Tony didn't hold back at all when facing the terrorists—his first punch sent a gunman flying into the air.
Then he unleashed a palm repulsor blast on the remaining armed men. The explosion was so powerful that not even a full corpse was left behind.
With JARVIS assisting, the armed terrorists were swiftly wiped out. Even their attempts to use hostages for leverage didn't cause any trouble. Every last Ten Rings member present was eliminated.
After finishing off the attackers, Tony flew toward the execution site where Yinsen had been hanged.
Yinsen's body was strung up, battered and covered in wounds—he had clearly endured horrific torture before death.
Tony's eyes turned red as he took in the scene. He hadn't expected that their reunion would be one of life and death. He should've taken Yinsen with him to New York back then.
But regret was meaningless now.
He flew up to the gallows, cradled Yinsen's body with one hand, and reached for the rope around his neck with the other.
But before he could cut the rope—
BOOM!
A tank in the distance fired a shell straight at him. The blast knocked Tony out of the air.
Yinsen's body was blown apart in the explosion—blood and flesh scattered in every direction, staining the already red Mark III suit with a deeper shade of crimson.
Tony slowly got back on his feet, a piece of Yinsen's flesh still clinging to his arm. Seeing that, his rage exploded.
"AARGH!"
You bastards… damn you Ten Rings… You didn't just kill my friend—you left nothing of him behind.
Before he could strike back, the tank fired again.
This time, Tony twisted his body midair and dodged the shell with ease.
BOOM!
The explosion lit up behind him. Tony raised his right arm—his mini-missile launcher extended—and launched a shot straight at the tank.
BOOM!
Flames engulfed the tank. The driver inside was killed instantly.
After destroying the tank, Tony scanned the entire village, hunted down every remaining Ten Rings member, and personally destroyed all the weapons they had acquired from Stark Industries.
Only then did he leave Mikula.
Shortly after Tony's departure, Zala arrived on a truck full of weapons and ammunition. He hadn't witnessed Tony's rampage—but he did see the Iron Man suit soaring into the sky.
---
Meanwhile…
On the top floor of the Triskelion, in Alexander Pierce's office, Agent Sitwell walked in holding a file.
He handed it to Pierce—it contained all the information currently known about Smith Doyle.
"Secretary, this is everything we've gathered on Smith Doyle. Director Nick Fury has deployed significant resources to investigate him, and even assigned Phil Coulson to make contact."
"Intel suggests Doyle possesses extraordinary abilities and leads an ancient organization."
"In terms of destructive power, he's the strongest enhanced individual S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever encountered."
"However, his Assassin's League operates with a sense of justice, targeting criminals and underground organizations."
"Groups like the Kingpin's gang in Hell's Kitchen, the Continental Hotel, the High Table, and the Hand have all fallen because of him."
"But... Doyle is known for his racism, especially against Black people. In the underworld, he's been nicknamed the N-word Hunter."
Pierce studied the file with interest. "The most powerful enhanced being in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s history… Fascinating."
"Do you think we can recruit him?"
Sitwell replied, "It depends on how we approach him."
"With the Assassin's League's ideals, there's no chance he'd ever work with HYDRA—not even for a massive payoff."
He didn't add that if Doyle found out they were HYDRA, the Assassin's League would likely declare all-out war. This wasn't about profit—it was a matter of ideology.
"But under the S.H.I.E.L.D. banner, there's still hope."
"Nick Fury is already trying to recruit him as a consultant through Coulson. Doyle's influence is vast, but even someone like him might be tempted by an official role."
Pierce chuckled.
"No wonder Fury sent Coulson. I'd love to see Fury's face when he read Doyle's file."
"Wouldn't be surprised if Doyle just put a bullet in him."
Then Pierce's tone shifted to serious again.
"Well, even if we can't recruit him, it doesn't matter."
"As long as he joins S.H.I.E.L.D., it's as good as joining us—just means a little more red tape."
"I've had my eye on the Assassin's League for a while. Stubborn, hardline, but now they've lucked into a powerhouse."
Sitwell continued:
"According to our sources, Coulson traded some intel to the Brotherhood—Doyle's affiliate group—in exchange for access to their wax bath."
"The only downside to the wax bath is that it can't be transported or used on the fly. But its healing effect far surpasses anything we've developed."
"Outside of that, the Brotherhood could also become a useful partner."
Pierce's eyes lit up. "Tell me more."
Sitwell explained:
"The wax bath can heal almost any non-instantly-fatal injury—knife wounds, gunshots, fractures, internal trauma. In 24 hours, patients make a full recovery."
"It's been field-tested by our own agents. But the process requires complete nudity, followed by supervised showers and medical checks. We haven't been able to extract or replicate it."
"But it's perfect for our agents."
"Also, the intel Coulson traded was mostly on criminals who haven't faced justice. We could do the same—offload info on our enemies and let them eliminate them."
"In return, we get access to wax bath treatment credits—paid in their in-house gold coins."
Pierce nodded, smiling.
"Sounds like they can serve our interests after all."
"Doesn't matter how we use them—directly or through S.H.I.E.L.D.—as long as they work for us."
"Just like not everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D. works for us… including our dear Director Fury."
Pierce chuckled, and Sitwell joined in.
"Ha… ha ha ha…"
"Ha ha ha…"
—End of chapter—
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