Another two days passed.
HYDRA's last stronghold on Earth was finally wiped out by the Men in Black.
This victory extended beyond their visible forces—it included the hidden AI Zola and all remnants scattered worldwide, trying to resurrect HYDRA's original Hive.
Malrick tracked them down, and with the girls' help, eliminated every last one.
Now, when Malrick used his super hearing, there were no more HYDRA operatives loudly plotting.
Though many still claimed the HYDRA name and committed evil, those were local criminals, no longer Malrick's concern.
HYDRA had been completely eradicated.
The long-awaited revenge was fulfilled.
They had broken the killer's blade, severed its head, and buried their fury with HYDRA's corpse.
That day in Los Angeles, a light drizzle fell.
Tony and Malrick stood side by side before the graves of Howard and Maria Stark, each holding a black umbrella.
Together, they laid white flower bouquets at the tombstones.
After a long silence, they wiped the inscriptions and left the cemetery quietly.
Tony couldn't recall the last time he'd visited their graves.
Malrick, however, came every year.
He understood Tony well.
Looking at Howard and Maria's names, Tony always felt guilt and anger, believing he didn't deserve to stand there.
But today, Tony was calm.
Malrick sensed his growth.
Tony had indeed matured over the past year.
From Tony's perspective, the last seven months had been a whirlwind.
He barely survived Afghanistan.
He returned home only to be betrayed by his uncle Obadiah.
He single-handedly dismantled the Ten Rings Gang in the Middle East.
He saved another world nearly destroyed by his own brother, becoming a small Superman in the process.
He finally grasped the depth of his father Howard's love.
And he annihilated HYDRA—the mastermind behind his parents' deaths.
All of Tony's previous thirty-eight years combined did not compare to the intense experiences of those recent six months.
Through it all, he faced himself, discovered his purpose, and achieved inner peace.
If this were a movie, his character arc would be complete.
The story could end here, credits rolling with behind-the-scenes clips.
"I've decided to form the Avengers," Tony said as they left, "What about you? What's your next move?"
"I said it before," Malrick replied casually but with firm resolve, "Become stronger, always stronger, and enjoy every step."
He tilted his umbrella slightly, staring into the sky as raindrops fell into his eyes like the countless souls of the world.
"I want to see the highest vistas, speak with the supreme beings, chat with the First Firmament. Eternity will call me a friend, and the Beyonders will call me brother."
Malrick kept walking.
"That's my ultimate dream."
Tony blinked, confused. "Who exactly are you talking about?"
---
A few days later, Malrick packed his backpack, preparing to leave New York.
He had arranged everything for his journey to Kamar-Taj.
The Men in Black's main mission now was to secure remaining HYDRA bases.
They also had to return innocent children and experimental subjects kidnapped by HYDRA to their families.
That alone would keep them busy for months.
Sherry, almost like Natasha's sister's biological daughter, was well cared for by her two guardians.
No worries there.
The network company was meticulously managed by Natasha.
Yelena's superhero company thrived.
Ever since news spread of the Men in Black's association with Superman, their company received permits worldwide.
Hundreds of branches expanded smoothly.
Previously, many companies exploited the difficulty of international rights to sell pirated Iron Man and Superman merchandise.
Now, those goods had almost vanished.
Only the Superhero Company held the official market, continuing to produce licensed merchandise.
Yelena planned a movie titled Superman vs. Iron Man to hype their intellectual property.
Tony contributed as a half-scriptwriter.
The plot involved Iron Man mistakenly inventing Kryptonite to defeat Superman.
During their battle, Superman weakened by Kryptonite called out his mother's name.
Iron Man's mother shared that name, making him realize Superman was also a living, ordinary man.
The two resolved their conflict and formed the Avengers together.
Malrick saw the script and almost couldn't hide his grimace.
He immediately demanded a rewrite.
---
Tony worried about the approaching deadline set by Wen Wu.
By Malrick's calculations, it was tomorrow or the day after.
Before departing, Malrick flew back to his seaside mansion in Los Angeles to check the situation.
Entering Stark Mansion, from the entrance to the living room, masked corpses littered the floor.
Tony sat calmly amid the bodies, reading a beige letter.
"Tony, what's this? Were you attacked again?"
Malrick noticed the corpses showed signs of brutal hand-to-hand combat.
Someone with immense strength had shattered internal organs with bare fists.
The scene was grisly.
"These people died in such a brutal way," Malrick remarked, "Looks like you hired some fighters to sharpen your skills before your showdown."
Tony rolled his eyes, stood up, and said, "It's Iron Man, not Muscle Man! I'll defeat Wen Wu with my latest suit."
He handed the letter to Malrick.
Tony explained, "I was in an online meeting when they broke in. They attacked immediately but turned out just to be delivering a message."
Malrick scanned the letter quickly.
---
Dear Mr. Tony Stark:
Today marks the last day of our agreement.
Your name echoes like thunder in my ears.
Taking your head would be my greatest honor.
Out of respect for your contributions to the world,
I allow you to choose your own burial site.
At noon, I will arrive on time to send you on your way.
Signed, Wen Wu
---
"At least this time he used polite language," Tony shrugged. "No longer condescending, though he still boasts about taking my head. Progress, I guess."
Malrick casually destroyed the letter.
"I thought he meant 31 days for a month, not 30, and that counting began the night he attacked you."
"But clearly, he's out of the loop. He still hasn't figured out the relationship between Superman and Iron Man."
Many global officials had guessed Superman's true identity—Malrick Stark.
Otherwise, Tony wouldn't have become director of the new S.H.I.E.L.D. so easily.
Truthfully, after discovering Malrick's identity, many breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to a civilian Superman like Clark Kent, they trusted Malrick Stark.
The Stark family were among the highest-level beneficiaries of the world order.
They weren't likely to overturn the world without warning.
People simply saw it as having a more powerful protector.
Life would go on.
Wen Wu, however, was unlucky.
Historically an invincible figure in Asia, he had retreated to seclusion over a decade ago after finding love in Kunlun Daluo Village.
His network of influence crumbled.
It wasn't until his wife died that he staged his 'Dragon King's Return.'
But even then, he struggled to regain his former glory.
No wonder he didn't receive timely intelligence about the HYDRA incident.
"Maybe he's just not afraid of Superman."
Tony grinned at the challenge.
He summoned Mark 4, which flew out from the hangar and locked onto his suit.
"Let's meet him where you last tested your strength. It's far from the city, perfect for a fight."
"By the way, 'Wu shi san ke' means noon, right?"
---
Join our discord server
Link: https://discord.gg/Mr8Q62CH
Support us on patreon (+Gain access to chapters in advance)
Link: patreon.com/Zphyr_