:
Sora Yukihara smiled coldly. "Don't you find it strange? Such a classified military route… yet it was ambushed with such precision?"
The excitement on Tony's face froze instantly.
He had been avoiding this question all along, but facts were facts—he couldn't deny them.
"Do you want to know the answer?" Sora Yukihara asked.
Tony stared at him. "You know who it is?!"
Sora Yukihara raised one finger. "Agree to one condition, and I'll tell you."
Tony frowned. "And what do you want this time?"
Sora Yukihara spoke his true intention. "This time, I'll not only give you the answer, I'll also give you a gift—for free. And my condition is simple. It's directly tied to that gift and entirely within your ability."
Tony's frown deepened.
He had only known Sora Yukihara for a short time, but he had already experienced just how calculating he was.
There was no way Sora Yukihara would act out of kindness.
But curiosity still won.
"Let's hear it. Just don't go too far."
"Let's talk about personal safety first."
Sora Yukihara asked, "After this kidnapping, do you realize how foolish it is to rely on others for your safety?"
Tony nodded.
"Have you ever thought about becoming stronger yourself?"
Tony fell into thought.
Sora Yukihara continued, "Stark Industries developed a new energy reactor called the Arc Reactor, right? What if you miniaturize it to the size of a bowl and use it as the core power source for a mechanical suit—an indestructible suit of armor? Wouldn't that be far more reliable?"
"Genius!"
Tony's eyes lit up.
He rubbed his hands excitedly, pacing back and forth.
Then suddenly, he stopped and slammed his fist into his palm. "I know what to do."
"Good."
Sora Yukihara had never doubted Tony's intelligence.
Then he revealed the answer.
"As for who betrayed you—it's simple. Only a few people had that level of access. Among them, whoever benefits the most from your disappearance… whoever stirred things up while you were gone… that person is the most suspicious."
"You mean…"
Tony didn't dare finish the sentence.
Sora Yukihara just smiled.
At this point, if Tony still couldn't figure it out, he'd be a complete fool.
"I'll confirm it when I get back."
Tony spoke seriously, "Your gift—and your warning—are incredibly valuable. They might change my entire life. Go ahead. Whatever you want, I'll do my best to fulfill it."
"Relax. This time, my request is truly reasonable."
"I just want…"
Sora Yukihara deliberately dragged it out.
Tony steadied himself, forcing his emotions under control.
"You build that thing—and make me one too. Deal?"
If Oscorp's genetically engineered spider counted as a treasure, then Tony's Iron Man armor—his Mark suits—definitely qualified as one as well.
Sora Yukihara wasn't about to miss that.
Tony blinked. "That's it?"
"What? You wanted something more complicated?"
Tony shook his head. "Your help was worth far more than this. I feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal."
"Then consider it a favor you owe me."
Sora Yukihara smiled casually, though inwardly he was already pleased.
This was his investment.
"Deal."
"I won't disappoint you."
Tony placed a hand on Sora Yukihara's shoulder, his gaze firm.
Thump, thump, thump—
Military helicopters finally arrived.
Sora Yukihara hadn't known the exact location of the valley at first. Even with intelligence from the military and S.H.I.E.L.D., he had spent days searching without success.
Then inspiration struck.
The surrounding area was desert—no agriculture, no food production.
Yet the Ten Rings had a large number of fighters, requiring massive daily supplies.
By tracing supply routes, he eventually found the hidden valley.
To avoid alerting them, Sora Yukihara had instructed Coulson's team to remain far away.
That's why their response had been slower.
But now—it was over.
New York.
Sora Yukihara returned home and collapsed into his chair.
"So tired…"
"Being a 'hero' really isn't for humans."
This mission had drained him both physically and mentally.
Especially controlling over a hundred people with his Parasite Strings.
It was his first time attempting something like that—dangerous, but successful.
Still, he instinctively plugged in his phone to charge.
Life could lack TV, drinks, even food—but not a phone.
That was modern life.
But before it even charged much, his phone rang.
It was Black Cat.
As soon as he answered, her urgent voice came through. "Qin, where have you been? Do you know something happened to your friend Peter's family?"
"What?!"
Sora Yukihara's exhaustion vanished instantly. "Explain clearly. How did they disappear? When?"
"Uncle Ben and Peter both went missing."
Sora Yukihara took a deep breath.
He had only been gone for a few days, and things had already escalated this far.
Now wasn't the time to panic.
Black Cat continued, "Uncle Ben disappeared two days ago. Peter went out that same night to look for him—and vanished too. Yesterday, Aunt May waited all night before finally calling the police… but the results weren't promising."
"How do you know all this?"
It wasn't suspicion—just gathering details.
"Because you suddenly disappeared. I came looking for you several times and happened to see Peter acting anxious. That's when I started investigating."
"Good work."
"I'm heading to Peter's house now. Talk later."
"Wait."
Sora Yukihara was about to hang up when Black Cat stopped him.
"Qin… I don't know if it's just a feeling, but I think your house is being watched. I tried checking, but I couldn't find anything."
Surveillance?