Pacific Ocean.
Above the calm surface of the sea, Leon's Jet Sliger tore through the air at Mach 2.04, skimming low over the water.
"Honestly? This isn't that much pressure."
Seated in the cockpit, Leon felt like he could take a nap.
A mere dozen or so Gs of force.
With the Soldier Boy template fully integrated, the strain was negligible.
"Master Leon, would you like me to inform Miss Potts and Colonel Rhodes that you are safe?" J.A.R.V.I.S. asked.
"…Not yet. I'll tell them after I bring Tony back."
"Understood."
"How long until we reach Afghanistan?"
"At current velocity, we will reach Afghan airspace in approximately five hours. Estimated arrival time: 2:50 a.m. local time."
"Good. Wake me when we get there."
"As you wish."
"Good night, J.A.R.V.I.S."
"Good night, Master Leon."
The cockpit display dimmed. A small green arrow traced a preset path toward a red-marked zone—danger and destination.
Leon closed his eyes.
But sleep didn't come.
Instead, his mind wandered.
For example—
What pose should he strike when he appeared before Tony in that cave?
Arms crossed? Shield on shoulder? Backlit by flames?
And Pepper…
He hadn't told her he was alive. If she believed him dead for now, at least she wouldn't worry about him charging into a war zone.
As for Rhodey—
He was trustworthy.
The rest of the military? Not necessarily.
Obadiah Stane might already have people embedded.
Better to act alone.
…
"Master Leon. Master Leon."
"Mm?"
"We've arrived."
Leon opened his eyes.
Faint starlight illuminated the barren Afghan terrain below. In the silent darkness, the only light was the Jet Sliger's faint glow.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.… what were we doing again?"
"Rescuing Mr. Stark."
"Oh. Right."
His thoughts snapped into place.
Then—
His eyes widened.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.… do we actually know where Tony is?"
"We do not, Master Leon."
"…."
Awkward.
Very awkward.
In his rush to depart, Leon had assumed foreknowledge of the movie timeline plus overwhelming force would suffice.
Reality check:
He remembered a cave.
Operated by the Ten Rings.
That was it.
But no problem.
He had strength.
If Tony had been attacked near Bagram Air Base, then the Ten Rings' local presence couldn't be far.
So—
Simple solution.
Start at Bagram.
Wipe out every terrorist cell within range.
One of them would be holding Tony.
Minesweeper logic.
Step on every square.
Eventually, you clear the board.
"I'm a genius."
His super-intellect had spoken.
And it said:
Time to use super-strength.
[Would you like to perform today's sign-in?]
System. Don't disappoint me.
[Ding! Sign-in successful. Reward obtained: Infinite Desert Eagle.]
[Infinite Desert Eagle: Fires unlimited high-powered .50 AE rounds.]
[Quality: Indestructible.]
[Description: The first shot announces my arrival. The second declares your departure. But ask yourself— is it truly just a handgun?]
Leon blinked.
"There's a quality rating now?"
"Indestructible?"
He summoned the weapon.
Without hesitation—
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Hundreds of rounds discharged in rapid succession.
Smoke curled from the barrel.
The gun showed zero wear.
Not even heat warping.
Leon narrowed his eyes.
Then—
He summoned his tungsten-alloy shield.
And slammed the Desert Eagle against it with full force.
BOOM!!!
When the echo faded—
The gun was pristine.
The shield was shattered.
Fragments of alloy clattered to the ground.
Leon stared at the intact handgun.
Then at the broken shield.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
"A conceptual-tier weapon?"
The implications were obvious.
Indestructible meant exactly that.
The shield could be replaced.
This?
This was absurd.
"Tony's buying me a vibranium shield when we get back."
"Please log that, J.A.R.V.I.S."
"Logged, Master Leon."
Leon collected the shield fragments into system storage.
He already had ideas for repurposing them.
Ten Rings Forward Outpost
"Hey, the guys from the next sector called. Said some lunatic wiped out their entire camp solo. Claimed he was coming for the Ten Rings. Funny, right?"
"One guy? Sure. And I'm the Mandarin. If they were wiped out, who called us?"
"Good point."
"Keep it down."
"Why? No one's supervising."
"Just shut up and sleep."
"…Okay."
The two sentries had just closed their eyes—
When a low, almost playful voice whispered beside them:
"Sleeping already? I'm here to collect."
"—?!"
They barely had time to react.
Squish.
Crunch.
Leon crushed both skulls in his hands.
Two bodies collapsed.
He glanced toward the basin ahead.
Carved into the rock face—
A cave entrance.
Artificial.
Guarded.
His smile widened.
"Bingo."
Inside the Cave
At that very moment—
Inside the Ten Rings' cavern hideout—
Tony Stark and Dr. Ho Yinsen lay awake.
They hadn't slept.
The Mark I armor was complete.
But putting it on would trigger surveillance cameras instantly.
The Ten Rings monitored every move.
They whispered, finalizing their plan.
Today—
They would either escape.
Or die trying.
Outside—
On the horizon—
The first pale light of dawn began to creep over the mountains.
And somewhere above the valley—
Leon Stark descended.
The night before dawn was ending.