Chapter 58 Performing a Double Act
On the day he returned from San Francisco, New York was right in the middle of the evening rush hour, and the traffic in Manhattan was jammed like a parking lot.
Logan carried three bottles of Napa Valley red wine and teleported directly into the backyard of the Villa.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Ares trotted over eagerly, sniffing in circles around him with its nose twitching, as if checking whether he carried the scent of other dogs on him.
"Such an overachiever, all you know is how to sniff." Loganchuckled and rubbed its head, stuffing the red wine into the wine cabinet. Just as he pushed the second bottle in, the doorbell rang with a ding-dong, its rhythm so urgent and dense that it sounded like someone urging for his life.
"Who could this be?" Logan had an unlit cigar clenched in his mouth as he strolled over to open the door. The moment the door was pulled open, Pepper stood at the entrance with her suit jacket draped over her arm, her hair slightly messy, and her face practically plastered with the words "I am so annoyed I could scream."
"You're finally back!" Without waiting for him to invite her, Pepper walked straight in and tossed her briefcase onto the sofa. "Logan, something's happened. Tony and Rhodeshave fallen out!"
Logan raised an eyebrow, closed the door, and followed her over, casually pouring her a glass of ice water. "Fallen out? What a big deal, when do the two of them not bicker? Last time Rhodes complained that Tony's armor paint job was too flashy, and Tony even mocked Rhodes for having the aesthetic of a Military overcoat."
"This time it's different!" Pepper took the glass of water, took a large gulp to catch her breath, and continued, "This morning, Colonel Rhodes went to the laboratory to find Tony. The two of them closed the door and argued for nearly an hour, and the entire floor could hear it. It seemed that the Military was putting pressure on Tony to hand over the armor technology. Caught in the middle and finding it hard, Rhodes wanted Tony to take a step back and give the Military a prototype. As a result, Tonycompletely blew his top, accused Rhodes of turning his elbows outward, and smashed a coffee mug."
The more she talked, the more headache she got, and she rubbed her brow. "In the end, Rhodes got angry too, and directly drove away mark ii, saying he would account for it to the Military himself. I couldn't stop him at all. If these two really fall out completely, the Military definitely won't let it rest, and it will be a mess of trouble by then. I originally wanted to ask you to help persuade Tony, since he listens to you at least a little..."
"Hey, I thought it was some big deal."
Logan laughed after hearing it, leaning against the armrest of the sofa, leisurely lighting a lighter without lighting the cigar, just spinning it in his hand to play. "What are you anxious about? This isn't them falling out at all; it's clearly a double act put on for The Pentagon."
Pepper was stunned. "Acting?"
"Otherwise what?" Logan shrugged, counting on his fingers for her. "Think about it, what kind of pressure has the Military put Rhodes under recently? Running to New York every other day, phone calls from The Pentagon three times a day, Senator Stern pressing him with Military bills every day. How many years of friendship does he have with Tony? Could he really force Tony to hand over technology? It's nothing more than getting grief from both sides and almost unable to hold on."
He paused and continued, "That guy Tony is all hard talk and soft heart. Even though he bickers with Rhodes every day, how could he not know how hard it is for Rhodes in his heart? Making such a fuss intentionally, making it known to everyone so that it looks like Rhodes'snatched' the armor away rather than Tony voluntarily giving it. That way, when Rhodes goes back, it's easier for him to report to the Military and he won't have to suffer being squeezed in the middle anymore."
Pepper frowned and pondered, thinking more and more that it made sense, but still feeling a bit uncertain. "But... but mark ii is a complete suit of armor. If it's really given to the Military, wouldn't the core technology be leaked? Tonycouldn't be so careless."
"How could it be complete?" Logan let out a snorting laugh. "The core energy module of mark ii was uninstalled by him last week and put onto mark vii. Now the one inside is stuffed with a castrated version of the old palladium core; it can't fly very high, and most of its weapon systems have been cut, leaving only basic firepower and defense. Call it armor, but it's actually just an empty shell. Even if the Military takes it apart, they won't be able to research any solid goods out of it."
Having hung out with Tony for so long, he knew this guy's temperament inside and out.
He could figure out with his toes that this guy would never do a losing business. As for things he gave away, he had long stripped the core technology clean, and what remained was only worth the price of metal.
After listening, Pepper was stunned for a long time before finally snapping out of it. Amused and exasperated, she reached out and patted her forehead. "These two guys! Keeping it even from me! I really thought they had fallen out and wasted a whole morning worrying for nothing."
"Aren't they just afraid you'd give the game away?" Loganshrugged. "Think about it, with your personality, your joy and anger are written all right on your face. The Militarypeople would spot it at a glance. Keeping it from you is what makes it look real."
Pepper gave him an eye-roll, but she also breathed a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.
She picked up her water cup and took another sip, shaking her head with a smile. "So it turns out I was the only one kept in the dark and worrying blindly. Fine, since it's acting, then I won't bother with it, lest I add to their chaos."
She originally wanted to have Logan persuade Tony, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.
Those two guys calculated things so loudly that even their retreat routes were paved, leaving only her as an outsider worrying for nothing.
Less than ten minutes into her rest, Pepper received several work calls, all regarding the preparations for the expo.
She hung up the phone, picked up her briefcase, and prepared to leave. Remembering something just before heading out the door, she turned back and said, "Right, the expo opens next week, and there are many things to do these few days. Tony will definitely hole up in the lab again and skip meals. If you have time, help me keep an eye on him and don't let him pull another all-nighter."
"Sure, no problem." Logan agreed with a smile. "Anyway, I'm just idling around."
Seeing Pepper off, Logan turned around and arrived at Tony's home, heading straight toward the underground laboratory.
Just as he walked up to the door, he heard clanging and hammering sounds coming from inside, along with a conversation between Tony and Jarvis. Their tones didn't sound angry in the slightest; rather, they sounded quite relaxed.
"Jarvis, adjust the parameters of mark vii's shoulder cannons by another five percent. The new element core can handle it."
"Very well, sir. Additionally, Colonel Rhodes just sent a message saying that mark ii has been delivered to the Military, and the other party is very satisfied."
"As long as they're satisfied. With that pile of scrap metal, them being satisfied is their gain." Tony chuckled, his tone full of disdain. "Right, remote-lock mark ii's backend so they don't tear it apart randomly. If they break it, I'd still find it embarrassing."
Logan leaned against the door frame and chimed in with a smile, "Not bad, Mr. Stark, you acted so realistically that I almost believed you and Rhodes had broken off relations."
Tony was startled, the wrench in his hand almost dropping to the ground. Turning his head and seeing it was him, he rolled his eyes heavily. "When did you get back? Do you walk without making a sound?"
"Just got back, and heard someone here secretly installing a backdoor on the armor." Logan walked in and casually picked up a part on the table to weigh it in his hand. "Pepper was worried sick just now, ran over to my place to complain, said you and Rhodes had fallen out, and asked me to persuade you."
