Outside the Cave Complex
Smith surveyed the aftermath of his assault with professional satisfaction. Bodies littered the defensive positions, Ten Rings fighters who'd never stood a chance against Saiyan and ki manipulation. The ki burst technique had proven especially effective for crowd control. Precise, efficient, and appropriately lethal.
If Tony wasn't inside, one full-power Kamehameha would've turned this entire mountainside into a crater. But subtlety has its place.
The sun crested the eastern horizon, painting the Afghan mountains in shades of gold and amber. Beautiful, really, if you ignored the corpses and smoking craters.
Smith's Scouter tracked the remaining life signs inside the cave complex. Most were fading, wounded or dying. A few had already fled through back passages. One signature stood out, moving away rapidly through what registered as a hidden tunnel.
Raza. Smart enough to run when outmatched.
Smith considered pursuit, then dismissed it. Let him live. One survivor to spread stories about the man who destroyed a Ten Rings stronghold single-handedly would only enhance the Fraternity's reputation. Besides, Raza was heading toward Xu Wenwu's territory, and Smith had no interest in that confrontation yet.
He turned toward the cave entrance and walked inside.
Inside the Cave Complex
The corridors were lit by strings of work lights, makeshift but functional. Smith moved deeper, his Scouter painting tactical overlays across his vision. Four Ten Rings members remained alive inside, scattered through the tunnels.
They didn't stay alive long.
Smith moved through the cave system like a ghost, eliminating stragglers with ruthless efficiency. A palm strike here, a ki-enhanced kick there. Quick, quiet, professional. Within minutes, the only living humans in the complex were his targets.
He reached the prison chamber. The iron door stood open, three bodies sprawled near the entrance.
Puar materialized immediately, floating over with obvious pride. "Master Smith! Tony Stark is unharmed. I protected him just like you asked."
Smith reached up and scratched behind Puar's ears. "Good work. You did good."
Movement in the corner. Tony Stark emerged from behind a workbench, Yinsen close behind. Tony's eyes swept over Smith, taking in the tail, the unmarked clothes, the complete absence of weapons or equipment.
Tony extended his hand. "Thank you. For coming to rescue me."
Smith raised an eyebrow slightly. Tony Stark offering a handshake? That's unusual. He normally avoids physical contact. The trauma of captivity must have affected him more than he'd admit.
Smith clasped Tony's hand firmly. "Seeing you alive makes the trip worthwhile."
Tony glanced past Smith toward the corridor, clearly expecting to see a team of soldier. When no one appeared, his confusion deepened.
"Did you... eliminate all the enemies outside by yourself?"
Smith smiled. "Yes."
Silence. Tony's analytical mind visibly struggled with that information. The sustained gunfire, the explosions, the sheer scale of the assault, all of it executed solo by one unarmed man who didn't have a scratch on him.
"That's..." Tony searched for words. "Impressive doesn't cover it. Even Captain America would need a team for something like this."
He studied Smith more carefully now, cataloging details. The tail was impossible to miss, biological, responsive, clearly not a prosthetic. Biologically Enhanced? Mutation? Nothing in Tony's experience explained what he was looking at.
"Can I ask who hired you?" Tony's tone shifted to businesslike curiosity. "I'd like to know who I owe."
Smith glanced at Yinsen, clearly deferring to Tony's lead. "Your assistant, Pepper Potts. She contacted my organization and requested your extraction. The compensation was... adequate."
Tony's expression softened immediately. "Pepper." Of course it was Pepper. Rhodey would've gone through military channels. Happy lacked the connections. But Pepper, practical, resourceful Pepper, would find whoever could actually get results.
"Whatever she's paying you, it's worth it," Tony said firmly. "The military's been searching for two and a half months with zero progress. You found me in what, a day?"
He gave a thumbs-up. "That's impressive work."
Smith accepted the praise with a slight nod. And just like that, the favor is established. Tony acknowledges he owes me, independent of Pepper's payment. Perfect.
"I've eliminated all hostile in the area," Smith said. "You're safe now. Is there anything you need to bring with you? I can arrange transport out of here."
Tony relaxed visibly. The immediate threat had passed. He glanced around the cave, at the scattered components, the workbench, the nearly complete armor.
"Actually, are you certain no more enemies are coming? In the next hour or so?"
Smith raised an eyebrow. "I destroyed three other Ten Rings strongholds searching for you. The local cell is decimated. Why?"
Tony's eyes lit up, the first genuine enthusiasm Smith had seen from him. "Because I built something interesting. Originally planned to use it to fight my way out of here, but since we have time..." He grinned. "Want to see what a genius can build with scrap metal?"
The Mark I armor. He wants to assemble it.
Smith smiled. "Absolutely. I'm curious what the great Tony Stark creates when he's working with limited resources."
"Yinsen, help me!" Tony was already moving toward the component pile, energy returning. "We're doing a full assembly demonstration."
Yinsen shook his head with fond exasperation but moved to assist.
Smith and Puar stood to the side, watching the assembly process with genuine interest. Tony worked with practiced efficiency despite the crude conditions, calling out instructions while Yinsen fetched parts and tools.
Building the Mark I armor in a cave with a box of scraps. The man really is a genius. Cursed with knowledge, as Thanos would say.
Smith found himself wondering about the comparison. Bulma Brief versus Tony Stark, two of the most brilliant minds in their respective universes. Bulma had the advantage of alien technology and Dragon Ball physics. Tony operated in a harder-science framework but showed extraordinary adaptability.
Would be interesting to see them collaborate. Or compete.
Piece by piece, the armor came together. Leg assemblies, chest plate, arm servos. The arc reactor in Tony's chest would power the whole system, a miniaturized sun running a walking tank.
"Yinsen, help me get this on," Tony said, lifting the chest piece.
Yinsen moved to assist, guiding Tony's arms through the openings while securing bolts and connectors. The armor was crude, welded seams, exposed mechanisms, zero aesthetic consideration, but functionally elegant in its simplicity.
"Now tighten these screws." Tony indicated several connection points. "Make sure they're secure. This thing's heavy, and I don't want it falling apart mid-movement."
Yinsen worked methodically, checking each fastening point twice.
"Okay," Tony said once the mechanical assembly was complete. "Power it up. Boot sequence should be on the laptop, function key F11."
Yinsen moved to the computer, navigating the interface. "I see it. Starting boot sequence now."
"Tell me when you see the progress bar."
Seconds passed. The laptop screen filled with scrolling code, then a loading indicator appeared.
"Progress bar's showing," Yinsen confirmed. "It says 'initializing guidance systems.'"
"Hit Control-I, then Enter."
Yinsen executed the command. The progress bar began filling, accompanied by a low mechanical hum from the armor. Servos activated. Hydraulics pressurized. The arc reactor's glow intensified, feeding power to the suit's systems.
Tony flexed his armored hand experimentally. The fingers moved, slowly, with visible lag, but they moved. He shifted his weight. The leg servos compensated, stabilizing him.
"Power at sixty percent and climbing," Yinsen read from the screen. "Seventy... eighty..."
The progress bar reached 100%. A chime sounded.
MARK I COMBAT SYSTEM ONLINE