For some reason, just as Tony was about to finish putting on his suit, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Both Tony and Yinsen tensed up instantly. Lan Xingyu wondered, what’s happening? Wasn’t this supposed to be a month later? How were they discovered now?
Actually, the Ten Rings members just came to get something. Unfortunately, the man spoke in Hungarian, a language Yinsen didn’t understand. Thinking they were discovered, Yinsen sped up. The man noticed something was wrong and tried to open the door, but was blown away by a bomb Yinsen had placed. This also destroyed the camera, shocking the terrorists in the monitoring room. They immediately sounded the alarm.
Yinsen managed to complete the installation of the Iron Man suit. Lan Xingyu, meanwhile, was working on the computer. He started a data transmission progress bar just as footsteps of the terrorists approached the door.
“We need more time…” Yinsen kept repeating. Finally, as if making a decision, he said, “I’ll buy us some time.” He picked up the gun from the dead terrorist and charged forward. Seeing Yinsen rush out, Lan Xingyu knew it was time to act.
“I’ll go with Yinsen!”
“No, you both come back. Stick to the plan.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Didn’t I say I’m strong?” Lan Xingyu turned into a flash of gold and disappeared, leaving Tony stunned by what he saw.
Lan Xingyu reappeared next to Yinsen using a space-shifting ability similar to teleportation but without cooldown, a new power born from the fusion of his Pika Pika no Mi and Bifrost energies. This ability had a distance limit, so it couldn’t replace the portal. Reaching Yinsen, Lan Xingyu found him shooting at the cave ceiling instead of the terrorists.
Yinsen turned a corner and found himself surrounded by guns. Just as they were about to fire, Lan Xingyu activated his light-speed mode, appearing in front of Yinsen. He raised his hand, and a massive magic circle materialized, stopping all the bullets mid-air. With Yinsen safe, Lan Xingyu deactivated his light-speed mode. Yinsen, who thought he was about to die, was shocked to see a magical circle from Lan Xingyu’s hand, amazed by this display of superpowers.
“See, I told you I’m strong. I can get you both out,” Lan Xingyu said, flicking his finger to send the bullets back at the terrorists, clearing out all the guards in the cave.
“Let’s wait here for Tony,” Lan Xingyu said, leading Yinsen to sit on an ammo box.
“Xingyu, what was that just now? Can you tell me?” Yinsen asked, curious.
“Oh, that’s magic. I’m a magician…” Lan Xingyu explained his identity and why he was there to Yinsen.
“Who would’ve thought there were really extraterrestrial civilizations? And at such a young age, you’re already protecting Earth,” Yinsen marveled. Had Lan Xingyu said this earlier, Yinsen might not have believed him, but after seeing the magical display, it was hard not to.
“Yinsen, I told you this because I hope you can join us. I see you have a good aptitude for magic. If you’re willing, I can take you to our magical sanctuary, Kamar-Taj, to learn magic,” Lan Xingyu said, not only because Yinsen had a good aptitude for magic but also because he knew Yinsen’s family had been killed, leaving him heartbroken. To save a broken heart, you needed to give it a great responsibility, redirecting his focus and bringing hope back into his life. Lan Xingyu trusted his teacher, the Ancient One, to handle this perfectly.
At that moment, Tony emerged in his armor. “You guys are okay! Xingyu, what was that?”
“Want to know? I’ll tell you once we’re out. Tony, you handle the outside. I’ll get Yinsen out. When you’re done, fly upwards, and I’ll pick you up.”
“Got it! Time to show them what I’m made of.”
Seeing Tony ready, Lan Xingyu turned into a flash of gold, carrying Yinsen out. Tony was left stunned again. “What was that? Superpowers?” Shaking his head, he focused on destroying the Stark Industries weapons outside.
Lan Xingyu and Yinsen emerged outside. “Wow! What was that? Can I do that with magic?” Yinsen asked, amazed.
“Uh, no, that’s my unique superpower. But magic has portals, which are quite effective.”
“Really? That sounds good,” Yinsen muttered, seemingly making a decision. Lan Xingyu didn’t disturb him and instead watched Tony’s direction. Seeing the explosions and flying figures, he told Yinsen, “I’ll go get Tony,” and turned into a flash of light.
Tony, who had just taken off, was excited until his suit started disassembling mid-air. Suddenly, Lan Xingyu appeared before him, grabbed his shoulder, and brought him back to Yinsen.
