Awakening Kryptonian Bloodline In Marvel.

"Perhaps for a girl, sir," Jarvis replied thoughtfully.

"A girl, huh? That makes sense," Tony said, smirking. "That guy's as much of a gentleman as I am—always has a soft spot for girls..."

He paused mid-sentence. "Wait, did you just say a girl?" Tony's expression shifted.

"Could it be one of his exes was taken by the Eagles? Or maybe some local girl got bullied?" Tony's interest was piqued.

"It's a local girl, sir. She appears to have been mistreated by Eagle forces," Jarvis confirmed calmly.

"Wow. That's... unexpected. Give me her info. I'm telling Pepper when I get home—she'll love this," Tony chuckled, intrigued.

"Here is the data: Shafiqa Mazari. Seven years old. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan..."

"Wait, hold up. Seven years old?" Tony's eyes went wide.

"Yes, sir. Is something wrong?"

Tony went quiet. "...Didn't you think to tell Malrick that this could be seen as criminal behavior?"

"Sir, Master Malrick intervened when the Mazari family was being harassed by members of the Ten Rings. He eliminated two terrorists during the rescue. It's classified as a heroic act, not a criminal offense."

"Oh... you mean he didn't—uh... never mind." Tony cleared his throat, suddenly embarrassed. "So he just sympathized with the girl and went after the Eagles?"

"That is correct, sir. Do you interpret the situation differently?"

"No, no. You're right." Tony coughed awkwardly. "Alright, Jarvis. Plot a course to Malrick's current location."

"Sir, Master Malrick is moving at speeds exceeding Mach 20. Tracking him in real time is currently unfeasible."

"That fast? Then navigate to wherever he's heading next!"

"Yes, sir."

---

Five minutes later, Tony Stark arrived above an Eagle base.

He looked down at the ruins—buildings shattered, ice glittering across the wreckage. Dozens of soldiers were huddled in blankets, waiting for rescue. Not a single weapon left intact.

"Jarvis, you're telling me Malrick was here?"

"Sir, this was Master Malrick's destination five minutes ago. He left approximately three minutes ago."

"You could've told me sooner," Tony muttered.

He stared down again. "Alright then, set course for his next—no—his final destination!"

Tony clenched his fists. "He plans to wipe out every Eagle base, doesn't he?"

The plan was clear. By taking down the bases—but sparing the soldiers—Malrick forced the Eagles into retreat. No bloodshed, but total humiliation. It was brilliant. Ruthless, but brilliant.

And it was exactly the kind of thing Tony had been thinking about doing himself.

The difference? Tony was planning to just disable weapons, not obliterate entire infrastructures.

"Sir, you sound... agitated," Jarvis noted.

"Wouldn't you be?!" Tony snapped, before taking a breath. "I'm touched. Really. He did it to avenge me. But I still feel... robbed."

"Robbed, sir?"

"Yeah. You know—like I was supposed to be the one to do this. I'm the big brother. I should be the one protecting him, not the other way around!"

Jarvis considered that. "Legally, Master Malrick is your younger brother..."

"Exactly!" Tony said, twisting his neck with a crack. "Speed up, Jarvis. We're getting to that last base before he does."

"Understood."

---

Tony flew like a missile. Determined. Focused.

But when he reached the last base, his heart sank.

It was already in ruins. Frozen over. Silent. The soldiers, like those at the other sites, were dazed and shivering.

Any desire for battle melted in an instant.

"Jarvis... where is he?" Tony asked numbly.

"Above you, sir."

Tony looked up just in time to see a familiar red cape fluttering down.

"Tony, you finally made it," Malrick said with a grin. "Thought you might wait until I took a nap before showing up."

"You've got jokes?" Tony snapped. "You wake me up in the middle of the night, then race ahead and leave nothing for me?"

Malrick raised his hands innocently. "I did ask Jarvis to tell you—if you wanted revenge, head west. Plenty of Ten Rings cells still out there."

"That's not the same and you know it!" Tony was fuming.

"How's it different? They're all part of the same group. None of them are innocent," Malrick replied coolly.

He nodded toward the Super Mark I armor hovering beside Tony. "Looks like you came ready. Planning a full campaign?"

"More like a one-man ice age." Tony's boots hissed with heat as he touched down. "I'm going west now. Don't touch anything. Let me have this one."

Afghanistan may have been taken care of—but Tony needed to do more.

He couldn't undo the damage he'd done in the past, but maybe he could make a dent in the present.

Even if it was more about guilt than justice.

"Alright. It's yours," Malrick said. "But don't take all day. I'm making lunch at home."

"You might want to make dinner instead," Tony quipped, firing up his thrusters. "I've got some work to do."

Malrick was about to reply when his gaze shifted upward. He stared through the clouds, his eyes narrowing.

Dozens of satellites were converging overhead.

"They're already tracking me..." he murmured. Then, raising his voice: "Tony! With this Superman identity, I'm under international scrutiny. Avoid contact with me while in uniform—don't give them a reason to come after you."

Tony, already heading west, raised a hand in acknowledgment.

---

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