Just Now

On the way back, Leon said to Tony, "Bro, remember to get me a miniature Arc Reactor too when we get back. Otherwise, my flying superpower is way too inconvenient to use."

"Oh, that? I actually prepared an extra one before we left."

Tony replied.

"What the hell?"

Leon demanded, "Then why didn't you give it to me?"

"You never asked me for it." Tony's helpless tone could not conceal its slyness as he said innocently, "I thought you didn't need it."

"Tony, you bastard..."

Leon laughed in exasperation. He had originally planned to tell Tony everything he knew about the New Element as soon as they got back, but now? Well, he never asked.

Suffer a little longer, my dear bro. May Ancient One bless you.

As long as that great deity was still alive, even if you wanted to die, you couldn't.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Leon, what are you doing?"

Seeing Leon reach toward the Arc Reactor in his chest again, Tony panicked.

"Tony, my dear big brother, if you don't want Rhodes's department's fighter jets to shoot you down as a target, stay still and let me carry you."

With that said.

Before Tony could agree, Leon had already taken control of all the electrical power output from his Arc Reactor.

Then, activating the Starlight Template's superpower, he turned into a streak of golden light with Tony and shot past a fighter jet on patrol.

Meanwhile, Arcee took Yinsen's wife and daughter by the safer, steadier sea route.

They agreed to meet at the Seaside Villa.

"What the fuck?!"

"Did something just fly past?!"

The pilot of an F-22 fighter jet patrolling through the air at Mach 1.5 could not stop himself from cursing.

After noticing a strange golden arc flash past him, he immediately notified Edward Air Force Base in California.

But the intelligence they received was—its speed had been too fast. Conservative estimates put it above Mach 5, and its radar cross-section had been too small. It had appeared on radar for only an instant before immediately disappearing again.

By then, Edward Air Force Base had already descended into chaos because of Leon's brief appearance. An unidentified high-speed stealth aircraft that did not belong to their country hung over their heads like a Sword of Damocles.

If this was an enemy nation's technology, there would be no point in fighting at all.

"Damn it!"

"What the hell was that thing?"

"Did the National Security Agency have anything to say? What about the Central Intelligence Agency?"

"What? They called to ask whether it was ours?"

"Shit!"

"Get Colonel Rhodes from the weapons development department here, now!"

If they did not figure out what that unidentified aircraft was today, no one at Edward Air Force Base would be able to sleep.

Very soon.

Colonel Rhodes arrived.

"What happened?"

He asked.

"See for yourself!"

An officer opened a fighter jet's onboard video clip, less than two and a half seconds long, on the shared screen in the Air Force command center. It showed Leon carrying Tony as they raced far ahead.

However, the golden light radiating from Leon was too dazzling. All the footage showed was a golden arc flashing past the fighter jet. That straight, clearly purposeful flight path was definitely not something nature could have created.

"What locations is the unidentified aircraft expected to pass through?"

After watching the video over and over, Colonel Rhodes suddenly asked.

"The central Pacific Ocean, the Malibu Coastline, Los Angeles..."

When Colonel Rhodes heard "Malibu Coastline," his eyebrows rose, and he could not take in any of the locations that followed.

That was because Tony and Leon's Seaside Villa happened to be built atop a cliff along the Malibu Coastline.

"Wait a moment. I need to make a call."

Meanwhile.

Tony had already gotten home. With Leon and Dum-E's help, he was struggling to take off the Mark 3 armor when Rhodes called.

Beep beep beep—connected!

Tony: "Hey, Rhodes. What good news do you have?"

Rhodes: "Tony, I need your help right now."

Tony: "Interesting. Go on."

Rhodes: "Just now, an unidentified flying object glowing gold all over overtook one of our patrol fighters."

Leon: "Cool. Then it must have been pretty fast."

Rhodes: "Leon? You're there too?"

Leon: "Yeah, Tony and I were out racing earlier."

Rhodes: "All right. What I need to tell you is that the unidentified aircraft is heading toward your house. If you know anything, I hope you can tell me as soon as possible so I can respond accordingly."

Tony: "It's fine—ow! Leon, be gentler!"

Rhodes: "What exactly are you two brothers doing?"

Leon: "Nothing. Tony's legs went weak when he got out of the car earlier, so he accidentally fell. I'm putting hydrogen peroxide on him right now."

Tony: "That's complete slander... Hiss! Easy, easy! Be careful around that spot, Leon, for the sake of your future nieces and nephews!"

Rhodes: "..."

Rhodes: "Tony, don't tell me you injured your corpus cavernosum when you fell."

Tony: "Aah, no! That hurts like hell! Rhodes, I'm a little busy here. I'm hanging up."

Beep beep beep—disconnected!

"Fine."

Looking at the disconnected call in his hand, Rhodes curled his lip. Before making the call, he had been ninety percent certain the unidentified aircraft was Tony. After the call, ninety percent had become one hundred percent.

Knowing Tony, he was definitely tinkering with some kind of high-tech weapon again!

Rhodes firmly believed it. Otherwise, Tony would have already asked him to send fighter jets to protect him.

"The unidentified aircraft is one of ours."

After leaving those words behind, Rhodes took off his uniform and hurried toward Tony and Leon's home. He had to find out what those two brothers were tinkering with before he could relax.

Stark Tower.

Science and Technology Research and Development Department.

Yinsen, a research consultant, sat in his office watching the livestream replay on his computer again and again, unable to stop sighing.

"The fifteen-mile area around Gemira can only be described as a living hell. It has become a modern depiction of bloody colonization.

"The farmers and herders in the villages have been forced from their homes. Even more children have been threatened into joining the terrorists, while their land has been occupied by warlords.

"The supporter behind this armed warlord group is suspected to be Obadiah Stane, who allegedly committed suicide out of guilt.

"The refugees have been displaced, making homes wherever they can, forced to live among the ruins of other villages..."

"Maya, Aya, I'm coming to find you."

"Yinsen, who are you looking for?"

Seeing that the door was not closed, Leon and Tony walked straight in.

"Tony, I don't think I'm suited to continue serving as Stark Industries' chief research consultant. As a husband, as a father, I... Maya?! Aya?!"

Yinsen had just been about to resign to Tony when he swallowed the rest of his words. His wife and daughter were standing behind Leon and Tony, safe and sound before him.

"How are you here?!"

Yinsen excitedly pulled his wife and daughter into his arms. Leon and Tony watched from the side, both wearing warm, auntie-like smiles.

"Mr. Leon and Mr. Tony saved us." Yinsen's wife, Maya, explained through tears. His daughter Aya added, "And big sister Arcee too."

"Tony, Leon, I really don't know how to thank you enough." Yinsen said with red eyes, his voice choking.

"That's easy." Tony snapped his fingers and smiled. "I established a charitable Gemira Relief Foundation, and it just happens to be missing a president."

"Okay!"

Yinsen agreed without hesitation. At that moment, even if Tony had asked him to climb mountains of blades or dive into seas of fire, he would have been willing—let alone take on work that could rebuild his homeland.

"Gemira Relief Foundation?"

Leon looked at Tony in confusion. "Since when? How come I didn't know about it?"

"Just now."

Tony turned and waved a hand, leaving Leon, Yinsen, and the others with a dashing silhouette.

"Damn it, he pulled it off again!"

Leon spat lightly, his face full of unwillingness as he chased after him, leaving Yinsen alone with his wife and daughter.