Peace in New York

Ye Mo squatted on the ground, the charred fragment of the aircraft in his hand still warm. He had just seen the MK-9X engraved on it when Tony came over.

"This number... isn't from our system." Tony took the fragment and examined it, his brow furrowed so deeply it could trap a fly. "I've never seen this naming convention before, and it doesn't seem like Hydra's usual style."

He finished speaking and looked up, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. Of the six Mutants who had been frozen, two had already staggered to their feet, supporting each other as they retreated into the dark alley. The rest were still lying down, but their limbs were beginning to twitch, clearly indicating they were about to wake up. No one made a move, and no one shouted anything. The atmosphere remained tense for a few seconds, and then they dispersed on their own.

"But they got away." Tony handed the shards back. "Not fighting to the very end, it counts as a win?"

Ye Mo took the shards and stuffed them into his hoodie pocket. His old injury on his right leg was still burning, making him walk with a slight limp. He didn't say anything, but just looked up at the sky.

At that moment Storm raised her hand. She stood beside the wreckage of the billboard, her silver hair slightly ruffled by the wind, her palm facing upwards, as if sensing something. A few seconds later, the dark clouds that had been pressing down overhead for most of the day suddenly parted, and sunlight slanted down, falling directly onto the icy street and reflecting a bright glow.

"The storm has stopped," she said. "The clouds are dispersing too."

As soon as these words were spoken, people who had been hiding around began to emerge from the shops and underpasses. Some clapped, while others shouted, "Mr. X! Iron Man!" A child in a school uniform even held up his phone to record, jumping around as he did so. A window of a building was pushed open, and an United States flag was hung up, with a group of people below chanting, "New York is awesome!"

The sirens grew closer, but no one rushed to leave. They stood amidst the ruins, their feet treading on the ice, looking up at the sky, some laughing, some crying.

Tony removed his mask, revealing an oily face. Whether from sweat during battle or oil leaks from his armor, his chin was gleaming. He turned to Ye Mo and Storm, grinning, "Well done, partners."

After he finished speaking, he raised his right hand. Ye Mo was stunned for half a second, then reacted and raised his hand to give him a high five. The sound was crisp and clear, making his wrist go numb.

Storm stood to the side, her lips twitching slightly, and she also reached out to place her hand on top. The three hands were clasped together, and no one spoke. After three seconds, they released each other, the movements so synchronized as if they had been rehearsed.

"I'll have to treat you guys to dinner next time." Tony cracked his knuckles, the armored joints making a "click." "My treat, same place as always, the restaurant at the top of the tower."

"Remember to add ice and storm." Ye Mo pushed up his glasses; there was a scratch on the lens, but he ignored it. "Otherwise, it won't be powerful enough."

"Definitely." Storm chuckled softly, her voice not loud, but it was particularly clear on the quiet street.

There was still a faint smell of burning in the air, mixed with the dampness from the melting ice. The ice on the ground had begun to crack, and dirty water was seeping from the cracks. An overturned police car was blocking the intersection, its headlights still flashing red. In the distance, fire trucks were spraying water to extinguish the fire on the exterior wall of the theater.

Tony looked down at the soles of his armored feet, which were covered in mud and shards of glass. "This suit needs washing," he said. "We'll have to take it off when we get back."

"You actually know to go back?" Ye Mo snorted. "I didn't see you considering logistical issues when you were soaring into the sky."

"A hero has to be impulsive sometimes," Tony shrugged. "Otherwise, it's no fun."

Storm didn't reply, but she didn't leave either. She stood there, her gaze sweeping over her surroundings. She saw an old woman carrying a dog coming out of a convenience store, two policemen righting a fallen lamppost, and a group of young people spontaneously clearing roadblocks. Her shoulders slowly relaxed.

"They won't be coming back," she said.

"Not necessarily." Ye Mo touched the fragment in his pocket. "Running away doesn't mean giving up. The MK-9X wasn't carved casually; someone's watching."

"Then let's wait for them." Tony put his mask back on, the armor humming as it activated. "Next time I'll bring a new module, one to take care of anyone who dares to challenge me."

"You always say that." Ye Mo shook his head. "Last time you said you were going to install homing missiles, but they missed."

"It's just that the wind was too strong," Tony argued. "It's not my fault."

