The three wandered aimlessly through the desert. Two were drenched in sweat, while the third was perfectly at ease. That only convinced the two men further that Rimuru was extraordinary. They had been walking for who knew how long, and two grown men could barely keep going, yet the kid was completely fine. How was that possible?
The sun began to sink in the west, and the sound of a helicopter gradually reached them from the sky. Tony was elated at first, then collapsed to the ground. The day had worn him out, and now the nightmare was finally coming to an end.
A dark-skinned officer and several soldiers soon rushed out of the helicopter. It was Tony's good buddy Rhodey.
"How was the fun Humvee??"
Tony immediately gave an embarrassed laugh.
Fun Humvee, my ass. I nearly died.
"Next time, ride with me, okay?"
Watching the two of them practically radiate bromance, Rimuru thought Pepper had it rough. Not only did she have to compete with the suits of armor, she also had to contend with Rhodey, a man, while all those other women tried to steal Tony away from time to time. If her combat power was too low, she really wouldn't be able to hold out.
"Who are those two?"
Rhodey pointed at Yinsen and Rimuru and asked curiously. Yinsen was fine; he had been through a lot. But Rimuru was different. When had he ever experienced anything like this? That was way too direct. Didn't Rhodey know how to be a little tactful?
He glanced to the side and saw that the soldiers were also giving him strange looks. What was with those looks?
What Rimuru didn't know was that his appearance was too striking. His Asian face, blue hair, and golden eyes in particular made him the center of attention wherever he went. He wanted to keep a low profile, but his strength wouldn't allow it.
Rhodey's question left Tony somewhat at a loss for words. Yinsen was one thing, but Rimuru was simply too unusual. Even Tony himself couldn't say for sure.
Rimuru's origins were unknown, and he possessed abilities beyond those of ordinary people. Tony didn't want the military to set its sights on Rimuru. He trusted Rhodey, but certain higher-ups in the military were another matter.
"They both saved my life. They escaped from the terrorists with me. Rhodey, you're not going to start interrogating us out here, are you?"
"Okay."
A military transport plane carried Tony, Rimuru, and Yinsen on their way to New York.
New York, the heart of the Marvel Universe's free-for-all. Rimuru had come and gone in a hurry last time, but this time he was about to officially enter the vortex.
Rimuru looked at the scenery outside the window. Those few months at Kamar-Taj had been quiet and peaceful, with him leaving Great Sage to study magic on autopilot every day. At the time, it hadn't felt like much, but now that he had officially arrived here, it felt as though a lifetime had passed.
Is it too late to turn back now?
The plane slowly landed at the airport, and the cabin door opened to reveal a blonde assistant in a business suit and a man wearing sunglasses waiting there.
They were naturally Tony's indispensable assistant Pepper and his bodyguard Happy.
When she saw Tony walk down from the plane, Pepper managed to hold herself together at first, but within two seconds, her eyes turned red.
How come Happy isn't reacting at all? Could he have had a hand in what happened to Tony?
Tony: "Your eyes are red. Shedding tears for your long-lost boss?"
Pepper: "They're tears of joy. I hate job hunting."
"Get ready to work. Vacation's over."
Pepper: "And those two are?"
"Let me introduce you. This is Dr. Yinsen. If it weren't for him, you'd never see me again."
"Hello, Yinsen. Thank you so much for your help." Pepper was deeply grateful to the man who had saved her boss's life.
Yinsen shook her hand somewhat awkwardly. The long flight and the dramatic change in surroundings had left him looking weary and dazed. "Thank you, Miss Potts. I'm just a doctor who did what he should."
Then four gazes-Tony's, Pepper's, Yinsen's, and Rhodey's from the plane's doorway-all settled on the last figure.
The child.
He looked no more than ten years old, with an Asian face so exquisite it was almost inhuman. Most striking of all were his long, sky-blue hair and eyes that looked as though they had been cast from molten gold. He wore oversized clothes that didn't fit him, clearly found at short notice. Standing quietly, he swept his gaze over the airport and the crowd before it finally settled on Pepper.
