Chapter 111: Flying to Afghanistan
klein didn't wait for the plot to begin, but instead, he waited for Hill.
"Tsk," looking at Hill as she entered, klein's tone was full of disdain, "What are you here for again? Nothing good ever happens when you show up."
Hill was already immune to klein's sarcasm; she ignored his attitude and spoke her piece.
"Good morning, mr. klein. I'm here this time because there really is something I'd like to ask for your help with."
"Stop right there." klein tossed his book aside, sat up straight, and crossed his arms over his chest,
"Let's get this straight first: I have fixed prices for exorcisms and feng shui readings, but I don't do the'save the Worldand maintain peace' stuff. You'll have to go to the United Nations for that."
"I'm asking for your help to find someone."
klein didn't even twitch an eyebrow: "Looking for Tony Stark? He went missing in Afghanistan; you need to go find the Military!
With trillions in Military spending every year, maintaining the World's best intelligence network and satellites, and they can't find a missing person? Are they just eating for free? Don't tell me Commissioner Smith took all the money for himself?"
"mr. klein knows about Stark's disappearance as well?"
"It's broadcast eight times a day on TV; it'd be hard for me not to know!"
"Then that's perfect, let me keep it brief. On the return trip after inspecting the Jericho missile live-fire demonstration in Afghanistan, the convoy Tony Stark was traveling in was ambushed.
He has been missing for over 72 hours, and both the Military and Stark Industries' private search teams have come up empty-handed. Otherwise, they wouldn't have come begging to S.H.I.E.L.D."
klein picked his ear: "What does that have to do with me? We agreed from the start that I'd only take a salary and wouldn't do any other work! Are you going back on your word now?"
Hill seemed to have anticipated his refusal; there was no surprise on her face. She simply took an ultra-thin tablet out of her briefcase and pushed it toward klein.
"mr. klein, I know your interest in money... S.H.I.E.L.D. is currently following up on an excavation project. Based on existing clues, if we succeed, we are very likely to find a long-lost ancient item,
which contains immense energy inside. Back in the day, Red Skull was planning to use this thing to rule the World."
klein's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm on the surface, merely raising his eyelids to look at her.
Hill continued: "Director Fury has authorized me to promise that if you are willing to assist this time and successfully rescue Mr. Stark,
S.H.I.E.L.D. can allow you to observe that item up close after the project makes key progress. Furthermore, provided that safety is ensured and core research is not affected, we can even share a portion of the non-core research data or derivative results."
klein calculated quickly in his mind: Isn't this thing the Tesseract? But this thing sank near the North Pole along with Captain America.
Did they dig up Captain America? That's not right! The timeline doesn't match up, does it? They must have found the location where the plane wreckage sank.
Tsk, this move by the 'boiled egg' really hit the spot for klein. The Space Stone, eh! Who wouldn't want to get their hands on that?
klein wore a thoughtful expression, pondered for a while, and then let out a sigh as if very reluctant:
"Fine... seeing as you have some sincerity this time, I'll take the job!
But let's be clear: once I get there, I'm only responsible for finding the person and bringing them out. I won't concern myself with anything else."
A flash of relief crossed Hill's eyes, and she nodded immediately: "That's acceptable. You decide the specific operational plan; we will only provide the necessary logistical support and extraction. The plane is ready, and we can depart at any time."
"I don't need your plane," klein waved his hand, stood up from his grandmaster chair, and stretched his shoulders, "It flies too slowly; I'll go myself."
Hill was stunned for a moment, but recalling the flight ability klein had previously demonstrated, she didn't raise any objections:
"Very well. After arriving in Afghanistan, you can directly contact the local U.S. Military Officer in charge, Colonel Rhodes. We have already notified the Military and relevant parties; they will provide you with the necessary convenience and information support."
"Understood." klein didn't say anything more, turned around, and walked toward the stairs in the back, "I won't see you out; I need to pack up and tell Aunt Mei before I leave."
"mr. klein," Hill called him from behind, looking at klein with a solemn tone,
"Mr. Stark is of irreplaceable importance to the global strategic balance and even to dealing with potential larger-scale threats in the future. Please do your utmost."
"Got it. He's not dead yet, so I guarantee he won't have any mishaps!"
"mr. klein, thank you for your trouble."
klein watched the direction Hill left in and clicked his tongue.
"This playboy really doesn't let anyone have any peace. But the Tesseract is truly worth making a move for."
klein returned to the second floor to change into a darker combat suit that was more convenient for movement, then came downstairs,
and said to Aunt Mei, who had just returned from grocery shopping: "Mei, I'm going out to take care of some business; it might take a few days. Look after the shop; if someone comes to buy something, just sell it to them."
"Going out again?" Aunt Mei's face was filled with worry, "Is this time... dangerous?"
"Don't worry, it's just a stroll in the desert, and I'm helping someone find a lost rich guy along the way." klein waved his hand, "Just consider it a company-funded vacation. I'm off!"
He walked to a quiet back alley. After confirming no one was around, he applied a little force to his feet, rose silently from the ground, and quickly ascended to a height of several hundred meters.
"Red Queen, lock onto Tony Stark's last known coordinates, plan the optimal route, and avoid sensitive airspace."
"Instruction received, Master. Accessing civilian and partial Military satellite data now... Coordinates locked, eastern mountainous region of Afghanistan. Route planning... Planning complete. Estimated flight time is approximately over an hour."
A clear route map and real-time data appeared on klein's tactical goggles.
He adjusted his posture, pushed Bukujutsu to its limit, and his figure suddenly accelerated, like a black meteor, speeding toward the east.
At the same time, at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion headquarters, in Nick Fury's office.
Hill's voice came from across the holographic projection.
"Officer, he has departed."
Fury said in a deep voice: "Have the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents on the ground in Afghanistan and the Military give him all the support he needs, but do not interfere with his operations. What we need right now is for Tony Stark to return alive. As for what this Advisor klein does, it doesn't matter."
"Yes, Officer."
Chapter 112: Arrival in Afghanistan
After more than an hour of supersonic flight, the scenery below had changed from a bustling city to a vast ocean, and then to a continuous stretch of Gobi desert and barren mountains.
Based on the coordinates provided by the Red Queen, klein descended like a meteorite over a large U.S. military Base, crashing onto an open patch of hardened ground.
Before the dust and shockwaves from the landing could dissipate, sharp, piercing alarms were already echoing throughout the Base!
"Enemy attack! Aerial unit intrusion! Repeat, aerial unit intrusion!"
"All units, Level 1 alert! Unidentified individual in Sector C!"
The sound of chaotic footsteps and the roar of engines surged from all directions instantly.
Within mere seconds, klein was surrounded by dozens of fully armed U.S. soldiers, all as if facing a formidable foe.
Dark muzzles were pointed at him in unison, the atmosphere thick with tension.
"Don't move!"
"Hands up! On your knees! Now!"
"Identify yourself! Or we will open fire!"
The soldiers' roars were mixed with the alarms. Their fingers were tight on the triggers; after Tony Stark's convoy was bombed and he went missing, the U.S. military in Afghanistan was now on edge.
klein acted as if he didn't see the muzzles capable of turning him into a sieve, completely ignoring the warnings.
He picked his ear, which was a bit itchy from the noise of the alarm, and then shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Is Colonel Rhodes here? Come out and talk!"
"Final warning! On your knees! Surrender!" Seeing klein remain indifferent and even dare to shout, a First Sergeantbarked harshly, moving his gun muzzle even closer.
"Tsk, how annoying." klein frowned slightly, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes.
Immediately after, an invisible pressure, like a mountain, erupted from him as the center!
The soldiers surrounding him felt as if their hearts were being gripped by a cold, massive hand. Their breathing stopped abruptly, and boundless fear surged uncontrollably from the depths of their souls!
Their legs went weak, and their knees buckled uncontrollably.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Like stalks of wheat swept by a scythe, the soldiers who had been aggressive just a moment ago were now all kneeling on the ground in unison!
Their faces were pale, sweat pouring down. They tried to raise their weapons, but their arms felt as heavy as lead, and even the strength to pull the trigger seemed to have been drained away.
Just then, a military Humvee sped over and screeched to a halt at the edge of the crowd.
The door swung open, and a Black colonel in military uniform jumped out.
Seeing this eerie and shocking scene, his pupils contracted sharply.
