Chapter - 18 : Return
After Adrian relentlessly bombarded the artillery position, he noticed the shelling had completely ceased. The silence and lack of movement suggested that the enemy had been neutralized.
Satisfied with the outcome but wanting to ensure no lingering threats, he hesitated momentarily before tossing a few more grenades for good measure. Adrian returned to rejoin Tony and the others with the situation seemingly under control.
He didn't bother to check if everyone on the hill was dead. Whether they were all eliminated or not didn't matter much to him at this point. Adrian was focused on ensuring the immediate threat was neutralized, and he vividly recalled a similar scenario from past experiences or stories, where lingering too long on the aftermath could be dangerous.
Adrian recalled a military story he once saw, featuring a Special Forces commander named Jack Thompson. In the story, Thompson checked on a seemingly neutralized enemy after an intense firefight to confirm their death. However, the enemy was still alive and, due to Thompson's oversight, managed to shoot him in the leg. Worse yet, this lapse also led to the death of one of his comrades.
This memory reinforced Adrian's decision not to waste time verifying the status of the artillerymen. He knew that lingering to confirm their deaths could be a fatal mistake. With the immediate threat neutralized, he returned swiftly to Tony and the others, mindful of the importance of not repeating the mistakes from that story.
Despite Adrian's considerable power, he remained acutely aware that he wasn't invincible. His abilities were just a drop in the ocean in the vast Marvel universe. The world was full of extraordinary beings and cutting-edge technology, and there was always the possibility that these terrorists might have some hidden tricks up their sleeves. He knew better than to underestimate his opponents or overestimate his strength.
Adrian understood that Raza Hamidmi al-Wazar, the leader of the Afghanistan branch of Ten Rings, wasn't just an opportunistic trader working with Obadiah Stane to take down Tony; he was a significant antagonist within the Marvel universe. Knowing this, Adrian decided against the risky move of checking the bodies. His top priority was ensuring he, Tony, and the others made it out safely. The immediate goal was survival and escape, not verification.
"Hey, man, you were incredible out there," Tony exclaimed as Adrian returned to their position. Tony clapped him on the chest with a grin, clearly impressed and relieved.
"Alright," Adrian said with a smile.
"Is this okay?" Tony was still in disbelief.
Adrian said, "Now's not the time to celebrate. We've taken out a lot of terrorists and silenced their artillery, but this group is large. We must get out of here before more of them show up."
Tony chuckled, "Why worry? With your incredible strength and the way you lob grenades from such a distance, we could take down a whole army before we run out of explosives. Besides," he added with a grin, "I didn't get any footage of you in action earlier. If more terrorists show up, let's snap a few shots of you for posterity. It'll make for a great story later on!"
"Forget it, I don't want to be high-profile like you," Adrian said without giving Tony a second glance. He then joined James Rhodes, and the two of them swiftly left the area along with Tony and the others. Not long after they departed, a group of a large number of terrorists arrived at the battleground. These people are fully armed with modern weapons.
Upon arriving at the battle scene, they found Raza, who was badly wounded and were quite shocked. They quickly rescued Raza and refrained from killing Adrian and the others.
Meanwhile, the Afghan military deployed combat helicopters to search for Adrian and his group. When the helicopters located Adrian and his group, they ensured their safe extraction.
The military leaders of Afghanistan, particularly those involved in arms deals with Adrian and others, expressed their deep regret to Adrian and his associates. This sentiment was heightened by the fact that the recent events occurred shortly after their transactions with the Afghan military.
Even after the transaction was completed, the roles of both parties remained clear, although all the accidents seemed strange.
However, the attack was in Afghanistan, not far from the shooting range. Under such circumstances, they naturally had to apologize, as they didn't want to offend Tony or antagonize the country. In response to their apologies, Adrian and Tony did not bother them.
After a brief excitement, he returned to the military airport with the escort of the Afghan military. Without any further delay, he flew back to the United States on a private jet.
Although the Afghan military wanted to host Tony and his companions, they understood that given the unpleasant events, it was normal for Tony to be eager to return to the United States.
-----------------
After returning to the USA, Tony and Adrian parted ways with James Rhodes. A security detail intercepted media personnel who wanted to interview Tony, allowing him to return directly to his seaside villa.
There were many media representatives present, demonstrating the powerful news-gathering capabilities of the press. After the attack on Tony and his group, the news quickly spread.
The large-scale bombing at the site drew considerable attention, but it was impossible to keep everything under wraps.
Upon returning to the villa, Tony ordered Jarvis to block any visitors. He then took two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, handed one to Adrian, and sat on the sofa while drinking.
"What is going on with you? How did your strength increase so much, and your reflexes become so sharp? Honestly, Adrian, have you mutated? Have you become like those mutants, turning into a mutant yourself?!"
As Tony asked Adrian about his newfound abilities, Obadiah Stane also learned of their return. When he heard the news, his face turned quite ugly, and a terrible mix of anger and murderous intent appeared in his eyes.