A thunderous boom echoed from the sky as a red-and-white humanoid figure of steel descended from above. Flames burst from beneath its feet, holding the armored body aloft as it touched down on the concrete with utter silence.
"Jarvis… do you think I've gone insane? How could I possibly believe something like this?"
The voice inside the armor—Iron Man's voice—carried doubt and a hint of self-mockery.
"When a human approaches death, sir, extreme behavior is statistically inevitable. Your actions match perfectly with the typical psychological response to impending mortality."
"So according to you, I'm a perfectly normal person?"
Iron Man laughed bitterly. With a mechanical hiss, his mask split open, revealing a weary, exhausted face—Tony Stark's face.
Tony Stark had finally arrived.
Hill's message—or more precisely, the phrase "someone you love" inside it—had done its job.
One had to admit, sometimes the power of love was overwhelming.
"Is this the place?"
"Satellite positioning confirms the location, sir. No issues detected."
"Then let's see what kind of 'wizard' S.H.I.E.L.D. dug up for me."
Even now, Tony stubbornly believed Lu Yi was some kind of traditional wand-waving sorcerer, and he came here with a "might as well try" attitude.
With that mindset, Tony walked to the coordinates Jarvis marked and stood there silently.
Not because he didn't want to move forward—but because he couldn't. Just like what happened with Natasha and Coulson at first, Tony couldn't see Lu Yi's house at all.
"What's going on? Wrong address?"
"No issues, sir."
Jarvis was neither human nor bound by human perception. As a perfectly logical artificial intelligence, Lu Yi's magical concealment had no effect on him.
"How can it be here if I clearly don't see anything?"
"Location confirmed—no errors detected."
After repeated checks from Jarvis, Tony finally accepted it.
Human eyes can fail; electronic ones can too—but the chances are much lower. Tony trusted his tech and his near-infallible AI more than his own senses.
So something was definitely wrong here.
"Scan the area, Jarvis." Tony ordered without hesitation.
Ten seconds later—
"Detecting a unique electromagnetic fluctuation."
"Is it useful?"
"Insufficient data. Cannot conclude."
"I thought so…"
Tony stared into the empty space ahead, lost in thought.
Even now, curiosity never left him.
While he was pondering, Yuriko arrived at the entrance under Lu Yi's orders. Seeing Tony examining the empty space with interest, she walked straight up to him.
"Tony Stark?"
Her voice cut through Tony's thoughts, startling him so badly he jumped. Instinctively he raised both hands, repulsors blazing as he aimed at her.
The magic concealment made Yuriko appear out of nowhere, and it scared the hell out of him. Yuriko, skilled and fearless, didn't react at all. She simply stared at him coldly, saying nothing.
Lady, do you understand you could literally kill someone by scaring them like that…?
Tony studied her carefully. Realizing she wasn't doing anything threatening, he exhaled and lowered his hands.
"Are you Tony Stark?"
"Uh… yeah. That's me."
His voice cracked slightly, but he managed the answer.
"Follow me."
After confirming his identity, Yuriko didn't bother with politeness. She turned and walked straight inside.
Tony had no intention of arguing with a woman—especially not when he felt powerless. He hurried after her into Lu Yi's home.
And then Tony Stark froze like a clueless tourist.
Tony's Malibu mansion was cutting-edge and spacious, with gorgeous views. He had seen the world.
And yet, he was shocked speechless.
"Space-tech? You're using space-grade technology here? What scientist works in this place?" Tony finally snapped out of it, shouting in disbelief.
"There's no scientist here. Only a magician—your so-called wizard."
The voice descended from above like thunder.
Tony jerked his head upward and saw Lu Yi sitting cross-legged in midair, floating effortlessly, smiling down at him with a peculiar gleam in his eyes.
Cunning?Suspicious?Menacing?
No. None of the above.
It was the look of a businessman spotting a juicy profit walking through the door.
Being stared at with such eyes sent a chill down Tony's spine. Something bad—very bad—felt imminent.
"How are you doing this?"
"What do you mean? The levitation or the spatial distortion?"
"Both."
Tony mustered his courage and looked directly at Lu Yi, hoping for an explanation. If Lu Yi could tell him the mechanics behind it all, that would be ideal.
"Both? Good. Then let's talk about how to treat you."
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