Dozens of elite soldiers kneeling to a stranger with an Eastern face was an absolute absurdity.
This was the U.S. military's most glorious era; how could they kneel to an Asian man!
But he was a man who had seen much. Suppressing the shock in his heart, he strode forward and waved for the soldiers who came with him to step back.
"Put your guns down!" Rhodes looked at klein, the only one standing in the field, and asked in a low voice, "I am James Rhodes. Who are you?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. sent me." klein withdrew the overwhelming pressure.
The soldiers immediately felt a weight lift off them. Gasping for air, they scrambled to help each other up, looking at klein with eyes full of fear and lingering dread.
Hearing the name S.H.I.E.L.D., Rhodes visibly sighed in relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
He nodded to klein, his tone much more polite: "mr. klein? Agent Hill already informed me. How do you need us to cooperate? Intelligence, equipment, or a support team?"
"None of that," klein refused bluntly, his tone carrying a faint trace of disdain.
"You've been searching for so many days and haven't even found a trace of Tony Stark. Any further cooperation would just be a waste of time. Give me a channel where I can contact you directly. Once I find him, I'll let you know."
Rhodes was taken aback for a moment, but remembering the other party was a special Advisor invited by S.H.I.E.L.D.and the incredible methods he had just displayed, he wisely chose not to argue.
"...Understood. This is my direct communication frequency." He recited a string of codes.
klein noted the frequency and gave Rhodes a casual nod as a greeting.
Then, his figure soared into the air once more, ignoring the stunned gazes of the Base as he sped toward the distant mountains.
During the flight, the Red Queen's voice rang in his ears: "Master, I have received and integrated the coordinates of suspicious locations provided by the U.S. military and S.H.I.E.L.D., totaling seven sites. They have been sorted by probability and marked on the map."
On klein's tactical eyepiece, a topographic map of the eastern mountains of Afghanistan appeared, with seven striking red dots scattered across it.
"Start from the nearest one." He adjusted his direction and dove toward the first red dot.
However, luck didn't seem to be on his side.
At the first six locations, he either found only long-abandoned caves or villages that were completely empty;
Or he encountered small groups of Terrorists, but after easily dealing with them, he found no sign of Tony Stark at all.
Some places even looked like decoys set up intentionally.
"Damn, are these people cavemen? How can they hide so well? Are they rats?"
After clearing out a few gunmen putting up a last-ditch struggle at the sixth stronghold, klein shook his wrist with some irritation.
Only one last marker remained, the furthest and most hidden one.
According to the Red Queen's analysis, the terrain here was complex, making it easy to defend and hide.
"Last stop. If he's not here, I'll have to make the Eggheadpay more, or use some unconventional methods." klein grumbled as he flew toward the final coordinates.
This was a camp located deep in a canyon between two mountains, backed by a steep rock wall with only a narrow path for access.
When klein landed in the center of the camp from the air, it immediately caused a commotion.
"Who?!"
"Enemy attack!"
"Seize him!"
Shouts rang out. Although the languages were different, klein understood the meaning after the Red Queen's translation.
Dozens of militants in mismatched clothing, wielding AKs, surged from simple houses and cover, quickly surrounding him with their guns pointed haphazardly and fierce expressions.
This time, klein didn't even bother asking questions. Looking at these clearly ill-intentioned militants, a cold light flashed in his eyes.
In the next moment, a blazing scarlet light suddenly erupted from his eyes!
The Crimson Beams followed the rotation of klein's body, destroying everything in their path!
Rocks, wooden posts, abandoned vehicles... and the bodies of the surrounding militants.
Most didn't even have time to scream before their upper and lower bodies were quietly severed. The cuts were charred black, and before blood could even splatter, they fell over neatly.
The smell of burnt protein filled the air.
The red light in klein's eyes faded. He blinked, feeling... a bit refreshed.
At this moment, he could somewhat understand the nearly twisted pleasure Homelander felt from being above mortals.
Power itself tempts one to abuse it, especially in such a visually explosive manner.
However, that thought only flashed by.
He still couldn't understand the pleasure of the 'Getsuga Tensho'. Was it for the thrill? They're superheroes, can't they find a woman? Even if they have to pay for it?
Just spend a little! How is that not better than using your hand?!
Did these white monkeys mess up their skill points when they evolved?
Maybe! Most creatures face a choice during evolution: strength, power, armor, toxins, or something else.
But once some choose to invest in intelligence, they keep investing in intelligence.
But there are always some idiots who think they can find a shortcut and choose a different way to distribute points.
Damn it! This 'Earth Online' game doesn't allow you to reset your stats.
That's why there are some incompletely evolved species.
Chapter 113: Mark I
Just before klein arrived at this hidden terrorist stronghold, deep within the cave, a transformation that would decide the course of Marvel history was quietly taking place.
Tony Stark, who just a few days ago was still the billionaire weapons genius throwing money around in Las Vegas and chatting and laughing in front of the media.
After putting on a grand display at the U.S. Base, he was ambushed on his way back and watched helplessly as a missile developed by his own company exploded right in front of him.
After waking up in a cave filled with the smell of rust and engine oil, he discovered that he would have to live the rest of his life carrying a lead-acid battery.
A Dr. who was also held prisoner used that battery and an electromagnet to cobble together a life-support device that barely saved his life.
In this instant, the worldview Tony Stark had constructed over the past thirty-plus years was completely torn to shreds, and the way he looked at the World changed entirely.
Tony was no longer the arrogant weapons dealer he once was. He wanted to change—not just himself, but also Stark Industries.
But to fulfill these dreams, he first had to escape from this place.
Taking advantage of the terrorist leader's demand for him to replicate the Jericho Missile technology, Tony decided to beat them at their own game.
Using those mountains of materials and with Ethan's help, he created a miracle in this cave.
Tony hand-crafted a Miniature Arc Reactor. When that pure, ghostly blue light first lit up at the core of the reactor, even the well-traveled Ethan was stunned.
This wasn't damn technology; this was magic, the Alchemyof turning lead into gold.
Sometimes, the gap between humans is greater than the gap between humans and dogs. Using S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources, Doctor Octopus has only managed to produce a semi-finished product so far, and it's a large-scale reactor at that.
Tony could hand-craft a Miniature Cold Reactor in a cave. Can you believe it?! It's just ridiculous!
Tony immediately used it to replace the buzzing car battery in his chest that could stop working at any moment.
Surging energy flooded into his body, not only stabilizing his life but also igniting the long-dormant fire in his eyes.
Then Tony began to work on building the Mark I armor.
During these days, he and Ethan worked behind the backs of the Terrorists, using missile casings for armor, scrap hydraulic rods for joints, motorcycle chains for transmission, and the most primitive manual controls instead of sophisticated computers...
Finally, a crude set of iron armor gradually took shape in the cave.
Just as klein arrived at this Base, Tony, with Ethan's assistance, was slotting the final piece of the chest plate into its groove.
Heavy iron encased his body, leaving only the faceplate section yet to be closed.
The hydraulic system inside the armor emitted a dull charging sound. On the simple display screen built into the helmet, green debugging data flowed down like a waterfall.
"Faster, a little faster..." Tony gritted his teeth, staring fixedly at the progress bar.
He heard a commotion from outside that was different from the norm, and an ominous premonition gripped his heart.
Suddenly, short and dense bursts of gunfire came from outside the cave, followed by several screams that were cut short, and then a deathly silence.
"Tony!" Dr. Ethan's expression changed; he knew the final moment had arrived.
Had the guards outside already noticed something was wrong with the two of them, despite Tony's deception?
But with the sound of so much gunfire right now, something big was likely happening. He couldn't let them discover Tony's actions, or everything would be for naught.
"I'll go buy you some time. Good luck." After saying that, Ethan picked up a wrench from the table, opened the door, and rushed out.
"No, Ethan, wait! It's almost ready! Don't!" Tony growled anxiously inside the armor, but he was restrained by the supports fixed to the floor and the unfinished external connection cables, unable to move.
Ethan rushed out of the door and into the dim passage outside.
The passage was filled with the fresh smell of blood and a strange burnt odor. Several bodies wearing militant clothing lay on the ground in bizarre poses, with severed weapons scattered around them.
Seeing the scene before him, Ethan leaned his back against the wall, his heart pounding wildly, his palms gripping the wrench slick with sweat.
