Sunlight, filtered through smart glass, cast a gentle morning glow on the top floor of the Arbitrator Tower.
When Chen Tian opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Wanda's brown hair scattered across his chest, and he lightly moved his fingers, feeling the girl's warm breath brush against his collarbone.
"Mmm..." Wanda stirred in his arms, her long eyelashes fluttering open.
Her amber eyes, like melted honey in the morning light, said, "Good morning." Her voice was a little hoarse from just waking up, but it had a lazy sexiness that was more pronounced than usual.
After the party last night, he and Miss 2B returned to this room, which they hadn't entered in three years. The young woman proactively suggested 'exploring human reproduction plans,' and had even untied the bow at the back of her dress. Just as the lights automatically dimmed, the door was silently opened by Chaos magic—
"What are you thinking about?" Wanda's fingertips lightly traced his abs, interrupting his thoughts.
She propped herself up, her long hair cascading like a waterfall, and the silk sheet slipped from her shoulders, revealing a large expanse of fair skin. Chen Tian's Adam's apple unconsciously bobbed.
"What do you think?" Chen Tian's eyes held a fiery glint. "Tony said he wanted to talk to me at 10 AM this morning, and there's still..."
Chen Tian glanced at the holographic alarm clock by the bed, "Two hours."
"Then what do you want to do?" Wanda lightly bit her lower lip, and two blushes appeared on her cheeks.
"Want to!" Chen Tian flipped over, pinning Wanda beneath him.
"Wait!" Wanda suddenly stopped him. "Miss 2B isn't here; no one is blocking Jarvis."
"Don't worry, in this room, no one can monitor or intrude without my permission," Chen Tian said with a mischievous smile, looking at the beauty.
Upon hearing this, Wanda's lips curved upwards, and with a forceful movement, she flipped over and pinned him down. "Is that so? Last night, I was still afraid of that pervert Tony peeking."
"Don't worry, ever since the first time I went to his house and was secretly photographed, I've been very wary of that," Chen Tian said to the female knight.
"I know, 'MKS-ism in the Morning Light.'" Wanda's eyes were already starting to get watery.
"Then do you want to try?" Chen Tian smirked.
"I...." Wanda leaned down lightly, "Aren't we already trying?"
Chen Tian's eyes grew brighter and brighter, as he placed both hands behind his head, looking utterly comfortable.
Outside the door, Miss 2B held a tray with food and breakfast. She placed her hand on the doorknob, smiled, then withdrew her hand, standing like a guard, blocking the door.
"Master, Jarvis can't monitor your room because I created all the systems in your room." In Miss 2B's mind, the scene of chaos in the room appeared, and her core processor began to heat up.
"So it can be like this? Wanda didn't expect to know so much," Miss 2B exclaimed inwardly.
— — — —
Tony slumped listlessly on a beanbag chair in the game room, his fingers drumming impatiently on the game controller. On the screen, his Iron Man character had been KO'd three times in a row by the AI opponent, but he didn't even have the interest to reselect.
"Jarvis," Tony asked for the 12th time, "Has that kid left the room yet?"
"Sir, according to the surveillance outside Mr. Chen's room, Mr. Chen has indeed not left the bedroom," Jarvis's voice held a hint of imperceptible helplessness. "Do I need to remind you that in the past 30 minutes you have already..."
"Shut up, Jarvis." Tony tossed the game controller aside and took a large bite of the cheeseburger on the table. "I'm just thinking..." He glanced at the retro wall clock. He smiled. "That kid's body is really good, just like when I was twenty."
Just then, a communication request from Colonel Rhodes suddenly popped up on the holographic screen. Tony sighed and casually answered: "Hey, sweetheart, if you're calling to rush me to next week's Air Force social dinner..."
"Actually," Rhodes said, dressed in a crisp Air Force uniform, his expression formal, "I'm representing the Pentagon." He cleared his throat. "The Military hopes you'll consider providing a Mark series suit of armor for use by Air Force special forces."
