Let me show you a new way Chapter 214

The weather was gloomy, and dark clouds hung low.

The heavy rain poured down, like sorrowful weeping.

A carriage pulled a coffin covered with the American flag, slowly moving along the road. Soldiers in military uniforms stood neatly in the pouring rain, and planes flew in orderly formations across the sky.

Steve Rogers walked silently in a black suit, the heavy rain wetting his hair. The dampness on his face made him feel itchy, unsure if it was rain or tears.

Unconsciously, they had arrived at the cemetery.

Many prominent figures from the military and political circles stood around, holding black umbrellas, quietly watching the funeral proceed. Tony Stark was among them, dressed in a black suit, holding a black umbrella, silently gazing at the coffin.

Finally, the soldiers placed the coffin beside a freshly dug grave. The name was simply inscribed on the tombstone.

[JAMES BUCHANAN BARNES]

Several soldiers stood together, the flag soaked by the rain, clinging tightly to the coffin. They gripped a corner of the flag and forcefully spread it open with a “thud,” shaking off the water droplets, then meticulously folded the flag, their movements solemn and dignified. Finally, they handed it to Steve, who stood nearby.

“James Barnes was the best friend I ever had,” Steve said slowly, his eyes filled with profound sorrow.

“When I woke up from the glacier, I thought everything I knew was gone. I almost lost hope.” He spoke slowly, recalling his frantic escape after thawing from the ice, and the unease and despair he felt witnessing the changes in the world.

“Then, he just appeared, old, steady, and missing an arm.”

“But I was glad to have him. Just like when I was a kid, he always stood up for me, always protected me.”

“I think many people know him because he was a famous World War II veteran, one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“And many people know me because I am Captain America, a famous World War II hero.”

“But to me, he was always that tall friend Bucky, who always protected me.”

“And to him, I was always that scrawny Steve Rogers.”

“He was my best friend!”

In the crowd, Tony Stark watched silently. He remembered this man; he and his father had been friends, which was why he had come to the funeral.

But as the funeral progressed, certain memories buried deep in his mind began to resurface.

Tony Stark roughly pushed through the crowd, ignoring the complaints of those around him and Steve’s surprised gaze. He dropped his black umbrella, pulled up his collar to cover his face, and hastily walked towards the cemetery exit.

The rain lashed against his face, and an unprecedented emotion surged through his heart. He didn’t use any defensive magic to block the rain, but walked quickly, moving away from the crowd.

Then he extended his hand, one hand fixed in the air, the other slowly drawing circles. Golden sparks appeared little by little, but he couldn’t create a portal as easily as before.

“Damn it!” Tony slammed his fist on the ground. In the distance, the roar of a cannon echoed, and the dark coffin was slowly lowered into the earth. This reminded Tony of the same scene decades ago.

Golden sparks swirled around Tony’s fingertips, and a glowing circle appeared. He had created a portal to Long Island.

Tony stepped through.

Trees, bushes, falling raindrops—Tony stumbled towards his destination, the path that had echoed in his dreams for over two decades.

Then he saw it: a familiar large tree, near the edge of the road, still bearing the scarred tissue that had gradually grown after being hit by a car more than two decades ago.

Tony walked towards the tree, the heavy rain relentlessly drenching his head. The slippery ground made his steps unsteady.

Finally, he knelt down with a “thud,” his knees hitting the ground and splashing water from a puddle. He closed his eyes slightly, water droplets sliding down his face.

This was where his parents died.

It was also his most painful day. Before they left, Tony had had a big argument with his father, and that was his biggest regret.

Tony suddenly opened his eyes, and intense magical power surged through his body. Golden sparks condensed in his palms. He abruptly pressed his hands together, index fingers touching, middle fingers clasped, then pulled them apart. The golden sparks condensed into a golden eye.

His hand gestures changed again, and intense magical power poured into the spell. Time began to change with Tony’s magic.

Everything stopped.

All the raindrops solidified in the air, as if someone had pressed the pause button, motionless and suspended. The rippling of water, the swaying leaves, and the little birds drenched by the rain, frantically searching for shelter, all froze in this fixed spacetime, like spiders trapped in amber.

The next moment, time began to rewind.

Rain rose to the sky, birds flew backward, dark clouds gradually dispersed, and vehicles roared by, all moving in reverse.

The reversal of spacetime accelerated. The sun rose in the west and set in the east, the large tree slowly shrunk, withered leaves turned green and flew back onto branches, and little birds turned into chicks, hiding inside eggshells.

Tony stared intently at the large tree, his eyes bloodshot and gradually seeping with blood. His magical power was quickly depleted, but he stubbornly drew the violent magic from his magic furnace, completely disregarding how much damage it would cause him and the pain of his soul being torn apart.

But reality would not change due to a person’s strong will and desire. The further back in time one went, the more magical power was consumed. Even if Tony squeezed his mind, soul, body, and magic furnace dry, he could not provide such terrifying magical power.

The reversal of spacetime gradually approached a standstill, even showing signs of recovery.

The next moment, as if an eye opened, a green light symbolizing time lit up. Lin Dong slowly walked into the spacetime circle Tony had created, the Eye of Agamotto on his chest already open.

Powerful magical energy surged around Lin Dong. He didn’t say much, just met Tony’s gaze, and then, guided by Tony, used the Time Stone to help him rewind spacetime.

Finally…

They reached that time.

December 16, 1991.

Crude streetlights emitted a dim yellow glow, and a severely damaged car slowly appeared before them. A large number of police officers and reporters surrounded it.

And in a corner, a young Tony Stark was hiding by a large tree, staring blankly at the shattered car.