Suddenly, a set of composed footsteps approached unhurriedly from the other end of the passage.
The footsteps grew closer, echoing in the empty cavern, each step feeling like it was treading on Ethan's frayed nerves.
A figure stepped out from the shadows of the corner.
It was a young Asian man wearing black combat gear. He looked so clean that he seemed completely out of place in the surrounding bloody environment, and his face held no expression.
His gaze swept flatly over the corpses on the ground and then landed on Ethan, who was clutching the wrench and blocking the iron door.
Ethan's throat felt dry; he knew he had no chance of winning.
Someone who could silently take out all the guards outside was definitely not someone he could handle.
But he glanced back at that door. Behind it was his friend, a genius who could potentially change the World. He absolutely could not let anything happen to Tony.
Ethan let out a roar—not to intimidate, but more to bolster his own courage—then raised the wrench and charged at the approaching figure with all his might!
"I won't let you go in and disturb him!"
klein looked at this old man charging at him with a wrench and a look of suicidal determination, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
The moment Ethan entered his attack range, klein's left fist slammed hard into Ethan's abdomen.
Ethan's forward momentum stopped abruptly. His eyes bulged, and he bent over like a cooked shrimp.
The wrench fell to the ground with a 'clang.' He gagged in pain but couldn't make a sound, having completely lost the ability to move.
klein took a step forward and grabbed Ethan by the back of his collar like he was picking up a chick, lifting him up.
Ethan struggled feebly, forced to let the other party drag him along.
Carrying Ethan, klein walked to the iron door and kicked the heavy door open.
Inside the cave, a crude set of iron armor, brimming with a wasteland-punk style, stood prominently in the center of the cavern.
Tony Stark's voice came through the rough iron mask,
"Let him go... you bastard!"
Right at that moment, the Mark I armor Tony Stark had built with his own hands finished its final system upload.
With a flash of white light inside the faceplate, the crude Iron Man Suit emitted a dull startup hum.
The system finished starting up, and with a series of computer sounds, the Mark I was officially unveiled.
Carrying long-suppressed rage, the hydraulic devices in Tony's right arm let out a piercing grinding sound, and his heavy iron fist smashed toward klein with the sound of breaking wind!
However, after a crisp sound of metal clashing,
klein didn't even move his feet. He simply raised his right hand casually and steadily caught the iron fist that was powerful enough to smash a concrete slab.
On the display screen inside Tony's helmet, the force feedback values jumped wildly, finally settling on a number that he found hard to believe.
The opponent's physical strength was actually far beyond that of his iron armor!
Before Tony could recover from his shock, klein's right leg whipped out like a lash, kicking squarely against the Mark I's chest plate!
The massive iron body flew backward, crashing hard into the pile of missile parts and workbenches behind him, knocking over a heap of junk with a loud crash as dust filled the air.
"So you're Stark?"
Chapter 114: Tony Escapes Danger
klein looked at the iron can on the ground. To be honest, the Mark I was truly too ugly.
[Ding!]
[Marvel plot mission detected—Tony Stark]
[Identity—Iron Man, Avengers]
[Would you like to draw a reward?]
"Yes!"
[Ding!]
[The reward you received is—Break Limiter]
"This works. Load the ability!"
klein was loading the ability, but in Tony's eyes, it was a lack of respect; he didn't even look at him.
"I am Tony Stark!" Tony's angry roar came from inside the helmet. He struggled to stand up from the ruins, driving the armor once more and charging at klein with heavy steps.
There was another dull thud.
This time, klein sidestepped and smashed an elbow into the side of Tony's helmet, sending him flying sideways again and collapsing the workbench on the other side.
"Enough. I don't care if you're Stark or Stark, stop this clunky performance now."
klein brushed off non-existent dust from his clothes. "Colonel Rhodes sent me to find you. Follow me."
"Rhodes?" Tony shook his somewhat dizzy head and climbed up from a pile of circuit boards. Hearing Rhodes' name, he didn't rush into another attack this time.
"You're not a terrorist? You're with the U.S. Military? Rhodes sent you?"
"I'm not with the Military." klein threw the limp Ethanonto the ground. "Another party asked me to come. But it doesn't matter, just follow me."
"Why should I trust you?" Tony stayed back warily, his eyes behind the mask staring intently at klein.
"Believe it or not. I've found you, my mission is complete. Whatever happens next has nothing to do with me." After saying that, klein turned and walked out of the cave.
"Ethan! What did he do to you?" Tony went to Ethan's side to help him up, calling out urgently.
"Cough... I'm fine, Tony..." Ethan spoke weakly. His abdomen still throbbed with pain, but at least he was conscious.
Tony watched klein's receding back, then hoisted Ethanonto his back and left the cave as well.
The further out he walked, the more annoyed Tony felt.
He had thought that after creating the Mark I armor, he could go on a rampage, kill the Terrorists, fight his way out of the Base, and announce the birth of Iron Man with the blood of Terrorists.
He wanted to make a grand entrance, but now...
The once ferocious guards had all turned into incomplete corpses on the ground, and the air was thick with the smell of blood and charred flesh.
Walking from the cave all the way to the central clearing of the Base, he didn't see a single soul alive along the way.
The entire stronghold was deathly silent.
Tony stepped out of the cave, the piercing sunlight making him squint.
He saw that mysterious Asian man already standing in the middle of the clearing.
klein turned around, looked at Tony, and asked one last question:
"Do you need my help? I can carry you and fly directly back to the U.S. Military Base. It's faster than your iron can."
"No!" Tony refused almost without thinking. "I, Tony Stark, don't need anyone's help!"
"Fine, whatever." klein didn't insist. He took a Militarycommunicator from his pocket and tossed it to Tony.
Tony caught it instinctively; the small communicator looked exceptionally tiny in his massive steel palm.
"Anyway, I saved your life. You owe me a reward. When you return to New York, I'll come to collect it personally."
klein then pointed to the communicator. "That's Rhodes' emergency channel. If you can't fly back yourself, call him. I'm leaving you now, bye!"
"By the way, the U.S. Military Base is that way." klein even pointed out the direction for Tony.
After speaking, before Tony could respond, klein exerted a slight force through his feet. His body rose lightly into the air as if breaking free from gravity, quickly ascending into the high sky and turning into a small black dot that soon disappeared into the azure horizon.
"Hmph, playing tricks." Tony looked in the direction where klein disappeared and snorted unhappily.
But he still carefully tucked the communicator into a gap in the armor.
"The great Tony Stark needing help? What a joke! I can fly on my own."
"Tony," Ethan said worriedly from behind the Mark I, "can this... thing of yours really fly? If not, we can just walk back."
"Of course it can fly!" Tony's tone carried an unquestionable confidence. He checked the simple jet devices on the soles of the armor, which were modified from missile propulsion components.
"Hold on tight, Ethan! We're taking off!"
The jet ports on the soles and palms of the Mark Isimultaneously spewed hot flames, pushing the heavy body off the ground in a shaky manner.
"Whoa!" Ethan let out a short cry of alarm, clutching tightly to the protrusions on Tony's armor.
Tony clenched his teeth, struggling to maintain balance.
This suit of armor, cobbled together in a cave, had a flight control system that was frighteningly primitive; it was controlled almost entirely by his extraordinary reflexes and intuition.
It went smoothly at first. They rose crookedly into the sky several hundred meters high, flying toward the general direction of the U.S. Military Base.
For a brief moment, Tony even felt the sensation of soaring freely in the air.
However, the good times didn't last.
Just as they were flying over a vast stretch of sand dunes, a series of creaking sounds came from the Mark I.
"Warning: Right leg servo joint overheating... Left arm hydraulic line pressure abnormal... Structural fatigue detected at back connection..."
The primitive voice prompts inside Tony's helmet began to alarm frantically.
"Shut up! I know!" Tony roared, trying to stabilize his posture. But it was too late.
First, an armor plate from the left foot fell off with a clang, spinning as it plunged toward the desert below.
Immediately after, the hydraulic rod in the right arm suddenly burst, spraying high-pressure fluid, and the entire arm instantly hung limply.
Most fatally, several main buckles connecting the chest and back plates finally reached their limit under the continuous vibration.
"Crack! Crash!!"
Amidst a series of tooth-aching metal tearing sounds, the first Iron Man Suit in Tony Stark's life disintegrated several hundred meters in the air.
