( ＾◡＾)っMany Thanks to Oliver Hänjes, omzy8484 and Modislaszlo for becoming new Patrons!♥♥
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Summer nights above the Arctic Ocean are short.
Only a little over three hours had passed since the party, but the clouds hiding the fortress were already brightly illuminated by the sunlight.
As Lyon flew through beams of sunlight streaming through the windows with his super vision, he thought he would see Tony standing on the deck, arms raised with his repulsor cannons glowing, facing off against a group of gun-wielding Widow agents.
But the scene he found was something entirely different.
"What's going on here?" Lyon muttered, picking up speed.
On the deck, Tony was being blocked by seven or eight Widow agents.
Meanwhile, more than thirty other girls stood a few meters away, whispering among themselves as they watched Tony.
They even had traces of alcohol on their faces, occasionally gesturing with their hands as if comparing something.
But the strangest thing was Tony himself.
He was wearing the Mark 3 armor, yet he wasn't flying or activating any weapon systems.
Instead, he had his hands crossed in front of his lower abdomen, stepping his left leg to the right and his right leg to the left.
The movement was even more seductive than those Victoria's Secret models Lyon had seen a couple of years ago.
"Tony isn't in any danger, so why did Jarvis say it's an emergency?" Lyon thought with a strange expression on his face.
"And what's he doing? Is that a catwalk? No way, that would be too ridiculous."
Tony continued arguing with the Widow agents.
His faceplate opened, revealing a rather embarrassed expression.
"I already told you, I'm the brother of your new boss. Do you understand what that means?"
"I'm his brother! If you don't let me in, I'll transfer you to the company to work as Pepper's secretary!"
The girl he was talking to was standing in a relaxed posture, her gun resting at her waist and her hands behind her back.
She looked a bit troubled. "Mr. Stark, without Superman's permission, I can't let you in!"
"Since you've already had your AI notify him, I'm sure there will be a response soon, so let's wait a little longer."
"But regarding what you just mentioned, if Superman agrees, I'd be willing to work for Stark Industries."
She even started chatting. "Your company's salary is very high. I've never received a salary before, and I've heard the coastal scenery in Los Angeles is nice..."
"Are you serious? Talking to me about salary right now, huh?" Tony glared. "Nico Parsons, if you let me in, I'll give you a hundred thousand a month!"
"Sorry, no can do. Also, my name isn't Nico Parsons; it's Mary..."
"That's the name of a female agent from The Bourne Identity series. Tony's just giving you a nickname, Mary," Lyon finally appeared, having been observing the situation from the side.
After landing, he patted the shoulder of the Widow agent.
"Well done. I didn't treat you all to drinks for nothing. Now, let our Uncle Tony through."
Upon hearing this, Mary and the Widows finally stepped aside, smiling. "Then you can't sneak out in the middle of the next party."
The camaraderie over drinks at the party had familiarized the girls with Lyon.
Their demeanor had become much more casual, but the respect in their eyes hadn't diminished—instead, it had grown, along with a few traces of trust.
"Next time, I'll make sure to drink you all under the table before I leave," Lyon chuckled, then turned to Tony with open arms. "Tony! How did you find your way here? Look at your face, it's almost like..."
"Come on, why did it take you so long to come out? Move, move, I need to get in!" Tony shoved Lyon aside.
His face was flushed, as if he had been holding his breath underwater for three minutes straight.
"Jarvis, guide me, and set the suit's propulsion power to maximum!"
All the thrusters of the Mark 3 suit fired at once, propelling Tony like a missile into the fortress's interior.
Natasha, who had just come out, almost ran into him head-on and quickly jumped aside, cursing, "Fuck!"
Lyon stood frozen in place, finally finishing his sentence, "…like a frog that's drowning."
The girls, hearing this comparison, looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"Was that your brother, Tony Stark? What's his deal?" Natasha asked as she brushed the dust off her hands and walked over.
Lyon shrugged, "No idea. Jarvis, what's up with him…oh no, he's just gone to the restroom?"
Activating his x-ray vision, he casually scanned the area.
He saw Tony in the restroom, taking off his suit and fiddling around for a bit before letting out a long sigh of relief.
Lyon's expression became strange. "Jarvis, how long was Tony on his way here?"
"Three hours. Mr. Stark has been very busy since yesterday and didn't have a chance to address his physiological needs," Jarvis replied.
"Pftt.. Bahaha!" Lyon burst into laughter. "So he couldn't hold it anymore. I was wondering why he kept shifting his feet."
The girls present also realized the situation, and it suddenly made sense why Tony Stark had been acting so strangely just now.
For a moment, the deck was filled with laughter, and everyone gained a deeper understanding of the Stark brothers.
"I'll go see what Tony came here for. You guys keep busy," Lyon said as he flew into the interior of the fortress.
...
"Tony, do you still think the liquid circulation system in my Super Mark disgusting?"
The moment Tony stepped out of the restroom, he saw Lyon leaning against the wall, questioning him.
"..." Tony's expression froze instantly.
After a few seconds, he turned his head nonchalantly. "Sometimes, you just have to admit that functionality is more important than aesthetics."
"So, it's not disgusting anymore?" Lyon pressed his index finger to his brow. "I remember someone saying just a few days ago..."
"Alright, fine. I admit it, you were right. The armor does need a liquid circulation system," Tony quickly changed his tone.
He grabbed Lyon to stop the conversation from continuing. "I'll add that feature when I get back. For now, why don't you show me around your fairytale castle?"
Having Tony concede so quickly, Lyon felt a sense of satisfaction.
Seeing that Tony had given in, Lyon decided to ease up and went along with Tony's suggestion. "Sure, let's go this way. By the way, how did you find this place?"
"Jarvis told me a certain girl lured my little brother away while I wasn't home."
"I was worried he'd be deceived and lose his way, so I rushed here overnight to protect him."
Tony spread his hands. "Does that story move you?"
"And yet this very brother of mine has the nerve to mock me when I embarrass myself. Is that fair?"
Lyon couldn't help but laugh. "You're the one who shot yourself in the knee with your own boomerang. Who was it that swore they'd never use a liquid circulation system?"
"Besides, your nonsense might fool Pepper, but why are you really here?"
Tony shrugged. "Jarvis said a little 'princess' captured a huge fairytale castle to give to me, so I came to check it out."
"Jarvis told you that? Fine, I didn't ask him to keep it a secret anyway."
Lyon stepped forward to lead the way. "This way, I'll show you the fortress's functions. Also, this is your fortieth birthday present, but your birthday is still a long way off."
The two of them toured from the command room on the upper level of the fortress down to the engine room at the bottom.
Tony was analyzing nonstop the entire time.
"Invisible coating, radar-absorbing material, optical camouflage... They really had deep pockets. No wonder this is a superpower's legacy."
"Look over here! This fighter jet's propulsion system is pretty good, but it's still about twenty years behind my armor."
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