"She's just worrying blindly." Tony curled his lip, put down the wrench, and picked up a soda to take a large gulp. "That guy Rhodes gets urged by those old geezers at The Pentagon every day until his face turns green. Giving him a piece of junk to report back with saves him from bugging me every day."
Though his words sounded disdainful, there wasn't a shred of anger in his tone.
Logan couldn't help but chuckle. This guy was a classic example of hard talk and soft heart. He complained about Rhodes being old-fashioned every day, but when things actually happened, he thought of the other person more than anyone else.
"Right, how are the preparations for the expo going?" Logan leaned against the workbench and glanced at the mark vii armor beside him. The new element core glowed with a light blue light on its chest, looking much more stable than the previous palladium core.
Mentioning the expo, Tony instantly perked up, his eyes lighting up. "Needless to say? This expo, I am going to fully showcase the new element energy, covering all fields: civil, industrial, and medical. By then, the whole of New Yorkwill be able to see the lights of the Stark Expo, putting on a bigger display than Howard's back in the day."
He spoke with high spirits, as if he could already see the grand occasion when the expo opened.
Logan wasn't as optimistic as him, and leisurely reminded him, "The display is big enough, I just fear someone will come to crash the party. That guy Justin Hammer lost so much face at the last hearing, and Ivan Vanko is still in his hands. The expo will be crowded and mixed with eyes, which is just right for making trouble."
After the attack at the Monaco racetrack last time, anyone with clear eyes knew that Justin was fueling the flames behind the Military's actions.
That guy was narrow-minded; having suffered such a huge loss, it was impossible for him not to think about getting payback.
The Stark Expo commanded universal attention, making it the best timing for him to stir up trouble.
"He dares to come?" Tony wore a sarcastic expression, tapping on the mark vii armor with a tone full of confidence. "If he dares to come, I'll make him walk in vertically and be carried out horizontally. It just so happens that mark vii is missing a live target, and Ivan's two broken whips are just right for testing the cannons."
What he said was arrogant, but he also had the capital to be arrogant.
Under the blessing of the new element, mark vii's performance had more than doubled compared to before. Let alone one Ivan, even if ten more came, he was confident he could take them down.
Logan smiled and didn't say anything more.
Anyway, he had reminded him of what needed to be reminded; as long as Tony had a clear idea in mind, that was enough.
Over the next few days, life passed exceptionally peacefully.
The storm in Harlem District gradually subsided, and the media no longer chased after Hulk and the mysterious steel-clawed man every day, instead turning to massively promote the Stark Expo everywhere.
The streets and alleys were full of advertisements for the expo—neon lights, billboards, subway screens—and wherever you went, you could see that punchable smiling face of Tony.
Logan completely began living a retired life.
Every morning he walked Ares in the park, in the afternoon he carried fishing gear to fish by the lake, and occasionally he strolled over to Stark Tower, either scrounging for Tony's good wine or loafing around drinking coffee in Pepper's office.
Fox spent her days following Pepper busy with the expo's security, and sometimes she would vent to him a couple of complaints about Justin Hammer's exhibition team being full of trouble, which Logan just listened to for amusement.
He knew very well how big of a commotion Ivan Vankowould cause at the expo, but he wasn't worried about Tony.
Originally, Tony at this time period had just upgraded his armor to mark v, but now it had already been updated to the seventh generation. He truly didn't believe this guy couldn't handle Ivan Vanko.
As for Justin Hammer? That guy previously pulled assassinations and had people follow him, so when the time came, they would settle accounts thoroughly with him as well.
Looking at the message sent by Jessica on his phone, Logan smiled silently.
Chapter 59: Little Spider and His Aunt Mei
On the opening day of the Stark Expo, the venue in Queenswas packed so tightly it looked like a sardine can.
The holographic projection of the new element energy flowed with a light blue glow in mid-air, the giant arc reactor lights on the venue's dome were dazzlingly bright, and promotional boards printed with Tony's face were everywhere. Even the popcorn stands were printed with Chibi patterns of Iron Man.
Tourists swarmed inside with their families, the crying of children, the laughter of adults, and the introduction sounds of the venue broadcast mixed together, bustling like a New Year celebration.
Mei Parker held her nephew's hand, struggling to catch her breath while squeezed in the crowd.
She had specifically taken a leave today, wearing an off-white knitted sweater, with her hair loosely coiled at the back of her head, revealing her slender neck.
At thirty-two years old, her brows and eyes were gentle, and when she smiled, there were a few faint fine lines at the corners of her eyes, which instead added a touch of mature charm.
Little Peter beside her was only ten years old, hugging a miniature Iron Man helmet larger than his face, his eyes wide open, his head turning back and forth, finding everything fresh and novel.
Ever since her brother and sister-in-law's accident, the child had been living with her. His personality was quiet, but he was utterly obsessed with Iron Man, saving half a year of pocket money just to buy this helmet, and hugging it in his arms even when sleeping.
Mei couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she had to bite the bullet and squeeze through the pre-opening crowd, just to fulfill the child's dream of meeting his idol.
"Walk slowly, Peter, don't run around, there are too many people." Mei tightened her grip on his little hand, her tone carrying a hint of helpless indulgence.
She originally thought fewer people would come on a weekday, but she hadn't expected it to be this crowded on the very first day of the opening. Had she known, she should have done her homework in advance.
When walking to the entrance of the core exhibition area, the crowd was at its densest.
Everyone was squeezing to see the power demonstration of the new element, and the crowd surged forward in waves. Mei was bumped by someone nearby and didn't hold on tightly; the helmet in Peter's hands dropped to the ground with a 'clack', rolling several steps away and almost being stepped on by a passerby's leather shoes.
"Hey! My helmet!" Peter shouted anxiously, bending down to pick it up, but the crowd around him squeezed him so hard he couldn't move his feet at all, his little face turning red from holding his breath.
Mei was also anxious, leaning her body forward, but the crowd squeezed her so much that she couldn't even lift her legs, and could only watch helplessly as the helmet rolled on the ground, her heart gripping with worry—that was the treasure the child had saved up for half a year, and if it were really stepped on and broken, who knew how long he would be sad for.
Right at this moment, a hand reached over and steadily caught the helmet.
The man had slender fingers with distinct knuckles, patted the dust off the helmet, and casually handed it over.
"Hold onto it."
Mei looked up, bumping into a pair of eyes carrying a hint of a smile.
The man was very tall, wearing a black casual shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms, with a straight figure. He looked a bit roguish, but his gaze wasn't annoying.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" Mei hurriedly took the helmet, tidying her hair a bit embarrassedly, her ear tips slightly burning, "There are too many people, couldn't keep an eye on him."
"It's fine, this place is crowded, stand more to the side." Logan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping across her face, thinking to himself that this woman actually looked quite pleasing to the eye, and her gentleness was completely different from Ororo's style.
