"Boss, Tony's here," Motoko Kusanagi's voice rang out. "He rushed into the elevator, and he seems... a bit emotionally unstable."
"Let him in."
Lynn was not surprised.
"A wounded lion cub always needs to find a place to lick its wounds, or... sharpen its teeth."
Tony Stark strode into Lynn's office.
He looked terrible.
His face, which had graced countless magazine covers, was covered in stubble, with sunken eyes and bloodshot veins.
The custom-made suit he was wearing was all wrinkled.
"What would you like to drink, Tony?" Lynn asked gently. "The usual martini?"
"No, I need to be more alert. Give me coffee, the bitterest kind."
Tony didn't sit down; he went straight to his desk.
"I found it, Lynn. I've found out exactly what that bastard with the metal arm is."
Tony didn't even bother with pleasantries, and immediately tossed out a stack of holographic data panels.
"' Rider No. 1,' that was his codename from the underground organization ' Shocker.'"
Tony's voice was hoarse, filled with gritted teeth and hatred.
"He was modified, a manufactured killing machine. But I don't care who he is, or where he ranks in that damn Hydra or whatever Shocker."
He waved his hand, and the holographic projection changed.
The original personnel file has been transformed into a grotesque diagram of a missile structure.
"This is the ' Jericho ' II."
Tony pointed to the deadly weapon, powerful enough to flatten a small town, "A cluster Negasonic Teenage Warhead capable of unleashing a devastating attack covering three kilometers. No matter how tough Barnes is, no matter how fast his reflexes are, under this coverage, he'll only turn to ashes!"
Tony looked up at Lynn, his eyes filled with an urgent desire for confirmation.
"Just one shot. Just let me pinpoint his location, Lynn. I have Stark Industries' most advanced satellite, I have the world's deadliest missile. I'll blow him to smithereens, sending him and that Shocker base behind him to hell!"
The air was silent for a few seconds.
Lynn didn't speak; he simply looked at Tony quietly, his eyes calm.
This calm made Tony feel depressed.
"... what's on your mind?"
Tony's Adam's apple bobbed, and his imposing manner weakened slightly.
"Too cruel? Don't be ridiculous, they killed my parents! Howard! Maria! They were your friends! This is a war!"
Tifa arrived at the office at just the right time, having prepared tea for her boss and coffee for Tony.
" Tony, you're so naive."
"Naive?!" Tony's voice rose. "This is the latest cluster missile!"
Have you forgotten the lessons of Siberia?
"You jumped out of the plane with a jetpack and a dagger, charging at him like a brainless brute. And what happened? If it weren't for S.H.I.E.L.D...."
"You're a frozen corpse now, Tony. You'll become another soul under that metal arm, just like your father. Even worse, because you walked right into their trap."
Tony's expression wasn't very pleasant.
Scenes from the Siberia ice fields replayed in his mind.
That metal arm that so easily crushed his wrist, those emotionless eyes, that sense of powerlessness in the face of death...
That's different!
Tony took a step back and bumped into the edge of the desk.
"I wasn't prepared then! But now I have ' Jericho '! I have weapons! I have..."
"You have weapons, but you are not a warrior."
Lynn interrupted him.
"Those super soldiers, those cyborgs, their battlefield instincts far exceed your imagination. Missiles can destroy a base, but what about a city? What about a civilian area? What if they're mixed in with the crowd?"
"Are you going to blow up half of New York just to kill him?"
Tony opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
He was a genius, but he never thought about these things.
Anger blinded him, making him only want to vent through the most direct form of violence.
"Listen, Tony."
Lynn sighed, her tone softening.
"That ' Rider No. 1 '... Sergeant Barnes, he's a ghost from the last century. He's on par with Captain America. Long-range bombardment? Can you even locate him? You can't kill a ghost."
"Then what do you want me to do? Just let it go? Like the police report says, treat it as a damn car accident?! I can't do that! Every time I close my eyes, I see that damn metal arm choking my mother! This is an irreconcilable hatred! Lynn, if you won't help me, I'll do it myself! Even if I have to bite, I'll bite his throat off!"
very good.
Anger is the best fuel.
If guided properly, this Flame can forge the sharpest knife in the world.
I didn't tell you to let it go.
Lynn turned around, his back to Tony, and looked out at the night. His cold face was reflected in the glass.
"On the contrary, Tony. I want your revenge."
"But not like a terrorist randomly throwing bombs."
Lynn turned his head and gazed intently at the future Iron Man.
"You are a genius; you possess the most intelligent brain in the world."
"Since that ' Shocker ' can use technology to create super soldiers and bear extraordinary power with flesh and blood... then what about you? Why entrust your fate to a missile that can be intercepted and miss its target?"
"If you want to truly defeat him, even crush him... you can't just be a kid with a gun."
"You must become... the weapon itself."
Tony was stunned.
His brain was working at lightning speed.
Becoming the weapon itself...
Since the human body cannot fight against super soldiers, then encase the body in steel.
Since the reaction speed can't keep up, we'll use auxiliary AI to compensate.
Since there isn't enough power, let's use Arc Reactor to drive the hydraulic system...
A vague idea gradually took shape in his mind.
You mean...?
Tony muttered to himself, his eyes gradually losing focus, a sign that he was entering a state of deep thought.
Exoskeletons... powered armor... individual combat platforms...
He suddenly turned around, grabbed the stack of holographic projection boards on the table, and began frantically drawing and modifying them.
"This place... needs a more powerful energy core... a miniature Arc Reactor... Oh right, I've already built that thing..."
"Defense system... Gold-Titanium Alloy... no, too heavy... a new formula is needed..."
"Weapon systems... palm-sized cannons... flight stabilizers..."
Tony was completely absorbed in his own world.
He forgot his anger, and only the urge to create remained.
This is the real Tony Stark.
Lynn didn't disturb him; she simply waved her hand, signaling Tifa and Motoko to step back.
He picked up his teacup again and looked at the young man dancing and gesturing in the holographic projection.