The Dust Settled

A week passed.

America, which had been plunged into turmoil and chaos, finally calmed down. Although the country was still shrouded in a bleak, mournful atmosphere, people occasionally took to the streets to lay flowers and candles for the innocent victims of the bombing. Television stations also covered the sensational funeral, as though everyone had been immersed in grief for a time.

But time healed all wounds. The world did not exist for any one person alone, and people still had to survive, whether they were doing well or badly.

Even if they had lost family members, or a national leader, the course of life did not stop turning for anyone.

The sky was clear and blue that day. The morning sun felt pleasantly warm on their skin. On Umbrella’s lawn, Maya Hansen pushed Pepper in her wheelchair. The two outstanding women chatted with each other, seeming to get along fairly well.

"Ex-girlfriend and current girlfriend… why are you standing over here? Go join them already."

Sean walked into the glass corridor, braced both hands against the railing, and smiled with amusement. It was rare to see Tony Stark, the playboy, wearing such a gloomy expression.

"You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You just had to put Maya and Pepper together!"

Tony grumbled. Over the past few days, Pepper had mocked and ridiculed him plenty, dredging up all his old romantic escapades.

The former playboy, who had once drifted through a sea of women and dominated the dating scene, could not help feeling embarrassed. After all, not everyone was willing to examine their own ridiculous past.

"The Extremis Virus was invented by Ms. Maya Hansen. It was perfectly reasonable for me to leave Pepper in her care."

Sean shrugged, his tone innocent. God knew whether he was secretly laughing to himself, waiting to watch a good show.

Tony was left speechless. He turned his head away in irritation. It was all that bastard Killian’s fault. He had actually injected Pepper with the Extremis Virus. If she had not been lucky enough to endure the painful genetic alteration process, capable and clever Little Pepper would probably have exploded into a ball of fire.

Even now, the thought still frightened him. There were far too few people in this world worth cherishing. If he lost Pepper, who had stayed by his side, Tony did not know how he could bear that pain.

A week had passed since the terrorist attack by the Ten Rings and the Mandarin. Tony had summoned the entire Iron Legion and engaged Killian’s Extremis soldiers in a fierce battle aboard a cargo ship off the coast of California.

To be honest, this had probably been the most dangerous battle in Iron Man’s history. After undergoing his ultimate transformation, Killian had become a true superhuman. His physical abilities had been enhanced to a terrifying degree; he could even dodge Repulsor Rays at close range.

He also possessed formidable regenerative abilities. So long as his heart and brain were not damaged, he could heal quickly. His extreme heat allowed him to breathe fire that melted gold and iron, and he had torn apart several suits of Iron Armor with his bare hands, leaving Tony almost unable to fight back.

"By the way, I’m sorry I couldn’t save the president." Sean lowered his eyelids, his voice sorrowful.

"This wasn’t your fault. No one could have guessed those bastards would blow up the plane outright."

Tony waved a hand. The Ten Rings had destroyed Air Force One, killing President Ellis and all the Secret Service agents aboard. The incident had been called America’s second "9/11." The world was shaken, and the entire nation mourned, much as it had after Kennedy’s assassination.

Vice President Underwood immediately took over, formally moving into the White House and reorganizing the cabinet. With swift responses and flexible measures, he stabilized the domestic unrest. Not long ago, at Arlington National Cemetery, he had delivered a mournful eulogy, declaring that this was a difficult test for America. They would never surrender to terrorists, and every citizen of the country would bravely join hands to overcome the crisis.

The public unanimously approved of those words, and praise poured in. Many believed that under the new president’s leadership, America could disperse the heavy shadows cast by the terrorist attack and welcome long-awaited light.

Sure enough, the Ten Rings were soon wiped out. Aldrich Killian, the mastermind behind it all, died at Iron Man’s hands, while Trevor Slattery, the actor who had played the Mandarin, was arrested and sent to prison to keep Tony’s old friend Justin Hammer company.

With the culprits punished, the public’s anger found an outlet. The once-raging public opinion gradually subsided, and life returned to normal. Aside from the country having a new leader, everything seemed to have gone back to the way it was.

"All the mistakes began with me." Tony looked out over the lush green lawn, a trace of regret flashing across his face. "I created Killian, and he created the Ten Rings and the Mandarin. That prank in 1999 was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my life."

Over the past few days, he had been reflecting on his past. His once-arrogant and obnoxious personality had indeed hurt many people. Pride and arrogance were traits of the Stark family, but excessive sharpness and cruelty were bad habits that needed to change.

"A self-critical Tony Stark? That’s a rare sight." Sean’s easy laughter dispelled the heavy atmosphere.

It seemed that this Iron Man, whose world had always revolved around himself, was moving toward transformation and maturity. At the very least, he had completely said goodbye to his former image as a wastrel.

"Killian said something strange before he died. He said the Mandarin would avenge him, and he said it in Chinese. But that person doesn’t actually exist. There is no Mandarin, and there are no Ten Rings."

Tony was somewhat puzzled. He had investigated the matter. After graduating, Killian had founded A.I.M., dedicating himself to building a complete scientific think tank. For a long time, he had received investments from a mysterious organization of unknown origin. Following the trail only led to shell companies overseas; there was no way to trace the real flow of funds.

The only thing worth noting was that Killian had once been to China and was quite fond of Eastern culture. Other than that, there was no useful information at all.

"Do you really think the Mandarin exists? The guy who played him is sitting obediently in prison. I heard he’s even become something of a celebrity."

Sean patted Tony on the shoulder and consoled him. "Find yourself a good psychiatrist. Your anxiety is serious."

"Maybe you’re right."

Stark nodded. He also thought he might be overthinking it. The nightmare was already over, and this crisis had finally come to an end.

Although Iron Man had not saved the world in the end, and Killian’s plan to assassinate the president had still succeeded, at least the Ten Rings had been eliminated and the mastermind had received the judgment he deserved.

In a sense, Tony had done everything he could, even if people had still inevitably been hurt along the way.

But as Sean had said, they were not omniscient, omnipotent saviors. They could not play god.

"Pepper said you took a sample of the Extremis Virus?" Sean asked casually. "Don’t try anything dangerous."

"I have my own ideas," Tony answered vaguely.

Killian’s Extremis Virus had given him plenty of inspiration and ideas. The power of Iron Armor alone was far from enough. He needed to become stronger himself.

At the very least, he hoped that when the next crisis came, no one else would be harmed.

P.S. I’ve had a lot going on these past few days, and I haven’t been in a good state either, so the updates have been pretty weak. I deeply reflect on this (╯︵╰)

To put that simply: I might keep doing this, so please forgive me~