Chest plate, back plate, leg armor, arm armor... they turned into metal fragments of various sizes, falling toward the golden sea of sand below like scattered flowers.
"Ethan!!! Holy shit!!!" Tony only had time to let out a distorted shout before he and Ethan plummeted toward the desert along with the largest pieces of wreckage.
Below were soft sand dunes; that was perhaps the only good news.
"Thump!" "Thump!"
Two dull sounds followed as Tony and Ethan plunged into the thick sand, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A few minutes later, a charred iron helmet emerged from the sand. The faceplate popped open, revealing Tony's face, which was written all over with bewilderment.
He struggled to crawl out of the sand pile, shook the sand off his head, and looked around.
As far as the eye could see, there was only endless yellow sand, scorching sunlight, and scattered fragments of the Mark I still emitting wisps of smoke.
Fortunately, Rhodes' communicator had luckily not been broken; it lay on the sand not far from his feet.
Tony walked over, picked up the communicator, and was silent for a few seconds.
Then, he pressed the call button.
"...Rhodes? It's me. Yes, I'm alive. But... my position might be a bit off. Yeah, I need a ride. By the way, bring two bottles of ice water, thanks."
Hanging up the communication, Tony plopped down on the burning sand, watching the dust in the distance that had not yet settled, and let out a long breath.
Ethan also crawled out of the nearby sand pile coughing. The two looked at each other, both seeing the relief of having survived a disaster on the other's face.
Chapter 115: The Return Journey
Tony and Ethan sat in the back seat of Rhodes' Humvee, each holding a Military ration ice cream container and digging in with a small wooden spoon.
In the desert, sitting in an air-conditioned vehicle and eating ice cream was something Ethan, a survivor of a catastrophe, would never have dared to imagine before.
Even a playboy like Tony was humming comfortably at this moment.
"I used to think this stuff," Tony tapped the edge of the cheap plastic container with his spoon handle, his tone somewhat complex,
"only belonged in homeless shelters or trash cans. I didn't expect..." He shoveled another large spoonful into his mouth and mumbled indistinctly, "it's actually quite good."
Rhodes turned around from the front passenger seat, resting his arm on the backrest, and grinned gloatingly at Tony's scruffy face and bruised eyes.
"I told you to ride with me, but you wouldn't listen. Insisted on flying yourself. Look at you now, suffered quite a bit, didn't you?"
Tony swallowed the ice cream and shot him a look of annoyance. "Ride with you? If I had gotten in your car, you might not be sitting here laughing at me right now, but lying in a coffin waiting to be draped in the national flag and receive a medal."
Rhodes didn't take the bait, but instead reached out and slapped Tony's shoulder hard—enough to make Tonywince—and then turned back around.
Tony kicked the back of the passenger seat and then turned to look at Ethan, who was quietly eating his ice cream beside him.
"Ethan, come back to New York with me. I'll definitely repay you. It's not just about money, you know that."
"New York has the best labs and the most cutting-edge academic environment. Your talent and knowledge can truly shine there and make a difference."
Ethan met Tony's gaze. His eyes were firm, without a hint of hesitation.
"Thank you, Tony. Really, thank you. But I still want to return to my hometown."
"They need Doctors there, and they need hope. I can't use the knowledge I've learned here just to trade for a comfortable personal life."
"I want to go back and do what I can, even if it's just to reduce the crying a bit and increase the possibility of peace."
Tony looked into Ethan's eyes; he knew he couldn't persuade this man.
"...Alright." Tony finally sighed.
"I respect your choice. But remember, Ethan, you're not alone. If you need anything, contact me anytime. This is what Tony Stark owes you."
A sincere smile appeared on Ethan's face. "I will. If I need anything, I definitely won't be polite. But for now, what I need most is a plane ticket home, as soon as possible."
"No problem!" Tony agreed immediately, then kicked the back of the passenger seat again. "Colonel, can we make this happen?"
Without turning his head, Rhodes made an "OK" gesture:
"Leave it to me. We'll arrange the safest route to ensure Dr. Ethan returns to Gulmira safely."
"But for now, Tony... your priority is to come back to New York with me. The transport plane is already on standby at the Base; we'll take off as soon as we arrive."
"Do you know how much of a stir your disappearance caused? The Stark board of directors, the Military, and the media are all about to explode."
Tony shrugged indifferently, picked up the ice cream container, and scraped out the last bit of melted milk.
"Let them explode. By the way, Rhodes," he seemed to suddenly remember something,
"That person you guys brought in—what's his deal? Do you have his file?"
"mr. klein?" Rhodes glanced at Tony in the rearview mirror and shook his head.
"We didn't invite him. It was another... well, relevant department that coordinated it.
"The specifics are high-level classified; I'm not clear on them either. As for his file?" Rhodes twitched the corner of his mouth.
"I'm not even sure what his full name is. He just suddenly appeared, found you, and we might not even know him as well as you do."
Tony didn't ask further, but just gave a thoughtful "hmm," his fingertips unconsciously tapping his knee.
By the time Rhodes found Tony, klein had already flown back to New York.
Calculating the time, when he landed at the shop's street, it was just in time for lunch.
Pushing open the shop door, Aunt Mei was organizing the ledgers behind the counter. Hearing the sound, she looked up and saw klein, her face instantly filled with surprise.
"Kline? You... didn't you say you were going out on business? How are you back so soon?"
"Ah, didn't I tell you it was simple? For a small matter like this, of course I'd be back in a flash. What's for lunch? I'm starving."
Aunt Mei was stunned for a moment. "Oh dear! I haven't made anything yet! I didn't know when you'd be back, so I was just going to make do with something... Wait here, I'll go buy groceries right now, it'll be quick!"
With that, she grabbed her handbag and car keys from the counter and quickly walked out of the shop with a quick clack of footsteps.
"Well, she sure runs fast." klein had originally wanted to say that if she hadn't made anything, he could just make do, but seeing how fast Aunt Mei ran, he simply shook his head and let it go.
klein walked behind the long table and sat in the grandmaster chair. After resting for a few minutes, he pulled out his phone, found Hill's number, and dialed it.
The phone rang a few times before being picked up.
"Hello, mr. klein. Is something the matter?"
"Tony Stark has been found; he should have been picked up by the U.S. Military by now. Remember what you promised me."
There was a two-second silence on the other end. Clearly, even with Hill's composure, klein's efficiency was a bit beyond expectations.
"mr. klein, are you sure? It's been less than six hours since you departed."
"For a little job like this, is there any need to dawdle? Now that I've stepped in, it's a piece of cake."
"Alright, mr. klein. We will verify it. Regarding that item, since we promised, we won't go back on our word. I'll notify you when there's progress."
"Fine, that's that." klein didn't feel like saying more and hung up directly, tossing his phone onto the long table.
klein calculated in his mind that once that show-off Tonyreturned to New York, he would still have to go talk to him about the reward.
Saving his life, he had to squeeze something real out of him no matter what.
He was wondering whether to ask for Stark Industriesshares or have Tony customize some high-tech equipment for him when the shop door was pushed open.
Aunt Mei walked in carrying two bulging supermarket shopping bags, breathing slightly hard, with fine sweat on her forehead.
"So fast?" klein was a bit surprised.
"I just bought some ready-made things at the supermarket on the corner." Aunt Mei said as she placed the bags on the small table near the kitchen and started taking things out.
"Roasted chicken, ham, salad, and those pickles you like. Just make do for now; I'll make you something delicious tonight."
The aroma of food wafted over, and klein's stomach growled in cooperation.
klein immediately sprang up from the grandmaster chair, leaned over to the table, reached out to tear off a still-warm roasted chicken leg, took a large bite, and praised indistinctly:
"Mmm! You really know me! This is great, much better than waiting forever."
Aunt Mei looked at his ravenous eating with a smile in her eyes and handed him a bottle of ice water:
"Eat slowly, no one's going to snatch it from you."
Chapter 116: Tony Comes Knocking
The next day, the Sun was shining brightly. klein moved his lounge chair to the shop entrance, slumped comfortably onto it, and squinted his eyes to soak up the Sun.
Ever since he had acquired the Steel Body ability from the Hulk, klein had grown increasingly fond of sunbathing.
That sensation of constant growth at every moment was simply too exhilarating.
Especially since he had drawn the Limiter Breaker ability from Tony Stark; it was the perfect match for Steel Body.