Tony didn't even lift an eyelid: "Thirty-first official answer—no." He bit into his burger, crumbs falling on his shirt. "My armor isn't a weapon, Rhodes. You know my stance."
Rhodes's expression immediately relaxed, revealing a knowing smile: "I knew you'd say that." He shrugged. "The generals told me to ask at least once a month, saying, 'What if Stark changes his mind?'"
"Unless they turn the Pentagon into a homeless animal shelter." Tony rolled his eyes. "Now, if you don't have anything else..."
"Wait!" Rhodes suddenly leaned closer to the camera, a mischievous expression appearing on his face. "Jarvis just told me you're actually waiting for someone?" He exaggeratedly looked at his watch. "Tony Stark waits for people? Is the World ending?"
Tony, mortified, grabbed a slice of bread and threw it at the holographic screen: "Jarvis! Who gave you permission to leak my schedule?"
"The agreement you set when you returned from Afghanistan, Sir," Jarvis replied flatly. "When Colonel Rhodes calls, you are allowed to retrieve your non-classified schedule information."
Rhodes was already laughing so hard he was bent over: "Let me guess—you're waiting for Chen Tian, right? I heard he's back. Is that kid late?" He mimicked Tony's tone, "'Time is money, Rhodes! Being late is disrespecting life!'"
"Shut up, Honey Bear." Tony buried his face in a pillow, muffled, "I'm just... testing the durability of the new game controller."
"Oh~" Rhodes drew out the sound. "So letting the AI continuously beat you for three rounds is also part of the test?" He winked mischievously. "Do you need me to teach you how to pass the time in the restroom?"
Just as Tony was about to retort, Jarvis's voice suddenly came through the game room's sound system: "Sir, I have a communication request from Miss 2B."
"Patch it through." Tony waved his hand impatiently.
"Mr. Stark," Jarvis's voice suddenly switched to Miss 2B's tone, "Master asked me to tell you that he needs to... adjust his equipment again. It's expected to take another 47 minutes."
"Alright, alright," Tony pouted and picked up the controller again. "Kids grow up; you always have to give them a little private space." His eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, that's right, Miss 2B! Tell your Master that I've hidden his treasured figurines somewhere in this Tower. Tell him to get up and find them."
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the communication, then Miss 2B's calm voice came through: "Master said that if you touch his figurines, he'll post the holographic recording of you dancing ballet in your armor yesterday online."
Tony's controller clattered to the floor. Rhodes's laughter instantly escalated. "What?! Jarvis! Copy that for me immediately!"
"Already sent to your private cloud, Mr. Rhodes," Jarvis said calmly.
Tony collapsed onto the sofa in despair, wailing at the ceiling: "I hate all of you." He grabbed a cushion and covered his face. "Jarvis! Cut off all outbound channels!"
Rhodes laughed, slapping the table: "Hahahaha, Miss 2B, tell Chen Tian he did a great job! I'm going to set this as my ringtone!"
"Rhodes! Get out!"
"Hahahahaha."
— — — —
The blizzard near the Arctic Ocean border on the European continent had just ceased, and the dilapidated farmhouse's wooden windows creaked in the cold wind. Steve threw the last piece of firewood into the fireplace, and the flickering flames cast alternating light and shadow on his face.
"Are you sure you're not going back to see?" Bucky wiped his hunting knife with his mechanical arm. "The Arbitrator Tower's thermostatic system is much more comfortable than this godforsaken place."
Steve stared at the flames and didn't answer immediately. The thrilling pursuit three years ago seemed to still be before his eyes—Chen Tian's indifferent eyes, endless power, almost killing everyone on the third underground level of the Sokovia castle.
"Our mission isn't over yet," Steve began. "We're here to pursue the remnants of HYDRA."
Bucky suddenly threw his hunting knife, and a cold glint flashed as it accurately pinned itself next to the swaying kerosene lamp on the rafter.
