Fine snow continued to fall, the wind in the Tennessee suburbs was biting cold, the withered grass on both sides of the road was covered with a thin layer of snow, and there was no one around. Harley, carrying the potato gun, walked ahead with steady steps, leading Tony step by step toward the scene of the bombing deep in the town.
Upon arriving at the open area where the incident occurred, charred marks from the explosion remained on the ground, which was cracked and in a state of chaos.
Harley stood still, pointed to the charred center, and recounted to Tony, word by word, what he had seen with his own eyes, the entire story of the explosion.
"The explosion occurred in the middle of the night without any warning. In an instant, the flames illuminated the entire outskirts of the town. Instead of the loud bang that a conventional bomb would produce, the shockwave was unusually strange, with frighteningly high temperatures that directly scorched the nearby soil into vitrification."
"Furthermore, no gunpowder residue was left at the scene. The police searched for a long time but could not find any bomb fragments or the source of the explosives."
Harley crouched down, tapping a hard, shiny black lump on the ground with his fingertip. "Look at this. A normal explosion couldn't possibly do this much damage. This is beyond the capabilities of conventional weapons. Also, only one person died; the police reported it as an accidental death. The deceased's mother should be at the town's pub right now. Do you want to go and ask her?"
Tony bent down to carefully examine every trace at the scene, his fingertips tracing the vitrified scorched earth, his expression growing increasingly grave. No explosive residue, extremely high temperatures, a silent explosion—the methods used by the mastermind behind this were far more cruel and vicious than he had anticipated.
He had already figured out the enemy's hand, and said to Harley in a deep voice, "Thank you, these clues are crucial to me. Next, I'll go to the town pub to question the deceased's mother."
At the same moment, the camera switches back to Stark Tower in New York.
The warm, bright restaurant was softly lit, isolating it from all the cold and strife of the outside world. Several light and delicious home-style dishes were laid out on the table, their steam rising gently.
Lynn and Natasha sat facing each other, quietly enjoying their dinner. After spending undisturbed days and nights alone in Iceland, the distance between them had quietly shrunk. Without the constant surveillance and vigilance of secret agents, and without the barriers of superior-subordinate relationships, the atmosphere at the table was relaxed and warm, with an unspoken understanding hidden in every gesture.
Halfway through eating, Lynn's hand holding the cutlery suddenly paused as this crucial scene from the original story flashed through her mind.
He suddenly remembered that when Tony went to the town bar to gather information, things seemed calm on the surface, but in reality, danger lurked everywhere. Later, when he went to the Mandarin's hideout, there was a deadly sneak attack.
Lynn put down her chopsticks, took out her phone, and dialed Tony's number.
The call connected quickly, and the static of howling wind and snow filled the receiver, along with Tony's slightly tired voice. "What's wrong? You suddenly called, did you change your mind and decide to just tell me the answer directly?"
Lynn didn't mince words; her tone was direct and serious as she directly reminded him, "I forgot to remind you beforehand, you should have already heard the details of the bombing and are getting ready to go to the town bar to see the victim's mother, right?"
Tony was taken aback, not expecting Lynn to know his next move so clearly. After a moment of silence, he replied, "That's right, we're just about to go."
"I have a suggestion," Lynn said firmly, earnestly instructing, "You go with the armor. Also, make sure to protect that boy named Harley with you."
"If you encounter any difficult problems that you can't solve, just have JARVIS contact me, and I'll be there to help as soon as possible."
Although Tony was full of doubts and unsure where the danger might lie, he trusted Lynn completely and agreed without question, "Understood. I'll go back and put on my armor, and take the child back with me."
After hanging up the phone, Lynn looked up at the air and ordered in a deep voice, " JARVIS, monitor Tony's physical condition, armor data, and the surrounding environment continuously. If any danger is detected, report back to me immediately."
"Understood, sir. Highest priority personal surveillance activated." JARVIS's calm electronic voice immediately filled the room.
After arranging security monitoring for Tony, Lynn completely put her worries at ease and looked at Natasha across from her, her expression softening again. The two cleared the table and got up side by side to walk into the private home theater, intending to enjoy a moment of peaceful relaxation during their free time.
This time alone, away from the turmoil, gradually melted away the barriers in Natasha's heart, and made the atmosphere between the two increasingly ambiguous and tender.
The peaceful and leisurely days passed in the blink of an eye, and two days had gone by in a flash.
The theater was dimly lit, and the film was still playing quietly when a piercing emergency alarm suddenly shattered the silence. JARVIS's urgent and serious voice rang out. "Sir, emergency alert! Mr. Tony has encountered a sudden crisis and has been subdued by the enemy, incapacitated. Requesting emergency support!"
Lynn opened his eyes instantly, all traces of laziness vanishing. He was first taken aback, then a helpless, bitter smile appeared on his face. He subconsciously asked, "He was wearing armor the whole time, waiting for orders. I clearly warned him beforehand to be wary of ambushes, so how could he still be subdued so easily?"
He simply couldn't understand how someone could take down a fully armed Iron Man Armor so silently.
JARVIS immediately synchronized all the data from the scene and truthfully explained the battle situation, " Mr. Tony located the Mandarin's hideout villa based on the clues and successfully eliminated all armed personnel inside. Subsequently, Tony opened his helmet and interrogated the Mandarin. Enemy hidden personnel launched a sneak attack from a blind spot, and a nerve agent precisely hit his neck."
"After a long flight and continuous combat, the armor's remaining power was severely depleted, and the autonomous defense system responded late, failing to defend in time. Ultimately, Mr. Tony was knocked unconscious by the drug and completely lost his ability to resist."
After hearing the full reason, Lynn facepalmed, feeling that there were so many things to complain about, but she couldn't find any to say.
As always, Tony can't shake his habit of underestimating his opponents. He lowers his guard after defeating them, and to make matters worse, his armor runs out of power, perfectly setting him up for all the traps.
He stood up, his expression regaining its composure, and immediately issued the order, " JARVIS, in this kind of emergency, Tony's authorization shouldn't be needed, right? Immediately dispatch a fully charged backup suit of armor from the underground lab at the seaside villa and send it at full speed to the location where Tony is trapped for rescue."
He paused, then added, drawing on the plot of the original story, "The opponent's current target isn't Tony, so they won't directly harm him."
Immediately afterward, Lynn's eyes darkened completely as he planned for the upcoming battle. He continued in a deep voice, "Also, the complete set of armors that Tony has been optimizing and iterating should be finished by now, right?"
"Yes, sir, all armored vehicles have completed final testing and are ready for deployment at any time."
"Very good." Lynn tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest, his tone cold and resolute. "Prepare all Iron Man Armor, recharge their power, and overhaul all weapon systems. Tony will need our help soon."