"That old bastard." Tony squeezed the words from between his teeth, his voice cold.
Being betrayed by someone so close was more painful than shrapnel in the chest.
"I've asked Pepper and Happy to gather evidence secretly." Henry patted Tony's tense shoulder.
"When we return, that will be the day he dies."
"That's right." Tony took a deep breath, forcing himself to quell his anger. His eyes gained steel once more.
"I want him to pay for everything."
The heavy silence lingered a moment before Tony abruptly changed the subject—his irrepressible curiosity getting the better of him again.
"Enough about that old bastard. Now, let's talk about you. What exactly are your superpowers? And your armor, it doesn't look like anything from our lab. Don't tell me you stole alien biotech these past few days."
Ethan cast a curious glance from the side.
Henry smiled mischievously to lighten the mood.
"Pretty close." He said deadpan.
"I subscribed to a monthly surprise superhero blind box service. This month's edition came with a Kryptonian gift pack and a novice combat uniform set. Envious?"
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Try speaking nicely."
"Fine, fine—that's dull." Henry curled his lips. Then sighed and briefly recounted his ordeal.
"Not long after you were captured, I was kidnapped by Hydra, too. For nearly two weeks, I was locked in a dark, grim place. Daily injections of colorful serums, like cocktails."
He spoke lightly, but Tony and Ethan imagined the torment behind it.
A flicker of heartbreak and blame crossed Tony's eyes. If not for him, Henry might not have been targeted. But Tony's arrogant nature forbade pity, so complaints masked his concern.
"So, you became their guinea pig? Pathetic." Tony teased.
Henry ignored the jab.
"Until yesterday, when they gave me their last serum—the Superman serum. Then, chaos erupted next door, wrecking the base. A ray of sunlight hit me, and that changed everything. Sunbathing makes me stronger and lets me fly. It feels good, but I need sunscreen."
Henry wasn't joking; he truly felt stronger basking in the sun though he hadn't fully understood his powers yet.
"Stronger by sunbathing?" Tony's eyes flashed with excitement.
" When I get back, I'll give you a full body scan! No, more than that, I need an in-depth study."
"Agreed. I'm curious how strong I can become." Henry nodded.
"About your armor," Tony stroked his chin like a picky critic,
"It looks familiar. Did you base it on 'Man of Steel'? That hometown guy with blue tights and red underwear? The style's too dramatic, like a prop, not a weapon."
"But he's handsome, isn't he?" Henry smirked confidently.
Tony choked.
He had to admit Henry's black armor with the flowing cape was much cooler than his silver suit.
"Okay, you win." Tony conceded reluctantly.
They chatted awhile, even enthusiastically discussing Ethan's future, once back in the US, Ethan would become Stark Industries' medical director, earning a million a year, paid vacation, and top-tier health insurance.
Ethan smiled helplessly and shook his head at these two funny geniuses.
Suddenly, a helicopter's roar sounded from the horizon.
A military chopper landed nearby, and James Rhodes jumped out, stunned to see Tony and Henry together.
"Tony! Henry!" Rhodes exclaimed, filled with shock and joy.
"Oh my God! Are you alright? Henry, weren't you missing too? How did…"
"It's a long story, Rod." Tony hugged him.
"But we're all back."
Henry smiled and greeted Rhodes warmly. They had a good bond.
Rhodes's eyes then fell on Ethan.
"This is…"
"My savior, Dr. Ethan." Tony introduced.
"Rod, take him to the city first, find the best doctors, and use the best medicines. I'll cover all costs."
"No problem." Rhodes nodded solemnly, shaking Ethan's hand.
"Thanks for looking after this troublesome guy."
Ethan was helped onto the helicopter by soldiers. The propellers began spinning, kicking up sand.
Rod watched Tony and Henry prepare to leave, shouting after them,
"Hey! You two! Aren't you coming with me?"
"No need, Rhodes." Tony's visor fell.
"We have a faster way home."
With that, Tony and Henry exchanged looks and soared into the sky.
One silver, one black, they traced graceful arcs, broke the sound barrier, and shot toward home.
"Those two damn bastards!" Rod grinned, watching the black specks vanish, his eyes moist.
High above, flying side by side, Tony complained on comms,
"Do we really have to fly all the way back like this? How long will it take? My suit's energy isn't infinite, and I haven't eaten yet. Jarvis, how long to the nearest restaurant at this speed?"
"Shut up," Henry's lazy voice teased mockingly.
"Think of this as digestion before dinner. If your tin can run out halfway, I don't mind carrying you back—but I'll charge extra for the hard labor. Also, how will you explain to Pepper suddenly turning into Iron Man?"
That had been their old joke and nickname.
"Well…" Tony pondered.
"This problem's more complicated than escaping terrorists."
"Just say it's my latest invention—a personal flying transporter. Yeah, perfect! I can host a global launch and the stock would soar!"
"Do you think she'll believe that?" Henry brutally crushed the fantasy.
"Pepper's smarter than you think. She'll stare you down, make you feel guilty, and then force a confession. I can already imagine it."
"Okay, we'll deal with that later."
Tony dropped the topic. He couldn't face Pepper's disappointed look.
Instead, he looked expectantly at Henry.
"Alright, genius brother—even if I'm more talented, let's plan our comeback party! Pool, beauties, champagne— The DJ's got to be a megastar blasting music so loud all of LA hears our return."