"This kid is Rimuru. I met him at the terrorists' place too." Tony's tone grew somewhat subtle, with less of his usual irreverence and a trace of protectiveness that he himself might not even have noticed.
Pepper's eyes widened. A child in a terrorist camp in Afghanistan? She suppressed her shock and countless questions, and her professionalism prompted her to respond quickly.
She bent down slightly to bring herself to Rimuru's eye level and gave him a smile as gentle as she could manage. "Hello, Rimuru. Welcome to New York. I'm Pepper Potts, Tony's assistant. Thank you for helping Tony."
Rimuru blinked his unusual golden eyes. "Hello, Miss Pepper Potts."
Rimuru's reaction was a little strange. There was curiosity and scrutiny, but none of the nervousness of someone arriving in a foreign country.
Pepper believed that after living in such a chaotic place, the child's emotions and thoughts had grown numb. Looking at Rimuru's cute appearance and tragic background, she couldn't help feeling a surge of motherly affection.
But in fact, she was simply overthinking it. Rimuru was merely marveling at how extravagantly rich people lived. This was a Rolls-Royce, wasn't it? The thing was probably worth more than his life.
After climbing into Tony's luxury car, Rimuru looked at its interior. The seats, the armrests-everywhere smelled of money. He felt somewhat indignant. When would he get to live like this?
Rimuru was still marveling when the other two, having shared a brief tender moment, started arguing again.
"Tony, you need to go to the hospital for an examination now. Of course, Rimuru and Yinsen are coming too."
"No, Pepper. I was held prisoner for three months. There are two things I need to do now. The first is eat a cheeseburger, and the second is..."
"There's a child here. Can you rein it in a little?"
Faced with Pepper's death glare, Tony didn't so much as flinch. Clearly, he had done this sort of thing plenty of times.
"I want you to call a press conference right away. Arrange one for me. I have some important things to announce."
"A press conference?" Pepper was clearly baffled by Tony's move.
"Let's go, Happy. Find me a burger first."
Obadiah had also learned that Tony was back. Furious, he pounded the desk, sending documents scattering across the floor.
"Useless! Those idiots in the Ten Rings! All it would have taken was one bullet to make Tony disappear from this world, and now look what's happened. Tony's back, and all my plans have fallen through."
"Get the car ready. I'm going to see my dear nephew who survived that ordeal." Obadiah straightened his clothes, composed himself, and walked out of the office.
Rimuru followed Tony to the venue, where Obadiah came forward at the head of the group, his face wreathed in smiles. The way he acted like a loving uncle greeting his nephew, Rimuru would have believed him if he hadn't known the plot.
The people around him should be Stark Industries' shareholders and executives, right? They're really putting their backs into the performance.
They followed Tony into the venue, which was packed with invited reporters. Tony's return immediately stirred up the crowd. The noise was so overwhelming that even with Universal Sense activated, Rimuru felt his head ache. He had no idea how Tony put up with them.
Some reporters also noticed Rimuru. His distinctive appearance caught the attention of several of them. There were too many reporters present, and they might not get a chance, so they might as well try an unconventional approach and start with the little girl who had come with Tony Stark.
One reporter quickly maneuvered his way through the crowd to Rimuru, only to be pushed straight back by a bodyguard Pepper had brought in.
Rimuru, Yinsen, and Pepper went to the back of the venue. Tony sat down on the floor with a burger in his hand, and Obadiah reluctantly sat down beside him.
In the crowd, Rimuru suddenly spotted a familiar figure: Phil Coulson. What was he looking for? Rimuru had been in New York for so long that they should have finished investigating him by now. Surely they weren't here for him? He would hide for a while and keep out of their way. He had no desire to enter Hydra's sights right now.
He had to admit, having a child's body was convenient.