Alvin drove into a small town on the edge of the Afghan desert.
"Rich Mr. Big Shot, you're up~" He stopped the car and turned to Tony in the passenger seat, gesturing for him to work his magic.
Tony stylishly pushed open the car door. Though his clothes were ragged, he still carried himself like a perfect gentleman.
"Is he going to hit on her?" Yinsen craned his neck from the back seat, watching Tony walk up to a foreign woman, slick back his hair with a flashy little flourish, and launch into a smooth conversation.
The woman laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. It was clear they were getting along famously.
"Isn't that perfectly normal?"
Alvin rested one hand on the steering wheel. Yinsen really hadn't seen much of the world. Tony Stark's love life was far more colorful than he could imagine.
Yinsen watched with his own eyes as two complete strangers went from meeting to hugging and kissing in less than five minutes.
Before long, Tony swaggered back with lipstick stamped on his face and a brand-new cell phone in his hand.
"How did you do that?"
Yinsen couldn't understand how Tony had managed it.
"Do what?"
Tony looked back at Yinsen in confusion.
"Uh, I mean..." Yinsen stumbled over his words, managing only to gesture at the hug and kiss he'd just witnessed.
"Oh, that? Easy."
Tony didn't seem to care. As he dialed, he said casually, "I told her my name was Tony Stark. Then things went just like you saw."
Alvin in the front nearly burst out laughing. He could almost hear Yinsen's heart breaking.
"It's me, Pepper. I got out."
After getting through, Tony first let her know he was safe, then said, "Sorry for the trouble, but could you call Rhodey? Yeah, tell him I'm in Afghanistan. Damn, what's this place called again?"
Pepper Potts was probably the only phone number Tony could remember.
"Herat," Yinsen quietly prompted him. "This place is called Herat."
"Right, Herat. I'll wait for him here."
Tony swallowed, then added, "Tell him to hurry. And remind him to bring three burgers."
"Th-then what?" Yinsen clearly still wasn't used to the status of this legendary genius. "Should we find somewhere to rest while we wait for someone to pick you up?"
"No need."
Alvin cut in from beside him, teasing, "Isn't there a military base right nearby? Someone will be here soon."
As everyone knew, the Middle East was rich in oil, and oil attracted the Marines.
As luck would have it, Afghanistan sat in a strategic location at the gateway to the Middle East, so it was bound to take a beating.
Given Tony Stark's connections, he was absolutely important enough to draw the attention of the Department of Defense and the military. Add his friend Rhodey's rank of major general, and getting a Marine base to come pick him up would be a piece of cake.
"This has nothing to do with me."
Tony sneaked a glance at Yinsen and offered an explanation, feeling inexplicably guilty.
Fortunately, Yinsen didn't seem to dwell on it. After all the anxiety along the way, he could finally breathe easy. "That's great. We're finally safe."
Soon, several infantry fighting vehicles rolled into town. Two Black Hawk helicopters even circled overhead.
The sheer shock and awe from America left Yinsen in the back seat dumbfounded.
A Black captain climbed out of one of the fighting vehicles, drenched in sweat. He jogged over to the Hummer. "Thank goodness, Mr. Tony Stark! Thank God you made it back safely!"
"Where's the plane?"
Tony didn't bother being polite. His face darkened. "You're not going to make me ride in that wreck and drive all the way back, are you?"
"No, no, Mr. Stark. The transport plane is just outside Herat." The Black captain wiped away his sweat, looking nervous. "I've already contacted the nearby air base and arranged a special flight to New York. We'll make sure you get back safely!"
Watching the captain act so meekly, Alvin found it ridiculous.
But when he thought about America's bizarre antics, he could understand it. Wasn't the government there to serve the rich, whether in real life or in the movies?
"Ha. Are you sure someone won't shoot the transport plane down with a missile halfway there?" Alvin quipped.
The captain looked embarrassed at the ill-timed jibe, but he didn't dare get angry. He could only grit his teeth and promise, "Mr. Stark, we guarantee there won't be any danger!"
"I don't have time for this. Lead the way."
Tony couldn't be bothered to pursue it. He waved a hand and let the Marines take the lead.
News of the famous Tony Stark being kidnapped in Afghanistan had nearly spread across the entire United States.
The Department of Defense was under immense pressure. They'd been hoping against hope, and thanking God, that Tony had finally returned safe and sound, without so much as a missing limb.
Otherwise, the lawmakers in Congress couldn't even imagine how much public outrage they'd have to face.
Of course, the noise outside couldn't affect Tony Stark.
In fact, Tony was currently in a tizzy, with no time to spare even for Pepper Potts.
"Fuck, is this thing actually meant for people?!"
Tony stared at the Astra Militarum's standard-issue Bolter with bloodshot eyes, clutching his hair in frustration. "What kind of lunatic thought of using a rocket to accelerate a bullet? The recoil alone could shatter an adult's bones. This is absurd. So... brutal!"
Here it was: a human from the 2K era, complaining about a 40K weapon!
Alvin watched Tony lose his mind, happily devoured a double cheeseburger, and drained his soda. Then he asked, "Can you even do it? You don't seem nearly as impressive as you claim if you can't figure out something this simple."
Actually, Tony had been subtly hinting ever since they were in the desert that he wanted to see Alvin's weapons and equipment.
What Tony didn't know was that Alvin had deliberately played on his curiosity. It was exactly what he'd been hoping for.
And so, the two of them struck a deal.
Alvin gave some of his equipment to Tony Stark to study. If Tony made any research breakthroughs, the two of them would share the results.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, and Alvin was more than happy to let Tony examine everything as thoroughly as he liked.
And that was how they ended up here.
"Thank God. If you could just shut your mouth, I guarantee I'd make faster progress!"
Tony glared at Alvin with his bloodshot eyes. Alvin was sitting nearby, eating and relaxing. "And I've told you a dozen times: don't throw your burger wrappers around!"
"What's the big deal? Isn't J.A.R.V.I.S. here?" Alvin said, unconcerned.
"Mr. Alvin, I must remind you that I'm Mr. Stark's personal intelligent assistant, not a vacuum cleaner." Even J.A.R.V.I.S. seemed unable to put up with it and spoke up in Tony's defense. "Sir, there's a charity gala tomorrow evening. Will you be attending?"
"No, no. Don't bother me, J.A.R.V.I.S.!"
Tony grumbled a couple of times, then turned back to his research.
He was about to go crazy. It wasn't that the technology was too difficult to overcome; the weapon's design philosophy was what he couldn't wrap his head around!
What kind of maniac would make a weapon that used a rocket to propel bullets?
Was this thing supposed to be for shooting aliens?
For those of you thinking of letting the story build up in your library, it's tough during the new-book period because what we need most is readers who keep up. Please keep reading and give the story a few more follow-up reads. Once it's released, I'll guarantee four chapters a day to repay you all for your support, okay?
Before you continue