He had originally found the auditorium too noisy and wanted to detour to the backstage to slack off, passing by here on the way, and casually picked up something.
Little Peter beside them tilted his head back, staring at Logan for a long time, then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he tugged at Mei's hem, whispering excitedly: "Aunt Mei! I know him! I've seen him on TV! He fought the big green monster together with Iron Man!"
The child's voice wasn't loud, but the surroundings were noisy, and the moment he got excited, he raised his pitch, so Logan heard it clearly.
He lowered his head to glance at the little fellow, who was hugging the helmet, his eyes shining like stars and his face full of adoration, reacting in the exact same way as when seeing that guy Tony.
"Is that so?" Logan smiled, teasing him deliberately, "Then tell me, who is stronger, me or Iron Man?"
Peter tilted his head to think for a long time, and said seriously: "Iron Man can fly! But you are also very strong! You have claws!"
His solemn look made Logan chuckle softly.
Mei felt a bit awkward, patting Peter's shoulder, "Don't talk nonsense, you're disturbing the mister."
After speaking, she apologized to Logan, "Sorry about that, the child kept remembering it after seeing the news, a bit lacking in manners."
"It's fine, kids will be kids." Logan waved his hand.
Peter bit his lip, summoned his courage to look up at Logan, and pleaded softly: "Mister, can you take me to see Iron Man? I, I admire him so much! Just to see him once is enough!"
Finished speaking, he was afraid of being rejected, so he quickly added: "I just want an autograph! I won't waste his time!"
The child instantly drooped his head, his fingers scratching at the edge of the helmet, his face full of disappointment, like a puppy caught in the rain.
The apology on Mei's face grew stronger, and she pulled Peter, "Peter, stop making a fuss, Mr. Iron Man is very busy."
Logan found it somewhat amusing; the child's adoring look was quite sincere.
He was originally going backstage to find Tony anyway, and bringing two people along on the way wasn't a big deal.
"Alright, what's the big deal." He flicked his unlit cigar, "I happen to be going to find him, I'll take you guys over on the way."
Mei was stunned for a moment, finding it hard to believe: "Re-, really? Won't it be too much trouble for you?"
"What trouble, it's just a few steps." Logan turned and walked towards the staff passage on the side, "Let's go, any later and that guy will be going on stage."
Peter instantly bounced up, almost cheering out loud, but was held down on the head by Mei, who whispered to him to be quiet and not cause trouble.
The child nodded vigorously, clutching the helmet tightly, his steps becoming much lighter, and his eyes sparkling as he stared at Logan's back, like he had just gotten candy.
The staff passage was much quieter; staff members ran back and forth carrying documents, and upon seeing Logan, they all nodded and greeted him—after all, he was an acquaintance of Mr. Stark's, and the security had long since memorized his face.
The backstage main control area was even busier, with Tony standing next to the central platform, wearing a headset, facing the microphone to direct the lighting adjustments. He wore a customized silver-gray suit with his hair meticulously combed, looking like a human being on the outside, but still complaining in his mouth: "Brighten the left row of lights by two degrees! It's like you haven't eaten! The holographic projection angle is crooked! Did you guys rehearse with your eyes closed yesterday?"
That bossy demeanor was no different from usual in the laboratory.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Logancoming over, also bringing a woman and a youth. Saying "Talk later" into the headset, he took off the headset and walked over, wearing his habitual punchable smile.
"Yo, rare guest." Tony crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over Mei and Peter, and finally falling on Logan, smiling maliciously: "Not bad, Logan, quietly making moves and the kid is already this big? Who is this? When did this happen, how come I didn't catch a whisper of it?"
As soon as these words came out, Mei's face turned'swoosh' red, blushing all the way from her cheeks to the roots of her ears, standing there at a loss for words, not even knowing how to respond.
Peter was also clueless, looking up at Mei, then looking at Logan, with a puzzled face.
Logan irritably reached out and patted his arm, with moderate force, "Can you keep a lid on your mouth? What kind of nonsense are you spouting."
He raised his chin towards Peter's direction, "The kid here is your hardcore fan, specially came to see you. Stop talking nonsense here and ruining your glorious image as Iron Man."
Tony was stunned for a moment, then realized he had spoken too fast, coughed somewhat awkwardly, and rubbed his nose.
He had just gotten used to running his mouth casually, forgetting that there were outsiders present.
He immediately put away his teasing posture, squatted down to eye level with Peter, and showed a relatively amiable smile on his face—though it still looked a bit punchable.
"Hi, kid." He reached out and knocked on the helmet in Peter's arms, "A replica of mark iii? Good eye, this was my coolest suit of armor back then."
Peter instantly became excited, his face turning flushed red, and after a long time managed to squeeze out: "M-, Mr. Iron Man! I especially like you! Can you really fly? Have you fought a big green monster?"
The child asked questions like a machine gun, his eyes startlingly bright, full of adoration.
Tony was amused, patiently answering one by one: "Of course I can fly, up to the stratosphere at the highest. The big green guy... fought him once, his skin is pretty thick."
As he spoke, he fished out a small palm repulsor keychain from his pocket, pressed it, and it could even emit a light blue glow, handing it to Peter, "For you, limited edition, can't buy it outside."
"Wow!" Peter carefully took it, holding it in his palm like he had gotten a treasure, "Thank you, Mr. Iron Man!"
Mei watched from the side, also letting out a sigh of relief, a gentle smile on her face as she whispered her thanks to Logan: "Thank you so much, sorry for the trouble, the child is overjoyed."
"Small matter." Logan shrugged, watching Tony squatting on the ground chatting with the kid, "This guy only has some skill when it comes to coaxing kids."
After chatting for less than two minutes, a staff member hurried over, saying the opening ceremony was about to start and inviting Mr. Stark to the stage.
Tony stood up, patting Peter's shoulder, "Kid, watch the opening ceremony well, and if your science grades are good enough in the future, come work at Stark Industrieswhen you grow up, I'll reserve a spot for you."
"Yeah! I will definitely study hard!" Peter nodded vigorously, puffing out his chest high, as if making some grand oath.
Tony smiled, slightly nodding to acknowledge Mei, then turned and walked towards the stage with the staff member, taking two steps before turning back to wink at Logan, the meaning clearly being "Not bad, kid".
Logan rolled his eyes, too lazy to bother with him.
Logan led Mei and Peter toward the auditorium. Along the way, Mei was still a bit embarrassed, "Mr. Tony was just joking earlier, don't take it to heart, he's just..."
"It's fine, that's just how he is, his mouth is faster than his brain." Logan waved his hand, "As long as you don't mind."
Dropping the two off at the entrance of the exclusive viewing area, Logan stopped his steps, "I'll just drop you guys off here, the opening ceremony is starting soon, watch it well."
"Thank you so much today." Mei thanked him sincerely, the wind blowing up stray hairs at her temples, and she reached out to tuck them away, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze, "If we hadn't met you, Peter would definitely have been disappointed today."