“Wow! What superpower is this? Who are you? Did your teacher teach you this?” Tony asked, astonished.
“Yes, one of my superpowers. Actually, I’m a magician…” Lan Xingyu repeated what he had told Yinsen in the cave to Tony.
“So, there are really magicians! There are so many secrets on Earth,” Tony marveled.
At that moment, a sparkly portal appeared in front of the three of them. Seeing it, Lan Xingyu immediately rushed to the figure emerging from it, hugging the Ancient One.
“How was the past two months? Did you miss your teacher?” the Ancient One asked, patting his head.
“Yes! I missed you every day!” Lan Xingyu replied happily, as it was the first time he had been separated from the Ancient One for so long.
“Teacher, let me introduce you to my friends. This is Tony Stark, a genius known to many. And this is Yinsen, an excellent doctor and scientist,” Lan Xingyu introduced them.
“Thank you for taking care of Lan Xingyu these past two months. He can be a handful. I appreciate your efforts,” the Ancient One said.
“It’s nothing. Lan Xingyu is very well-behaved and helped us a lot,” Tony and Yinsen responded modestly, aware from Lan Xingyu that his teacher was over 500 years old.
The Ancient One shook her head, signaling them to relax. She then turned to Tony.
“Mr. Stark, do you have some time? I have something to discuss with you.”
“Of course, what is it?”
“This isn’t the place to talk. Please, join me in my sanctuary,” the Ancient One said, leading them through the portal.
In the Ancient One’s sanctuary, Yinsen and Tony were again amazed by the wonders of magic. From the scorching desert to a comfortable, serene interior in an instant. The ancient, elegant design and the pleasant aroma from the incense made them feel at ease. Tony and Yinsen felt completely relaxed in this environment.
“Xingyu, go greet your senior brothers and sisters. They’ve been worried about you these past two months,” the Ancient One told Lan Xingyu.
“Okay, see you later,” Lan Xingyu replied, heading out.
Once Lan Xingyu left, the Ancient One turned to Tony, “What do you think of Lan Xingyu?”
“Xingyu? He’s great. We get along well. He’s very well-behaved, smart, and I can’t understand what kind of person would abandon him and his mother,” Tony responded, sincerely. After two months of getting to know him, Tony genuinely liked Lan Xingyu. Besides what the Ancient One said, Tony found Lan Xingyu’s happy demeanor very calming. Whenever he saw Lan Xingyu smile, it made him feel peaceful. That’s why Tony had offered to take Lan Xingyu to America. If possible, Tony even hoped to get custody of Lan Xingyu.
“That’s good. To be honest, I have nothing more to teach Lan Xingyu. He has never left Kamar-Taj and has no peers his age. I don’t want his childhood to be only about learning and magic. He’s already bearing responsibilities far beyond his age. So, I want him to experience life in the city, to have a happy childhood like a normal kid. He can start elementary school in half a year. Therefore, I hope Mr. Stark can become his guardian. All his living expenses can be covered by our sanctum in New York.”
“Great minds think alike. I was just about to ask if I could become his guardian. As for expenses, don’t worry, I will cover everything. It’s my duty as his guardian,” Tony said happily.
“Congratulations, Tony. Xingyu is indeed an outstanding child,” Yinsen said, happy for both Tony and Lan Xingyu. Over two months, Yinsen noticed their seamless rapport, like a natural harmony.
The Ancient One then told Tony more about Lan Xingyu’s past. Tony and Yinsen realized the hard work, effort, and loneliness hidden behind Lan Xingyu’s smiles and strength.
After some time, Lan Xingyu received a telepathic message from the Ancient One, asking him to return to the sanctuary. Thinking Tony and Yinsen had already left, Lan Xingyu was a bit disappointed they hadn’t said goodbye.
However, upon entering, he saw that Tony and Yinsen were still there. What were they talking about for so long? Lan Xingyu noticed another person in the room, Wong.
The Ancient One said to Wong, “Wong, please show Mr. Yinsen to a room. I will arrange for his magic training tomorrow.”
“Of course, no problem. I’ll go now,” Yinsen replied, getting up and leaving with Wong. Before leaving, he greeted Lan Xingyu. Lan Xingyu realized Yinsen had joined Kamar-Taj and was happy for him.
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