Before yesterday, Tony Stark would have classified that word as some kind of stage effect. But now, after seeing an orange ring of light appear out of thin air in the desert with his own eyes, along with these things, he did not immediately argue. He simply fell silent for two seconds, then waved a hand and stopped dwelling on it.
"All right, magic," he said, his tone seven parts skeptical and three parts curious. "Whenever you feel like talking, I'll listen to your explanation. But wherever you came from, you saved Yinsen and indirectly helped me, so I'll sort out your identity."
He took out his phone and swiped twice across the screen. "I'll have Pepper handle it for you, through the fastest channels. Birth certificate, Social Security number, passport, all taken care of, completely legal and aboveboard. Within a week. Put my name down as your guarantor."
Lynn blinked. "Just like that?"
"Just like that." Tony put his phone away.
"Then there's one more thing." Lynn sat up straight, picked up the phone on the coffee table beside him, spun it around his fingertips, then lit up the screen. On it was footage of Tony Stark in free fall. He held the phone out a little, pointing the screen squarely at Tony's face.
"Mr. Stark, what are you planning to do about this video?"
Tony stared at the image of himself plummeting through the air, trailing black smoke, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He reached for the phone, but Lynn pulled it back first, moving absurdly fast.
Tony took a deep breath and raised both hands in surrender.
"Name your terms."
"Oh, thank you, generous Mr. Stark." Lynn put the phone away. "You just promised to sort out my identity, and I'm not asking for much. How about taking care of housing while you're at it? This place is nice, but it isn't mine, after all. I can't keep sponging off Wong for food and lodging forever."
Tony lowered his hands and looked at him, his expression somewhere between exasperation and amusement. "You're telling me you went to all this trouble just to get me to find you somewhere to live?"
"Any kind of house will do, as long as it's livable."
Tony stared at him for three seconds, then shook his head, though the corner of his mouth curled up involuntarily. This guy's shamelessness reminded him of someone. Himself, to be precise.
"Deal," he said. "I'll handle the house. In exchange, even if you don't delete that video, you have to promise never to show it to anyone."
"A classified Stark Industries file. It will never be leaked. I swear!" Lynn raised his right hand, his tone utterly solemn.
Tony stood up and adjusted his suit collar.
"All right, I'll have Pepper look into the house and let you know when there's news. Before Yinsen goes back..." He looked at Yinsen. "Are you planning to stay here, or come with me?"
"I'll stay here," Yinsen said. "Master Wong doesn't say much, but he takes good care of me."
The sound of a page turning came from upstairs. No one spoke.
"That's settled, then." Tony nodded, then turned to Lynn, a completely different spark of excitement in his eyes. "Since I'm giving you a house, I might as well show you the owner's taste. Come with me. I'll show you two my real lab."
Lynn rose from the couch, perking up. "Tony Stark's private lab?"
"More than that!" Tony headed for the door. As he pushed it open, he glanced back at them, his eyes carrying a familiar gleam unique to geniuses. "I'm going to build another suit of armor. Lighter, stronger, capable of flying higher-the Mark II."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, let's go!" Lynn pulled Yinsen to his feet and headed for the door. Passing the stairs, he shouted up, "Wong! We're heading out. Remember to save us some food!"
Wong turned a page without raising his head. "Mm."
Outside the Sanctum, Tony started the silver sports car. The roar of its engine echoed along Bleecker Street. Lynn opened the passenger door and glanced back at Yinsen, who had already taken a seat in the back without prompting.
"Let's go." Tony gripped the steering wheel, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Let me show you what real technology looks like."
The silver sports car sped along the coastal highway, with cliffs on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Tony held the steering wheel, his mouth just as busy, talking the whole way about which alloy he would use for his new armor and how many percentage points he would increase the reactor's power output by. Lynn sat in the passenger seat, responding every now and then.
The car turned onto a private driveway lined on both sides with neatly trimmed palm trees. An ultra-modern mansion appeared at the far end, its panoramic glass curtain walls reflecting a cold gleam in the sunlight. Tony parked, pushed open the door, and got out, walking with quick, hurried strides, with no intention of introducing his guests to the mansion's layout.
"Keep up," he said without looking back.
Lynn and Yinsen exchanged a glance and followed. As they passed through the high-ceilinged living room, Lynn caught a glimpse of the ocean view beyond an entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. He wondered whether the house Stark found for him would have even half as good a view.
Tony did not linger in the living room. He led them straight to the door of the underground laboratory.
"Welcome to Tony Stark's private lab," Tony said, undisguised pride in his voice.
Lynn followed him down the stairs. The instant he stepped into the lab, his breath briefly caught.
The entire space was dim, yet illuminated by the faint blue and cool white light of countless precision instruments, with vast glass walls framing the azure Pacific Ocean.
The place was full of signs of everyday life. Most eye-catching of all were the robotic arms clustered around several sleek supercars, brimming with the beauty of modern industry.
At the very center, a rotating 3D hologram was projected in midair, with all sorts of complex exploded component diagrams, energy data, and dynamic structural diagrams flowing before their eyes. Just then, an elegant British baritone rang out right on cue: "Welcome to Stark's private workshop. Would you like a cup of coffee?"
Yinsen stood at the entrance and slowly looked around. His lips moved, but no words came out. Compared with this place, the scrap metal and welding equipment in the cave were practically Stone Age tools.
"JARVIS," Tony said, his voice carrying the familiarity of an owner addressing a creation he took pride in, "welcome our guests."
"Good evening, sir, and our two guests." A deep, polite British voice came from the ceiling, spreading evenly throughout the space, neither too loud nor too soft, but just right. "Welcome to Mr. Stark's main laboratory."
"You two now have low-level access to the lab." Tony walked to the central workbench and swiped a finger across the hologram. The armor's exploded diagram instantly expanded, every component clear down to its screw holes. "That means you can walk around, look at things, and ask JARVIS questions, but you can't go touching the equipment. Especially you." He looked at Lynn. "Don't cast any weird spells in here."
Lynn raised both hands in a show of innocence.