The entire armor test was exhilarating.
Nine brand-new battle suits take turns taking to the air, accelerating, dashing, becoming invisible, and unleashing devastating firepower.
The rapid tearing of air currents, the heavy armor withstanding impacts, and the stealth armor disappearing into thin air—each suit of armor's characteristics was brought to its fullest potential. The roar of the high altitude, the streaks of fire, and the sharp sound of metal cutting through the wind intertwined, creating a scene that was both shocking and explosive.
Lynn stood on the ground and watched the whole thing unfold, his eyes filled with genuine amazement.
The armor system that Tony and Ivan have developed has completely transcended the limitations of single-combat applications, covering all battlefield dimensions such as raids, assaults, high speed, stealth, and support, truly achieving comprehensive coverage without any weaknesses.
The test was completely over, and all the armored vehicles returned to base in turn, landing safely back in the warehouse and lining up.
Lynn sincerely praised, "You're truly amazing. Your two weeks of seclusion have completely created a new era of armor systems. Each one has its own dedicated battlefield. There are no useless parts, no filler pieces. Looking across the entire Earth, no one can withstand your technological onslaught."
Tony was pleased to hear this and, unusually, didn't become overly arrogant. He simply raised his chin slightly, tacitly accepting the praise.
Ivan relaxed his tense expression, and the white parrot on his shoulder lazily nuzzled his neck.
After a brief pause, Lynn glanced at Natasha beside him, then turned to the two of them and said goodbye.
"I really enjoyed watching it today. But I'm going to leave now."
"It's been too long since I've been back to Kamar-Taj. I've been slacking off in the building the whole time. I should go back and see the Ancient One, and maybe sort out my current state."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lynn raised his hand and made a sweeping motion in the air, and a portal slowly formed, leading to the courtyard of Kamar-Taj.
Natasha stepped forward, ready to accompany them.
But just as Lynn was about to step into the portal, he suddenly stopped.
Something he had forgotten suddenly came to mind.
Wanda and Pietro, the Maximoff siblings.
Stark weapons, Sokovia's hatred.
With a surge of thoughts in his mind, Lynn flicked his finger, and the newly formed portal instantly collapsed and vanished.
Natasha paused, glancing sideways with a puzzled look.
Lynn didn't explain, but turned and walked back to Tony step by step, all the casual smile on his face completely disappearing.
This was the first time he had been so serious and solemn in front of Tony.
The air fell silent instantly.
Tony noticed the change in his expression, raised an eyebrow, put away his joke, and waited for him to continue.
Lynn looked up and stared directly into Tony's eyes. His voice was calm, yet each word was heavy and clear.
" Tony, I need to ask you something."
I know your bottom line and your past.
Lynn said calmly, "Throughout your life, you've only been responsible for developing weapons technology, never for selling them abroad or interfering in the military trade. All Stark weapons sales have been handled directly with the military, with the primary goal of protecting the homeland and deterring foreign enemies, never for slaughtering civilians or instigating war."
"But you know very well that Obadiah bypassed you, kept it from you, and secretly broke into your military supply channels to resell large quantities of Stark weapons. This allowed military equipment that should have been used for defense to flow into war-torn regions and be misused on battlefields where it shouldn't have been."
Tony's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded gently, his tone carrying a hint of past self-relief. "I know. Those were Obadiah's side jobs, unrelated to my original intentions."
Lynn nodded and continued, his tone devoid of emotion, yet every word pierced the heart:
"There are two children in Sokovia."
"Years ago, during a period of turmoil, a Stark Industries shell landed in their home. Their parents died instantly, right before their eyes."
"Houses collapsed, war raged, and two children, not even ten years old, were trapped in the ruins."
"They were trapped in the ruins, in darkness, hunger, and fear, for two whole days."
"And pressing down on them, just inches away, was an unexploded bomb bearing Stark's name."
"Those two days, the bomb didn't explode, but it was more cruel than any explosion."
"It was right in front of the two children, cold and lifeless, threatening to take their lives at any moment."
They were only ten years old that year.
"Those two short days of despair, along with the Stark insignia, were etched into their very bones, becoming an indelible hatred."
Lynn stared intently at Tony, his gaze deep, and slowly uttered the two names.
They are twins.
" Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff."
"They're in Kamar-Taj now."
The air fell completely silent.
All the ease, arrogance, and smugness on Tony's face vanished instantly.
He stood there, stunned, his eyes filled with shock, bewilderment, and a heavy sense of guilt that he could not hide.
Lynn looked at him, her voice finally falling, carrying a firm plea, and also a chance for redemption.
"I saved their lives, pulling them out of the abyss of war and homelessness."
But I can't save their hearts.
" Tony, I want you to produce evidence of Obadiah's unauthorized trafficking, and show the sincerity and remorse you deserve. Personally redeem those two children whose lives were destroyed by a bomb, blinded by hatred."
The sea breeze rustled through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room, stirring up fine metal shavings and dispelling the lingering heat and noise from the armor test.
Tony remained silent for a long time. He, who was usually eloquent and persuasive, was completely speechless at this moment.
He thought that wrongdoing ended with self-interest and redemption ended with conflict, but he never imagined that in faraway Sokovia, the lives of two children would be utterly crushed by the weapons he created.
Years of hatred, deeply ingrained in their bones.
This is a million times heavier than any public criticism, business crisis, or battlefield defeat.