"Just a small effort." Logan lifted his chin at her, "Go on in, it's about to start."
Peter waved his little hand to say goodbye to him: "Goodbye, mister!"
Logan nodded, turning back to walk away.
He leisurely strolled back to the backstage main control area, leaning against the side and watching the direction of the stage.
Tony was already on stage, spotlights shining on him, spiritedly talking about the future of the new element, and thunderous applause rang out below the stage.
Logan rubbed his chin, pondering inwardly.
The little spider is still a brat right now, but his Aunt Mei really is quite pleasing to the eye.
Chapter 60 Expo Accident
When Tony's new-element speech concluded, the applause of the entire audience almost blew off the dome.
The holographic projection's blue energy light belt circled the venue once and landed on the reactor model in the center of the stage, blindingly bright.
The audience below stood up and applauded, and even the political and business celebrities in the front rows had to admit that Howard Stark's son indeed had the capital to be arrogant.
Tony waved and walked off the stage, the corners of his mouth curled high in a swaggering look of "basic operation, don't fuss", and as soon as he walked to the VIP seats, Logan handed him a glass of whiskey: "Not bad, Stark, your ability to bluff people has grown again."
"What do you mean by bluff, this is technological charm." Tony raised an eyebrow and took the glass. Just as he took a sip, the lights on the stage suddenly dimmed by half, and the impassioned background music changed its tune, exuding a sense of deliberate grandeur.
Justin Hammer wore a bright silver suit, his hair combed slick and shiny, and walked onto the stage with what he thought was a dashing stride, picked up the microphone, and smiled brightly: "Thank you for the wonderful presentation brought by Mr. Stark! However, when it comes to future defense technology, we at Hammer Industries also have something to say."
With a wave of his hand, the elevators on both sides of the stage slowly rose, and more than a dozen Iron Soldiers neatly lined up in two rows, their silver-gray armor reflecting the light. There were land combat types, air combat types, and naval combat types, each carrying machine guns and artillery barrels, looking quite intimidating indeed.
"These are the land, sea, and air trinity Iron Soldiers developed by Hammer Industries!" Justin spread his arms, his tone impassioned, "Fully automatic control, precision strikes, zero-casualty combat! The battlefields of the future will be dominated by them!"
A low gasp sounded from the audience, and many people from the Military nodded slightly.
Justin became even more smug, turning sideways to make way: "Next, please welcome our trump card—War Machine piloted by Colonel Rhodes!"
"Hum—"
A heavy armor slowly landed in the center of the stage, one circle more bulky than ordinary Iron Soldiers, with missile pods on its shoulders and Gatling machine guns on its arms, exuding a violent aesthetic all over.
It was precisely the modified version of mark ii piloted by Rhodes, piled with a bunch of weapons by Hammer Industries, looking flashy and gaudy.
Applause rose at the scene again, and Justin puffed out his chest even higher, glancing sideways toward Tony's direction in the audience. That look clearly meant "So what if you have armor, the Military recognizes mine now".
Tony scoffed, his voice just loud enough for everyone around him to hear: "Flashy and gaudy, piling up a bunch of scrap iron and you have the nerve to call it War Machine? If a real fight breaks out, it would fall apart just walking two steps."
Several surrounding guests couldn't help but let out a "pfft" laugh.
Justin heard it clearly on the stage, his face instantly turning liver-colored, and his grip on the microphone tightened.
He clenched his back teeth and endured and endured, finally pressing down the urge to curse, and shouted with a fake smile: "Now, begin the tactical drill!"
He made a gesture, and the backstage operators immediately started the program.
More than a dozen Iron Soldiers stepped forward simultaneously, their movements neat and uniform. Raising their guns, turning around, and aiming, the whole set of movements was smooth and flowing.
War Machine also slowly ascended into the air, its Gatling barrels spinning up, adopting a shooting stance towards the empty target position.
Just as Justin was about to smugly introduce the performance, a sudden change occurred.
"Click."
The movements of all the Iron Soldiers suddenly paused, their gun barrels simultaneously shifting direction, no longer aiming at the empty targets, but pointing straight at the audience! The red light charging in the artillery barrels lit up bit by bit, making it clear they were poised to fire.
"What is going on?!" Justin was dumbfounded, shouting toward backstage, "You operated it wrong! Turn it back quickly!"
No one answered him.
War Machine also began to shake violently, and Rhodes's voice came from the armor, carrying urgency: "The control system has been hacked! I can't control it!"
The scene exploded instantly.
Screams arose everywhere in the audience, and people scrambled blindly toward the exits. The crying of children and the shouts of adults mixed together, turning into a complete mess.
Security guards rushed up to maintain order, but facing more than a dozen machine guns pointing at the crowd, no one dared to step forward.
In the backstage control room, Ivan Vanko held a toothpick in his mouth, his fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard, and the screen was full of randomly jumping code.
He looked at the chaotic scene on the monitor, a sinister smile hooking the corners of his mouth, and muttered indistinctly: "Tony Stark... Is your expo good to watch?"
"F**k! That dog Ivan!" Tony reacted instantly, cursed, and turned to shout at Fox, "mark vii!"
Fox was well prepared, pulling a silver-black briefcase out of the box next to her and throwing it over.
Tony caught it and flicked his wrist. The briefcase instantly expanded into armor components, clicking onto his body along his arms. Within seconds, he completed donning the armor, the mask closed with a "click", and the repulsors lit up with blue light.
"Jarvis! Hack into the control system!"
"Trying, Sir, the opponent's encryption level is very high, it will take time!"
Just as Tony was preparing to take off and take the hit head-on, a figure beside him stepped forward.
Logan held an unlit cigar in his mouth, raised his right hand, and slightly clenched his five fingers.
"Hum—"
A muffled metallic tremor echoed throughout the venue.
The dozen or so Iron Soldiers that were just poised for action, including War Machine in mid-air, instantly froze in place.
The gun barrels were still glowing with the red light of charging, but could no longer move a fraction, as if firmly welded in the air by an invisible giant hand.
Even the already-chambered bullets were forcefully stuck in the muzzle, motionless.
The running crowd froze, the screams stopped, and the entire venue instantly became eerily quiet, leaving only the buzzing current sound of the soldiers' armor circuits.
Everyone subconsciously looked at Logan, who had raised his hand.
The man stood in the front row of the VIP seats, his profile sharp and clean, his expression lazy and casual, as if he had just casually steadied a cup.
But those steel armors weighing a dozen tons in total were truly fixed in mid-air by him out of thin air, without even a trace of swaying.
"What are you dazing for?" Logan raised his chin toward Tony without turning his head, "Hurry up and unlock the backdoor program on Rhodes's unit; my hand gets sore if I grip the magnetic field for too long."
Tony reacted and immediately had Jarvis interface with War Machine's system.
