"How dare you kill him!"
Tony felt immense rage at that moment!
For a long time now, he had been upholding justice as Iron Man.
He had saved many people.
People he wouldn't normally pay attention to, but ever since he'd cheated death, he understood the preciousness of life.
Yet, this monster before him had just murdered someone right in front of him!
"How dare you!"
His face was full of anger, and the way he looked at Ben was as if he saw the faces of those terrorists again.
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Ben retorted.
"Do you think he was a good person?" Ben sneered.
If Dennis Carradine had truly been a good person, his name wouldn't have appeared in the police station's records.
In fact, Dennis was originally a notorious gang member.
Robbery, theft...
He had been arrested by the police so many times, not to mention the crimes he got away with. Moreover, he had participated in gang wars, and his hands were definitely not clean.
Besides, even if Dennis had originally been a good person, Ben wouldn't have let him go.
To Ben, family was the most important thing.
Ben knew that his actions were far from just.
He also knew that Uncle Ben and Aunt May would never want him to do something like this, but he didn't want to see the day when his "mercy" led to Uncle Ben or Aunt May getting killed.
As long as he could protect his family, he wouldn't hesitate to get his hands stained with blood.
"And you, Tony Stark? How much better are you than me?" Ben asked.
"What?"
"Do you have fewer lives on your hands than I do?"
"I only kill terrorists!" Tony said.
"You know that's not what I mean," Ben shook his head. "Isn't the current prosperity of Stark Industries achieved by selling weapons?"
"Or do you think only killing with your own hands counts as murder?"
Tony immediately fell silent.
Selling weapons was the biggest mistake he had made, and he was actually trying to atone for it.
Shutting down the weapons division, fighting terrorists...
He was doing his best to make amends.
"I never intended to sell weapons to terrorists; I didn't know about that..."
"You didn't know, or you didn't care?" Ben sneered.
He had to admit, the future Tony Stark was a great hero, and Ben had liked him a lot when he watched movies.
But he also had to admit that before becoming Iron Man, he was a scoundrel.
Neglecting his company and letting Obadiah control it couldn't be an excuse.
Not to mention, even if Obadiah hadn't sold weapons to terrorists, Stark Industries still cooperated directly with the government.
Was the United States' involvement in wars truly just?
It was laughable.
Think about the people of Gaza who were killed!
Were they truly guilty?
"When you manufactured those weapons, didn't you ever consider that they would be used to invade other countries and kill innocent children?" Ben asked.
"You didn't not know; you just didn't care."
Ben's words hit the mark.
What else could weapons be used for besides killing?
Tony knew perfectly well what kind of country this was, stirring up trouble worldwide under the guise of being the world's police. How many wars had they started?
He knew it in his heart.
But until the missiles actually hit him, Tony never cared.
What did the deaths of people far away have to do with him?
Would the displaced, homeless children affect his ability to pop champagne and sleep with beautiful women?
No!
It was more that the larger the scale of the war, the more people died, the more Stark Industries earned, and the more luxurious his life became.
Every penny Tony had was bought with human lives!
"That's why I shut down the weapons factories," Tony said in a deep voice.
But sins couldn't cancel each other out.
Not to mention, shutting down the factories wasn't atonement; it just meant he wouldn't continue doing it in the future.
It was like a school bully stopping their bullying; it didn't mean they were a good person.
It certainly didn't mean the people they had hurt had to forgive their wrongdoing.
Why should good people have to cultivate for thousands of lifetimes to achieve enlightenment, while evil people only needed to drop their butcher's knives?
Tony couldn't refute Ben's words because he knew Ben was right.
It wasn't until he nearly died in the Middle East that he truly understood how terrifying war and weapons were, and that no matter how much he did now, it would be difficult to make amends.
No matter how many people he saved, the living had no right to forgive him on behalf of the dead.
Tony actually felt very guilty and remorseful about his past ignorance, which was why, despite Captain America calling him selfish, he ultimately sacrificed his life to snap his fingers.
But remorse was one thing, and having one's inner thoughts seen through by another was another.
Especially since this monster in front of him didn't know his background. No matter what, Tony wouldn't let the other party go because of Stark Industries' past.
"I'll say it again, hands up, surrender!"
Seeing Tony emerge from his guilt, Ben wasn't surprised. Someone as self-centered as Tony wouldn't lose his will just because of a few words.
At this moment, Ben did raise his hand.
Except he extended his palm: "I'll finish you in three minutes!"
After saying that, Ben sprang into action. He was so fast that not even a blur could be seen!
In an instant, he leaped high into the air and kicked Tony directly in the chest, hitting the Arc Reactor.
Before Tony could react, Ben used Tony's body as a springboard, twisting his body astonishingly in mid-air. His black tail immediately whipped out like a lash, striking Tony's left temple!
"Clang!"
Tony Stark, along with his battle armor, was sent flying backward, smashing through the factory wall!
While the XLR8 didn't have any powerful offensive capabilities, speed was power. A monster the size of a Velociraptor hitting him at hundreds of kilometers per hour, and not having Iron Man's battle suit fall apart, was Ben holding back!
Not to mention the tail whip that followed.
If Tony hadn't been wearing his battle suit, that blow would have exploded his head like a watermelon!
In fact, even with the battle armor, Tony's head buzzed for a good while, and he still felt dizzy and had ringing in his ears.
"Sir, that's a mild concussion," Jarvis said solicitously.
Tony ignored him.
"You asked for it, kid!"
He was absolutely furious!
The battle armor's propulsion system was fully engaged!
Tony charged in again, and clearly, his repulsor rays had already fired before he could speak!
"Boom!"
But Ben was prepared.
"You're too slow, Tony," Ben taunted.
Honestly, the moment Tony raised his hand, it was already decided that he wouldn't hit Ben.
"Congratulations, sir, someone finally told you that you're slow."
Jarvis offered his sincere congratulations.
Tony:
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