Magus was standing outside when Tony went for him.
Magus was standing outside when Tony went for him.
Tony was surprised to see him there. “Why are you here?”
Magus was staring at a car that was parked not far away. He withdrew his gaze and glanced at Tony . “Nothing.”
Tony looked at him. “I need a favor!”
“Go ahead!”
Right then, Tony took his phone out and sent him a photo right away. Then, he walked toward Magus and said, “I want a face just like this person's.”
Magus took out his phone when he heard the notification alert from his pocket. He felt a little unanticipated. “A kid?”
Tony stepped toward Magus and said, “Magus, could you speculate her grown-up look based on this?”
Magus looked at him, knitting his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Tony collected his thoughts and looked at him. “Here's the thing... This child was gone when he was little. Hence, I want an enlarged version of this face with an age-progressed appearance that is not too different from him. Get it?”
Magus nodded while listening. “Got it! You want a grown-up version of this face.”
“Exactly!” Tony exclaimed, looking at him. “Can you do that?”
Magus pondered while looking at the photo, then after a moment, he said, “To be honest, I've never done this before.”
Tony 's forehead creased with concern.
Before Tony said anything, Magus continued, “However, I can try. My mentor once told me that people's facial features may change as they grow, but their bone structures remain. Therefore, if I could capture the characteristics of this person and then enlarge it, it should be fine!”
Tony was not fully comprehending what he heard, but it seemed to make sense to him. Therefore, he nodded. “Yeah, you can try!”
“When do you need it?” Magus asked.
Tony paused for a while, then replied, “It came without warning, and it's quite urgent...”
“How about tomorrow?”
Tony said, “I need it tonight!”
Magus frowned. “That's indeed very urgent!”
“Well then...” Tony stared brazenly into his eyes.
Magus glanced at the time. “It's still early now. I think I can make it. I'll give it to you tonight!”
Tony was wide-eyed with excitement. “For real?”
Magus nodded.
“Thank you!” Tony said.
Magus replied, “Don't mention it. It's my job!”
Magus seemed much better than before, both mentally and physically. In addition, he was not as guarded as before and had spoken more.
Magus seemed much better than before, both mentally and physically. In addition, he was not as guarded as before and had spoken more.
“Then I'll drop by again tonight!” Tony said before he left.
Magus nodded.
As Tony was about to walk away, he suddenly stopped and asked, “Magus, aren't you going to ask me what is this for?”
Magus shook his head. “It doesn't matter. All I know is that you have your limits. Since I've decided to join you, I won't question you!”
Tony looked at Magus and paused for a moment. He could not help but admire the characteristics of that genuine person with a pure heart.
Then, Tony said, “I really can't say much about it to you, but I can tell you, I'm not using it for evil purposes. I'm using it to save people!”
Magus nodded at him.
“Anyway, thank you!” Tony said.
“That's my job,” Magus replied.
Tony looked at him, not saying anything further.
As he turned around and walked away, Magus spoke up from behind. “I could join the operation tonight if you needed me!”
Tony stood frozen. He turned and looked at Magus with his face full of surprise.
Magus lifted his gaze and said, “I could do more than this!”
Tony believed Magus was not joking.
The corners of Tony 's mouth moved slightly. “I know. However, I'm afraid not tonight. I'm not the one who in-charge, so I can't make the decision.”
“Okay. I just want you to know you can count me in any time if you need me,” Magus said.
Tony nodded. “Okay.”
The moment when the two had finished speaking, Tony was about to leave, and the door was pushed open suddenly. Ben came out.
One was about to go in, and another was about to come out. Tony and Ben had bumped into each other.
Tony scrunched his nose, looking at Ben .
Magus, who was standing behind Tony , asked, “Are you looking for me?”
Ben shook his head. “Nope!” Then, his gaze landed on Tony , “I'm here for you.”
Tony narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly what Ben was going to say.
“Let's go somewhere else.” As he finished, he got up and headed outside.
Ben was panting heavily as he came in, but at this moment, he had adjusted his breathing and followed Tony out.
Once they reached somewhere outside with no one else, Tony turned to look at Ben . “Spill it out.”
“Is it about time to take action?” Ben asked.