The man once known as the Winter Soldier stood up and stretched his muscles, his spine making soft clicks: "Come on, Steve, you're afraid of me seeing him again." He deliberately punched Steve's back with his mechanical arm. "Afraid he'll kill me again, right?"
Bucky said with a smile, "I can understand him, but when I killed Howard, I don't remember anything."
Steve sighed. He, of course, knew Bucky didn't remember anything, but if he told Tony about this, would Tony forgive Bucky just because Bucky said he didn't remember? He didn't know, so he didn't dare to gamble.
"Morning exercise?" Bucky had already pushed open the creaking wooden door, and a minus twenty-degree cold wind, laden with snow particles, rushed in. When he looked back, his gray-green eyes gleamed with cunning. "Twenty bucks, this time I can snatch your shield."
Steve shook his head, shaking those heavy thoughts from his mind. He grabbed his vibranium shield and followed Bucky into the snow. The minus twenty-degree temperature formed a layer of White frost on both their eyelashes.
Bucky flexed his mechanical arm, its metal joints glinting coldly in the morning light: "Same rules, the loser is responsible for dinner tonight."
"Add one more thing," Steve's exhaled White mist condensed in the air, "The loser has to dress up as the other's wife on the next mission."
Bucky burst into laughter, then suddenly lunged forward. The two engaged in a fierce offense and defense in the snow, the vibranium shield and mechanical arm colliding, sending out dazzling sparks. Steve precisely blocked Bucky's every attack, the shield as flexible in his hand as if it were a part of his body.
"Looks like the serum hasn't worn off yet, old man," Bucky said, panting, with White mist spraying from the vents on his mechanical arm.
Steve countered with a beautiful shield deflection: "At least better than some rusty metal arm."
The two went back and forth, leaving intricate footprints in the snow. The accumulated snow on the pine trees was shaken off by the aftermath of their battle, forming faint halos in the morning light. Bucky suddenly changed his move, his mechanical arm striking from a tricky angle, but Steve anticipated it and parried it with the edge of his shield.
Just as the battle was in a stalemate, Bucky suddenly revealed a cunning smile. His mechanical arm clicked, and a miniature device popped out from his wrist. Before Steve could react, the device sprayed a cloud of snow mist, temporarily obscuring his vision.
"You cheated!" Steve shouted, but it was too late. Bucky seized the opportunity and swept his legs, knocking him down. Steve fell heavily into the snow, creating a snow pit.
Bucky stood beside him, his eyes filled with a mischievous smile: "Give up, old man?"
Steve lay in the snow pit, gasping for breath, his frost-covered chest heaving violently. He looked up at the leaden sky, then suddenly chuckled through ragged breaths, "I can do this all day." Before he finished speaking, he kicked sharply at Bucky's knee.
The moment Bucky heard those words, his entire body seemed to freeze. His pupils dilated slightly, and his mechanical arm hung suspended in mid-air.
Steve's kick landed squarely on his knee, and Bucky fell stiffly into the snow, like a log.
"Bucky?" Steve immediately scrambled to his feet, his boots crunching on the ice. He knelt beside his friend, brushing snow from his face, "Damn it, you could have dodged that—"
Bucky's grey-green eyes finally refocused. He looked at Steve's anxious blue eyes, and a slow smile spread across his lips.
Deep within the soft undertones of those eyes, a complex emotion subtly surged—like the embers of hatred, or a dark current of madness.
But this unusual glint was fleeting, perfectly hidden beneath his gentle smile, so much so that even Steve, who knew him best, didn't notice it.
"Remember the alley behind that grocery store in Brooklyn?" Bucky's voice was soft, "You weren't even as tall as my shoulder back then, cornered by three thugs."
"When I arrived, your face was covered in snot and blood, but you were clutching a trash can lid, saying, 'I can do this all day.'"
Steve pulled Bucky out of the snowdrift and vigorously patted the snow off him: "Enough, stop talking about old times." He turned and strode towards the farmhouse, "Let's get inside and warm up. We need to prepare for the mission."
