"Monster, monster!" Seeing the bodies of his comrades, the last remaining terrorist was filled with fear and immediately turned to run, trying to draw the attention of others.
Natasha glanced at the surrounding guns and ammunition, picked up a firearm from the ground, and fired a burst of bullets at a bomb provided by Stark Industries, while swiftly charging forward.
A massive explosion erupted behind Natasha, and the terrifying blast wave and flames sent her flying. In mid-air, she twisted her body and landed steadily on the ground. Watching the roaring flames behind her, her heart pounded uncontrollably.
Such a terrifying explosion would have torn her to pieces if not for the Venom Suit she was wearing. But now, thanks to this suit, she was unharmed, making her increasingly fond of Yang Han.
Future missions would be much simpler.
Natasha swayed her hips as she slowly walked into the cave.
...
"98%, 99%, 100%!"
"System loaded!"
Yinsen watched as the progress bar reached 100%, and Tony Stark nodded. The reactor in the chest of the armor dimmed for a moment before lighting up brightly.
Tony Stark donned an iron suit, giving off a heavy and menacing vibe.
Tony Stark adjusted to the flexibility of the armor and signaled Yinsen to pick up a submachine gun, just in case.
"Yinsen, let's go."
Tony Stark, piloting the Mark I, charged out of the cave. Outside, there were pathetically few terrorists, as Tony Stark was considered a non-combatant, and a dozen guards were deemed sufficient. However, the explosion had drawn away more men to investigate, leaving even fewer behind.
The flamethrowers on the Mark I's arms activated, spewing flames at the surrounding terrorists. Upon seeing the massive Mark I, the terrorists hesitated for a moment before frantically firing their assault rifles at Iron Man.
Soon, someone set up a Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun and began firing at Tony.
The Mark I, developed by Tony at this point, wasn't as sturdy as an armored vehicle, but fortunately, the terrorists didn't have such advanced ammunition.
Even so, the standard 12.7MM caliber bullets made it difficult for Tony to advance.
"Damn it!" Tony cursed, forcibly steadying his retreating steps and manually launching a missile from his forearm.
A crossbow-style man-portable missile, produced by Stark Industries, simple to operate and highly powerful.
A missile launched, drawing a perfect arc, and directly hit the heavy machine gun position. In the deafening explosion, the entire machine gun position was reduced to rubble.
With the machine gun's firepower gone, Tony, aided by the Mark I Armor, charged almost invincibly out of the cave.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a scream came from ahead, and Tony, piloting the Mark I, stopped. His gaze fell on a figure in a black tight suit with a Black Widow pattern on the back and abdomen.
Her figure was incredibly alluring. Under normal circumstances, he would have approached to flirt and perhaps suggest a more intimate evening. But now, all he wanted was to escape, with no other thoughts in mind.
Natasha twisted the neck of the last terrorist, looking in astonishment at the menacing giant mech before her, incredulously saying, "Is this Tony Stark?"
"Who else could develop such armor in just six days? Tony Stark truly lives up to his genius reputation," Yang Han remarked.
"Unbelievable," Natasha couldn't help but say.
"I think you should step aside now," Yang Han reminded.
Natasha snapped back to reality, nodded slightly at the ready Tony, and turned to leave without hesitation.
Tony, looking at the raging fire around him, grabbed Yinsen, pressed the red button on his left arm, and the Mark I emitted a long white gas from its feet. The heavy iron suit suddenly lifted off, trailing a long white line as it flew into the distance.
Natasha watched the flying Mark I and contacted the U.S. military, saying, "I've found Tony Stark. I repeat, I've found Tony Stark."
Colonel Rhodey's voice immediately came through the phone, asking Natasha to report the coordinates.
After reporting the approximate coordinates, Natasha returned to her jeep, chasing after the flying Tony in the sky.
Soon, due to energy issues, the Mark I Tony had built began to crash onto the beach, breaking into a heap of scrap metal. Fortunately, both men were unharmed.
Thanks to the coordinates Natasha provided, it wasn't long before U.S. military helicopters located Tony.
Natasha drove her car and quietly merged into the U.S. military forces.
"How did you find this guy?" Hawkeye asked with a smile. Searching for someone in Afghanistan for almost a week wasn't a pleasant experience.
Now that the mission was complete, the prospect of returning to the United States was quite pleasing.
"A woman's intuition," Natasha replied with a faint smile, brushing off the question.
"Oh, a woman's intuition is truly amazing," Hawkeye shrugged, watching Tony and Yinsen board the helicopter before turning to board a plane himself. Soon, they would be back in New York.
He also took the opportunity to report the situation to Nick Fury, preparing to return home.
After boarding the helicopter, the accompanying physician immediately began treating Stark. Tony Stark vouched for Yinsen, given their life-and-death bond. Without Yinsen, he might not have made it out alive.
Yinsen, however, declined Tony's invitation, opting for the arrangements of the U.S. military, who planned to send him back to his country for resettlement. The military wanted to recruit Yinsen for their service, but he refused—aware of the dangers of the armor technology, he decided not to disclose it to anyone.
The helicopter returned to Bagram Air Base, and Tony was transferred to his private plane, while Natasha and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents boarded their plane, beginning their journey back home.
"Six days of searching, endless sandstorms, hot winds, and the scorching sun—these are terrible for a woman's skin. I think I need to take good care of my skin," Natasha remarked, gazing at the scenery outside the window.
"If you want to rest, it's not possible just yet. Director Fury informed me of something he wants you to investigate, related to the U.S. military's Super Soldier Program from three years ago," Hawkeye said.