"Frozen man? What are you talking about? I don't quite understand."
Tony Stark frowned as he looked at Nick Fury and Barton standing before him—just minutes ago, everything Fury had revealed had shattered his expectations. Even for a recognized technological genius like himself, the information felt so far beyond his imagination that it made him question the limits of his own understanding.
And that? That was utterly unacceptable.
He didn't expect to know everything—but it was inconceivable that there was something even ordinary people knew that he didn't.
Nick Fury, however, seemed to have anticipated this reaction long ago. When Tony asked his question, a knowing smile spread across Fury's face.
"Want to know more? Then join us. I promise you'll see a world far more fantastic and colorful than anything you've imagined."
Fury's voice was so compelling—even Tony Stark couldn't entirely resist it.
It had to be said: as a top-tier, Level Ten agent, Fury truly excelled at reading people and had mastered human nature to perfection.
Tony fell silent for a long moment. Then, with a helpless shrug, he spread his hands. "Alright. I'll admit—I'm a little tempted. But asking me to join some obscure organization on the spot? That's just not my style."
"No problem. Set yourself an observation period. If you're not satisfied by the end of it, you can walk away—no questions asked. Though I guarantee you won't want to."
"Don't get too confident," Tony shot back. "Honestly, your self-righteous attitude kind of disgusts me."
Fury didn't flinch. Instead, he chuckled. "Fair enough. Come on—let's go meet the man who's been frozen for over seventy years. And by the way, locating him was part of a plan your father, Howard, helped design."
"…Huh?"
Tony blinked. "Why do I get the feeling you knew my father better than I did?"
"Because I did. You definitely didn't spend as much time with him as I did. Your father was a notorious workaholic, after all. But do you know what he talked about most with his colleagues?"
"Please don't tell me it was me. I really don't want to hear that."
"Too bad," Fury said, his voice softening. "Because it's the truth. Your father always said his greatest invention wasn't a weapon or a machine—it was you, Tony. You were his pride. And you always will be."
Nick Fury spoke meaningfully as he led everyone onto the Quinjet, heading toward the Arctic Ocean.
"Come on—can you please stop being sentimental with me at a time like this? I hate this feeling. I really want to sew your stinky mouth shut."
Hearing this, Tony Stark rolled his eyes helplessly. On the surface, he wore an expression of annoyance and acted as if he didn't care—but inwardly, he couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart.
This man's determined to save face even on his deathbed!
Meanwhile, as they raced toward the Arctic Ocean, the secret laboratory where Loren was located lay in utter disarray.
The operating table, lab benches, sofa, chairs, and desk had all been shattered into pieces or reduced to splinters. Even the items that hadn't completely broken apart were now loose and unstable. They let out sharp squeaks at the slightest touch—clear signs they'd been pushed far beyond their limits.
The reason the once-pristine lab had descended into chaos began a few hours earlier, when Viper took the initiative to seduce Loren.
As a superhuman enhanced with the perfected version of the Super-Soldier Serum, Loren's passions—once ignited—were not easily quenched.
Coincidentally, Viper had also received the perfected serum. Though his version was temporary, its effects—aside from duration—were virtually identical. This made Viper far stronger than any ordinary human: a true superhuman in his own right.
When the desires of two such enhanced beings collided, the resulting intensity far surpassed anything ordinary humans could imagine.
And since his partner in this encounter was none other than Viper—a fellow superhuman—Loren had no reason to hold back.
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