With the backdoor reserved by mark ii, cracking it was much faster than re-hacking. Within two seconds, Rhodes's voice sighed in relief: "Control has been taken back! I'm fine!"
"Good." Logan's fingertips relaxed slightly without directly withdrawing the force, merely twisting and disabling the weapon systems of those unmanned Iron Soldiers first, "What should be done with these unmanned ones? Dismantle them directly?"
"Don't, don't, don't!" Justin Hammer scrambled down from the stage, his face pale, "If you dismantle me..."
"Shut up." Tony turned his head and glared at him, "You still have the face to speak? The people were brought by you, the system was made by you, and you almost sent everyone here away. I'll settle this score with you later."
Justin instantly wilted, his legs turning soft and almost sitting on the ground.
How could he have imagined that Ivan was so daring as to directly make a move at the expo. This was not just smashing the venue, it was taking his life!
The chaos gradually subsided, and security began guiding the audience to evacuate in an orderly manner.
Mei Parker held Peter in her arms, following the stream of people toward the exit, but Peter clung to her shoulders, looking back incessantly.
He saw clearly just moments ago that the uncle who picked up the helmet just lifted his hand like that, and all those iron lumps stopped moving.
And Mr. Iron Man, standing there in armor, was simply so cool!
The child's eyes were shockingly bright, tightly clutching the repulsor keychain in his hand, his chest pounding.
It turns out heroes really exist.
Not the animation on TV, not the pattern on a toy helmet, but someone who will truly stand up in times of danger and block all perils.
"Peter, stop looking, let's go." Mei urged him softly, her voice still trembling slightly.
Peter let out an "Mn", but still couldn't help looking back once more.
In front of the stage, the uncle in the black shirt put down his hand, and the Iron Soldiers crashed heavily onto the ground. Iron Man walked up to his side, said something unknown, and the man smiled, casual yet particularly reassuring.
Peter clenched his small fists tightly.
In the future, he too wanted to be a person like that.
In the venue, Logan withdrew the magnetic field, and the dozen or so Iron Soldiers heavily smashed onto the ground, producing a dull thud. He moved his wrists and mocked: "I told you early on that that fellow Justin couldn't hold back anything good, but you insisted he didn't have the guts. How is it? Almost turned the expo into a memorial service, didn't you?"
"Who knew his brain is so dysfunctional, leading any mad dog back home." Tony also had a headache, lifting his mask to reveal an irritated expression, "That fellow Ivan must still be in the venue; we have to drag him out, otherwise heaven knows what other tricks he'll pull."
"What's the rush." Logan bit down on his cigar, lit it leisurely, blew a smoke ring, "He went to so much trouble to pull off this stunt, surely not just to smash a venue. He must still be waiting to do something bigger, let's just wait."
He raised his eyes to scan every corner of the venue, his gaze sharp for a split second, before quickly returning to that lazy appearance.
Beside him, Rhodes also crawled out of War Machine, covered in sweat. Walking over with a solemn expression, he said: "This matter is not that simple. Hammer Industries's system vulnerabilities are too big. If Ivan can control it once, he can control it a second time. Moreover, his target is obviously Tony, we must catch him as soon as possible."
"Catch him we definitely will." Tony shrugged, "However, no rush. Since he came, he will definitely show up again. I want to see what kind of tricks he really wants to play after going to so much trouble."
The three of them stood in front of the messy stage, behind them the evacuating crowd and the scattered wreckage of the Iron Soldiers.
The lights of the dome were still shining, illuminating the three of them like a frozen painting.
Meanwhile, in the distant audience passage, little Petertook one last look back, firmly engraving this scene into his heart.
Many years later, when he swung between the high-rises of New York in a red and blue suit, he would still remember this day.
Chapter 61 Exposed
Less than half a minute after the disturbance inside the venue was suppressed, a loud "boom" came from the outer perimeter of the pavilion, shaking the dome glass so that debris rattled down.
Jarvis's voice instantly rang in Tony's earpiece: "Sir, a large number of unmanned Iron Soldiers have appeared on the outer perimeter of the venue, estimated to be more than two hundred, and they are closing in on the conference hall! The master control is entirely in the hands of Ivan Vanko!"
"Two hundred?" Tony's face darkened as he turned his head to glare at Justin, who was collapsed on the ground, "Are you fucking crazy? Building two hundred scrap irons, are you trying to rebel?"
Justin Hammer's face was as white as paper, his lips trembled continuously, and he couldn't even speak properly: "I—I don't know... He said he only built a dozen or so for demonstration..."
"Trash," Logan cursed in a low voice, flicking the ash off his cigar with his fingertips, and looked up toward the entrance of the venue.
Accompanied by heavy metallic footsteps, a dense crowd of Iron Soldiers poured in from various exits, their bolts cocked simultaneously, and their dark muzzles aimed at the crowd that had not yet evacuated the venue.
The platform at the very front slowly rose, with Ivan Vankostanding on it, wearing a heavy silver-gray Whiplasharmor. The reactor on his chest crackled with electrical light, and two orange-red energy whips hung from his palms, a full circle thicker than that time in Monaco, with the electricity snapping and crackling wildly.
"Tony Stark!" Ivan's voice came through the armor's loudspeaker, hoarse and cold, "Is your Stark Expospectacular?"
As he spoke, he waved his hand abruptly, and all the Iron Soldiers raised their guns simultaneously, the charging red light glowing into a sheet.
"Holy crap, they're playing for real!" Tony cursed, flames spurting from the soles of his feet as he instantly rose into the air, "Rhodes! You guard the ground and evacuate the crowd! Logan, the left is yours and the right is mine, don't let these scrap irons hurt civilians!"
"Got it, nag." Logan stretched his wrists, the Adamantium Claws snapping out with a'shhh' sound, a cold flash of light.
He activated his teleportation under his feet, his figure disappearing on the spot, and when he reappeared, he was already standing in the middle of the front row of Iron Soldiers.
With Magnetic Field Manipulation fully spread out, dozens of surrounding Iron Soldiers instantly froze in place, unable to move as if the pause button had been pressed.
Logan twisted his fingertips, a continuous series of 'click-click' sounds ringing out, and the gun barrels of the soldiers were all twisted into dough twists. Following that, with a casual wave of his hand, a dozen scrap irons crashed together like bowling balls, smashing into a pile of scrap metal.
"With just this mass-produced junk, you dare to show off." He sneered, wind blades of airflow condensing at his fingertips, and with a casual wave, the core circuits of half a row of soldiers were directly cut through, crashing down all over the ground.
High in the air, Tony was firing like he had god-mode enabled, his palm cannons firing continuously and missiles being thrown out as if they cost nothing.
Iron Soldiers fell in patches, but they couldn't withstand the massive numbers; as soon as one batch was knocked out, another surged up like a tide.
"Fuck, just how many did that idiot Justin build?" Tonycursed while dodging bullets, "Jarvis! Can you hack into the system?"
"The opponent's firewall is constantly updating, I can only paralyze them one by one, Sir!"
