seemingly, possibly, probably, maybe actually joined the mile-high club!
After touring the plane, whenever Sherlock looked at Tony sitting across from him, there was nothing in his eyes but intense contempt—along with even more contempt!
The words "obscenely rich bastard" were practically carved onto Sherlock's face. He did not need to say a word; anyone could see exactly what Sherlock meant.
Compared to Sherlock's behavior, John Wick and his wife were undoubtedly far more normal. Or, to put it bluntly, the two had already become completely immersed in their own little world thanks to the premium alcohol Tony had provided.
If Sherlock and Doro had not been present, and if Tony, the owner of the plane, had not been in the cabin, the two of them might already have run off to the bedroom at the back of the plane.
Tony naturally understood Sherlock's look. After hesitating for a long while, he finally spoke to Sherlock.
"Sherlock Flamel, first, could you stop looking at me like that? Second, I want to know what relationship Annie Flamel and Nick Flamel have with you."
Hearing Tony's words, Sherlock did not stop looking at him like he was some obscenely rich bastard. His contemptuous expression merely gained a hint of confusion.
"My parents. Why?"
Sherlock skipped Tony's first question and simply answered the second.
Upon hearing Sherlock's answer, John Wick and his wife, who had been immersed in their own world, both pricked up their ears. This was the first time Sherlock had mentioned anything about his family.
As for Tony, after receiving Sherlock's reply, the look he gave Sherlock grew increasingly complicated. After taking a deep breath, Tony continued.
"Do you remember whether your parents ever worked at Stark Industries?"
"Of course!"
Sherlock did not avoid the question. He answered Tony openly and honestly. After all, his parents were already dead. Tony could not possibly make something out of that, could he?
But reality immediately slapped Sherlock in the face. After hearing Sherlock's casual answer, Tony's expression grew even stiffer. He opened his mouth several times before finally taking a deep breath and continuing.
"Back when your parents worked at Stark Industries, they were very close to me. So whether you believe it or not, when you were born, I became your godfather at your parents' invitation.
"After your parents died in that plane crash, your guardianship had actually remained in my hands all along..."
"What?!" ×3
Before Tony could finish, the three people present all cried out in shock. Sherlock in particular looked at Tony differently after hearing those words.
Before you continue