A few days passed quickly.
The Stark family remained peaceful.
Lyon continued his routine of soaking up the sun every day, waiting for the start of the new school year.
Tony, as usual, didn't go to work. Every day, as soon as he got up, he'd stuff a buttered roll in his mouth and head off to the Middle East.
In his words, the inherently evil Ten Rings would soon disappear from the world.
And ever since he coordinated with Rhodey, the military hadn't been able to track him down.
As for Pepper, she had gotten quite upset two evenings ago when she found Tony bringing home a suit of armor riddled with bullet markings.
But as usual, she couldn't do much about Tony. After her initial anger, she continued diligently working, carrying the heavy burden of Stark Industries' development.
This was the daily life of the Stark family. Like the sea outside their mansion, it was mostly calm, with only the occasional wave, seemingly carefree.
But for the world, the impact of Superman's appearance was beginning to take effect, with various undercurrents subtly stirring.
"BBC News Report."
That morning, Lyon had just returned from his space training and finished making breakfast when he saw the TV station BBC reporting on the news about Superman.
"Superman has appeared in our world, and this seems beyond doubt."
The female news anchor held her script with a serious expression.
"Over the past few days, although he hasn't appeared again, countless people are affirming his existence and praying for his return."
"What he did that night has completely changed our world."
As her voice trailed off, the news footage transitioned to a noisy press conference.
On the stage, there was only one middle-aged Afghan man with graying hair and a determined expression.
Flashes from cameras of various sizes continuously lit up the scene, but his eyes remained fixed on the camera, full of intensity.
"It was Superman who saved our country, who saved our people!"
He raised his voice as much as he could, seemingly trying to make his words even more impactful.
"That night, I was fortunate enough to capture his image; he was fighting for us!"
"He is Superman, the one we rely on! He has no origin, no destination, and nothing can stand against him!"
"He is our god, our savior! The Allah is within him, and he is one with the Allah!"
At the same time, someone behind the man brought in a sturdy screen. When it lit up, it began to play footage of Superman facing a missile head-on.
"Look at him! How majestic he is! He drove away all the wolves, and we are all his lambs!!" the man shouted fervently into the camera.
The broadcast finally ended, and the scene switched back to the BBC news studio.
The female anchor sat upright, her expression serious: "The man in the footage is Mr. Abdullah, a war correspondent in Afghanistan. He captured images of Superman's first appearance and, at a press conference, passionately declared that Superman is the incarnation of the Holy Spirit."
"During this time, countless others have come forward to share their experiences, claiming that Superman has entered our reality."
The footage shifted again.
A young girl, confidently speaking to a reporter, said, "That night, two bad guys tried to break in, but Superman suddenly appeared and stopped them!"
The girl's father added, "Superman told us that the Ten Rings would soon be gone, and he made it happen! Not only that, but now even the Eagle's forces..."
The rest of his statement was not aired, as the news footage quickly transitioned to another person.
"He fell from the sky! Like a shooting star! I didn't even make a wish, but he wiped out the terrorist who was trying to hurt my sister!" a boy excitedly recounted, gesturing wildly.
There were many more scenes like these.
A short clip showed Afghan security forces saluting a photo of Superman;
Another showed the emotional cries of everyone in a ruined village, gathered in a field, tearfully shouting Superman's name.
After five full minutes of related footage, the live broadcast finally returned to the studio.
"As more and more people confirm Superman's existence, we must start considering what impact he might have on our society!"
"Is he, like the Superman from comics, just and selfless, akin to a god among men?"
"Or is he merely a poor imitator in a costume, using Superman's name to satisfy his own vanity?"
"According to our reporters, a large group of our returning soldiers yesterday had to abandon their assistance to local residents under Superman's pressure."
"Is he a dictator in disguise, or a hypocrite behind a mask? We cannot immediately make a definitive judgment."
"Next, let's hear from sociologist Francis Wyndham with his analysis..."
Lyon rested his chin on his hand, watching with interest as the scholar launched into a detailed analysis of Superman.
From breaking down the comic book character to examining his real-life counterpart, from discussing his outfit to tracing his childhood, the analysis was thorough. In the end, the conclusion was that Superman was an unstable man-child.
'Oh? Are they comparing me with that milk-loving fanatic..?'
The analysis was so detailed, citing various sources, that even Lyon himself was almost convinced.
"You're watching these boring reports again? Haven't you had enough after all these days?" Tony came down the stairs.
"It's either complete praise or total extreme criticism. What's so interesting about these opinions?"
"Especially these TV stations—they've all been paid off by political funds to paint you as a complete villain."
"And yet, you always seem to watch them with such interest. Why is that?"
Tony tossed a rolled-up newspaper onto the table and plopped down beside Lyon.
"And look at what these people are writing—it's all about Superman. Have they never read a comic book? They get so worked up over the appearance of just one Superman!"
Lyon glanced down.
The headline on the newspaper read, "Mysterious Armored Man Appears in the Middle East—A Poor Imitation of Superman!"
'So, that's the problem.'
Tony had been working tirelessly for days, nearly wiping out the Ten Rings across most of the Middle East.
But almost none of the media outlets gave him any coverage. Even when they did mention him, they called Tony the cheap imitation of Superman, it was only in passing before quickly shifting the focus back to 'real' Superman.
No wonder Tony was so frustrated; he was not the kind of person who liked working in the shadows.
"Maybe you could buy a newspaper and have them write articles just about you."
"The headline could be: 'Iron Man Returns—The Hero Protecting Middle Eastern Civilians!' How does that sound?"
Tony raised an eyebrow. "That's actually a pretty good idea, but you know I'm not the kind of person who craves attention. I'm standing up for you, Lyon!"
"Come on, if you really wanted to stand up for me, you'd just slip those media outlets some cash and teach them to tell the truth!" Lyon replied.
Tony walked over to the dining table and grabbed a piece of bread.
"Heh! If you want, I could do that," he said, munching on the bread. "But do you really think it's necessary?"
"It's not," Lyon said, still resting his chin on his hand. "Once Hydra is wiped out and I truly show my strength, the media will speak up for me on their own."
"Exactly!" Tony agreed, tapping the screen with his finger. "The media only praises those who can shut them up!"
_______
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