"This place is an industrial park. It's a bit remote! How urgent is this?" The taxi driver glanced at the satellite map on his phone, clearly skeptical of the destination.
"I'll pay double the standard fare if we get there in under twenty minutes," Leander declared, his voice firm.
"Whoosh!" With a swift tap on the accelerator, the car shot forward.
As they sped along, Leander noticed a steady stream of vehicles around them heading in the same direction. The driver was forced to overtake several cars, most of which looked unusually frantic.
"What are all these cars?" Leander asked.
The driver quickly glanced in his side mirror. "Those are the media vultures! TV crews, The New York Times, the Daily News—they're all chasing the same story."
"How can you tell? None of them have decals."
"They drive like maniacs every single day, crazier than us cabbies. A bunch of lunatics, every one of them!" The driver, energized by the chase and the promise of a double fare, slammed the gas pedal down, joining the pursuit.
Eighteen minutes later, the taxi pulled to a smooth stop just outside the gates of the Stark Industries factory complex. The driver watched Leander expectantly.
Leander kept his promise, handing over the hefty payment.
He hopped out and strolled toward the gate where a throng of aggressive reporters was already battling for position.
Leander's small figure was completely inconspicuous amidst the chaos, a massive advantage. He had to admire the group members' speed; their intelligence was on par with the professional journalists'.
However, his age immediately caused a problem.
A burly guard stopped him at the gate. "Hey, kid, where are your parents? You can't go in here!"
"Miss Pepper Potts sent me," Leander stated boldly, using the only name he knew would command attention.
The guard scratched his head, looking doubtful. "Young man, I don't recall Miss Potts having any Asian friends. Sorry, unless you have a direct line to her, you can't pass."
Leander pursed his lips, glanced around the large perimeter wall, and then walked away, pretending to leave.
He found a secluded section of the wall. With a barely perceptible internal thought, the complex metallic soles of his shoes extended thin, sharp plates that instantaneously fused with the steel structure of the wall. A gentle lift of his hands, and Leander was silently levitated over the wall, floating lightly to the inside.
He quickly made his way toward the main venue. The distance was considerable, and along the way, he saw an endless procession of luxury cars rushing to the entrance, all there to meet Tony Stark.
Leander quickened his pace, soon arriving at the main administration building. The area was swarming with people—employees in sharp suits, all waiting for the arrival of the resurrected CEO.
Standing prominently at the door, wearing a light blue striped suit and reflective sunglasses, was a white-bearded, bald man talking expansively to his colleagues.
Leander narrowed his eyes. "Obadiah Stane."
This was the man—Stark's closest friend, his surrogate uncle, the true architect of the kidnapping, and the eventual pilot of the Iron Monger.
Leander glanced at the metallic watch on his wrist. One thought, and he's a statue.
But he held back. Obadiah was not his priority, and in Leo's eyes, the man was merely a predictable future threat. He posed no immediate danger.
Inside the main hall, forty or fifty media representatives had converged. Cameras and microphones were clustered around the stage, waiting to record every detail.
Leander positioned himself silently behind the mass of reporters. He was waiting for Tony, but then he spotted another familiar figure: a man with a consistently pleasant smile, wearing a neat black suit, distinguished by a receding hairline.
Agent Phil Coulson, Level 7 agent of the Strategic Homeland Defense, Attack and Logistics Agency (or S.H.I.E.L.D.).
Leander briefly debated whether to make contact, but the decision was made for him as enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted outside, signaling the CEO's arrival.
Tony walked in, surrounded by a throng of people, casually pulling a half-eaten cheeseburger from his pocket. Obadiah, acting the doting friend, protectively placed an arm around Tony's shoulder. Pepper and Happy followed close behind.
Obadiah steered Tony straight onto the stage for the prepared speech.
Coulson, spotting Pepper, immediately moved toward her. Leander saw his opportunity and smoothly intercepted the agent, placing himself right in front of Pepper.
"Miss Potts!" Coulson began, momentarily baffled by the child who had materialized between them.
Pepper turned, registering Coulson first, then looking down to see Leo. "Oh, hello, little friend. What can I do for you?"
Leander, slightly thrown by the sudden proximity, held up the small, identical metal model he had just fabricated.
"Oh, it's you! You're that child!" Pepper's surprise was genuine. She instantly recognized the model's design, confirming that it was identical to the one Tony had asked her to keep. Pepper was just about to initiate a global search for the mysterious Asian boy, and here he was.
"Child, what is your name? Tony needs your help with something. Is that alright?" Pepper knelt down, looking at Leander with excited eyes.
"My name is Leo, Miss Potts. I think the gentleman behind me needs to speak with you first. I can wait."
Coulson, still processing the strange interaction, stepped forward. "Miss Potts, I'm Agent Phil Coulson. I work for the Strategic Homeland Defense, Attack and Logistics Agency."
Pepper looked at the man. "That's a very long, hard-to-pronounce name."
Coulson handed her a business card. "I know. We're working on it."
Pepper glanced back at Leo, then returned her attention to Coulson. "The Department of Defense, the FBI, and the CIA have all contacted us."
"We are an independent department with a more focused function," Coulson continued smoothly. "We would like to request Mr. Stark provide a detailed debriefing of his escape."
Pepper sighed, glancing at the circus on the stage. "I'll arrange a time. Okay?"
Coulson, sensing the dismissal, smiled, thanked her, and discreetly retreated, his mind reeling over the mysterious child.
"Leo, let's talk after Tony comes down, okay?" Pepper asked kindly.
"Of course. I miss Mr. Stark just the way he is now," Leo replied, looking up at Tony with a knowing smile.
"Hey, everyone, can you all just relax and sit down?" Tony called out, sitting down casually on the steps leading up to the podium, pulling another cheeseburger from his pocket. "That way everyone can see me, and I can see everyone. Let's keep this casual!" He took a large bite.
Obadiah reluctantly sat down next to Stark. Pepper and Leo crouched nearby.
Colonel Rhodes walked over to Pepper, squatting beside her. "What is he trying to do, Pep?"
"Don't look at me," Pepper said, smiling faintly as she watched Tony. "I have absolutely no idea what he's planning."
Rhodes then looked strangely at Leo, who grinned back—a small, utterly baffling smile. 'Who is this kid?' Rhodes thought, thoroughly confused.