Because the base material of the current nano Iron Man suit is still titanium alloy, limitations in material performance cap its top flight speed at Mach 2.5.
However, even at that speed, it surpasses the F‑22 fighter's Mach 2.25—making its speed extraordinarily fast. Coupled with its super maneuverability, even an F‑22 is no match for the nano Iron Man suit.
This was why Peter was able to instantly defeat the F‑22 just now.
"9s, immediately connect to the satellite network. I need you to analyze Tony Stark's disappearance location in detail for any clues."
Peter flew across the Atlantic Ocean, heading toward the Middle East. At the suit's current top speed, the journey would take about two hours.
"Okay," replied 9s. "I've successfully hacked Pretty Country (USA)'s satellite network. Activating satellite detection function—starting to analyze Tony Stark's disappearance location."
"Analysis complete. Within a 100‑kilometer radius of Tony's last known disappearance, there are ten potential hiding spots."
"Since the kidnappers disappeared quickly after abducting Tony, their hiding spot must be fairly close," Peter thought. "No need for 100 kilometers—let's narrow it to 50 kilometers."
"Range reduced to 50 kilometers. Calculated hiding spots: five—three in urban areas, two in suburban locations."
"Exclude the urban spots. Focus on suburban locations that might have underground caves." Peter frowned. While others might not know the environment where Tony was held, Peter—as a transmigrator—knew very well. He reasoned Tony must be captured in an underground cave, likely near a canyon, with military supplies from Stark Industries piled outside.
For someone like Peter, with super‑AI 9s at his disposal, finding Tony wasn't difficult—but for anyone else, even the military, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. If not, they wouldn't still be clueless after so many days.
"Analysis complete. One location perfectly matches the criteria. Coordinates are ready."
"Do you require guided flight?" Peter nodded, handing over control of the nano-suit to 9s. "Guided flight enabled!"
In a secret cave in the Middle East—far from any cities—Tony Stark was holding a hammer, forging the final piece of the original Iron Man suit. Since his kidnapping and transfer to this hidden cave, he had used every ounce of wit and skill to outsmart the terrorists and attempt an escape.
By now he had constructed a miniature arc reactor to stop shrapnel from reaching his heart. Using steel from various disassembled military weapons, he had forged an Iron Man suit. Powered by the arc reactor in his chest, this suit would allow him to fight and potentially escape. Now, he just needed to complete the final assembly.
"As long as I fasten this last piece, the suit will be finished," Tony said confidently.
In this dark, sunless cave, he had endured immense suffering and faced truths that rocked his core. His fundamental values had shifted—now he longed only to end this nightmare and return to the world he belonged to.
"Dr. Ethan, thanks for taking care of me all this time. I think today we can get out of this hellhole."
Dr. Ethan adjusted his glasses and revealed no sign of relaxation. He had been captured far longer than Tony and understood the terrorists' cruelty much better. He'd seen many who thought they could escape end up dead. The only reason he survived was excessive caution.
"Tony, today's the deadline for delivering the cluster submunitions—they're due at 5 PM. But given what I know of these terrorists, they'll come early. If they see the Iron Man suit, they'll kill us on the spot."
"I understand. Let's speed things up." Tony began putting on the suit with Ethan's help.
He barely finished when they heard rapid banging on the door. Tony and Dr. Ethan stiffened.
"Damn—it can't be! They can't have seen the suit. We're in a camera blind spot!"
"I told you, they're more cunning than you think. They wouldn't make it easy."
"It's only 1 PM—plenty of time until the deadline. How did they come so early?" Tony muttered, then hit the activation switch. A progress bar appeared on the small computer screen, showing "initializing… 30% complete."
"Unless we hold them off for several minutes, the suit will be awake and . . ." Tony trailed off.
"Open the door, now!" a furious voice yelled from outside.
Dr. Ethan's face tightened. He knew negotiations wouldn't delay them much.
"Ethan, try to stall—say we're in final preparations." Tony whispered.
Ethan shouted back in the terrorists' language, pleading for more time and claiming they needed final tests before handing over the submunitions. But the words had no effect. They heard gunshots hitting the door.
At that moment, Tony remembered the bomb he'd rigged to the doorknob. As soon as bullets struck, Boom! A deafening explosion killed several terrorists outside. The iron door—now destroyed—lay twisted on the ground.
That blast cleared their path—but loud noises would likely draw reinforcements. Their situation just got more dangerous.
Dr. Ethan realized the stakes. Without hesitation, he grabbed a submachine gun from the floor.
"Tony—I'll hold them off," he said.
"No," Tony replied, still hopeful.
"Tony, this is your plan. I'm doing what needs to be done." With a sad smile, Ethan rushed out.
Meanwhile, in another room in the cave, a strange, flickering light suddenly flashed. A dark, liquid-like creature appeared on the ceiling, eerily silent. Then it dropped—like a black droplet of water—straight onto the terrorist leader.
In an instant, the creature entered him through one of his orifices—mouth, nose, eyes, ears, nasal passage. In mere seconds, it had fully possessed his body.
"Oh—what a terrible body," it whispered inside the host's mind. "But only usable for now…"
Analysis:
Peter's nano‑suit capabilities show significant tactical advantage—hypersonic speed and agility.
Tony uses ingenuity under pressure—his DIY arc reactor and weaponized suit.
Dr. Ethan is the unsung hero—selflessly delaying terrorists.
The mysterious black entity introduces a chilling supernatural element. What will it do next?
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