"I just got into a car we found locally, I'm rushing towards the town now. It was a bit scary just a moment ago, but I'm absolutely not frightened. I'm calling you, just, ...never mind, it's nothing, I'll hang up now."
Regardless of Pepper's anxious shouts, Stark hung up the phone with a heavy sigh. He tightened his grip on the phone and closed his eyes. The driver, Erik, looked at him in worry and said, "Are you okay? Tony, is she your girlfriend?"
"No, nope," Stark responded, somewhat flustered. He rubbed the area under his nose and sniffled before saying, "Not yet."
Erik burst out into a brilliant smile. "Looks like she will be soon. When people are on the brink of death, they instinctively think of important people. It seems that when that missile was headed toward you, she must've lingered in your mind for at least a second."
"That's not true," Stark denied it again, casually placing his elbow on the window and nonchalantly looking out, awkwardly changing the subject. "You said you're a mercenary here. What country are you from?"
Stark, head tilting, didn't see the shadow pass through Erik's eyes. Erik removed his hands from the wheel, then returned them, saying, "Wakanda, I'm from Wakanda."
Stark lowered his sunglasses slightly, looking at Erik over the top rim with undisguised surprise; Erik just shrugged and said, "What? Do I not look like it?"
"No offense, but I thought you would have been, um, more high-tech."
"That's a common misunderstanding about Wakanda," Erik laughed and said, "In fact, high technology is only in the hands of the royal family. Ordinary people might be rich, but they don't have access to lethal weapons."
After a moment of silence, Stark said, "You know, Erik, this journey has given me quite a shock. I never expected the weapons I designed under Obadiah's persuasion to be used in places like this. It's completely senseless!"
Stark's voice was full of regret. Seeing the curiosity in Erik's eyes, he explained, "Obadiah is my uncle and the only one who treated me kindly after my father died. He wanted me to develop lots of weapons and sell them to the military or whoever. I don't know how many people indirectly died because of me. I just feel it can't go on like this."
Erik remained quiet, but he reached out and gently patted Stark's shoulder. Then suddenly, he jerked the steering wheel and made a sharp turn, causing Stark's forehead to smack against the side window.
"God! What's happening?"
"Boom boom boom!"
"Damn it! They're back!!!" Erik swerved to avoid missile attacks, yelling as he maneuvered the car, "Their firepower has intensified since last time. Who are these people?! Why have I never seen them here before?!"
"They're after me!" Stark gripped the car's handle in desperation, roaring over the sounds of artillery fire. "Stark Group has numerous enemies, they all want to take me out!"
"Bang! Bang bang!"
To evade the imminent bomb blasts, Erik had to swerve frantically around obstacles, the car wheels crashing over small lump of earth. The high-speed turning destabilized the car's balance and with a "crash", it rolled over, leaving the two occupants in the car with bloody injuries.
As Erik lay on the steering wheel, panting in pain, he reached for the gun at his side. But a larger gun was pointed at his head, compelling Erik to release his grip and raise his hands above his head.
The car was set upright and both Erik and Stark were yanked out; Stark was about to say something when a black hood was forced over his head.
Erik lowered his gaze, clearly torn.
Rescuing the world's richest man in a random, moderate fire attack was one thing, but being kidnapped with him to an unknown location was another.
Erik knew the first attack was potent enough to kill an unarmed wealthy man, but for the seasoned mercenaries living here, it was nothing. As long as Stark was saved, Erik suddenly had a ticket to the Beacon Country where he could go as high as he wanted, with low investment and high returns.
Now, however, the situation took a turn, with their captors overpowering the pair. If he and Stark were taken together, while they may ransom Stark as a billionaire, he was just a mercenary; they would probably mistake him for the tycoon's bodyguard, with no value, and his death would become inevitable.
Erik's hesitation cost him the best opportunity to speak up. A hood was put over his head just as he was shoved into the car.
As they moved, Erik realized that these people might not be ordinary terrorists, as they kept circling a particular area. Even someone as experienced as Erik had no idea where they finally stopped.
Erik made up his mind, the moment the car door opened. He had a mini thermal dagger attached to his wrist like an ornament, which instantly cut through the ropes binding his hands. With a swift motion, Erik slashed the throat of the terrorist who had opened the car door.
The moment the blade made contact with skin, the laser energy surged, smoothly cutting off his head as if it were softened butter. The other terrorists were shocked into silence for a few seconds.
Erik knocked down the driver who had just got out of the car and drove off. The bullets fired at him only resulted in a cloud of dust behind the vehicle but couldn't prevent his escape.
Already being dragged off the car, Stark seemed to sense something had happened. His hands bound behind his back clenched, and he was overcome by despair.
He was made to walk, stumbling forward for about ten minutes, feeling the light change from bright to dark in front of him. In the next second, he was shoved onto the ground by a pair of strong hands.
He heard thickly accented English ringing in his ears, the gist being that Tony Stark, the scientist who has invented many powerful weapons, must continue their R&D here, or he will be killed.
After the rustling sounds subsided, the group of people left, leaving Stark's binding rope looser. He struggled to lift his head and tried to remove his hood.
Suddenly, he felt hands on his neck. Stark struggled violently, but he didn't feel any force exerted from the other person. Soon, he heard a soft voice saying,
"Don't move, I'll help you untie it."