One allowed for steady improvement just by sunbathing, though it had a theoretical ceiling; the other directly shattered that ceiling.
This meant that as long as he lived long enough and got enough Sun, he could theoretically reach unimaginable heights even without cheats. Surpassing OAA was no longer a dream.
The thought alone was exciting, provided, of course, that he could live until that day and didn't die young along the way.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, his thoughts wandering to whether he should go sleep inside the Sun, the sound of brakes screeched in the quiet street, stopping precisely in front of his lounge chair.
klein lifted his eyelids, and what met his eyes was a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur so brand new it could serve as a mirror. Its sleek lines shimmered in the sunlight, nearly blinding him.
The car door opened, and Tony Stark stepped out.
He was wearing an extremely sophisticated suit today, looking like a completely different person compared to when he was in the cave.
Deep in Tony's eyes, there was a trace of subtle excitement.
Looking at klein lying on the lounge chair, then glancing at the words 'Supernatural Response Agency' on the sign, his eyebrows shot up, and a playful smirk curled onto his lips.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Tony spread his hands, his tone exaggerated.
"I didn't expect you to be a charlatan? This is... quite a surprise."
klein closed his eyes and replied leisurely, "I'm warning you, Mr. Stark, defamation carries legal consequences. Be careful, or I'll serve you a lawyer's letter and sue you until you have to mortgage your underwear."
"Ha!" Tony reacted as if he'd heard the joke of the century, his chin tilted slightly upward.
"A lawyer's letter? Sue me? You probably don't know that Stark Industries' legal team could have every judge in New York lining up to bring me Thanksgiving turkeys.
Speak up, what compensation do you want? Money? Status? Or some other kind of help? The great Tony Starkhas always been clear about debts of gratitude and will not owe anyone."
"Compensation?" klein finally sat up slightly, squinting at him. "I want to be the President of the United States. Can you arrange that?"
Tony's expression stiffened as he was choked up, and then he rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Always with the sharp tongue! Fine, let's skip the nonsense. This should be practical enough, right?"
He pulled a checkbook and a diamond-encrusted fountain pen from his inner suit pocket, scribbled his signature with a flourish, then ripped it off with a 'rip' and tossed it onto klein's chest.
"Fill in whatever number you want. After all, my life is worth quite a bit."
klein didn't even look at the blank check that could drive countless people mad. He lay back down and yawned. "Save it, I'm not short on cash."
"You're not short on cash?" Tony sounded as if he'd heard something absurd. He looked klein up and down, noting his street-stall T-shirt and the old lounge chair beneath him, then glanced at the modest shop.
"Could you possibly be richer than me?"
"I don't know if I'm richer than you," klein said lazily, "but I certainly have enough to spend. And I spend it with a clear conscience, without waking up in the middle of the night being blown up by bombs I built."
Tony's expression flickered slightly, but he quickly regained his cynical facade, though his gaze sharpened.
"No, Tony Stark never owes favors. You must accept compensation; that is my principle."
"Your principles are none of my damn business." klein picked at his ear. "However... if you really feel bad about it..."
He paused for a moment, seemingly in deep thought, then said, "Then get me one of those Miniature Reactors from your iron can."
Tony froze, seemingly not understanding klein's meaning.
klein continued to explain, "I'm a lazy guy. Every month I have to run to the electric company to pay the bill. Can you believe that in a country as developed as America, you still have to take a number, wait in line, and fill out forms just to pay for electricity? It takes at least two hours to get it done. It's a pain in the ass.
Get me one of those things of yours, wire it up, and I won't have to pay an electric bill for the rest of my life. Peace of mind. See? How practical."
Tony's expression shifted from stunned to disbelief, and finally to indignation.
"You... do you have any idea what that thing is?!"
"This is epoch-making clean energy technology! It's a Miniature Arc Reactor! It's the future! And you just want to use it to save on your electric bill?!"
"What else?" klein shot back righteously. "Should I use it to toast bread? That would be wasteful. Oh, right, is the power output high enough? Can it handle central air conditioning? This shop gets a bit hot in the summer."
Tony opened his mouth. His meticulously designed, pride-and-joy invention that had even changed the direction of Stark Industries—
In this guy's eyes, its ultimate value was actually equivalent to an oversized power bank?
This was simply the greatest insult to science! And the ultimate trampling of Tony Stark's taste!
"You..." Tony took several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the urge to get back in the car and leave.
He glared at klein and finally squeezed a sentence out through gritted teeth:
"You are truly an unreasonable bastard!"
"Thanks for the compliment. We're settled on the reactor then. Here's my contact info. Remember to have someone deliver it another day and help me organize the wiring. If there's nothing else, don't let the door hit you on the way out."
Tony stood there, his chest heaving violently.
Ultimately, he said nothing. He just gave klein a fierce glare, turned around, pulled the car door open forcefully, and got in.
Tony sat in the back seat of the Rolls-Royce and slammed the door shut, cutting off the guy outside who was making his blood pressure soar.
The air conditioning in the car was on full blast, but Tony's face flushed between red and white. He slammed his fist twice against the expensive leather seat.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
A string of curses squeezed out through his gritted teeth.
Happy, in the driver's seat, stole a glance through the rearview mirror and wisely remained silent.
Tony loosened his tie and leaned back against the seat, his chest still heaving slightly.
Unreasonable! Vulgar! No taste whatsoever! A complete desecration of science and art!
"Happy!"
"Yes, boss?" Happy responded immediately.
"Back to Malibu! Right now! Immediately! Tell Potts to cancel all my arrangements for the next three days... no, the next week! Don't let anything or anyone disturb me!"
"Understood, boss!"
The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur let out a low growl, quickly accelerated, and sped toward the airport.
Tony leaned against the seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knee, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if two fires were burning deep in his pupils.
Fine, you bastard. You look down on me, don't you? Then I'll show you exactly what the great Tony Stark can do!
Once he built the Mark II armor, he would make a grand entrance and stun that bastard.
Chapter 117: Iron Man
Tony Stark locked himself in his underground laboratory, isolating himself from the world for an entire week.
Aside from occasionally using energy bars and concentrated espresso to maintain his vital signs, all of his energy was poured into the brand-new suit of armor before him.
A silver-gray streamlined shell replaced the crude scrap metal. The interior integrated an advanced flight control system operated by Jarvis, attitude balancers, a composite sensor array, and more powerful palm pulse cannons.
It was light, swift, and full of futuristic flair—the perfect image of what Tony had dreamed of while in the cave.
"Jarvis, start the ground detection program, then prepare for the first flight test."
"At your service, sir. All systems passed self-check. Weather conditions are good, suitable for flight."
As Tony wore the Mark II and broke through the garage roof, soaring freely between the sea and sky, the exhilarating feeling almost made him want to let out a long howl.
This was right! This was worthy of the name of the genius Tony Stark!
He even began to imagine what kind of expression that bastard would have on his face when he landed in front of that rundown shop in Brooklyn wearing this gear.
However, the high-altitude icing alarm brought on by the rapid ascent doused his excitement like a bucket of ice water.
Looking at the red warnings flashing on the helmet display and the rapidly dropping altimeter, Tony broke into a cold sweat.
"Alright, looks like it needs a little... improvement." Gasping for breath, he rose from the wreckage, brushing off the frost that had condensed on the armor's shell.
The plan to show off was temporarily shelved; first, he had to fix the high-altitude icing problem.
After another round of sleepless improvements, the Mark III was born.
It solved the icing issue, strengthened the weapon systems, and its overall performance was more stable and reliable. Furthermore, he gave the Mark III a flashy red and gold paint job.
Tony was rubbing his hands together, preparing to set out again to show that guy who looked down on his technology a thing or two, when Jarvis interrupted him.
"Sir, there is an encrypted voice message from Mr. Ethan."
Tony immediately clicked play.
In the background of the message, there were faint sounds of sporadic gunfire and crying:
"Tony... sorry to bother you. But I need help. They've come back, and they're even more unscrupulous this time. I tried to protect some people, but the situation is bad. If you can help me, please hurry, I beg you."
The message cut off abruptly.
All the smiles on Tony's face vanished instantly, replaced by anxiety. He didn't even have time to change out of his casual clothes before rushing directly into the newly completed Mark III.