Bucky stood still, the same smile on his face: "Understood, Captain." His voice was light, as if he were still the teenager from Brooklyn who used to accompany Steve.
But when Steve's back disappeared through the doorway, Bucky's smile instantly froze. Hatred and madness churned in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, and when he looked up again, his face had returned to its usual smile. He stomped the snow from his boots and hummed a tune as he walked into the farmhouse, as if the previous scene had never happened.
— — — —
Chen Tian was sprawled lazily in a beanbag chair, his slender fingers deftly manipulating the controller. On the screen, the Hulk he was controlling was cornering Tony's Iron Man character with a dazzling combo.
"You're an hour late," Tony sat opposite him, legs crossed, his fingers rapidly pressing buttons, yet still unable to stop his character's health bar from plummeting, "You know, to wait for you, I left Pepper alone with those guys who wanted investment. I don't know what Pepper will say to me later."
Chen Tian curved a lazy smile, his eyes never leaving the screen: "Tony, you sound exactly like a high school girl who's been stood up." He flicked his wrist, and his game character suddenly unleashed a finishing move, the virtual image of Iron Man collapsing in an explosion of effects.
"Game Over" flashed on the screen.
Tony threw down the controller with a 'thud': "Cheat! You must have secretly upgraded the game AI!"
"Admit it, Tony," Chen Tian stretched, his muscles subtly rippling under his T-shirt, "Your talent isn't in gaming."
Tony spread his hands helplessly, "Alright, alright, I have to admit, my gaming talent isn't as good as yours."
He picked up a coffee from the table and took a sip. He looked at Chen Tian with a serious expression, "Kid, do you know why I came to see you today?"
Chen Tian put down the controller, picked up a cola, took a sip, sat up straight, and nodded, "Yes, I know."
Tony took a deep breath, "I won't ask you what you did or where you went for three years. But I hope you don't hide it from me next time."
A hint of softness flashed in his blue eyes, but it was quickly masked by his usual playful demeanor: "Listen, kid, as one of the largest shareholders of the Arbitrators organization—of course, I mean financially—" He deliberately drew out his words, "I have an obligation to ensure our 'brand image' isn't affected."
Chen Tian raised an eyebrow, "So this is a shareholder meeting?"
"No, this is from a…" Tony paused, seemingly searching for the right words, "a poor guy worried his investment will go down the drain." He spread his hands, "Do you know what the media outside will write? 'Disagreement, one of the Arbitrators leaders leaves,' 'Tony Stark betrayed again'...."
"I thought you were used to negative news by now," Chen Tian chuckled.
Tony suddenly stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. The Malibu sunlight streamed through the glass onto his slightly tired face: "Pepper's right, I'm really not good at this." He turned around, his tone unusually serious, "Next time, at least leave a note, kid."
Chen Tian watched Tony's back, his Adam's apple subtly bobbing. He put down the cola can, "I promise you."
Tony immediately reverted to his cynical expression, but his gaze lingered on Chen Tian's White hair: "Seriously, kid, this new look of yours..." He made an exaggerated gesture, "Want me to introduce you to an image consultant? I guarantee they'll turn you back into that Black-haired kid who charmed countless young girls."
Chen Tian raised an eyebrow: "What? Does White hair not meet Stark Industries' aesthetic standards?"
"No, no, no," Tony walked quickly back to the sofa, pulling out a holographic business card from his pocket, "This is Lucas, he styles half of Hollywood's stars. I've scheduled him for you tomorrow..."
"Wait," Chen Tian suddenly reacted, pointing at Tony and laughing, "You're not trying to..."
Tony immediately interrupted him, his face full of 'innocence': "What? I'm just concerned about my partner's image management." He snapped his fingers, and a holographic projection immediately displayed a meticulously tailored Black suit, "By the way, there's a charity gala next week, and as one of the leaders of the Arbitrators..."
"I knew it!" Chen Tian laughed aloud, "You want to dump all the tiresome dealings with the media and government on me."
