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"Hello, Mr. Stark."
Inside the New York Police Department, not long after Superman had departed, Captain George Stacy was left to deal with Tony Stark and Clark Kent, who had followed close behind. George's attitude toward Tony was a little better than it had been toward Superman, but only just.
While Tony was publicly known as a global philanthropist who donated a significant portion of his income to charity every year, George was well-aware of how capitalists operated.
He knew their "good deeds" were often just a way to minimize their own losses. Perhaps some of Tony's money truly went to orphanages, but George was certain Tony hadn't lost much in the process. He wasn't about to give anyone special treatment just for being a philanthropist.
There was, however, one exception.
"Mr. Kent, I didn't expect to see you here. Please, come in. The director has been waiting for you."
The contrast in his tone was stark. Tony, who had been walking ahead, couldn't help but wince as he heard George's warm welcome to Clark. George wasn't even trying to hide his double standard. Of course, Tony knew exactly why.
He was thinking of Parker Industries. If you looked at the company's development from its inception, from the time of Richard Parker, to Benjamin Parker, and now to Clark, you'd see that every year, Parker Industries directly purchased millions of dollars' worth of supplies to support orphanages. They did this openly, without going through any other organization. It was a visible act of charity that no one could fault.
Even Tony, who held a grudge against Benjamin and Clark because of what happened with Richard, had to admit that no other company, not even his own, could match Parker Industries in this regard.
While he was the largest shareholder of Stark Industries with complete decision-making power, he was also accountable to other shareholders. He was willing to give away money in the same way Parker Industries did, but his board of directors would never allow it.
Frustrated, Tony swallowed his pride and followed George to the holding cells.
"You're here, Tony Stark."
The tattooed man he had seen earlier was now standing before him. Tony was immediately reminded of the confrontation, how he had come so close to leaving this beautiful world for good.
Bang!
Unable to contain his rage, Tony punched the iron bars of the cell, the sound echoing loudly. The man who appeared so carefree to the outside world now had eyes filled with fury.
"Tell me! Who sent you?!"
Behind him, George quietly explained to Clark, "We've interrogated them, but they're not afraid of us at all. They just keep smiling, and we can't get a single thing out of them."
Clark nodded. It was what he had suspected. He figured the mastermind behind the attack had no intention of being exposed right now, and more investigation would be needed. But what happened next took him by surprise.
After Tony's outburst, the tattooed man maintained his smile and pulled a postcard from somewhere on his body, offering it to Tony.
"Oh my God! That's impossible! We already searched them!" George's shocked reaction left Clark speechless. It was clear the man had been carrying the card all along, as if he had been waiting for Tony to arrive. After all, while Clark had X-ray vision, he wasn't in the habit of using it on everyone he met.
"The Mandarin?" Tony had already taken the card. It was made of ordinary cardboard and had no extra information, just a name—or a code name—"The Mandarin."
"The Mandarin? Your leader? What organization are you with?" Tony's questions were met with a silent, smiling face.
At that moment, Clark, with nothing to do, activated his X-ray vision and finally saw what was wrong. "Stop him! He has a poison capsule in his mouth!"
As soon as Clark spoke, the man's mouth opened, revealing an oral cavity stained purple by the poison. He lunged, aiming to bite Tony's hand, which was still gripping the cell bars.
"Oh my God!"
The incident happened so fast that Tony had no time to react. Just as the man's poisonous teeth were about to clamp down on his hand, Clark reached out, pulled Tony back, and yanked him clear of the bite.
"Wow! You're strong!" Tony wasn't a small guy. He was a typical American man, with a solid build from healthy exercise, weighing around 200 pounds. Yet, with a single-handed pull, Clark had made him feel like he was flying. But he was safe.
"Whew! That scared me to death."
When Tony regained his footing and looked back at the cell, George had finished his inspection and was shaking his head at the two of them. "He died from the poison."
Tony's face went grim. The poison must have been incredibly potent to act so quickly. For the second time in a short period, he had narrowly escaped death.
Clark's expression was equally troubled. He could have been fast enough. As Superman, he could easily move at the speed of light, or even faster in his flared state. Even if he hadn't noticed the capsule immediately, he could have prevented the man from biting it if he had moved at full speed. But he couldn't, because in that moment, he was just Clark. He hadn't become Superman.
Keeping his two identities separate was partly to protect his loved ones, but it was also because Clark himself didn't want to give up his normal life. He was Superman, but being Superman wasn't his whole identity. Now, it was clear that this separation had its drawbacks.
"It seems I need to figure out how to be Superman while I'm also Clark..."
Tony, deep in thought, left the police station with Clark following him.
"Alright, kid, let's stop here for today. I know you're concerned, but I'm at a dead end right now. I'll let you know if I find anything new." Tony said, before getting into his sports car and speeding away. He had a hunch that the business card was more than just a name and that he needed to get back and investigate.
Clark naturally didn't object. His main goal was to get information from Tony, and if Tony was willing to cooperate, that was all the better.
Then, a thought struck him, and he froze. "Did he just call me Clark?"