"Fine," Ye Mo said, too lazy to argue. "Anyway, you just need to pay for the meal."

The three of them stood there, not moving. The S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't arrived yet; they were still guarding the scene. Ye Mo leaned against a telephone pole, afraid to put full weight on his right leg. Tony's armor vibrated slightly, ready to take off at any moment. Storm's hands hung at her sides, her fingertips twitching occasionally, as if she was still controlling the wind speed.

There was a vending machine on the street corner with its glass broken, spilling drinks all over the ground. One of the sports drinks rolled to Ye Mo's feet, the cap came loose, and the liquid slowly leaked out, forming a small dark puddle on the ice.

Tony suddenly spoke up, "Do you think this serial number... could it have been changed internally? Like, some intern secretly added a test model?"

"The MK Series doesn't have an 'X' suffix." Ye Mo shook his head. "And it uses an etching process, not printing. It's a specially made mark."

"That sounds like a provocation," Storm said.

"That's just provocation," Ye Mo sneered. "It tells us—they know where we are, and they know how to come looking for us."

Tony paused for two seconds, then laughed, "Isn't that perfect? Saves me the trouble of sending out invitations."

"You really have no fear of making things worse," Ye Mo sighed.

"A person who's afraid of big trouble can't be Iron Man." Tony waved his hand. "Besides, with you here, nothing serious will happen."

"I wouldn't dare accept that." Ye Mo rubbed his nose. "Last time you said it was 'a small matter,' and half the lab was blown up."

"That's called a technical explosion," Tony corrected, "Controlled."

"You call that controllable?" Ye Mo glared. "The ceiling collapsed, the ventilation ducts exploded, and even the cat came out because of the smell!"

"That cat shouldn't have been there in the first place," Tony said matter-of-factly.

Storm watched the two bickering, and a slight smile played on her lips. She looked up at the sky; the sunlight had already bathed half the street. The frozen lake was beginning to melt, and water flowed into the sewers with a soft gurgling sound.

A news van turned into the street, and reporters carrying cameras ran towards it. Several Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in uniform followed behind. Natasha was not in the group; the leader was an unfamiliar face.

"We can leave the finishing touches to them," Tony said. "We can leave now."

"Before we leave," Ye Mo bent down to pick up the leaking bottle of beverage from the ground, checked the production date, and said, "This thing expired three months ago."

"You still care about this?" Tony was speechless.

"I'm wondering if anyone's drunk from it." Ye Mo threw the bottle into the trash can. "If a kid picked it up and drank it, tomorrow's headlines will be 'Superheroes Leave Expired Beverage at Scene, Causing Child Diarrhea'."

"You're overthinking it." Tony patted him on the shoulder. "If it makes the headlines, it'll be ' Iron Man treats us to dinner and promises an ice storm.'"

"That's still better than a food safety scandal," Ye Mo muttered.

Storm took two steps forward and stopped in front of the two. She glanced back at Broadway; the flags were still waving, the crowd hadn't dispersed, and people were starting to take photos. She turned back, her voice soft. "Today... was pretty good."

Tony smiled. "It's pretty good."

Ye Mo didn't speak, he just nodded.

In the distance, S.H.I.E.L.D.. personnel began to set up a cordon, and the medical team carried in a stretcher. Tony's armor emitted a standby beep, indicating 73% energy remaining. Storm's shoes, damp with melted snow, left two shallow imprints on the spot.

Ye Mo reached out and pressed his right leg; the old injury was still burning. He took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on; a blurry scratch appeared in his vision.

Tony suddenly said, "Next time we eat out, I want to order steak."

"Match with an ice storm?" Ye Mo asked.

"You're a good match," Tony laughed. "Let's see if you can freeze a steak into a fossil with ice."

"I have no problem with you eating fossils," Ye Mo retorted, "Anyway, you're paying the bill."

"Deal." Tony held out his hand.

Ye Mo glanced at it and reached out to grasp it as well. The two squeezed together firmly, thus sealing their agreement.

Storm stood to the side, not participating in the handshake, but she didn't leave. She looked at them, a strand of her silver hair blowing in the wind and falling over her shoulder.

The traffic light across the street suddenly changed, turning green, even though there were no cars on the road yet.