The next day, a Quinjet quietly flew over the Middle East.
Inside the cabin, a middle-aged man pointed at the desert outside the porthole and said in a low voice: "The area below is where Tony Stark was last confirmed missing. The complex political environment limits us from conducting large-scale search operations, so we can only investigate covertly. This operation must remain low-key."
Declan nodded: "Don't worry, Village Chief. I'm famous for being low-key."
"I'll say it again—I'm Coulson, not some village chief."
"Stop pretending. You're the newbie village chief. I can see the title above your head."
"..."
Coulson instinctively looked up at his empty head space, left with nothing but helplessness.
He had read Declan's file and was well-acquainted with this guy's operational style and track record.
Declan, an outstanding graduate of S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, had demonstrated exceptional personal and execution abilities since joining S.H.I.E.L.D. two months ago.
No matter how difficult the mission, he could always handle it alone, never making retreat plans and never needing backup.
In just two months, he had completed 48 missions with an astounding 100% success rate!
Such terrifying efficiency was beyond even Coulson, who was known as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s model worker. Declan had been promoted to Level 5 agent as an exception, setting the fastest promotion record in S.H.I.E.L.D. history.
However, Declan had an almost obsessive dedication to completing missions, one could even say by any means necessary.
He had once slaughtered nearly a hundred soldiers in a secret infiltration mission, leaving no survivors in the entire base—even the two guard dogs didn't escape!
When this incident occurred, Nick Fury immediately suppressed the news.
Nearly a hundred soldier deaths—this casualty scale almost matched a small-scale conflict!
They were S.H.I.E.L.D., not fucking Hydra!
When faced with Nick Fury's stern questioning afterward, Declan's response was very righteous.
No witnesses throughout, no alarms triggered—wasn't this the perfect infiltration?
Very reasonable indeed!
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s psychological expert analysis report indicated that Declan likely suffered from severe delusional disorder.
To him, the entire world was one massive virtual game.
Everyone else was an NPC.
And he was the only player!
By normal standards, such an extremely dangerous uncontrollable factor should have been placed on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest alert blacklist and kept under strict supervision.
But Nick Fury didn't do that.
After all, what boss would fire an employee who single-handedly raised the entire company's KPI?
Regarding Declan's operational style, Nick Fury ultimately chose to turn a blind eye.
Of course, he couldn't open both eyes anyway.
Since his boss was like this, Coulson, as a subordinate, naturally wouldn't say much either.
"If there are no problems with the operation plan, I'll notify the pilot to find a safe landing spot."
Coulson was about to contact the cockpit.
"No need for such trouble."
Declan waved his hand.
Before Coulson could react, he casually pressed the cabin door release button.
Coulson was horrified: "Wait! We're hundreds of meters up! You're not wearing a parachute..."
"Woo-hoo, takeoff!"
Before he finished speaking, Declan shouted, spread his arms, and leaped out of the cabin door.
Leaving only Coulson standing bewildered in the cabin.
...
Yellow sand swirled.
Declan plummeted from hundreds of meters high, violent airflow tearing at his clothes, leaving only the wind's shriek in his ears.
The ground rapidly expanded in his vision, jagged rocks and undulating dunes clearly visible.
Declan's face showed no panic. His body suddenly spun in the air, turning to face upward, arms spreading wide before quickly folding to protect his chest.
Just as he was about to hit the ground—
Thud!
A large pile of dry, fluffy hay appeared out of nowhere directly below him. Declan landed precisely in the haystack, sending straw flying everywhere.
Then he easily leaped out of the hay pile, completely unharmed.
[Skill: Leap of Faith]
[Effect: When you fall from a great height, a haystack will always appear below to catch you, negating all fall damage]
[Assessment: Nothing is true, everything is permitted]
This was a skill Declan had gained from completing a certain mission. Practical aside, the key point was that it looked explosively cool.
So much so that whenever he stood at any elevated position now, he had the urge to jump down.
"Where the hell did this put me?"
Declan looked around. As far as the eye could see were monotonous sand dunes. The harsh environment made it difficult even to determine direction, let alone find someone.
However, this wasn't a problem for him.
"System, track mission target."
[Mission target 'Tony Stark' location marked]
With the system's voice, a conspicuous golden dot immediately appeared on the mini-map.
"Not bad, not too far." Declan muttered, setting off toward the light dot.
Several dozen minutes later.
Following the mission marker, Declan reached the edge of a valley surrounded by massive rocky mountains.
He crouched low and looked down. Hidden at the bottom of the valley was a crude small camp.
The perimeter was filled with fortifications made of sandbags and barbed wire. Inside were various weapon crates marked with Stark Industries logos and scattered missile component debris.
In the camp, a group of armed militants patrolled back and forth—at least forty or so people.
The golden mission marker dot was located deep within a dark cave at the very back of the camp.
Declan observed that the only passage to the cave was heavily guarded, making infiltration quite difficult.
Normally, he would have started fighting long ago.
But this mission was relatively important.
Before finding the mission target, it was better not to alert the enemy.
"Looks like the front entrance won't work. I'll need to find another way."
...
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The crisp sound of hammering echoed in the cave.
In the dim light, a person was working hard at the forge.
Don't misunderstand—this person wasn't some prisoner, but the Iron MAN, Tony Stark!
Since being kidnapped by terrorists three months ago, he had been imprisoned in this isolated cave, enduring threats and humiliation from the terrorists, all to force him to manufacture new missiles.
But who was Tony?
Rebellious since childhood—the type who would go west if told to go east!
So under the pretense of making missiles, he requisitioned large amounts of materials and tools from the terrorists. With help from Dr. Yinsen, a fellow prisoner and physicist, he secretly designed and built a suit of iron armor powerful enough to fight their way out.
Tony used iron tongs to clamp an iron mask and place it on the workbench. Yinsen, who had been working with his head down, looked up at the sound.
"The core components are almost done. Now we just need the final assembly and to start up the power system."
Tony's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a trace of barely perceptible fatigue.
"Yinsen, we don't have much time. Those guys seem to be getting suspicious. We must act soon!"
"Leave the rest to me." Yinsen nodded seriously.
"Good. When the time comes, you hide here. After I clear out the scum outside and confirm it's safe, then you come out with me."
Tony's eyes were full of determination.
The various hardships he had experienced these past days had matured this playboy who had dabbled in drinking, gambling, and women.
He swore silently in his heart.
If he could make it back alive this time, Tony Stark would never gamble again!
Next, with Yinsen's assistance, Tony began putting on the heavy armor pieces one by one.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud...
Just as the two were busy working, a series of dull and strange digging sounds suddenly came from beneath the rocky ground at their feet.
"What's that sound?"
Tony and Yinsen's movements froze simultaneously, and they looked at each other in confusion.
However, before they could react, a horrifying scene occurred!
Less than two meters from where the two stood, the hard ground vanished as if erased by an invisible eraser!
In its place was an extremely regular square hole about one meter on each side!
Suddenly, a head popped out of the hole.
Eyes staring straight at Tony.
"Found you!"