"Useless system," Tony muttered, turning his head to see Rhodes surrounded by a dozen soldiers, his Gatling gun barrels spinning almost to the point of smoking. He quickly flew over and cleared the field with a shoulder-fired missile, saying, "I say Rhodes, is your War Machine any good? You piled up a bunch of weapons, and you can't even handle a few scrap irons cleanly?"
"Cut the crap!" Rhodes roared, his shoulder cannons firing simultaneously to blow away a patch, "The firepower of these things is too dense, I can't free up my hands! You hurry up and find Ivan, capture the ringleader first!"
"Do I need you to tell me?" Tony just wanted to rush in Ivan's direction when two orange-red Whiplash suddenly whipped across horizontally. He hurriedly sidestepped to dodge, the whip tip grazing across the back of his armor and directly slicing off a piece of plating.
"Your opponent is me, Stark." Ivan sneered, leaping into mid-air, his two energy whips swinging with a fierce wind and electrical light crackling, "Today, I want Stark Industries to go to hell with me!"
"Just you?" Tony smiled disdainfully, his palm cannons blasting with full force. The beam of light and the Whiplash collided, bursting into a dazzling cluster of light.
Down below, Logan was dismantling smoothly when out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Tony's arm being entangled by the Whiplash, sparks flying from his armor. He clicked his tongue: "Are you alright, Tony, you can't even beat an electrician?"
As he spoke, he activated his teleportation, and the next second he directly appeared behind Ivan, his right claw carrying Crimson Power and slamming fiercely into the back of the armor.
With a loud "clang" sound, Ivan's entire body smashed down like a meteorite, hard-hitting and creating a large pit on the ground.
"What kind of skill is a sneak attack!" Ivan roared as he climbed up, whipping backward with his Whiplash, but he struck empty air.
Logan had long teleported to the side, and with a pull of his magnetic field, the metal parts on Ivan's armor crackled, the circuits being pulled until they were desoldered.
"Skill? Do I need to talk about skill to deal with you?"
He teased with a smile, "Your whip looks quite intimidating, why is it like you haven't eaten?"
Ivan was so angry his eyes turned red, swinging his Whiplash like a madman, the orange-red light blades dancing all over the sky and splitting the surrounding Iron Soldiers in half.
He had originally come with the intention of perishing together, and his moves were all suicide-style tactics, unexpectedly forcing Tony and Rhodes to retreat repeatedly for a moment.
"Is this guy crazy?" Tony dodged a whip, his chest feeling a bit stuffy, "Has he lost his mind?"
"He came here to take revenge in the first place, who cares about his life." Logan shook his fingers, and the metal fragments scattered around instantly gathered into a dozen metal spears, shooting toward Ivan all at once.
Ivan swung his whip to block, but there were too many spears, and several still pierced into the joints of his armor, slowing his movements by half a beat instantly.
Rhodes seized the opportunity, his Gatling gun firing at full force, bullets slamming onto Ivan's armor like a torrential rainstorm, splashing sparks everywhere.
Tony took the opportunity to circle to the front, his chest cluster cannon charging at full force, and a thick light-blue beam of light blasted out, hitting right on the reactor on Ivan's chest.
"Clang——"
With a loud crash, Ivan's armor was directly blown away, slamming heavily into a pillar. The reactor on his chest crackled with black smoke, and the energy whip also dimmed.
He struggled to climb up, but the armor was severely damaged, and his limbs couldn't move at all.
The mask popped open, revealing a pale and ferocious face, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, yet he was still smiling—smiling madly and resolutely.
"Tony Stark..." He coughed up blood, his eyes fixed dead on Tony, "Do you think... you've won?"
Tony landed, walked up to him, and frowned: "If you lose, you lose, what's with the tough talk."
"Lose?" Ivan burst into laughter, shaking all over, "I never planned to leave here alive. What your father owes me, I want you to pay back with the entire Stark Expo!"
As he spoke, his fingers trembled as they pressed toward the reactor on his chest, the red light on it flashing frantically, the frequency getting faster and faster.
"Not good! He's going to self-destruct!" Tony's expression changed, "Rhodes! Logan! Fall back!"
Logan had already sensed something was wrong, his magnetic field instantly wrapping around the surrounding Iron Soldiers that could still move and piling them up near Ivan to act as a buffer, while pulling Rhodes to teleport a dozen meters back.
Flames spurted from the soles of Tony's feet, instantly shooting him into mid-air.
"I, Ivan Vanko, will make you remember..." Ivan's voice carried a frantic smile, finally dissipating into the soaring flames.
Boom——!!!
The huge explosion shook the entire venue three times, fireballs soared into the air, and the shockwave overturned the surrounding shelves and display boards.
Fortunately, Logan had used metal to pile up a buffer beforehand, suppressing the explosion range to the stage area without affecting the evacuating crowd.
As the smoke and dust dissipated, only a charred ruin remained in the center of the stage. Ivan, along with his Whiplash armor, was blown to pieces without even a trace left behind.
"He's got some spine," Logan patted the dust off his body, remarking, "Rather die than surrender, much better than that spineless Justin."
On the other side, Justin Hammer was already paralyzed with fear, looking at the stage blown into ruins with a complexion as dead as ash.
Before he could run, the FBI, having rushed over upon hearing the news, dashed in, brandishing handcuffs and directly cuffing him.
"Justin Hammer, you are suspected of illegally developing weapons and assisting Terrorists in attacking public places. Come with us."
"I didn't... That guy tricked me... I didn't know!" Justindefended himself with a crying face, but no one listened to him as he was hauled away, his past swagger completely gone.
With this farce ending here, it could be considered completely over.
The wreckage of the Iron Soldiers was piled all over the floor, and the venue was in a complete mess. Fortunately, casualties were not large, and most of the civilians were evacuated in time.
The rescue team and the Police soon entered the scene, systematically clearing the area.
Tony took off his mask, his hair messy and his face stained with a bit of ash, yet he still talked tough: "How about that, was my cluster cannon accurate just now? It completely wrecked him."
"Cut the crap, wasn't it me who pinned him down in the end?" Logan rolled his eyes, "If I hadn't grabbed his armor, it would be questionable whether your cannon could have hit him."
Rhodes crawled out of his armor, covered in sweat, looking at the mess all over the floor with a headache: "All right, you two stop arguing, hurry up and figure out how to handle the aftermath. With such a big incident, the media is definitely going to explode."
He was right.
The entire battle was filmed by passersby and media. Although the live broadcast signal was cut off for a while, mobile phone recordings had long spread all over social networks.
Compared to the teamwork of Iron Man and War Machine, everyone was more curious about the man who could freeze Iron Soldiers out of thin air, twist gun barrels with his bare hands, and had metal claws.
