Tony stood where he was, watching the orange sparks vanish completely into the desert air, then looked down at the satellite phone and the slip of paper with a number written on it in his hands. He folded the paper, tucked it into his pants pocket, and pressed the satellite phone's dial button.
The call connected quickly. James Rhodes's voice came through the receiver, carrying a soldier's briskness and a trace of barely restrained anxiety. "Hello? Who is this?"
"It's me," Tony said, his tone regaining that trademark Stark nonchalance, as though he had just woken up in a hotel suite rather than standing in the middle of a desert blasted black by explosions.
There was a second of silence, followed by a muttered curse, then Rhodes's rapid breathing. "Tony? Where the fuck are you? We've been looking for almost two months! Where are you right now?"
"Afghanistan." Tony glanced down at the reactor still glowing faintly in his chest and added, "I can't give you exact coordinates. I'm near some sand dunes right now. Trace this phone."
"Trace is running. Don't hang up, and stay put." There was obvious relief in Rhodey's voice before his tone turned serious again. "How did you get a satellite phone? Where the hell have you been these past two months?"
"That's a long story," Tony said, his gaze passing over the spot where Yinsen had disappeared. "Get me home first. Then I'll tell you."
Just over an hour later, a military helicopter landed near the dunes. Rhodey was the first to jump out, running toward Tony in long strides. He looked over the bruises and blood on Tony's face and his oil-stained tank top. His lips moved, but in the end, he asked nothing, only patting his shoulder more gently than usual. "How was the 'Fun-Vee'? Next time, you ride with me. Okay?"
Tony heard the worry beneath his old friend's teasing and offered no retort, only a soft chuckle. "Next time, you drive."
"Let's go," Rhodey said, his gaze passing over the satellite phone in Tony's hand without asking where it had come from.
Tony followed Rhodey onto the helicopter and closed his eyes amid the deafening roar of the rotor blades.
After a brief rest and cleanup at a US military base, Tony Stark left Afghan airspace aboard a military plane.
On the plane, Rhodey sat opposite him and handed him a bottle of water. Tony took it, unscrewed the cap, and drank a mouthful without saying anything. His gaze rested on the clouds outside the window, his thoughts unknown.
Kennedy International Airport, New York. The military plane came to a stop on the runway, and the cabin door opened. As Tony stepped out, the first thing he saw was the figure standing beside a black luxury car.
Pepper Potts wore a smart skirt suit, her hands clasped in front of her. She stood very straight, but her reddened eyes gave her away. Happy Hogan stood behind her. The moment he saw Tony, he broke into a grin, his eyes a little red as well.
Tony descended the boarding stairs and walked up to Pepper. His face was still bruised, the cut at the corner of his mouth had scabbed over, and the suit hastily found for him at the base did not fit very well.
He looked at Pepper's red eyes, fell silent for a second, then spoke. "Your eyes are red," he said, his tone still carrying that trademark Stark nonchalance, though his voice was a little softer than usual. "Tears of joy for your boss who made it back alive?"
Pepper looked at him, her eyes reddening further, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
"Tears of joy. I hate job hunting."
Tony chuckled. "Well, looks like the vacation's over."
Pepper's gaze passed over the injuries on his face. She paused, then said, in a tone that brooked no refusal, something Tony had heard countless times in his life and never listened to. "You need to go to the hospital for a checkup."
Tony shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."
His voice left no room for negotiation.
Then he raised his head and looked into Pepper's eyes.
"I've been locked up for three months. There are only two things I want to do right now."
Pepper instinctively frowned, as though anticipating something inappropriate.
"That's enough."
"Not what you're thinking," Tony corrected her. "First, I want a cheeseburger."
Pepper froze for a moment, then sighed helplessly.
"Second-"
"I said-"
"I want you to call a press conference right now."
Pepper was stunned. When she recovered, she frowned as though wondering whether she had misheard him.
"A press conference?" She blinked. "Oh my God, why would you do that? You should be going to the hospital!"
Tony did not answer. He glanced at Happy, who was still standing there in a daze. "Happy, drive. Cheeseburgers first."
The main hall of the New York Sanctum.
The television was on. A news channel was broadcasting a hastily arranged press conference live. On-screen, reporters packed the entire hall, their flashes so dense they resembled a silent downpour.
Lynn sprawled on the sofa with his legs crossed, holding a can of soda.
Yinsen sat beside him, leaning slightly forward, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the screen.
On-screen, Tony Stark entered the press room.
The injuries on his face and hands had received basic treatment, but the bruises and scabs were still clearly visible.
He held a cheeseburger, more than half of it already eaten. Rather than approaching the podium, he walked straight to the floor in front of it and sat right down.
His posture was so casual that he might have been chatting with friends in his living room rather than holding a press conference.
The camera zoomed in. Tony took a bite of his burger, looked up, swept his gaze over the roomful of reporters, and spoke. "I never got to say goodbye to my father. There are so many questions I wanted to ask him. How did he feel about what his company did? Did he ever struggle with it? Did he ever have doubts? Or was he just the man we saw in the newsreels?"
"I saw young American soldiers die right in front of me. They were killed by the very weapons I created to protect them."
"I realized I had become part of a system with no accountability whatsoever."
"My eyes were opened. I realized I could do more than make things that only blow up."
"So, effective immediately, Stark Industries will permanently shut down its weapons manufacturing division."
The press room fell silent for a moment. Then every reporter rose at once, camera flashes erupting as cries of "Mr. Stark..." drowned out everything else.
The room was in an uproar. Tony Stark stood at the center of the chaos and unhurriedly finished the last bite of his burger.
Yinsen's eyes grew slightly red.
"He's figured it out!" he said softly, a slight tremor in his voice.
"Yeah." Lynn's voice came from beside him, but his tone was not quite right. Yinsen turned to find Lynn staring at the television with an expression so complicated it defied description. He looked pleased, yet also as though someone owed him eight million.
"What's wrong?" Yinsen asked.
Lynn pointed at Tony Stark's face on the screen, lit up by camera flashes.
"You know what? I actually forgot!" Lynn said, his voice filled with anguished regret. "I missed a chance to become a billionaire! I actually forgot about Stark Industries' stock price!"
He tipped his head back and gulped down some soda, then crushed the empty can with a series of cracks.
Yinsen looked at his expression, which practically screamed I missed out on a billion. The corners of his mouth twitched, and in the end, he could not hold back a quiet laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" Lynn tossed the empty can into the trash. "I'm serious! I missed a chance to get rich overnight!"
On the television, the press conference ended in chaos.
Yinsen's gaze followed the retreating figure, the gratification in his eyes yet to fade.
Lynn shook off his regret, stood up, and stretched.
"Forget it. Yinsen! Let's get something to eat first. Afterward, I'll ask Wong to lend me some money... I mean, nothing can go wrong with the next phase of my investment plan."
Yinsen stood and followed him. After a few steps, he glanced back at the television.
The screen was replaying the earlier footage, freezing on an image of Tony Stark sitting on the floor eating a burger.
Yinsen looked away and followed Lynn into the Sanctum's corridor.