The visuals on the old videotape were unstable, flickering occasionally. Yet, as Tony pressed the py button, the ses from the past still came to life.

  "Sd teology are the primary productive forces..."

  As the camera panned upward, a younger Howard Stark appeared on the s.

  "Life bees more wonderful, bodies healthier! And for the first time in human history, the possibility of world peace emerges."

  Instinctively, upon seeing Howard's fident face, Tony grabbed a book from the side and began flipping through it.

  For some reason, he simply couldn't bring himself to look directly at his father, even though it was just a pre-recorded video.

  Even after seeing his own room—one filled with signs of his father's longing for him—Tony tio deceive himself.

  'This is merely my mother's love for me.' he told himself. That annoying man, the one who happily sent him off to b school, surely wouldn't care about his well-being.

  To hypnotizing himself this way.

  "I'm Howard Stark. Everything you'll ever need be found here. The city of the future? Tomorrow's city? Or... Tony, what are you doing?"

  Hearing his name from Howard's mouth made Tony involuntarily shift his gaze from the book to the s, where his younger self noeared.

  Memories from the past resurfaced.

  Yes, he was only 21 now. Not that much time had passed sihen, and the ses from those days remained vivid in his mind.

  "Jarvis, he should be ing now." Tony murmured to himself.

  As if summoned by his words, the younger Tony, who had tried to sneak away with the Stark Future City model as a toy, was caught by Howard and handed over to the arriving Stark family butler, Jarvis.

  "Go, go, go!"

  Howard's hurried words in the footage were exactly as Tony remembered them, as if his presence had been the greatest stain on Howard's life.

  It felt as though, without him, Howard's world would have been perfect.

  This was the root of the flict between Tony and Howard—the fual reason they could ruly uand each other.

  At this point, Tony didn't want to watymore.

  All he could see was the cold, unfeeling Howard who reated him like a son. There was no useful information to be gleaned from this footage.

  The s flickered, and the rec restarted, once again showing Howard introdug Stark Future City to the public. But this time, Tony never looked up. He never watched the se again.

  'I was right. Howard never loved me. He never did…'

  Frustrated, Tony tossed the book in his hand aside. He stood up, intending to tinue searg for something useful. But just then, the s suddenly went bck.

  When it lit up again, Howard reappeared, his face etched with exhaustion after a long day of work.

  "Tony!"

  Hearing his name once more, Tony turned around in surprise. From Howard's eyes, he saw something unusual—a certaiion that made it feel as if the Howard of the past eaking directly to him in the present.

  "You're still too young to uand many things," Howard said. "So I've made this into a film to leave for you."

  In the footage, Hestured to the Stark Future City model behind him.

  "This is built for you. One day, you'll realize it represents everything—not just an ordinary iion. This is the culmination of my life's work… the key to the future."

  Tony didn't notiything special about the model.

  At 21, he was still too young. He hadn't yet officially takeark Industries, nor had he tributed to the creation of the Arc Reactor. He couldn't grasp the significe of this model of Future City.

  But in Howard's words, spoken over a decade ago, To something he had never experienced before—something new.

  A sense of trust from his father.

  "I'm limited by the teology of my time," Howard tinued, "but one day, you'll solve this puzzle. And when you do, you'll ge the world…"

  Those words carried the deepest hope a father could have for his child, leaving Tony staring ily at the s, afraid of missing even a single word or sylble.

  "My greatest creation—now and iure—is you..."

  ......

  NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

  Howard y alone in a hospital bed.

  The intelligence agency he had founded had piled a detailed report on Tony's whereabouts and pced it on his bedside table, but he couldn't bring himself to look at it.

  He feared seeing disappoi and aoward him in Tony's as and words as a son toward his father.

  Though he suspected Tony had likely goo seek out that old gentleman, he wasn't sure if the man could truly help Tony recile with himself.

  Howard believed in Tony's ability to ge the world, but as long as he was alive, he couldn't shake the feeling that Tony wasn't yet mature or strong enough.

  He waony to always be safe, but he also khat Tony would op moving forward.

  "Hey, old man…"

  Just as Howard was lost in his painful and flicted thoughts, he suddenly heard Tony's calm voice.

  His fused eyes lit up with renewed life.

  Summoning his strength, Horopped himself up with his arms and sat upright in bed, watg Tony approabsp;step by step.

  There was no anger, no joy—just a quiet calm. Howard realized he could no longer read his son. Perhaps it was because he had truly grown old, or maybe it was because Tony had finally grown up.

  "Isn't that what you said?"

  Tony sat down by Howard's bedside, a faint smile pying on his lips.

  "Yreatest creation, now and iure—isn't that supposed to be me?"

  "Ah…"

  "Pfft! Hahaha!"

  Howard froze for a moment. Seeing his brilliant father dispy such a dumbfounded expression, Tony couldn't help but burst into ughter.

  And in that brief moment, Hoieced everything together.

  Tony hadn't been blinded by anger—he had regained his posure.

  Howard never expected Tony to e home, let alorieve the tapes that he had arranged for S.H.I.E.L.D. to secure long ago.

  He also never dared to hope that, within his lifetime, Tony might finally uand him.

  'Thank you… Alfred.' Howard silently expressed gratitude to the old gentleman who had likely guided Tony to this point.

  Then, Howard embraced Tony tightly, the tension and misuandings between them dissolving pletely. There would be no more barriers between them.

  And now, Howard's legacy could be passed on directly to Tony.

  "So." Tony said with a sly grin, "are you finally going to tell me who's behind all of this?"

  Howard looked at his so time. There was no anger in his expression, only calm determination.

  He knew now that his son would no longer act recklessly or thoughtlessly endanger himself.

  And so, Howard began to speak slowly.

  "Have you ever heard of… Hydra?"

  **

  **

  **

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