The hashtags #Identity of Mysterious Clawed Man Exposed# and #Mutant at Stark Expo# rushed to the top of the trending searches like riding a Rocket. The videos were repeatedly edited and played in slow motion; Magnetic Field Manipulation, metal claws, and teleportation ability, every single one of them precisely hit the characteristics of a Mutant.
"Turns out he's a Mutant?! No wonder he's so powerful!"
"So what if he's a Mutant? If it weren't for him just now, we all would have died there!"
"Gosh, he's so handsome! That moment when he raised his hand to freeze two hundred Iron Soldiers, I rewatched it directly on repeat!"
The internet was in an uproar; there were those who were amazed, those who panicked, and hardcore fans defending him.
Logan's identity as a Mutant, after going in circles for so long, ultimately could no longer be completely hidden in broad daylight.
Tony scrolled on his phone, raised his head to glance at Logan, who was squatting by the ruins rummaging through the parts left behind by Ivan, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Hey, your identity is exposed, don't you have any thoughts?" Tony walked over and kicked his shoe, "Mr. Mutant, from now on people are going to surround and stare at you when you go out."
Logan looked up, smiled, and wore an indifferent expression: "Exposed is exposed, how tiring it is to hide and tuck away."
He never intended to hide for a lifetime anyway.
With the precedent from Charles's side, identity exposure would come sooner or later.
Rather than hiding, it was better to be open and aboveboard. Anyway, his fists were hard; if anyone couldn't figure it out, let them come and try.
"You sure have a big heart," Tony said unhappily, yet he also breathed a sigh of relief, "Fine, exposed is exposed. If anyone ever bitches about Mutants endangering public safety, you just throw today's recording in their face. You saved hundreds of people, it's not their turn to talk crap."
Rhodes nodded on the side, rarely agreeing with Tony's words: "That's right, you made a huge contribution today. I'll talk to the Military, and I won't let them come looking for trouble with you randomly."
"Oh come on, you two don't make it look like an award ceremony." Logan stood up, patted the dust off his trousers, and looked toward the setting sun outside the venue, "Hurry up and clean up this mess. Later when Pepper comes and sees the venue torn apart like this, you'll have hell to pay."
Tony's face froze, and he instantly got a headache.
He had been too busy fighting and forgot about this matter.
Such a fine Stark Expo was blown into ruins half a day after opening. If Pepper found out, she would definitely skin him alive.
"Fuck, almost forgot!" Tony quickly put on his mask, "I'm slipping away first, you two help me hold down the fort for the aftermath!"
Saying that, flames spurted from the soles of his feet, and he vanished in a flash of smoke.
"Hey! You kid!" Rhodes was so angry he jumped up and down, but he could only sigh helplessly, resigning himself to go coordinate with the on-site person in charge.
Chapter 62: Not Going Back Tonight
The next morning, in the underground laboratory of Stark Tower.
Tony was squatting on the workbench repairing the shoulder armor of the mark vii, with dark circles under his eyes, clearly having stayed up half the night—yesterday the expo was blown into ruins, Pepper had chewed him out overnight and forced him to pay out of his own pocket to repair the venue, making him so angry he hid in the laboratory all night.
Logan was leaning against the sofa, with his feet propped up on the coffee table, holding a glass of whiskey in his hand, leisurely flipping through a newspaper.
The front page headline printed a photo of him raising his hand to freeze the Iron Soldiers, with a headline large enough to scare people to death: "Expo Terror: MutantLogan Howlett Turns the Tide, Iron Man Joins Forces with War Machine to Crush Terrorist Attack".
"I say, this is the eighth time you've flipped through that newspaper. Can you see flowers blooming if you keep looking?" Tony tightened the screws without raising his head, "So what if your identity is exposed? What's the big deal, acting like you won the lottery."
"At least I'm better than someone who lost fifty million after the expo and is hiding in the lab not daring to face Pepper." Logan retorted, throwing the newspaper aside, "I just don't get it, what were you even aiming for, turning a fine expo into a demolition site."
"It's all because of that idiot Justin!" Tony got angry just mentioning this, slamming the wrench onto the table, "If he hadn't recklessly led people in, could this have happened? And he still has the nerve to brag to the Military."
The two were bickering back and forth when the laboratory door opened with a "ding" sound.
Jarvis's voice sounded: "Sir, Director Fury and Agent Coulson are visiting, saying they have an important matter to discuss."
Tony's movements paused, and he rolled his eyes heavily: "Speak of the devil. This one-eyed dragon is fast with the news; trouble happened just yesterday, and today he's coming over to pick up bargains."
As soon as the words fell, Nick Fury walked in, his black trench coat meticulous, an eyepatch covering half his face, his aura suppressing people so they could barely breathe.
Following behind him was Phil Coulson, holding a file bag in his hand, dressed in a sharp suit, with a standard professional smile on his face.
"Stark, Mr. Howlett." Fury walked up to the workbench, his gaze sweeping across the parts all over the floor, and then falling on Tony's dust-stained face, "It seems you two were quite busy last night."
"Not bad, dismantled some scrap metal, stretched my muscles." Tony put down the wrench, casually pulled a tissue to wipe his hands, "What, does Director Fury's grand visit mean you're here to donate to the expo? Perfect, the venue repair costs are still short a few hundred million. If you're willing to make up the difference, I'll thank you on behalf of Pepper."
Fury didn't pick up his cue, and raised his chin at Coulson.
Coulson stepped forward, placed the file bag on the table, pulled out a few newspapers and documents, and pushed them in front of the two: "Gentlemen, let's get straight to the point. We already fully understand the matter of the expo, and we are very clear about both of your abilities."
He paused, his tone sincere: "S.H.I.E.L.D. is preparing an initiative called 'Avengers'. It gathers people with special abilities from all over the World to form a team to deal with crises that ordinary humans cannot solve. We hope the two of you can join."
After speaking, Coulson looked at Tony and Logan with a bit of anticipation in his eyes.
Tony raised an eyebrow, picked up the documents and flipped through two pages, then casually threw them back onto the table, complaining: "Avengers Initiative? Sounds like a children's cartoon. What, S.H.I.E.L.D. has no one left? Looking for me to be a thug?"
"Not a thug, a partner." Fury said in a deep voice, "Earth is not as safe as you think. The outside World is big, and in the future there will be more threats like Ivan Vanko, like Abomination, or even more dangerous ones. Relying on just one person cannot withstand it."
"If it can't withstand it, then it can't." Logan leisurely sipped a sip of whiskey, leaning against the sofa with an expression of detachment, "Besides, what benefits are there for joining you guys? How much is the salary? Do you pay the five insurances and one housing fund? How many days of vacation? You can't expect us to work for nothing, right?"
Coulson froze for a moment, clearly not expecting him to ask this, and instinctively wanted to explain: "This... compensation and benefits we can discuss, but—"
"But what, but you want us on call at all times, standing by twenty-four hours a day, and still have to listen to your commands?" Logan rolled his eyes, "Forget it, I'm used to being unrestrained and can't stand restrictions. Clocking in for work is one thing, but risking my life too? Only a fool would do that."
