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*****
Three days later, Tony quietly arrived at Mac's home in his Iron Man armor, carrying a gift he had prepared—a brand-new suit of armor meant for Mac.
This was originally intended as a birthday present. He had planned to give it to Mac on his birthday, but after Mac suddenly disappeared for six months, he never got the chance.
"What's this? Your spare armor?"
Noticing the black Iron Man suit following Tony, Mac glanced at it with curiosity.
"It's for you."
Tony waved his hand, and the armor stepped forward to stand before Mac.
The suit was pitch black, giving off a chillingly cool aura.
Although Mac had no real need for such a thing, it was still a token of Tony's thoughtfulness. And besides… it did look undeniably stylish.
"Thanks." Mac casually stored the armor in his dimensional pocket, then said, "Let's go."
"Alright."
Tony's expression tightened with nerves.
Although he had successfully replicated and tested the time-space device, this would be his first time using it for real.
The two fastened their time-space wristbands, activated them, and vanished from Mac's home.
…
Space fractured, forming a shimmering tunnel through time.
The next second, Mac and Tony—now clad in armor—emerged from it.
Almost instantly upon arriving, Mac's brow furrowed slightly.
Tony, startled, asked, "What's going on? Did we fail?"
They had landed in a field of ruins, even though the coordinates Tony set should have brought them to Mac's home ten years in the future.
But now…
A thought flashed through Mac's mind—one so shocking that he could hardly believe it. He quickly surveyed the wreckage at his feet, while Tony activated Jarvis, the AI built into his suit, to begin gathering data.
Super-vision activated.
Through microscopic and x-ray vision, Mac spotted something buried beneath the rubble.
His face instantly darkened.
Twin beams of heat vision shot from his eyes, blasting away debris until a small opening appeared. Heat vision fading, he stepped forward and bent down to retrieve something: a panda-shaped hat.
Clutching the hat tightly, Mac's gaze grew colder by the second.
It was the very hat Gwen had once given him in Texas, which he had kept in his wardrobe upon returning home.
That meant this ruin was indeed his home—there could be no mistake.
But why… why was it reduced to this?
"Uncle Mac!"
Tony lifted his helmet, his own face grim.
He had skimmed only a handful of data reports, but what he saw had already left him shaken.
"Let's leave here first."
Mac spoke calmly. Tossing the panda hat back into the hole, he stamped down hard, shattering a stone slab so the falling rubble covered it once more. With a flick of his hand, he opened a portal, and through it appeared another safe house.
Without hesitation, he stepped through.
Tony hurried after him.
The portal vanished in the next instant, leaving them now inside a home near the Kent farm, in a small town on the outskirts of New York.
It had been a long time since Mac last came here.
"This place is untouched."
After a quick scan revealed no abnormalities, Mac turned to Tony. "Tell me what you found."
Tony nodded gravely, stepping out of his suit. "Jarvis."
"Yes, sir."
Jarvis's rich voice responded as the armor's eyes glowed, projecting data in front of them.
Reading the reports, both men's expressions grew heavy.
Starlight Corporation.
This corporation now essentially controlled the entire world.
From food, clothing, housing, and healthcare, to technology and the military—Starlight's influence was everywhere.
From birth to death, a person's entire life was tied to the corporation; survival without it was nearly impossible.
Starlight's superheroes were stationed in every corner of the globe.
Each town had its own resident heroes, who fought crime, maintained order, and protected citizens, essentially taking over everything police forces were supposed to do.
Beyond that, Starlight had embedded itself deeply into the military, with some superheroes even occupying critical positions.
Simply put, the corporation's presence permeated every aspect of life, to the point where one could argue it secretly ruled the world.
Of course, this was the public face—information everyone could see and, for the most part, accept. In fact, most people enjoyed the convenience Starlight provided.
But beneath the surface, the corporation's deeds were monstrous.
They were conducting genetic experiments and human modifications.
Worse still, they orchestrated crises from the shadows, boosting the reputation of their superheroes while covering up the truth: that their "heroes" were constantly harming innocent people.
Seeing this, Tony was furious. He turned, only to find Mac's face unnervingly calm. Startled, he asked bitterly, "You're not angry?"
"Keep going." Mac's voice was flat.
His instincts told him the worst was still ahead.
And indeed, the next revelations nearly made Tony explode.
The Avengers and the X-Men had been disbanded—and under Starlight's false accusations, they were branded criminals.
Some were dead, others wounded, many captured. All were erased from the stage.
Within the Avengers, aside from Thor, who was in Asgard, and Bruce, now a fugitive, the rest were already dead—including Tony.
Among the X-Men, only Jean and Raven remained safe. Ororo had been captured, and the others were all dead—including Charles.
Even Erik and the Brotherhood were gone. Erik had died while trying to rescue Charles, overwhelmed by Starlight's forces.
As they read, Tony and Mac's expressions grew darker and darker.
One was reading of his own death. The other, of the deaths of his two children.
Taking a deep breath, Mac asked, "What about Clark and Gwen?"
Jarvis immediately projected new data.
Clark had vanished without a trace. Gwen, however… was listed as a wanted criminal, accused of forming a superpowered crime syndicate. She was now being hunted by Starlight's superheroes.
At this, Tony stole a cautious glance at Mac, surprised to see him still unnervingly calm.
He knew better than anyone how important Mac's four children were to him. With two dead, one missing, and one hunted, Tony could hardly imagine staying composed himself. He couldn't help but admire Mac's restraint.
"Let's go."
Mac's sudden, icy words cut through the air.
"Go where?" Tony asked, confused.
"To destroy Starlight's headquarters."
"!!"
Tony sucked in a sharp breath, grabbing Mac's arm. Swallowing hard, he asked with difficulty, "You… you're serious?"
"What do you think?"
Mac shot back coldly, his sky-blue eyes glinting with deadly frost.
(End of Chapter)