"Jarvis! Lock onto the message's transmission coordinates! Full speed ahead!"
"Yes, sir. Route planned. Estimated time of arrival: 47 minutes."
When Tony landed near Ethan's home, the sight before him made his blood nearly freeze.
The place had long since been turned to ruins, the blackened walls telling the story of the tragedy that had occurred.
What made his eyes nearly burst with rage was seeing Ethan hanging from the withered tree in the front yard by a coarse rope, long since devoid of the breath of life.
"No... Ethan..." Tony's voice roared hoarsely.
Like a thoroughly enraged lion, he hunted down the Terrorists who had not yet fully retreated.
In just a few minutes, the remaining enemies putting up a desperate struggle were wiped clean.
Amidst the smoke, Tony's gaze fell upon the stacked weapon crates. He had intended to leave immediately, but a logo he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye hit him like a lightning bolt.
He walked over and lifted the lid with a trembling hand. Neatly packed inside were the 'Jericho' surface-to-surface missiles produced by Stark Industries, exactly the same as the ones he had seen in the cave in Afghanistan.
The seeds of suspicion had already been planted when he returned home, but they had been temporarily suppressed due to a lack of concrete evidence.
But now, nourished by Ethan's blood, those seeds grew wildly.
"Obadiah... is it really you?" Tony's face under the helmet was terrifyingly grim.
The only person within the company who could bypass him to continue shipping weapons to war zones was his dear uncle, the current CEO of Stark Industries.
Carrying his simmering rage and Ethan's body, Tonyreturned to New York in silence.
He didn't lash out immediately but began to investigate in secret. However, Tony was not a professional after all, and his movements inevitably alerted Obadiah.
When Tony finally found concrete evidence and prepared to strike at the board meeting, the calculating Obadiahchose to act first.
Obadiah used the sonic weapon Tony had developed to knock him down and took the reactor from his chest.
With the reactor gone, Tony could feel his life slipping away with every passing second, a cold numbness spreading from his chest to his limbs.
His vision began to blur, and Obadiah's smug words rang in his ears, but he could no longer hear them clearly.
Before his consciousness sank completely into darkness, he relied on instinct. His fingers fumbled unconsciously on the cold floor, clicking... he didn't know what he had touched, perhaps a scattered phone, or perhaps the emergency communicator built into his suit button.
A number that had never been dialed before was called amidst the chaotic commands.
At this moment, klein on the second floor of the shop had improved through several draws and the energy from sunbathing.
This allowed his Door Pathway to advance from [Sequence 6] to [Sequence 5 — Traveler]. From then on, klein finally mastered the ability to travel everywhere.
Although Kamui could also teleport, it required him to reach a location first and mark it before he could teleport there.
But a Traveler allowed klein to soar anywhere at will.
Having just finished this exercise of the Door Pathway's new abilities.
klein yawned and was about to go downstairs to see what Aunt Mei had cooked for dinner when the phone tossed on the bedside table suddenly vibrated, the screen lighting up with an unknown number without a contact name.
klein frowned. Red Queen had encrypted his phone number, so people he wasn't familiar with couldn't call in at all, yet klein had no impression of this number.
Since the call came through, klein picked up the phone and answered.
There was only a faint sound of gasping in the receiver.
"..." klein's brows shot up even higher. What was the situation? A prank call? Impossible, right?
He was just about to hang up when a voice came through:
"Potts... help... me..."
klein blinked a few times and slowly sat up straight.
"Yo?" He spoke into the microphone, his tone filled with undisguised schadenfreude.
"Isn't this our great Mr. Stark? What's this, actually needing my help? Seen a ghost? Didn't you look down on my little workshop? Not calling me a fraud now?"
"..."
Seeing that there was no sound from the other side, klein thought Tony's defenses had crumbled, but after another period of silence,
klein realized something was wrong. Tony was not the type of person to take an earful without talking back. If he hadn't spoken for this long, could something have happened?
Chapter 118: Iron Man (II)
"Red Queen!" klein ordered in his mind. "Locate this number immediately and retrieve Tony Stark's last known movements and vital signs!"
Almost instantly, Red Queen's electronic voice sounded in his head: "Master, it is confirmed that the signal source is located at 10880 Malibu, California, Tony Stark's private residence..."
"Five minutes ago, the security system there was breached by force, and the Miniature Arc Reactor in Mr. Stark's chest was forcibly removed."
"His vital signs are rapidly declining; he has fallen into a coma. The estimated remaining time for effective resuscitation is less than three minutes."
"Damn! I knew that show-off was going to get into trouble!" klein spat, walked to his desk, and picked up the silver metal ring.
This was a thank-you gift Tony had sent via FedEx earlier—the prototype of the original Miniature Arc Reactor.
Utilizing the ability of [Sequence 5 — Traveler], klein's figure vanished from the shop instantly.
At this moment, Tony Stark was slumped on the cold floor, his face as pale as paper, with only faint twitches showing he wasn't completely dead yet.
klein's figure stepped out from the void, scanned the scene, and immediately crouched beside Tony.
"Dammit, you really know how to find trouble."
Although he was cursing Tony, his movements were decisive.
He aligned the interface of the silver reactor in his hand with the indentation in Tony's chest, pressed down hard, and twisted it into place!
"Hrrgh... hrrgh!"
As if struck by high-voltage electricity, Tony's body suddenly arched upward, a sound like a broken bellows wheezing from his throat.
Immediately after, the center of the silver ring on his chest reignited with a faint blue light, shining once more.
A few seconds later, Tony's ragged breathing gradually leveled out. His eyelashes flickered a few times before he slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze shifted from unfocused and dazed to slowly focusing, finally seeing klein crouching in front of him.
"Cough... cough cough..." Tony coughed weakly, trying to prop himself up, but his arms were too limp to exert any strength.
He looked at klein. "Why is it you?"
"Who else did you think it would be? If it weren't for me, your miserable life would be over. You'd better thank me properly!"
"Thank you!"
klein reached out to help Tony up.
Just then, Jarvis's voice rang out through the laboratory's surround-sound speakers: "Sir, Miss Potts's emergency communication. The signal source is extremely unstable. Shall I patch it through?"
"Connect it!"
"Static... Tony! Can you hear me? Watch out for Obadiah! It's him! It's been him all along!"
"The company's weapon smuggling, the kidnapping in Afghanistan... it was all him! He wants to kill you! I found the evidence, but he discovered it. He sent people... Ah!"
Pepper Potts's panicked and urgent voice came through, accompanied by the sound of heavy running, until the communication was abruptly cut off by a sharp burst of static and a muffled cry.
"Potts!!!" Tony's eyes went bloodshot, as if he'd been injected with a shot of adrenaline. From somewhere, he found the strength to spring up from the floor.
He stumbled a step but immediately steadied himself, looking at klein: "klein, I'll remember this favor and thank you later. But right now, I have to save her!"
Before he could finish speaking, Tony had already rushed toward the entrance of the underground lab.
klein raised an eyebrow and followed him down unhurriedly.
In the center of the Underground Room, several mechanical arms rose from a circular platform. Sensing Tony's approach, they immediately came to life,
snatching up pieces of armor scattered around the platform and assembling them onto his body. In just over ten seconds, the Mark III armor was fully equipped.
The faceplate snapped shut, and the eyes lit up with white light. Tony took one last look back at klein through the visor and nodded.
The next second, brilliant plasma streams erupted from the armor's boots and palms, lifting him as he crashed through the skylight above, turning into a gold-and-red meteor streaking across the Los Angeles night sky toward the Stark Industries Campus.
klein stood there, waving away the dust kicked up in front of him, and curled his lip: "What's the rush? It's like you're racing to your grave... Actually, it would've been faster if I just took you there." He shook his head, and his figure vanished again.
Inside the Stark Industries Campus, everything was currently a mess.
Flames from explosions flared up occasionally, and alarms pierced the night sky.
In the open space at the center of the campus, a behemoth was wreaking havoc.
This mecha was nearly twice the size of Tony's Mark III, looking like a humanoid tank.
It carried a multi-barrel rotary cannon on its shoulder, spitting fire and riddling the surrounding buildings and vehicles with holes.
The weapons of the ordinary Stark Industries security guards only produced stray sparks when hitting it.
A gold-and-red figure descended from the sky, and the brilliant white beam from the palm Pulse Cannon slammed into the iron monger's back, exploding in a bright flash of light, yet leaving only a charred shallow pit on the armor.