Tony nodded along next to him: "Exactly. Those crappy matters of S.H.I.E.L.D., who doesn't know? Today you're asked to do this, tomorrow you're asked to do that, and in the end when something goes wrong, we take all the blame. Do I, Tony Stark, look like someone lacking work?"
Fury's face darkened a bit more.
He originally thought Tony was difficult to deal with, but he didn't expect Logan to be even more impervious to reason, with an attitude of not doing it even if given money.
"Gentlemen, this is no joke." Fury's voice sank, "Future threats far exceed your imagination. When true danger arrives, no one can stay out of it, and you can't hide from it."
"We'll talk when we can't hide." Logan shrugged, "Can't wear a raincoat every day just because it might rain in the future, right? Isn't that exhausting."
"You—" Fury was choked up, taking a deep breath to suppress his anger.
He finally saw it; these two had tongues more poisonous than each other, and no matter what was said today, they wouldn't nod.
He stared at the two for a few seconds, then suddenly sneered: "Fine, I won't force you. But I'll put my words here—when real danger comes, if you want to stay out of it, it will be too late."
After speaking, he turned and walked away, the hem of his trench coat sweeping across the table, stirring up a gust of wind.
Coulson hurriedly packed up the documents, awkwardly nodded at the two, and quickly chased after him.
The laboratory door closed, instantly falling quiet.
Tony picked up the wrench and continued to tighten the screws, his mouth not resting: "You say this one-eyed dragon, is he just idle? Every day messing with these unnecessary things. Also the Avengers Initiative, I think he watches too many cartoons."
Logan smiled and didn't take up the conversation.
He knew very well that what Fury said was the truth, the Chitauri would come sooner or later.
But joining the Avengers could be forgotten; being managed by S.H.I.E.L.D., how could that compare to being free and unfettered on one's own.
When the day of the Battle of New York really arrived, lending a hand along the way would suffice; there was no need to sell oneself out.
"Aren't you tempted at all?" Logan raised an eyebrow, looking at Tony, "A superhero team sounds pretty cool, doesn't it fit your flamboyant nature?"
"Cool my ass." Tony rolled his eyes, "A bunch of people gathered together, holding meetings and arguing every day, it's annoying to death. Besides, how deep the water of S.H.I.E.L.D. is, you aren't unaware. If you really go in, who knows which day you'll be sold out and still help count the money."
He spoke with a stiff upper hand, but his hand movements slowed down by half a beat, and his eyes drifted away.
Logan saw it all, clear as a mirror in his heart.
This guy refused decisively with his mouth, but in his heart he was already tempted long ago.
This guy loved to show off his entire life, and also loved to save the World; the Avengers Initiative happened to strike his soft spot.
It was just that he couldn't save face, and couldn't trust S.H.I.E.L.D., so he was just putting up a stiff front.
"Fine, whatever you say." Logan didn't expose him, stood up and stretched, "I'm leaving, I have a date to go for a drive. Slowly repair your armor, and by the way think about how to apologize to Pepper."
"Scram!" Tony grabbed a nut and threw it over, but Logancaught it casually.
Logan walked out of the laboratory with a smile, went downstairs to the garage.
His modified harley was parked in the corner, the pitch-black and shiny body polished bright, the exhaust pipe modified, its roar low and powerful.
He straddled the bike, put on his sunglasses, sent a message to Michaela, twisted the throttle, and the harleydarted out with a hum.
Ten-odd minutes later, at the entrance of the modification shop.
Michaela had been waiting there for a long time, today wearing a short leather jacket, tight jeans accentuating her legs as long and straight, her long hair tied into a high ponytail, holding a helmet in her hand.
Seeing Logan approaching, her eyes lit up.
"Waiting long?" Logan took off his helmet and smiled at her.
"Not long, just finished the work in my hand." Michaela got on the bike, very naturally reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his back, "Where are we going?"
"Coastal highway, take a spin." Logan said as he twisted the throttle, and the harley roared off.
The afternoon sunlight was just right, the sea breeze blew over with a salty-fishy smell, the coastline by the road was boundless, waves battered the reefs, splashing white spray.
The harley sped along the highway, the wind whistling past her ears.
Michaela tightly hugged Logan's waist, feeling the temperature of his body and his solid muscles, her heart beating wildly.
Of course she had seen the news of the expo.
The man in the video who raised his hand to freeze hundreds of Iron Soldiers overlapped with the person right in front of her taking her for a spin, feeling both distant and real.
She previously only knew Logan was formidable, but she didn't expect him to be formidable to this extent.
The internet was overwhelmingly filled with discussions about Mutants, some praising and some cursing, but she wasn't afraid at all.
"The news online... have you seen it all?" Michaela asked loudly, the wind blowing her voice a bit scattered.
"Saw a bit, didn't take it seriously." Logan shouted without turning his head, "Let them say whatever they want, it doesn't lose me any flesh."
"I knew you wouldn't care." Michaela smiled, pressing her face even tighter, "What do they know. If it weren't for you that day, who knows how many people would have died."
Logan smiled and didn't speak.
The bike turned into a secluded side road, slowly stopping by the seaside viewing platform.
In the distance, the setting sun was slowly sinking, dyeing the sea surface into a golden-red.
The two leaned against the guardrail, blowing the sea breeze, chatting desultorily.
Michaela told him interesting things about the modification shop, saying they received an old car today to modify its engine, and Logan occasionally chimed in with a few modification techniques, making Michaela's eyes light up as she listened.
The sky gradually darkened, street lamps along the road lit up one by one, casting warm yellow light onto the two of them.
"It's getting late, shall I send you back?" Logan glanced at the time and asked casually.
Michaela pursed her lips, looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the light of the street lamps, brilliantly bright.
She didn't speak, just gently shook her head, reaching out to hook the corner of Logan's clothes.
Logan lowered his head to look at her, the girl's cheeks slightly reddened by the sea breeze, her eyes carrying a bit of shyness, yet very straightforward.
His heart stirred, he reached out to embrace her waist, and lowered his head to kiss her.
The sea breeze blew gently, carrying a salty taste.
This kiss was much deeper than the light touch on the cheek last time, carrying the scent of tobacco and sea breeze.
Michaela trembled all over, reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, and closed her eyes.
The kiss ended, and both of them were a bit breathless.
Michaela buried herself in his arms, the tips of her ears burning red.
"Tonight... not going back is fine too." She said softly, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.
Logan chuckled softly, ruffled her hair, his voice carrying a slight hoarseness: "Okay."
He put his helmet back on, let Michaela sit properly, and the harley restarted, driving towards the direction of the city center.
The destination wasn't the modification shop, but a hotel in the city center.
The night grew darker, the light and shadow of the street lamps flashing past the body of the bike.
Michaela tightly hugged Logan's waist, listening to his powerful heartbeat, her lips curling upward uncontrollably.