"What is that? A person?" One of the armed soldiers hesitated as he looked at the figure rapidly descending from the sky in a metallic suit.
"You're joking, right? No human can just fly in the air like that..." Another soldier was mid-sentence when the armored figure landed, the impact sending a slight shockwave across the ground. It bent its knees to cushion the fall, then immediately straightened up.
Tony Stark raised his hand and punched one of the soldiers who was aiming his weapon at civilians. The man flew into a second-floor wall, smashing it to rubble. Without missing a beat, the glowing energy in Stark's palms began charging. He started firing at the surrounding enemies, each blast incapacitating a soldier. Then his gaze locked onto the warlord who had kidnapped him not long ago.
Unlike the foot soldiers who each went down with a single shot, Stark aimed both hands at the warlord and unleashed a dual energy beam. The warlord was sent flying into a heap of weapons behind him, disappearing in the resulting explosion—his survival uncertain.
The soldiers attempted to retaliate, firing rounds at Stark's suit. But with the enhancements Qin Li had added to the armor, not even a scratch was visible. Even before the upgrades, Stark's suit was impenetrable to conventional weapons, and now, it was practically invincible.
Some soldiers, in desperation, grabbed hostages to try and force Stark to surrender. Tony lowered his hands to comply—but only as a distraction.
Just as he prepared to activate the micro-missiles embedded in his shoulder plates, four gunshots rang out in quick succession. Each soldier holding a hostage crumpled to the ground, blood blooming from their foreheads. The hostages quickly fled to embrace their families, relief etched on their faces.
"Hey, friend, you stole my grand finale!" Tony complained, looking toward Frank Castle.
Frank, drenched in blood, glanced at Tony with a chilling, emotionless stare before returning to scanning his surroundings.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?" Tony asked, trying to mask his unease with bravado.
"It looks like you've wrapped things up," Qin Li said, surveying the carnage with a faint smile.
"Not quite yet. Give me a moment," Tony replied. He walked over to a wall, punched through it, and dragged out the warlord, who had been trying to make a satellite phone call. Tossing the man at Frank's feet, Tony smirked and added, "Now it's done."
Frank ignored Stark's antics, uninterested in his sense of showmanship.
Qin Li gathered the civilians from their hiding spots and, after confirming the area was clear, asked Tony, "So, are we finished here?"
"Yep. It's a wrap. Need a lift?" Tony asked, grinning as his mood visibly lightened after the victory.
"No need. You fly back; we'll return our way," Qin Li replied dismissively.
With a nod, Tony soared into the sky.
Handing a teleportation potion to Frank, Qin Li said, "Let's get out of here and grab a drink to unwind."
"You're the one who needs the drink; I just came along to relax," Frank quipped, accepting the potion.
Annoyed, Qin Li lightly punched Frank, who chuckled but said nothing. They both consumed their potions, vanishing instantly.
On his way back, Tony spotted the Jericho missiles he had sold to the military before being captured. Distracted, he was hit by a tank shell, sending him crashing to the ground.
Glaring at the distant tank, Stark dodged another shot and retaliated with a small missile launched from his wrist. Without looking back, he walked away as the tank exploded—a classic "real men don't look at explosions" moment.
Amid the chaos, Tony approached the Jericho missiles. Despite the gunfire around him, his suit easily absorbed the bullets. Unaffected, he powered up his palm repulsors and fired a focused beam, detonating the missile stockpile and their launchers. The ensuing explosion swept through the area, taking out nearby soldiers.
After ensuring the base was destroyed, Tony took off, flying toward home. Little did he know that his actions had drawn military attention.
"Where did this come from? Why didn't the radar pick it up?" Colonel Rhodes asked in a California military base command center.
"Sir, its radar cross-section is minimal," a technician replied.
"An invisible aircraft?" Rhodes speculated.
"No, sir. Based on its size, we believe it's a drone," another officer suggested.
"What should we do, Colonel?" someone asked.
After a moment's hesitation, Rhodes said, "Let me make a call."
He stepped aside and dialed Tony Stark's number.
"Hey, Tony, it's Rhodes," he said into the receiver.
"Who? Can't hear you," Tony replied, pretending to struggle with the connection.
"It's me, Rhodes. What's with all the noise on your end?"
"Oh, I'm driving a convertible!" Tony lied without missing a beat.
"Sure. Well, I need a favor," Rhodes said, cutting to the chase.
"Never thought I'd see the day," Tony quipped, his tone smug.
"Yeah, well, something exploded near where you were held captive—right in the middle of a conflict zone," Rhodes explained quickly.
"Sounds like someone's decommissioning your arsenal for you," Tony replied, sounding slightly out of breath.
"Why do you sound winded? Tony?" Rhodes asked suspiciously.
"Just running through a canyon. You know, cardio," Tony continued to deflect.
"Are you sure there's no new tech you want to tell me about?" Rhodes pressed, growing skeptical.
"None whatsoever," Tony said confidently.
Just then, a voice from the command center shouted, "Colonel! We've located the target!"