The old man was born in a foreign land.
Asgard.
Thor, the God of Thunder, felt deep sympathy for Tony's ordeal.
In his early years, he had often traveled to foreign lands seeking a stable life.
Not without sacrifice from his companions.
All to buy time—and ultimately, to secure victory.
These experiences shaped the Thor we know today.
A god who valued emotion and friendship.
Loki watched Thor, moved by the sight.
His heart swelled with mixed emotions.
He had always seen himself as the head of the intellect.
So, in truth, he had never truly fought Thor.
He had never seen a good partner die before his eyes.
Compared to the emotionally rich Thor,
Loki seemed somewhat cold and ruthless.
Even for him, emotions were just tools to manipulate others.
But after watching the video of Ethan sacrificing himself for Tony,
Loki couldn't help but fall into thought.
"If one day… brother, you die in front of me—what should I do?"
That question burned itself into his mind.
There was no response for a long time.
Loki was lost in reflection.
…
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Hawkeye and Black Widow exchanged a knowing smile.
"If one day, sacrificing one life could save another, what would you do?"
Black Widow brushed her hair from her forehead.
"Nonsense. I'd die, of course."
"Hey! Why are you rushing in front of me? I should die!"
"Go ahead, I'm going to die."
"No, I'm the one who should die."
"No, I'm leaving first."
"No, I'm leaving first."
The two top S.H.I.E.L.D. agents bickered like kindergarten kids fighting over candy.
The debate, of course, was about who would become the sacrifice.
But among them, one or two seemed eager to throw themselves into death.
As if dying were a good thing.
After a few minutes of arguing with Hawkeye, calm returned.
Yet the corners of their eyes and mouths betrayed their inner secrets.
Originally, Black Widow had intended to sacrifice herself for Hawkeye.
For him.
It was Hawkeye who gave her a second chance at life.
In the Red Room,
Black Widow had been trained as a killing machine—
numb, cold-blooded, ruthless.
Even the organization's leaders used drugs to control her reproductive system, stripping her of emotional attachment.
She would never be able to form a normal family.
That period was the darkest time in her life.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. had not taken her off the blacklist, and if Hawkeye hadn't been sent to kill her,
he wouldn't have known her at all, yet spared her life and brought her into S.H.I.E.L.D.
From that moment, her identity was completely cleared.
Perhaps she didn't even know how far she could have gone down the wrong path.
And Hawkeye—
Black Widow was someone he was willing to risk his life for.
Of course, this was not about romantic love.
It was family love.
Hawkeye had prepared a secluded village home for retirement,
with his wife and two children.
Black Widow got along well with his children, who affectionately called her "Godmother Natasha."
You could say that, over the years, she had become part of Hawkeye's family.
To sacrifice herself to protect them—that was a man's duty.
Hawkeye agreed.
And sincerely hoped it would never happen again.
If one of them had to die to save the other, so be it.
…
[Classic Scene 5: First Press Conference!]
[Rescued by the military from the desert.]
Tony asked Pepper for two things.
One was a cheeseburger—the first he had eaten in three months.
The second was to hold an emergency press conference.
[At the press conference]
Tony sat on stage, visibly still recovering physically.
Some saw him eat the burger as he spoke.
Tony: I never got to say goodbye to my father. There are so many questions I didn't ask him.
I wanted to know his thoughts on this company.
Did he ever have doubts or regrets?
Perhaps he wasn't the man we saw in the news.
That's how it was.
Tony paused, setting down the burger, and continued.
Tony: I watched young people die—killed by weapons I designed to protect them.
I realized I was part of a completely irresponsible system.
I finally woke from the dream.
I understood that I could do more for the world, for society.
Therefore, I plan to shut down Stark International's weapons division as soon as possible.
As soon as the words left his mouth,
it was like an explosion had gone off.
All the reporters and media personnel stood up.
…
Back at the military camp,
Howard heard Tony's words.
He began to reflect.
Had he ever hesitated or regretted his own actions?
Of course.
Yes.
Although he was still supplying soldiers with military aid as a weapons manufacturer,
producing one more shell could eliminate another enemy.
But as the nation's top weapons maker, he had recently heard reports of new research.
Some were trying to use nuclear fission and fusion to create weapons.
After a brief study, he quickly drew a conclusion:
If such a weapon could be successfully developed, it would immediately change the entire nature of war—and even the way humans wage war in the future.
Though the weapon seemed difficult to build now, it was still theoretical.
If time were extended slightly, it wouldn't take more than five years.
Howard was confident his nation could build it.
Only a few units were needed to end the war.
Sounds good, right? Soldiers could go home, enemies defeated, the economy restored.
Because the whole nation would have triumphed together, national confidence would soar.
Multiple factors would drive the country to continue advancing.
But…
let's expand the timescale.
About fifty years.
By then, two or three nations would have such nuclear weapons.
Don't forget:
these weapons could shift the balance of war entirely.
Those possessing them would proceed with extreme caution.
They wouldn't dare use them lightly.
Thus, they would engage in insane, twisted military preparations.
At the slightest friction,
at the smallest spark,
another world war could erupt.
The story of Sarajevo igniting World War I could repeat itself.
How could he not feel hesitant?
Howard shared his concerns with Captain America.
Steve scratched his head and said,
"I'm just a soldier. I don't understand these national-level matters.
All I know is this:
I somehow survived to see the future, seventy years ahead.
And life, entertainment, even the smiles on people's faces, are far better than ours now.
Howard, I think you worry too much. Future generations will have their own wisdom.
We just need to handle the problems right in front of us."
Howard felt relief hearing Steve's words.
Just as he was about to reply,
Steve continued:
"Besides, Tony says you died in a car accident when you were a teenager, right?
So why worry so much?
Old man, relax."
Suddenly, Howard felt a rush of blood to his throat.
He realized he shouldn't call Steve Rogers "Captain America"!
He should be called… "Captain with Honey in His Mouth"!
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