Tony dramatically clutched his chest: "That's so hurtful! I just think..." His gaze suddenly became serious, "It's been three years. The public needs to see the leaders of the hero organization that protects them."
Their staring contest was interrupted by Miss 2B's footsteps. The silver-haired girl walked in carrying a tray, and her pupils widened slightly when she saw the suit design on the holographic projection: "Master is attending a social event?"
"It seems someone has already arranged it for me," Chen Tian shook his head helplessly.
Tony snapped his fingers triumphantly: "Full service! Hair, suit, PR team..." He suddenly leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Even the speech is prepared. You just need to show up, smile, and then..."
"And then deal with those annoying politicians and reporters for you?" Chen Tian raised an eyebrow.
"Cough, cough..." Tony pretended to cough, changing the subject and looking at Miss 2B, "Oh, right, remember to remind your Master about the styling appointment at ten tomorrow morning."
Miss 2B's lips curved slightly upward: "Noted. However..." She looked at Chen Tian, "Master's current hair color is very special, it's like..."
"Like a wise man who has experienced vicissitudes?" Tony interjected.
"Like a rebellious teenager deliberately trying to look cool," Miss 2B calmly added.
Chen Tian burst out laughing, while Tony feigned injury and shook his head: "Miss 2B's comebacks are getting more and more skilled. This World is doomed." He stood up, patted Chen Tian's shoulder, "Seriously, consider it? Black hair is more photogenic."
Chen Tian looked at the virtual Black-haired version of himself in the projection, then suddenly reached out and brought up the operation interface, changing the model to silver-White hair in a few clicks: "I think this is better." He looked at Tony provocatively, "More recognizable, isn't it?"
Tony stared at the modified design for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed: "Alright, rebellious kid." He put away the projection, "But the suit must be according to my design. This concerns the public image of the Arbitrators."
"Whatever you want," Chen Tian shrugged, "as long as I don't have to wear that gold and red aesthetic disaster of yours."
"Hey! My armor design won an award!"
Their bickering was interrupted by a sudden holographic alert. Jarvis's voice sounded: "Sir, your meeting with Miss Pepper is in five minutes."
Tony immediately fumbled with his tie: "Damn it! Miss 2B, do I look..."
"Exactly like a husband about to be lectured by his wife," Miss 2B replied calmly.
Chen Tian couldn't help but laugh: "Go on, don't keep Pepper waiting." He deliberately mimicked Tony's tone, "After all, being late is disrespectful to life."
Tony glared back at him as he walked out: "Just you wait, kid, I'll make sure the reporters 'take care' of you at the gala!"
After the automatic door closed, Miss 2B softly asked: "Master, do I need to prepare a media response plan?"
Chen Tian looked in the direction Tony had left, a smile on his lips: "No need." He reached up and ran a hand through his White hair, "Let Tony see that silver hair can also be very photogenic."
"By the way, Miss 2B, has Shadow departed?" Chen Tian's lips didn't move, but his voice reached Miss 2B's ears through the summoning space.
"Yes, and I have secretly contacted the Red Room and the Adjudicator," Miss 2B placed the food from the tray in front of Chen Tian.
Chen Tian picked up the controller and skillfully switched games, "Hmm, did they say anything?"
Miss 2B smiled slightly, "Only Logan said he'd give you a few slashes when he sees you."
Chen Tian laughed, "Tell Shadow to relay to our Winter Soldier that there's still a set of 'armor' hidden in Tony's Malibu Villa."
As Miss 2B bent down to place the food, she heard this and tilted her head slightly, but it was quickly masked, "Master, that set of armor."
"Let Winter Soldier wreak havoc with it," Chen Tian sank back into the sofa.
"But that armor no longer has energy, does it?" Miss 2B didn't quite understand.
"That armor only needs a little energy to move, although it won't move for very long, but I think the Dimension Demon God's followers will be very willing to help Bucky," Chen Tian skillfully controlled the hooded assassin in the game, tearing through a group of soldiers.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)