Tony had no intention of keeping it from Ben . He nodded.
“Why didn't you tell me about it?” Ben asked.
“I didn't tell you because you're not part of it,” Tony stated bluntly.
Ben 's eyebrows pulled together in question. He stepped forward and asked, “What do you mean, Tony? Are you going to cut off with me completely?”
Tony knew Ben well. If he pushed him too hard, their relationship might be in jeopardy.
After a moment of thought, Tony spoke up. “Calm down. What I was trying to say is... I'm not the one who decides on this matter.”
“You may not be the decision-maker, but you're already part of it. Aren't you?” Ben asked. “I informed you of their plan right away when I knew about it, but you tell me nothing now, Tony,” Ben emphasized each word, looking into his eyes.
It had happened before, and it was happening again.
Even though Ben had not fully understood what had happened before, he was certain Tony had started to keep secrets from him.
Ben looked at Tony with sadness and disappointment in his eyes.
Tony 's heart had softened. They both had been busy with their affairs since their last argument. Neither one was willing to take a step forward. However, Ben had taken the initiative and came to find him. This left Tony with indescribable feelings.
In a gentle tone, Tony said, “I may have been involved in, but I'm only doing what I'm good at. As for the rest, I can't take part in either. All I can do is merely cheer them on from home.”
Ben 's eyes narrowed to slits. “Home?”
Tony immediately corrected himself after thinking. “I meant at DX.”
Ben lowered his gaze, feeling not know what to say. After pondering for a moment, he realized something. “Nonetheless, you had been involved in it, hadn't you?”
“All I can do is play my strengths. Do you think Daddy would let me get involved in anything else?” Tony asked.
“You're just making excuses, Tony. Even so, you should have told me,” Ben said, fixing his gaze on him.
After all, Ben still could not win arguing against Tony .
Tony fully understood what Ben meant.
Tony fully understood what Ben meant.
The latter's eyes and expression were all telling a story.
That was what family love was.
Since childhood, they rarely argued or bickered, and they hardly cared about anything.
Tony was also feeling distressed deep down. However, compared to the pain he felt knowing about Nelly 's situation, he was more inclined toward the anger he felt from their argument.
Tony definitely didn't want him to go through the same experiences again.
With those thoughts in mind, Tony let out a gentle sigh.
Moreover, as long as the night mission was successful, all problems could be smoothly resolved.
When the time came, it wouldn't be too late for him to be honest.
With that thought, Tony looked at Ben . “It was an emergency. There was no time to inform you.”
“Excuses,” Ben looked at him.
“Believe it or not, that is the fact!” Tony spoke word by word. His voice wasn't loud, but his attitude was exceptionally firm. He seemed much more unfamiliar compared to his typical self.
Seeing that Tony still had no intention of admitting his mistake, Ben frowned and asked in a rather helpless tone, “Tony, what's really going on with you?”
“Nothing much.” Tony 's attitude remained the same.
“You--”
“Ben !” Tony interrupted, staring at his brother, and said expressionlessly, “You need to understand something. As people grow up, everyone has their own secrets. This is very normal. We will never be like when we were young again, with no secrets to speak of.” Tony spoke word by word.
Ben listened, his brows furrowed. “Don't try to confuse me, Tony. These are two different things. What I want to know is not your secret.”
“What do you want to know?”
“I want to know what exactly you are hiding from me,” Ben said.
“This is my secret, though.”
“You...” Ben looked at his brother, so angry he didn't know what to say. He stared at Tony , his eyes filled with helplessness. “You know that's not what I meant...”
“Ben .” Tony 's expression was serious, steady, and indescribably complex. “No matter what you want to say, let's put it on hold until after today. I'll tell you everything after tonight's operation.”
“Why does it have to be after the operation is over?” Ben asked.
“There's no particular reason. It's just that it'll be the best time to do so.”
“What if I say no?”
“Do you have a choice?” Tony asked.
Ben looked at him, his thin lips tightly pressed together. His eyes, strikingly similar to Nelly 's, were filled with a sense of helplessness. I don't. There's nothing I can do in this matter.
Lowering his gaze, Ben didn't know what to say and just smiled bitterly.
