Tony

Authors Note-

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...

"I'm so glad you're alive! It's been a long time. Though I must say, your taste has gone downhill. That getup is hilarious. I'll have to keep that picture as a souvenir."

Seeing all the enemies defeated, Kyle emerged from his hiding spot and laughed at Tony for a while.

"Kyle, what are you doing here? And for your information, my taste hasn't changed. It's just the situation. I was stuck in a cave with only a hammer, and I still managed to knock out this super suit. It's pretty good considering the circumstances, and you want it to be beautiful, too? Fine, delete the picture. But don't blame me if I get rough otherwise," Tony Stark grumbled.

"Wow, that's cold. Here I am, saving your life, and all you can think about is a picture. Let me remind you: I hired the infamous Ciper mercenary group – the best in the business, at a hefty price! It would be best if you were thanking me. Don't worry about paying me back; give me all the Playboy covers for the next year," Tony's initial flicker of gratitude vanished at Kyle's last sentence.

"You haven't changed a bit. Fine, you want them? I just wanted to let you know that you got it. All the future covers are yours. Let's not argue about this again."

"Whoa, hold on. Tony Stark wouldn't just hand over a year's worth of covers without a fight. Are you sure you're the real Tony?" Kyle reached for the armor to open the mask. "Let me see your face."

"Stop messing around," Tony slapped Kyle's hand away.

"Seriously, Kyle, your personality is still awful. But honestly, I'm surprised you came to save me. Even more surprising is that you hired Ciper. They're the top dogs in the mercenary world, with a perfect mission success rate. They're known for being reliable but also incredibly picky about their jobs. Even their outside members are elite warriors, and the three core leaders supposedly have mysterious powers. Even the US government has tried and failed to recruit them. Did you manage to get them to work for you? Impressive."

Hearing a rare compliment from Tony, Kyle puffed up with pride.

"Of course, who am I, Kyle Shaw, if I couldn't pull something off? Let me tell you, these weren't just any Super members. I hired the core leaders themselves! How's that for impressive?"

Tony listened intently, but instead of feeling honored, a knot of unease formed in his stomach. He'd heard whispers and legends about Ciper, a mercenary group known for taking on missions involving mysterious powers. They were more explorers than fighters.

The mysterious leaders' involvement wasn't a coincidence. Tony wasn't naive. This mercenary group would need help to earn money. There had to be something more, some mysterious power that attracted them.

His first thought went to his pendant, a constant companion for years. But he quickly dismissed the idea. No one had ever noticed it. This couldn't be such a random coincidence. Was there something more to these terrorists? Some secret?

Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Tony forced himself to calm down and appear indifferent. He changed the subject.

"So, what happened to the company while I was gone? Is Pepper alright?"

"Ugh, classic you! Here I am, busting a gut to save you, and you're worried about your company and girlfriend first? Don't worry. Pepper's been holding down the fort at Stark Industries and keeping things stable. She's worried sick, and I have to say, you sound different somehow. Your body's the same, but you're a different person inside."

"After everything I've been through, you think I could stay the same? I almost died from a weapon made by my own company. Can you imagine what that's like?"

"I can't say for sure, but I can guess. Sounds like you're planning something big when you get back. Whatever it is, you have my support." A flicker of emotion crossed Tony's eyes.

"Thank you."

It was a rare word from him, and coming from Tony Stark, that meant something.

"Wow, hearing 'thank you' from the mighty Stark himself? That makes me smile; it's almost as good as ice cream. By the way, my private jet is arriving soon. Since I'm feeling generous, you can enjoy a ride."

"Seriously, take your suit. Help me get Yinsen, and I can fly myself."

"Tsundere much?" Kyle teased.

As soon as Tony finished speaking, a loud clang echoed beneath him. He'd activated the makeshift armor, and twin boosters roared to life. Tony was about to relish the freedom of flight, letting out a whoop of joy. But his cheer quickly turned into a scream.

The cobbled-together armor malfunctioned right after takeoff. Tony plummeted from the sky, his screams echoing before he crash-landed in the desert. The armor disintegrated on impact.

Kyle, overcome with glee, spotted a terrorist's off-road vehicle nearby. It was in good condition. He jumped in, started the engine, and raced to Tony's side. He whipped out his phone to capture Tony's dazed and embarrassed state in a flurry of photos. These pictures were sure to provide Kyle with endless amusement.

When Tony regained consciousness, he saw Kyle snapping photos with his phone. His eye twitched. "You jerk! Are you worried about pictures at a time like this? Help me up!"

"I'm sorry. This is just too good an opportunity," Kyle feigned remorse while helping Tony.

"Delete those pictures right now! And don't you dare breathe a word about what happened today, or we're through," Tony threatened, glaring at Kyle.

"Too late, I already sent them to someone."

"What?! Did you send them out? To who?!"

"A friend. And friends, don't snitch on friends," Kyle declared with a smirk before turning and walking away. He got back in the car and started to drive off.

"Come back here, you bastard!" Tony yelled after the car, utterly dumbfounded and frustrated.

After a bickering match that helped them recover, Kyle and Tony took the car back to the base to wait for Kyle's plane.

Back at the rundown base, the black-clad figures from the mercenary groups and Yinsen were waiting in the shade. Only Yinsen stepped forward to greet them upon seeing Kyle and Tony return. He hesitated to speak but wisely swallowed his words, noticing Tony's scowl.

The five sat silently for over ten minutes until a roar filled the air. A magnificent, ten-meter-long plane descended slowly. The plane's appearance alone screamed "nouveau riche," but that was to be expected. Kyle had spared no expense, even using satellite technology to create this luxurious aircraft.

The plane landed smoothly, and the door opened automatically. But the pilot that emerged was different from who they were expecting...

It was a white balloon figure!

The white balloon approached the group, vaguely resembling a human with stubby legs. "Greetings," it said in a mechanical voice. "I am Bai Max, a medical robot and aircraft pilot at your service."

He scanned everyone and then approached Tony Stark.

"Mr. Stark, you have multiple bruises and a serious chest injury. Additionally, there are fragments of metal near your heart. I recommend seeking medical attention as soon as possible."

Tony wasn't surprised by this. He'd seen it before, and each encounter left him a little jealous of this intelligent robot, far more advanced than his own Jarvis. As for his suggestion for immediate medical treatment, Tony could only sigh in resignation. He knew his condition; the fragments were too close to his heart.

Yinsen, however, was stunned and speechless. Robots had advanced to this level – medical robots that could fly planes? Rich people knew how to live.

The men in black from the mercenary groups remained unreadable. Their entire bodies, including their faces, were concealed by black armor. No matter how shocked they were, they wouldn't show it.

The robot proceeded to provide Tony with preliminary treatment. Meanwhile, Kyle, being the prankster he was, even considered "accidentally" dropping one of Tony's injured arms while they were moving him. He then led everyone towards the plane for boarding.

Just as everyone was about to board, the sudden roar of another aircraft filled the air. They turned their heads to see a helicopter approaching rapidly. A flash, a boom—a missile streaked toward Kyle's prized plane!

"Damn it!"

Kyle cursed, ready to shoot back. The other party's target was his meticulously crafted plane. If it got damaged, he wouldn't know where to cry.

But before Kyle could react, someone else acted faster. A black-clad figure raised a hand and fired a single shot, hitting the top of the missile. With a loud bang, the missile detonated in midair.