Pacific Ocean.
The surface was calm and quiet.
Soaring just above the waves at Mach 2.04, Leon's Jet Sliger blazed through the night air at low altitude.
"Huh. Doesn't feel like much."
Sitting comfortably in the cockpit, Leon didn't even flinch under the immense G-forces. Ten or twenty Gs? Child's play.
Thanks to the Soldier Boy template now infused into his body, he could probably nap through a sonic boom.
"Master Leon, would you like me to inform Miss Potts and Colonel Rhodes that you've returned safely?"
"Hmm… No. Not yet. Let's wait until I bring Tony back."
"Understood."
"J.A.R.V.I.S., ETA to Afghanistan?"
"At our current speed, we will reach the Afghan border in approximately five hours. Estimated arrival: 2:50 a.m., local time."
"Perfect. I'll get some rest. Wake me when we're close."
"Of course."
"Goodnight, J.A.R.V.I.S."
"Goodnight, Master Leon."
The onboard display dimmed, leaving only a faint green arrow crawling along a glowing path on the map, edging closer to a red zone marked "Danger."
Leon closed his eyes.
But sleep didn't come easy.
His thoughts began to drift.
The kind of idle spiral that only happened when your body was tired but your brain was wide awake.
How should I show up in front of Tony? Dramatic entrance? Hero pose? Flashbang?
He also knew that not telling Pepper where he was going would make her worry, but that was exactly the point.
Better she thinks he's still missing than stress over his safety while he was tearing across international airspace on a personal rescue mission.
As for Rhodes…
Well, Leon trusted him.
But he couldn't say the same for the rest of the military.
There was no telling if Obadiah had planted moles in the chain of command.
So why take the risk?
Better to handle it all personally.
"...Master Leon? Master Leon."
"Mm?"
"We've arrived."
J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice gently pulled Leon from his daze. He opened his eyes.
Faint starlight illuminated the barren terrain ahead.
In this dead-silent world, Leon's Jet Sliger was the only source of light.
"Wait, what were we doing again?"
Still groggy, Leon rubbed his eyes.
"Rescuing Mr. Stark, sir."
"Right! Saving Tony. Got it."
As his brain booted back up, his eyes suddenly widened in horror.
"Wait a sec, J.A.R.V.I.S.! Do we even know where Tony is?!"
"We do not, sir."
"...Oh."
Awkward.
Really awkward.
Leon had set off so fast, thinking his future knowledge plus overwhelming power would be enough.
But now…
He realized he only remembered vague movie scenes.
Tony… cave… Ten Rings…
But which cave?
Where?
Fortunately,
Leon had both strength and stamina to spare.
If the ambush site was near Bagram Airbase, then logically, the Ten Rings' hideout shouldn't be far. He could just start there.
Worst case?
Wipe out every local base of operations. Sooner or later, one would lead him to Tony.
"That's right. Just like Minesweeper, step on every square till you find the bomb."
"Genius."
Leon congratulated himself for his strategic brilliance.
And just as he was admiring his own intellect...
[Would you like to check in today?]
"System… Don't disappoint me."
[Ding! Check-in complete. Congratulations: You've received the 'Infinite Ammo Desert Eagle.']
Infinite Ammo Desert Eagle
• Fires endless .50 AE rounds
• Durability: Never breaks
• Description: The first shot announces my arrival. The second, your departure. But… is it really just a pistol?
"Hmm? A 'Durability' tag? Says it never breaks…"
Leon raised an eyebrow.
Naturally, he had to test it.
He pulled the Desert Eagle from his system inventory and began firing wildly.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Hundreds of shots later, smoke rose from the barrel.
But the gun? Pristine.
No jams, no overheating, not a scratch.
Still skeptical, Leon grabbed his tungsten-alloy shield, the one from the Soldier Boy kit.
And with a grin…
SLAM!
He smashed the Deagle full-force into the shield.
The explosion echoed across the cliffs.
When the dust settled,
The pistol was fine.
The shield?
Shattered.
CLANG CLANG CLANG,
Leon looked down at the pile of broken tungsten alloy around his feet.
Then looked back at the still-glowing hand cannon in his grip.
His eyes lit up with disbelief and pure joy.
"Holy hell."
"This thing's a concept weapon, isn't it?!"
"Too bad about the shield, though…"
"J.A.R.V.I.S., make a note, I'm getting a vibranium replacement. Tony's paying."
"Noted, sir."
He swept up the shattered pieces and returned them to the system's inventory for later use.
Leon already had a few ideas.
Ten Rings forward outpost.
"Yo, I got a call from the gang, said some lunatic wiped out their entire base single-handedly."
"What? One guy?! Get outta here. Must've been high. If they all got wiped out, who even called us?"
"Right?!"
"Why are you yelling?"
"Whatever. Let's sleep. Nobody checks on us anyway. This job's just paid loafing."
"True."
"Shut up and go to bed!"
"...Okay."
Just as the two guards finally closed their eyes…
A voice drifted in like a whisper from hell:
"Still awake? I've come to collect~"
"!!!"
"Enem- "
CRACK! SPLAT!
Leon appeared out of nowhere, one hand grabbing each man's head, and crushed them like watermelons.
Blood sprayed. Brains hit sand.
Leon muttered:
"Don't believe me? Look, I'm here, aren't I?"
Standing on a hill, he gazed down toward a cave dug into the cliffside.
His grin widened.
"Bingo. Jackpot."
In the distance, the eastern horizon began to glow.
Dawn was coming.
Inside the cave
Tony and Yinsen were lying on their bunks, wide awake, adrenaline coursing through them.
They were whispering about their escape plan.
The Mark I armor was ready.
But putting it on unnoticed was proving difficult.
The Ten Rings had installed cameras. One wrong move and they'd be discovered.
Even a flicker of suspicion would get them both killed.
And outside…
The dawn of Iron Man was about to meet the fury of Soldier Boy.
Every 250 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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