Ivan put down the calibration instrument in his hand and silently leaned against the control panel, a hint of solemnity appearing in his usually indifferent eyes. He came from the bottom of society and understood best the despair brought by ruins and gunfire, and he also knew best how difficult it was to dispel the hatred rooted in his heart.
Natasha stood to the side, her posture upright, her eyes filled with emotion.
After a long silence, Tony's tense jaw slowly relaxed, and all the restlessness in his eyes faded away, leaving only an unprecedented solemnity and seriousness.
He did not shirk responsibility, make excuses, or use "ignorance" as a pretext.
"I see."
Tony's voice was low and hoarse, devoid of all arrogance and mockery. His eyes churned with layers of complex emotions: surprise, regret, and disgust for his past self. Each word landed heavily on his lips. "I must confess, all along, I've been numbing myself."
"My original intention was never to start wars or slaughter civilians. From beginning to end, I was only responsible for developing weapons technology. Obadiah controlled all of Stark Industries ' weapons sales rights and overseas channels. I never interfered in the slightest. The military equipment I developed was intended for the military to protect the country and deter foreign enemies, but it was abused on the wrong battlefield and became a tool for destroying civilian homes."
He frankly faced his past mistakes, his tone filled with relief and remorse. "I recognized this mistake long ago, so after returning from Afghanistan, I completely shut down all of Stark Industries' weapons research and manufacturing departments, severing all military supply chains. I thought this was atonement, that ending everything would offset all the damage."
"But only today do I realize that my so-called redemption was too shallow and too selfish. I selectively forgot the pain that had already been caused."
Tony's mind was instantly flooded with memories of Obadiah's unauthorized arms dealing and the US military's misuse of equipment, connecting all the details he had previously overlooked. He had always thought of himself as a victim of betrayal, an uninformed outsider, but now, the ten years of suffering his two children endured shattered all his self-justifications.
"So, that was me..." His voice was hoarse and dry, as if his throat was being squeezed tightly, trembling uncontrollably, "... my name on that dud. My... masterpiece."
"It was supposed to be a protective weapon, but it ended up in a remote country, destroying an ordinary home and leaving two children trapped in the dark, cold ruins, facing a missile that could explode at any moment, enduring extreme fear for two whole days."
All his past self-justifications crumbled, and he finally saw clearly how arrogant and ignorant he had been.
He used to think that the fault lay with Obadiah, the arms dealer, and with those who misused weapons.
He looked up at Lynn, his eyes devoid of any pride or arrogance, filled only with utter honesty and remorse. "You're right. What I did before was merely a means to make amends, but I never confronted the lives I indirectly destroyed. I was too arrogant, selectively escaping my original sin."
"I'm willing to go." Tony's tone was unwavering, without the slightest hesitation. "I don't need any embellishment or public relations rhetoric. I'll go to Kamar-Taj myself and apologize to them in person."
"I'll go and organize all the files now."
"I will stand before them in person, without making any excuses or shirking any responsibility. I will tell them the whole truth and offer my sincerest apologies."
Seeing Tony's resolute acceptance of his mistakes and determination to redeem himself, Lynn's tense mind gradually relaxed.
What he wanted was never Tony's guilt and self-blame, but rather this sense of responsibility to face the past and make amends for his mistakes.
"Okay." Lynn nodded gently, her expression softening, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll go talk to those two kids first. Your ability to recognize your arrogance and ignorance, and to confront this original sin, is the best start for them."
Tony nodded solemnly and said nothing more.
Ivan, who was standing nearby, spoke up at the opportune moment, his voice cool and steady. "If needed, I can help you verify the data."
Tony glanced sideways slightly and replied softly, "Thanks."
With the knot in my heart untied, the heavy feeling that had been hanging in the air finally dissipated.
Lynn didn't linger any longer. He raised his hand again, and golden magic runes flowed and rose, slowly forming a new portal that connected to the tranquil snow mountain dojo of Kamar-Taj.
We're leaving now.
Lynn nodded slightly to the two of them, then turned to look at Natasha.
Natasha understood and stepped forward steadily, the two of them entering the stream of light side by side.
The portal flickered and vanished in an instant, leaving only Tony and Ivan in the empty living room of the seaside villa.
Tony stared at the empty hall, a heavy emotion still lingering in his eyes.
He raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes filled with a heavy sense of relief, and murmured to himself, "It turns out that my self-righteous belief in the innocence of my initial intentions was ultimately just arrogant self-deception."
By the time Tony arrived at Kamar-Taj, Lynn had already given Wanda and her brother a general overview of the situation.
Tony stood before Wanda and Pietro, looking at the documents in his hand. He cleared his mind of all distractions and slowly offered his long-awaited apology to the two boys who had endured so much hardship.
He offered no lengthy explanations, made no mention of Obadiah's betrayal, and did not defend his own innocence. He simply looked at Wanda and the other woman's young faces and spoke each word with heavy sincerity:
"I apologize, not because Obadiah lied to me so I can be absolved of responsibility. I apologize because I did the most unforgivable thing: I created a monster without proper oversight, watching it tear your childhoods apart."
He slowly raised his head, his arrogance and sharpness gone, replaced by a look of almost pleading sincerity in his eyes as he gazed directly at the brother and sister before him:
"I don't expect you to forgive me. But I want you to know that the Stark you hate, like you trapped in the ruins, is a product of my arrogance and ignorance."