"Yinsen, upload the system. We're leaving this dump."
Just as Artoria's clone predicted, Tony slapped on the final component. After a short rest he had Yinsen help him into the Mark i and upload the operating system. He wondered why their captors hadn't reacted, but it worked in their favor.
"System upload complete."
"Yinsen, get behind me. Blow the door—we're going home."
Flexing the suit's joints, Tony felt a surge of relief. Yinsen ducked behind the Mark i and triggered the detonator. Expecting guards to barge in at any moment, they'd rigged the door; when no one came, Yinsen blew it anyway—not counting on a kill, just a stun.
Boom!
The blast hurled the iron gate aside and splattered the two guards behind it across the wall.
"Ugh, lost my appetite. Yinsen, grab the guns—let's move."
Every heavy step of the Mark i rattled the cave. Leaving the 'room' that had confined him for a month, Tony felt vindicated—until the sight of 'mincemeat' turned his stomach. There went his plans for cheeseburgers. He had Yinsen collect the rifles for cover while he cleared the path.
"It's started—nice."
At the sound of the alarms Artoria moved, silently cutting down nearby thugs and planting timed charges. She unsealed a scroll with Chakra, pulled out a satellite distress phone, hot-wired a vehicle stocked with water and food, and parked it well away from the Base.
Artoria quickly sneaked back to the Base to see how things were progressing. Seeing the appearance of a person in armor, Artoria felt a sense of relief. Although Yinsen had been shot, it wasn't a vital spot; it looked like his arm was just grazed, and his life wasn't in danger. However, they were pinned down by the firepower outside and didn't dare to show their heads. Artoria gave them a hand, pulling out handfuls of Kunai and silently taking out several of the guys with the heaviest firepower.
Tony seized this opportunity and began a frantic counterattack. The flamethrower released a fierce blaze, setting fire to the area where various weapons were stockpiled.
"Quick, Yinsen, hold onto me."
"Oh!"
Feeling that the fire was sufficient, Tony told Yinsen to grab onto the waist of the Mark i. Hearing Tony's words, Yinsen hurriedly hugged the Mark i, but because one of his hands was injured, he couldn't hold on tightly at all. Tony realized this as well, so he used the arms of the Mark i to hold Yinsen. The jet propulsion devices built into the back erupted instantly, and the two of them flew into the air. Artoria finished up by killing a few guys who intended to continue shooting, collected a few Seven-colored crystals along the way, and then hurriedly left. The huge explosion sent Artoria's clone flying, nearly causing it to dissipate directly. Fortunately, the presence of the Invisible Air blocked most of the impact.
"The rest is up to you guys."
Using the last bit of her power to activate the Invisible Air, a huge dust storm blew up where Tony landed, providing a buffer for the two of them. That car happened to be not too far from them and should be visible. With that, Artoria's clone disappeared with a 'bang' into a wisp of white smoke.
On the other side, Artoria, who was currently bickering with Natasha, suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head.
"What's wrong? Do you need me to call a Doctor?"
Seeing Artoria's face suddenly turn quite pale, Natasha stepped forward and asked concernedly. Through their contact during this short period, she had gradually come to like this beautiful and cute girl on a sensory level. Compared to the 'dirty' work of an Special Agent, she quite enjoyed being around this child; it was a sense of tranquility she hadn't felt before.
"It's nothing! I might just be a bit tired from work lately. I'll be fine after a little rest."
Artoria spoke to Natasha with a smile, indicating it wasn't a big deal and suggesting they talk another day as she needed to rest. After Natasha left, Artoria rubbed her temples to process the massive influx of information. It seemed Tony had escaped. However, what surprised Artoria the most were those Seven-colored crystals. She wondered if they were saint quartz Shards. If defeating enemies dropped saint quartz Shards, then the value of the thing in her mind could double again.
"Obadiah, it's time to settle the score."
Since Tony was fine, it was time to get rid of that Big Bald Head. She would wait until Tony returned for all that! Thinking of this, a cold smile curled at the corners of Artoria's mouth. She hadn't been causing him little trouble in secret lately. Through the 'antenna' on her head, Artoria had clearly felt a faint killing intent from Obadiah when she saw him. For now, she'd let this guy live for a few more days!
With those thoughts, Artoria closed her eyes and began to meditate, digesting the information sent back by her clone.