Lowering his gaze, Ben didn't know what to say and just smiled bitterly.
“You're right. I really don't have much of a choice,” he said, nodding his head and looking at Tony . “I have nothing else to say.” With that, he turned around, ready to leave.
Tony gazed at his departing brother, his brows slightly furrowed. An inexplicable discomfort arose in his heart.
“Wait a moment.” Tony couldn't help himself and called out to stop Ben .
Ben paused slightly, looking back at his brother without expectation, and spoke weakly. “Is there anything else?”
Taking a deep breath, Tony suggested, “Do you want to join me in this operation?”
Upon hearing that, Ben 's brows furrowed in confusion. What does he mean? He was denying me the chance to just a second ago, and now he's asking me to join him? I don't understand what he's trying to do.
He narrowed his eyes, confused.
At that moment, Tony continued, “This mission was originally Nelly 's. She fell ill. As such, they were short of one person, so they let me join. Otherwise, do you really think Daddy would agree to let me come?” Tony said, looking at his brother pensively.
“You're not—”
“What I'm saying is if you're willing to join me, we can definitely achieve more with less effort.” Before Ben could respond, Tony interrupted again, expressing his thoughts and intentions directly.
After Tony finished speaking, Ben stared at him blankly.
Ben was still confused.
Yet, he could subtly sense that Tony was looking for a way for both of them to back off gracefully.
Narrowing his eyes, Ben spoke. “No need—”
“Ben , I promise you that once today's operation is over, I'll tell you everything,” Tony said, pausing after each word.
Looking at his brother, Ben hesitated for a moment before he couldn't help but ask, “Are you serious?”
Tony nodded. “I am serious.”
After a moment of thought, Ben sighed. “All right. I understand!”
“Does that mean you've agreed?” Tony asked.
At that moment, Ben looked at his brother. “I know you actually don't need my help. You never need anyone when it comes to this.” As he spoke, he continued to gaze at Tony . “However, I'll wait until everything is over and for you to tell me the truth!”
At that moment, it was as if the telepathic connection between the twins had taken effect. They looked at each other, their gazes intertwined.
“All right!” After o long while, Tony nodded.
“All right!” After a long while, Tony nodded.
Ben took a deep breath. “I'll be going then. I wish you all the best for tonight's operation.” Without another word, Ben turned and left.
Tony stood still, watching his brother leave with an indescribably complex gaze.
Even though the two had clarified everything, Ben still felt as if a barrier had formed in the depths of his heart.
Tony 's words kept echoing in his mind, impossible for him to shake off.
He kept thinking about what Tony said about how they would all have their own secrets as they grew up.
However, what he yearned for was never to pry into anyone's secrets. What he desired was for them, as brothers, to discuss matters and decide together, to fight side by side, just as they had done before.
Even though Tony clearly understood Ben 's intentions, the former still said those words to the latter.
Even though Ben said it didn't matter, it bothered him.
With his gaze lowered, Ben walked back and forth.
While the castle was particularly bustling today, it seemed as if everything had nothing to do with him.
What he yearned for, apart from becoming stronger, was to live happily with his family. However, if he couldn't achieve even that, then everything he had would become utterly meaningless.
After that, he walked straight into the living room. Though he spotted Luke and Mike discussing matters, he showed no interest at all. Without raising his head, he headed directly upstairs.
Even though Midnight fang pack deserved to be eliminated, he had no interest in it all. It didn't hold much significance to him whether they perished or not.
Hence, he wasn't particularly keen on getting involved in the matter.
And so, lost in his thought, Ben walked on. Instead of returning to his room, he found himself heading straight toward Nelly 's room.
He was not one to pour out his heart. However, at that moment, it seemed only the presence of Nelly could soothe his pain.
Before he knew it, he was already at the door of his mother's room.
Just as Ben was about to raise his hand to knock, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Through the narrow gap, he could perfectly see Nelly inside the room.
Alpha Kilian and Spencer were both present.
Ben hesitated, unsure whether to go in or not. At that moment, he saw Spencer squat directly in front of Nelly , take out a needle, and jab it straight into her arm...
Ben stared with furrowed eyebrows.