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Chapter 169 - Chapter 169: Home

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They will immediately sever all contact, retreating into their burrows like true snakes, lying in wait for the next opportunity. And next time, they will be even more covert, cunning, and dangerous.

Steve spoke with a strong and clear voice, while Henry listened silently.

He crossed his arms, leaned against the control panel, his impatience vanished, and he began to ponder.

Tony had stopped what he was doing.

He had to admit that what the old popsicle, no, the very old popsicle, said made some sense.

He himself had suffered from this kind of loss.

Obadiah, the man he regarded as his uncle.

And what happened? They stabbed him in the back the hardest.

Ivan Vanko, Justin Hammer—none of these enemies can be dealt with through simple violence.

Okay, although Justin has already been dealt with by Henry's hot gaze.

In short, their actions are always intertwined with complex interests and political maneuvering.

Although his younger brother possessed godlike power, his way of thinking was still...

That's too simplistic and crude. It's like holding a divine sword but always thinking of using it to crack walnuts.

"So?" Henry asked expressionlessly, gesturing for the other person to continue.

"What's your suggestion?"

He knew Steve was right.

He certainly knew how terrifying Hydra's infiltration was.

Moreover, Tony had already developed Skynet, a global surveillance and analysis system.

This system, centered around Jarvis, infiltrated almost every network globally, like an invisible ghost.

Through analysis, modeling, and correlation of massive amounts of data, they have indeed identified most of the nodes in the Hydra network.

His desire to wipe out the enemy in one fell swoop stemmed from two reasons: firstly, absolute confidence in his own strength, and secondly, a desire to resolve the problem as quickly as possible before addressing a greater threat.

But now he wanted to see what Steve would say.

After all, no matter how powerful Skynet is, it can only analyze data.

However, there are some things that data cannot reflect.

"I know you guys are very capable," Steve said approvingly, clearly having guessed that they couldn't have been completely incompetent.

"You must have already obtained quite a few clues, and may even know the identities of Pierce and his men."

Tony raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"However, I can fill in some gaps in your list that you can't find." Steve's voice was firm and resolute.

That old guy is actually quite something.

"Some Hydras are even more deeply hidden. They don't use electronic devices to communicate; they transmit information in a primitive way. Their loyalty is ingrained in their bones, not written on hard drives."

"How do you..." Tony instinctively wanted to ask how he knew all this, but he swallowed the words back.

He remembered.

This Steve is from the future.

He experienced the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D. by Hydra and knew much more.

Fuck.

Tony felt a throbbing pain in his head again.

He used to be just a playboy, so how come he's getting into so much trouble now?

"A list?" Henry stroked his chin, looking at Steve with great interest.

"Sounds good. But how do I know your list is complete? What if you're trying to protect some old friend?"

"Did your friend deliberately leave out a few?" His words were pointed.

Steve's body stiffened slightly.

A familiar face flashed through his mind.

Bucky.

Although Bucky is already dead in this timeline.

But he knew that in the original timeline, he really did stand against the whole world for Bucky.

Henry's probing silenced him.

The atmosphere is a bit subtle.

Tony also sensed that something was wrong.

He frowned, glancing at Steve's instantly changed expression and Henry's amused look, and felt inexplicably annoyed.

"Hey!" he couldn't help but say, breaking the damn silence.

"I'm telling you, Henry, maybe you could be a little gentler. The captain is providing us with intelligence, and you're doing some kind of political vetting here? Do you think you're in Infernal Affairs? Or do you think your superpowers include mind reading?"

Although he also had questions about Steve's background and motives, he simply couldn't stand Henry using this method to hurt an old man, especially an old man with a close relationship to his father.

This is Tony Stark.

His sharp tongue is only ever directed at outsiders or his own family.

When he believes someone is bullying someone he respects, he will stand up without hesitation, in his own way.

Henry glanced at Tony with some surprise.

Hey, is my brother standing up for the old captain? Has the sun risen in the west?

He found it amusing, but kept a straight face.

He knew that some things had to be said.

Trust is the foundation of all future cooperation.

Especially in their makeshift group with its diverse and complex backgrounds.

He looked at Steve, waiting for his answer.

After a long while, Steve slowly exhaled.

When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with relief.

"You're right, Henry," he said calmly.

"In the original timeline, I made many mistakes because of him. I deceived Tony, I was torn between revenge and..."

"I let him down." His gaze shifted to Tony, his eyes filled with deep regret.

Tony felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

He couldn't stand this heavy atmosphere the most.

"Hey, hey, stop!" He immediately raised his hands, making a pause gesture.

"I don't care what love-hate relationships you had in that so-called original timeline. All I know is that I, Tony Stark, am standing here now. I am no substitute for anyone. So, stop with that lost puppy look, old man. I don't need your apology." He paused, then pursed his lips.

"Besides, I trust my dad. The friends he chose should be decent people."

Steve froze.

He looked at Tony, a warm feeling welling up inside him.

yes.

He is no longer the person he used to be.

The Tony before him was not the Iron Man who had broken with him because of his parents' death.

They have a brand new beginning.

"Thank you, Tony," Steve said sincerely.

Then he turned back to Henry, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

"So I assure you, Henry." His tone was firm and resolute.

"I won't make the same mistake again this time. I will tell you everything I know. Because..."

He glanced at Peggy in the medical bay.

"Because I've already lost too much. I can't lose this family too."

He spoke the word "home" lightly, yet with great weight.

Henry frowned.

Home?

He looked at Tony, at Steve, and at Peggy.

However, it is indeed home.

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