The iron monger's massive frame only swayed slightly before it slowly turned around.
In the meantime, Tony rescued Pepper—who was being hunted by the iron monger—and got her to safety.
Seeing Tony, Obadiah let out a furious roar:
"Tony! My dear nephew! You are just as naive and foolish as your father!"
"It was I! I was the one who supported this empire after Howard died! I was the one who made it stronger!"
"And you—you actually want to destroy it? Destroy our future?!"
The iron monger raised its massive metal arm, and the miniature missile pod opened. "Did you think those toys of yours could handle a real War Machine?!"
"Obie..." Tony suppressed his anger and grief. "You betrayed my father, you betrayed me, and you betrayed Stark Industries!"
"Betrayal? No, I am saving it! Saving it from your unrealistic fantasies!"
"A pity I couldn't finish you off last time. This time, you won't be so lucky!"
The cannon on the iron monger's shoulder roared again, a storm of bullets raining down on the Mark III.
Tony nimbly banked and dived to dodge, while continuously firing back with his Pulse Cannons, but with little effect.
The iron monger's armor was incredibly thick, and it possessed immense strength, grabbing a sedan and hurling it at Tony like a toy.
"Jarvis, analyze for weaknesses!"
"Scanning, sir. The target's external armor is a composite of titanium alloy and Vibranium coating; conventional weapons are difficult to penetrate."
"The defenses at the joints are relatively thin but are heavily protected. The power core is located in the chest, but the outer layer has a high-efficiency barrier."
"Damn it!" Tony thought rapidly while dodging. He suddenly recalled the close call with the Mark II icing up at high altitudes, and a risky plan instantly took shape.
"Jarvis, full power to the thrusters. Take him up! To the Icing Layer!"
"Sir, this is extremely dangerous, and..."
"Just do it!"
Tony stopped the dogfight and suddenly accelerated, drawing the iron monger's fire while constantly taunting it, leading it into the high atmosphere.
Although the iron monger was clunky, the thrusters on its back also spewed thick flames as it roared in pursuit.
The two steel giants were like reverse meteors, continuously climbing and breaking through the clouds.
The temperature dropped sharply. Frost began to form on the surface of the iron monger's armor, and its movements became sluggish. The power system finally crashed due to the low temperature.
"Now!" Tony seized the opportunity and dove, grabbing the iron monger's waist from behind in a death grip, opening the throttles wide, and directing all propulsion energy into the descent!
The iron monger was like a falling meteorite, slamming toward the ground at a staggering speed.
A world-shaking boom followed!
When the dust cleared slightly, the iron monger could actually still move.
Although its outer shell was severely damaged, with electrical sparks flying from multiple places and one mechanical arm bent unnaturally, it had clearly not suffered a fatal blow.
Obadiah's crazed laughter came intermittently from the damaged speaker:
"Haha... Hahaha! Tony, is... is this all you've got? This iron monger... was designed to withstand a nuclear blast!"
Not far away, Tony also struggled to stand up from a pile of rubble. His gold-and-red armor was covered in scratches, and the light from the reactor in his chest had dimmed considerably.
Tony knelt on one knee, looking at the nearly intact iron monger, his expression beneath the faceplate extremely grim.
Even a fall from high altitude couldn't deal with this monster?!
The iron monger used its one good massive arm to brace against the ground and began to pull itself out of the rubble, its crimson eye locking onto Tony with cruel murderous intent.
"The game is over, my dear nephew."
Chapter 119: Iron Man (III)
Just as Tony felt a sense of powerlessness and frustration while facing the iron monger struggling to rise from the ruins, a slightly playful voice rang out from the side.
"Stark, don't lose face! Kick his ass!"
Tony snapped his head around toward the sound and saw klein sitting nonchalantly on the edge of the rooftop of a nearby office building, watching the show.
Holding a hot dog in his left hand and a Coke in his right, he was pointing and gesturing incessantly in Tony's direction.
"How did you get here?!" Tony's voice came through the external speakers, filled with disbelief.
This wasn't exactly close to Malibu, and the battle had only broken out a few minutes ago!
klein took a large bite of the hot dog and replied indistinctly, "Just zipped over here. I even stopped by the Golden Arches for a combo meal on the way." He shook the Coke in his hand.
"Watch out!" Jarvis's alarm blared!
Taking advantage of the moment Tony was distracted, the iron monger burst forward with speed unfitting its size, like an out-of-control heavy truck, slamming into Tony before he could fully evade!
The Mark III was sent flying like a tin can hit by a baseball bat, tracing a pathetic arc before smashing violently into a pile of twisted steel structures dozens of meters away.
"Tsk," on the rooftop, klein shook his head, swallowed his food, and took a leisurely sip of Coke, critiquing, "Don't get distracted during a fight, especially don't listen to blind directions from the sidelines. Didn't anyone ever teach you that?"
"Shut up!" Tony's somewhat irritated voice came from the ruins as he pushed aside a steel beam pinning him down and took to the air again, his gold-and-red armor sporting several fresh scratches.
"If you can't help, then stop making trouble!"
Tony fired repeatedly with his palm repulsors, but the iron monger's firepower was fierce and its armor thick.
Tony spent most of the time dodging, remaining in a passive position.
klein acted as if he hadn't heard Tony's warning, continuing to eat while providing commentary:
"Keep your distance, don't go head-to-head with it... Hey, you're hitting the shell again; that thing is as thick as a city wall. Hit the mechanical joints... if all else fails, hit his reactor!"
Tony's anger flared at the commentary, yet he had to admit the guy was right. However, his current weapons were indeed struggling to cause decisive damage to the iron monger's vital spots.
"Tony!" Obadiah sneered as he suppressed Tony with his autocannon.
"It seems your friend treats you quite well, being so eager to offer advice! Don't worry, once I strip you of that tin suit, I'll send this talkative Asian kid down to join you! I promise, his death will be ten times more miserable than yours!"
klein, who was just about to take another sip of Coke, froze mid-motion.
He slowly lowered the Coke can, the laziness on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by a calm gaze directed at the arrogant steel beast.
klein originally just wanted to be a quiet spectator; he hadn't intended to personally step in as a free thug for Tony.
But Obadiah actually wanted to kill him? He was just an innocent bystander, and the man wanted to kill him?
Was that right? No, it wasn't.
klein sighed, stuffed the rest of the hot dog into his mouth, and mumbled indistinctly, "I didn't want to work overtime... but if you're asking for death, there's no helping it."
Before he finished speaking, a faint red light flickered in his eyes.
Two slender beams of Heat Vision instantly crossed the hundred-meter distance, striking the main load-bearing joints of the iron monger's legs!
The iron monger's knees snapped instantly. Its massive body abruptly lost balance and pitched forward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
"What?! Impossible!" Obadiah screamed in terror inside the cockpit. He operated the controls frantically, but the feedback system showed that the leg thrusters and main transmission structures had been completely destroyed.
Tony was also stunned by this sudden turn of events, but he instinctively seized this golden opportunity. He immediately dived down and delivered a powerful kick to the iron monger's back thruster array, which was exposed by its fall!
The kick was heavy and powerful; the back armor dented instantly as sparks flew. At the same time, the iron mongerwas kicked and slid a distance across the ground.
However, while the iron monger was crippled, its weapon systems were not entirely paralyzed.
"Die! All of you die!" Obadiah fell into a frenzy, opening all the hidden weapon bays on his shoulders and chest.
Miniature missiles, autocannons, and flamethrowers were all aimed at Tony and klein on the rooftop as he began to pour out fire indiscriminately!
klein frowned slightly.
"Really... it never ends."
He whispered, and deep within his pupils, the pinwheels spun rapidly.
"Kamui!"
At the points where the iron monger's two giant arms connected to its torso, space began to twist violently without warning.
It was as if an invisible giant hand had grabbed the base of the arms and given them a vicious twist!
The screeching sound of metal twisting and snapping exploded!
The iron monger's two steel arms, thicker than an adult's torso, were actually twisted clean off from their base joints!
Losing both arms and legs, with most of its weapon systems destroyed, the iron monger was now completely reduced to a pile of scrap metal lying on the ground.
Tony landed on the ground, took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gripped the edges of the iron monger's chest plate with both armored hands, going to full power.
