"Perhaps it was for a girl, sir," Jarvis replied calmly.
"So it was for a girl, huh? That's not surprising at all. That kid has the same gentlemanly demeanor as me, towards all girls..." Tony mused, though his voice held a hint of amusement.
"Wait, what did you say? A girl?" Tony exclaimed belatedly.
"Could it be that one of his ex-girlfriends was kidnapped by the Eagle Faction? Or maybe he met a local girl who was bullied by them?" Tony asked, growing more interested in the matter.
"It's a local little girl. She could be said to have been bullied by the Eagle Faction's forces, sir," Jarvis responded factually.
"Wow, this is really big news. Tell me everything about her, and I'll share it with Pepper when I get back," Tony said, a bit of a parental instinct kicking in.
"Searching for information for you now... Shafika Mazari, seven years old, born in Kabul, Afghanistan..." Jarvis's voice was even.
"Huh? Wait, that's not right, how old did you say?" Tony's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Seven years old. Is there a problem, sir?" Jarvis asked.
Tony fell silent for a moment. "Didn't you tell Lyon he's committing a crime?"
"Sir, although young master Lyon killed two terrorists while helping the Mazari family get rid of the Ten Rings gang's harassment, that should be considered an act of chivalry, not a crime."
"Oh? Are you saying that nothing happened between him and this little girl… uh, I mean, he felt pity for her, so he attacked the Eagle base?" Tony asked, slightly ashamed of the thoughts that had just crossed his mind. He felt guilty for thinking the worst, a reminder that living in the world of fame and fortune had warped his perspective.
"That's right. Do you have any other different understanding?" Jarvis asked, confused.
"Ahem, actually, I think so too. Okay, Jarvis, help me navigate to Lyon's current location," Tony quickly changed the subject.
"I'm sorry, young master Lyon's current speed exceeds Mach 20, making it difficult to pinpoint his location," Jarvis responded.
"He's in such a hurry? Then navigate to where he's going," Tony suggested.
"Very well, sir."
Five minutes later, Tony Stark arrived above an Eagle Faction base. He looked at the ruins below, now covered in a layer of ice crystals, and a group of soldiers huddled together, shivering under wool blankets as they awaited rescue. Tony fell silent.
"Jarvis, are you saying Lyon was here?" Tony asked quietly.
"Sir, this was young master Lyon's destination five minutes ago. He left three minutes ago."
Tony groaned, clearly frustrated. "You should've told me sooner."
"Now we go to his next destination... no, to his last destination!"
Tony clenched his jaw. "Looks like he's planning to destroy all the bases directly. Let's get ahead of him and take out his targets!"
Tony's plan was clear. He had guessed Lyon's intention to destroy all of the Eagle Faction's garrison bases. Even if Lyon didn't kill a single soldier, wiping out the bases they had spent years building would be a huge blow. The Eagle Faction would be forced to retreat.
While Tony's original plan had been to destroy only weapons and ammunition at military bases, Lyon's more radical approach was definitely a bigger deal.
"Sir, navigating for you now. However, you seem a little unhappy?" Jarvis inquired, sensing something in Tony's tone.
"Young master Lyon eliminated all the Ten Rings gang bases to avenge you, and indirectly vented your anger by destroying the Eagle Faction's bases. Isn't that good?"
"Of course it's good! It's making me so touched!" Tony exclaimed, his voice tightening, "But I feel stifled, Jarvis. Do you know what that means? Analyze it for me."
"Stifled refers to the feeling of being unable to confide or vent when encountering unfavorable events, resulting in negative emotions."
"Yes! That's it! Lyon isn't leaving me a single enemy to fight, making me feel stifled!" Tony's voice grew louder. "Don't you feel like he's treating me like a child?"
"I don't quite understand. Legally speaking, you are young master Lyon's older brother..."
"That's the problem. I should be the one protecting him, I should be the one doing these things!" Tony twisted his neck. "Accelerate, Jarvis, we need to get ahead of Lyon and take out the last military base!"
"Yes, sir!"
Although Tony's determination to maintain his dignity as an older brother was strong, his actions were fueled by that very same stubbornness. Unfortunately, when he arrived at the last Eagle Faction base, he was met with a frozen ruin.
His mind, full of combat strategies, and his chest, brimming with fighting spirit, instantly cooled down—much colder than the soldiers below, who were shivering uncontrollably.
"Jarvis, where is he?" Tony asked, his voice flat.
"He's above you, sir," Jarvis answered.
"Huh? Above me?" Tony perked up and looked up. There, he saw Lyon, his cloak billowing as he landed gracefully.
"Tony, you've finally arrived," Lyon teased, grinning as he met his brother. "I thought you were going to wait for me to take a nap before showing up."
Tony scowled. "Still mentioning sleep? I was woken up by you through Jarvis, and rushed here, but you just charged ahead like a train, leaving me with no enemies to fight!"
Lyon shrugged nonchalantly. "I had Jarvis tell you. If you want revenge, go west. There are still many Ten Rings gangs waiting for you in the Middle East."
Tony's temper flared. "Is that the same thing?" he snapped.
"What's different?" Lyon shrugged again. "They're all evil-doers from the Ten Rings gang. They don't have 'abc' engraved on their foreheads, they're all equally guilty."
Lyon glanced at the Super Mark 1, which was controlled by Jarvis.
"But I can see you're really serious this time," Lyon added, "You even brought my armor. Are you planning to fight a long-term war?"
"Are you talking about a war where the enemies either die or shiver from the cold?" Tony retorted as flames burst from his feet. "Listen, I'm going west now. Leave the Ten Rings gang to me."
Even though Afghanistan had already been dealt with by Lyon, Tony still felt a need to do something. The damage he had caused in the past was irreparable, but he still wanted to make amends, even if it meant doing so to alleviate his own guilt.
"Okay, I'll leave everything to you. I won't interfere there for now," Lyon replied.
Lyon glanced at the time. "But remember to watch the clock, Tony. I'll be preparing lunch when you return home."
Tony waved his hand as he took off. "Maybe you should prepare dinner instead! I'm going to fight the Ten Rings gang for the whole day."
As Tony flew off toward the west, Lyon looked up, his gaze piercing through the clouds to the satellites above.
"They're chasing me really fast," he said, almost to himself.
He then shouted to Tony, who was already flying away, "Tony, my Superman identity is already being tracked by various countries. Don't contact me when I'm wearing the suit, to avoid suspicion!"
Tony, already in flight, gave a brief wave in acknowledgment, indicating that he had received the message.
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