Struck by the beam, the monster didn't even have time to scream before it was completely annihilated—erased silently from the world of Ta Lo.
"ROOOAR—!!!"
Bahamut threw its head back and roared. The sound waves were so powerful they became visible, rippling across the entire valley. Everyone on the ground clutched their ears and collapsed in pain—promptly earning another barrage of complaints from Tony.
Bahamut hovered proudly in the sky. Compared to it, even the Azure Dragon seemed small—barely the size of Bahamut's tail.
Fear flickered in the Azure Dragon's eyes. Yet it understood that this being, radiating primal violence, was not an enemy. It recognized the familiar soul within—it was the human it felt close to.
Bahamut lowered its gaze, its vertical pupils locking onto the dragon below. That single glance carried overwhelming dominance, like a sovereign observing an insignificant creature.
Gradually, Bahamut's massive form dissolved into countless points of starlight. The sky-covering figure faded from existence, until only a red cloak fluttered in the wind.
Then—a streak of silver lightning shot in and dove straight into the cloak's embrace.
It was Onion.
Karl rubbed the creature's large head vigorously, then mounted it like a victorious knight returning from battle, descending before the crowd.
"Karl, you idiot! Were you trying to kill all of us just now?! You even tried to kill me—you—!"
Tony zipped over instantly, unleashing a nonstop rant. The energy Bahamut had released earlier was beyond even JARVIS's detection limits—far exceeding the maximum capacity of Tony Stark's current systems.
Karl shoved Tony aside, cutting him off.
At that moment, the Azure Dragon also descended, carrying Shang-Chi and Xialing. The two leapt down lightly.
The dragon turned its gaze toward Karl. The violent aura was gone—only a sense of soul-deep familiarity remained.
---
They stayed in Ta Lo for a few days to recover.
During that time, Tony and Wenwu had their long-awaited fight. Wenwu once again wore the Ten Rings, while Tony donned his nanotech armor.
In the end, Tony won.
Granted, Wenwu seemed to hold back—but Tony's armor was no joke either. At one point, he nearly blasted Wenwu to death with a single shot.
Afterward, Wenwu left with Steve and the others, heading to the Avengers facility to atone for the crimes he had committed over the centuries. Gone was his former dominance—now he was simply a father.
The Ten Rings organization was fully handed over to Shang-Chi and Xialing.
In the United States, criminal organizations weren't entirely illegal—but terrorism certainly was. With Nick Fury's tacit approval, the Ten Rings underwent a "clean" transformation.
No more terrorism.
They rebranded as a security company. Their members became mercenaries, mostly taking contracts in cooperation with government agencies—protecting key personnel and the like.
Under Shang-Chi and Xialing's leadership, they no longer served evil causes.
---
After returning from Ta Lo, life went back to normal.
Karl resumed his laid-back lifestyle. The Avengers continued saving the world. Tony locked himself in his lab again.
"Tony's giving a donation speech at MIT. He invited us to come along."
That evening, Gwen returned to the office. Pepper had visited earlier to extend the invitation. MIT also happened to be Gwen and Peter's alma mater.
"What's he up to this time?"
Karl poked his head up from the couch, still gaming.
"Pepper said he's setting up a scholarship fund—open to all students. Anyone who qualifies gets financial aid, no repayment required."
"Oh? Then we should go check it out. I haven't seen your school yet. When is it?"
Karl tossed aside his controller and leaned over.
"Next Wednesday evening. Pepper said we'll fly there together."
Gwen handed him the invitation.
Karl didn't even glance at it before tossing it aside. If they were going with Tony, what use was an invitation?
---
Wednesday afternoon, Pepper arrived right on time, pushing open the office door. Tony followed behind her, looking half-asleep.
Karl looked no better—sprawled on the couch, his suit wrinkled beneath him. Gwen and the others were already prepared.
"Karl! How many times have I told you—sit up! I ironed that suit for you!!"
Gwen snapped.
Karl jolted upright instantly, sitting ramrod straight.
Tony yawned, plopped down beside Karl, and slumped into the couch without a shred of elegance.
"It's fine. The plane has professionals to handle our wardrobe. Even the worst wrinkles can be fixed."
As he spoke, both he and Karl melted into the couch like boneless creatures, their lazy postures perfectly synchronized.
---
That evening, the speech began as scheduled.
Karl sat in the front row, watching Tony on stage. Wearing holographic glasses, Tony stood inside a small, temporary set.
Inside it sat three people: two men and a woman—a gray-haired older man, a well-dressed elegant lady, and a young man lying on a couch with his head covered.
"Sweetheart, wake up. Say goodbye to your father."
The woman played the piano, her music echoing beautifully through the hall.
"Huh?"
Karl frowned.
This scene… felt strangely familiar.
The young man on the couch suddenly sat up—a Christmas hat on his head. He looked exactly like Tony, just younger.
"Since when do we have a homeless guy on our couch?"
The older man, dressed in a suit, carried the air of a seasoned capitalist.
"I come home for Christmas, and every time I do, you leave."
Young Tony muttered groggily, clearly dissatisfied.
Karl grew more confused. The scene felt so familiar—but he just couldn't place it.
On stage, the argument escalated between young Tony and his father, Howard Stark. If not for the mother mediating, it might have turned into a full confrontation.
After the couple left, the scene froze.
Tony, now in a suit, appeared beside the piano.
"This is my latest technology—the Binary Augmented Retro-Framing system. Though the name's a bit long—I'll probably change it."
He blew out the candle on the piano as the entire scene dissolved, removing his glasses.
"I spent nearly 600 million dollars developing this. No sane person would fund a project like this—but now, I'm donating it to MIT."
Tony stepped forward, walking out from the temporary stage set.
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