The chest armor was forcibly torn open by Tony, revealing a terrified Obadiah inside.
Tony retracted his faceplate and stared intently at this former uncle, now a traitor.
klein's figure appeared beside them at some unknown point. He glanced at the pulled-out Obadiah and said to Tony:
"Looking at you, it seems you can't bring yourself to do it. However... I'm not opposed to helping."
He rubbed his fingers together. "You know the drill, it'll cost extra."
Tony looked at klein with a complex expression. Killing Obadiah with his own hands... he really couldn't do it.
"No. The law will judge him. Stark Industries' legal team will ensure he receives the punishment he deserves."
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Agent Coulson arrived on the scene with several S.H.I.E.L.D. field agents, escorting a shaken Potts.
"Mr. Stark," Coulson glanced at the paralyzed iron mongerand the pathetic Obadiah, his expression unchanged, "you can leave the cleanup and subsequent matters to us."
"Leave it to you? Who are you?" Tony looked at Coulson, puzzled.
"Subordinates of a certain Black Braised Egg!" klein said beside Tony.
"Black Braised Egg? What is that?" Tony looked at klein in confusion.
"It is the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, abbreviated as S.H.I.E.L.D.," Coulson explained from the side.
"I don't care who you are! I can handle this myself." Tonydidn't trust these people at all.
"Mr. Stark, there are some things that must be handled by us. You can ask mr. klein; he is also one of ours. It was our doing that he went to Afghanistan to rescue you."
"Don't talk nonsense. I'm just affiliated with you guys. Since when did I become 'one of yours'? How shameless, don't go learning from your boss."
klein didn't admit to being a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., but he still explained to Tony, "It's fine to let them handle the situation. Otherwise, they'll keep bothering you, and besides, they're good at this sort of thing."
"Fine!" Tony nodded.
Chapter 120: Heading to New Mexico
After Tony finished speaking, he ignored Coulson and instead turned to check if Potts was safe and sound.
The two of them began to pour their hearts out to each other, their eyes meeting with an intense, lingering gaze.
"Alright, alright, stop showing off your love here." klein's voice broke the tender atmosphere.
"In the middle of the night, I ran halfway across the United States to save someone, and here you are being all lovey-dovey? Is this how you treat your savior?"
Tony gave him an annoyed glare. "Get lost. Go sleep on the street yourself."
"Sleep on the street?" klein crossed his arms and looked at Tony askance.
"I'm telling you, I am a noble mage. Be careful, or I'll make you soil yourself in front of the whole country! Take me to eat, quickly. I've only had one hot dog, and I'm starving to death."
"Shut up!" Tony had a headache from his noise, but seeing klein's rogue-like expression—as if he wouldn't leave unless Tony treated him—he finally gave in.
"...Fine, fine, fine, let's eat! Jarvis, locate the nearest open restaurant that is worthy of my status."
"Filtered for you, sir. The Zenith Restaurant has reserved a rooftop viewing seat for you."
"That's more like it." klein nodded with satisfaction and followed Tony and Potts into the Stark Industries car.
During the meal, although Tony was sharp-tongued, he ordered all the signature dishes and opened the best wine.
Potts sat quietly to the side, watching the two bicker.
...
The next morning, outside the Stark Industries press conference.
klein looked at Tony, who was wearing a flashy suit with his hair meticulously styled, and couldn't help but complain, "I say, why did you insist on dragging me to your press conference? To be your bodyguard? Isn't that suit of armor of yours the best bodyguard?"
Tony adjusted his cuffs in the reflection of the glass, a confident smile playing on his lips:
"To let you see how the real Tony Stark faces the World. And incidentally, to watch me pull off something big."
klein rolled his eyes and turned to Agent Coulson, who was also in a suit but looked much more serious:
"Phil, take my advice. If I were you, I'd cut the live broadcast signal right now and find some silver-tongued guy from your agency who can control the room to replace Tony.
Seriously, otherwise I bet he'll definitely catch S.H.I.E.L.D.off guard in front of the whole World."
Coulson's eyes showed a hint of confusion. "Thank you for the advice, mr. klein. However, Mr. Stark is the star of the press conference; we are only here to help maintain order and... I believe Mr. Stark should know where to draw the line."
"Draw the line?" klein chuckled and shook his head. "He's the person in the World who knows how to do that the least. Fine, since you don't believe me, just wait and see."
The press conference proceeded according to schedule. Tony stood under the spotlight, facing the sea of media and flashing cameras, calmly answering questions about the future direction of Stark Industries and the aftermath of closing the weapons division.
Everything seemed to be within control.
Until the end, a female reporter from Vanity Fair stood up and asked the question everyone wanted to ask most:
"Mr. Stark, I'm sorry, but I have to ask... many people saw that gold and red robot. Witnesses claim you were inside at the time. Can we say that you are that... Iron Man?"
The room fell silent instantly, all cameras focused on Tony.
Tony was silent for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over the audience. Then, he leaned forward slightly, getting close to the microphone.
I am Iron Man.
*Click! Click!*
The sound of shutters erupted like a storm, and the scene instantly exploded into chaos!
The shouting of questions and gasps nearly blew the roof off.
Backstage, the smile on Agent Coulson's face froze. He slowly turned his head to look at klein, who was enjoying the show, and felt completely numb.
klein patted Coulson on the shoulder and laughed gleefully, "See, Phil? Global broadcast, a personal admission.
From today on, Tony Stark is the World's first superhero with a public identity.
Congratulations, your S.H.I.E.L.D. is in for it today."
Coulson took a deep breath, rubbed his temples, and gave a bitter smile:
"mr. klein, you were right. But... fortunately, I'm not in charge of Mr. Stark's affairs long-term. I'm only here temporarily to coordinate.
There will be specialized teams and higher levels to handle the follow-up. This kind of trouble isn't my concern for now."
"Oh?" klein raised an eyebrow. "Then where are you going next? Back to Washington to drink coffee and read reports?"
"No," Coulson shook his head, looked around, and lowered his voice. "I'm going to New Mexico. Something... unusual happened there, and we need an on-site assessment."
"New Mexico?" klein's heart skipped a beat as he immediately thought of Mjolnir,
"Sounds like an interesting place. Mind having a temporary travel companion? Anyway, I just finished saving New York's richest man and was thinking of taking a vacation."
Coulson looked at him with some surprise. "mr. klein, you're interested in this? I thought you were more averse to trouble."
"It's a vacation; any place will do. Besides, if there's more trouble, I might be able to help out, saving your people a trip. After all, I am a Level 6 Advisor."
Coulson considered for a few seconds and nodded. "Alright. If you insist. We'll need to sign a temporary field assignment addendum, and you must follow all orders."
"Sure, sure, follow orders," klein agreed perfunctorily.
By then, Tony had come down from the stage, escaped the media swarm, and walked over. His face still carried a trace of excitement.
"Hey, klein, did you see that? That's what a press conference should look like. That's how you show off!"
"Right, right, right! You keep showing off; I'm leaving."
"Leaving?"
"Yeah, going to New Mexico with Agent Coulson to take care of some business and do some sightseeing while I'm at it."
Tony frowned, looked at Coulson, and then put his arm around klein, walking him a distance away. "Just like that? Why not stay a few more days? I could introduce you to some models."
"*Slurp!!*" klein wiped the corner of his mouth. "Some other time!"
"Huh? What?" Tony didn't understand klein's wordplay.
"What's the rush? Maybe we'll be seeing each other all the time in the future!"
Tony looked at klein, his tone serious. "Alright, we'll talk later. But you've saved me twice. I said I'd repay you. What do you want? Shares in Stark Industries? Or something else?"
"Stop right there." klein raised a hand to halt him. "Forget the shares; they're a hassle to manage. Just get me a figure. Make it look like your Mark III armor, make it exquisite and cool.
But no need for a weapons system; it'll look great as a decoration in my shop."
Tony paused, seemingly thinking it was a pretty good idea. "You really are creative. I promise to use the most precise craftsmanship. Once it's done, I'll have someone deliver it to New York."
"Deal, then it's a date. I'm off, see ya." klein waved his hand and then said to Potts, "Miss Potts, keep a tight rein on this attention-seeker of yours."
"I will, mr. klein. Thank you again," Potts said with a smile.
After saying goodbye, klein followed Coulson into a black SUV, and the vehicle started toward New Mexico.