With the successful activation of the armor, the circuits in the cave tripped instantly, lightbulbs exploding as the entire holding chamber plunged into darkness.
Wearing the Mark I armor, Tony flexed his fingers and bent his knees—everything worked perfectly. With a hint of pride in his voice, he announced:
"Gentlemen… behold the latest invention of the world's most brilliant scientist, Tony Stark."
With that, Tony strode toward the cave entrance in the bulky armor, its imposing figure giving Yinsen a sense of safety despite its crude look.
Smith, Poole, and Yinsen followed Tony, letting him bask in his own moment of glory.
As Tony stepped into the battlefield outside the cave, he looked over the corpses and severed limbs without flinching. These scum had kidnapped and nearly killed him. But more importantly, he now had a direct sense of Smith's terrifying power.
Tony ignored the carnage and began demonstrating his creation.
Steel fists, iron legs, missile pods on his arms, even a flamethrower—Tony put all the weapons through their paces.
The battlefield, already in ruins, was further devastated by his display, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that this was pure technological might.
Smith watched with interest, and even Poole looked intrigued, while Yinsen marveled at Tony's genius.
The only downside was that there were no enemies left to fight back.
After showing off the weapons, Tony extended the flight mechanism on his arm, rocketing skyward as he shouted:
"You see this?!"
"My armor can fly! Haha!"
But before three seconds passed, the thrusters sputtered and cut out. Tony plummeted uncontrollably toward the desert below.
"Ahhh—help!"
Whoosh!
Smith shot up using Bukūjutsu (Flight) and caught hold of Tony's armor just before impact.
Seeing his savior, Tony's eyes went wide as he exclaimed:
"God, you can fly?! Are you Superman? Thanks for saving me again!"
Yinsen also stared in awe, whispering:
"Is he… a god?"
Poole, after a moment's thought, added:
"By your terms, Smith-sama is GOD."
Yinsen fell silent at that and ran to meet them.
Smith set Tony down gently on the sand. Tony lifted his visor, sheepishly saying:
"The materials here are just too crude. When I get back, I'm building a real suit of armor."
Smith chuckled:
"I believe you."
Buoyed by the endorsement, Tony grinned and declared:
"Smith, you'll be the first to see my new armor. Trust me, you won't be disappointed."
Smith smirked:
"Let's hope you don't fall out of the sky next time."
Tony waved dismissively:
"That was a materials issue. Won't happen again."
Smith then looked to Yinsen and Poole, who'd just arrived.
"The show's over. Time to head back."
Smith took out a satellite phone and called the Assassin Alliance.
"Send a helicopter to these coordinates."
At that moment, Smith longed for a Kūkan Kapuseru (Capsule), which would let him carry an aircraft in his pocket. Hopefully Bulma could develop one here, provided the right materials were available.
Soon enough, a helicopter arrived. With Smith's help, Tony boarded the aircraft still clad in his armor, and the four of them flew to the Afghan airport.
There, Yinsen bid farewell and returned to his hometown. He declined Tony's invitation to New York.
On the private jet bound for New York, Poole helped Tony out of the armor. After a quick shower and change of clothes, Tony joined Smith for a meal.
Studying Smith, Tony couldn't help but remark:
"You're not ordinary at all. But your plane is a bit below my standards. Someday, I'll show you my jet."
"And if you like it, I'll give you one."
Smith simply replied:
"Thanks for the offer."
"This steak's for you. Eat up."
As Tony dug into the steak, Smith made another call.
"Pepper Potts? I've rescued Tony Stark. You were right, he was kidnapped by an armed group—they've been wiped out. He's safe now. We'll arrive at New York airport in about six hours. Send someone to meet him."
"Alright, I'll let him speak to you."
Smith handed Tony the phone.
Tony reassured Pepper:
"I'm fine. Not a scratch. You know me—I'm tough. Oh, and I built something big. Those guys didn't stand a chance."
"Haha, but thanks for hiring Smith. Pity I didn't get to make my big entrance."
Smith merely raised an eyebrow at Tony's joking tone, then glanced at the metal crate containing the Mark I.
The Mark I had been born—Iron Man wasn't far behind.
After finishing the call, Tony put down the phone and looked at Smith, speaking sincerely:
"Thank you."
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(End of Chapter)