Chapter 47: Pietro Is Attacked
Orion Cross and the others returned to the cave.
"Oh! Shit! Why are we back in this damn place again?!"
Tony covered his nose and kicked the trash on the ground with a disgusted expression.
"To be honest, Tony, you smell about the same as this place," Yinsen said with a rather merciless laugh.
"Do I? No wonder that maid looked like she was in pain the moment she got near me."
Tony raised his hand and sniffed it, instantly looking conflicted.
"All right, keep forging your iron. I’m going out first."
Orion Cross clapped his hands and walked toward the door.
"Wait, you’re not taking us with you?"
Tony shouted in surprise and suspicion.
"You still don’t believe in magic, so I can’t make a move." Orion Cross spread his hands, expressing his helplessness.
"Oh, come on! Are you a missionary? Why do you have to make me believe in magic..."
Hearing Orion Cross say that again, Tony immediately felt a headache coming on.
He had heard of people forcing others to convert to religion, but he had never heard of anyone forcing others to believe in magic.
"You can think of it that way."
Orion Cross was too lazy to make up any other explanation, so he directly admitted it. "If you ever reach the point where you can place science and magic on the same level, then find a way to send out a signal. I’ll act immediately."
After saying that, a Demon Gun burning with deep crimson flames appeared in Orion Cross’s hand. He aimed it at the door and fired.
Bang!
The lock was destroyed. Orion Cross opened the door and was just about to go out when he suddenly thought of something. He turned back to look at the two people inside the cave. "Right, you’d better not think about following me. The security outside is tight. If you go out, you’ll probably be shot into a sieve..."
"And you’d better pray that no one noticed while we disappeared just now."
After saying that, Orion Cross walked out and slammed the iron door shut with a bang.
"Then we don’t need you! I’ll leave with my own strength!"
Tony shouted at the door, refusing to admit defeat.
"You said it yourself."
Orion Cross glanced at the two people inside the cave, then turned and left.
[Iron Man Series Mission: Science and Magic. Mission progress: 43%.]
"Six minutes left. That should be enough."
After leaving the cave, Orion Cross estimated how much time he had left before his War Aspect transformation ended. Then he turned into a streak of starlight and shot out.
The guards standing at the entrance only felt a light breeze brush past them. One rubbed his itchy nose, exchanged a glance with the other, then picked up his gun and checked the surroundings. After confirming there was no problem, he returned to his original position.
Inside the cave, Tony and Yinsen looked at each other.
"Looks like we can only rely on ourselves."
Tony walked to the table and picked up the blueprint.
"That’s right. And I might need to think about how to explain to them why the door was opened."
Yinsen put on his glasses and walked up to Tony, staring at the Hextech energy core in his chest. "How do you feel now? Any discomfort?"
"No. On the contrary, I feel full of energy."
Tony touched the core and replied.
Magic really was a miraculous kind of science.
[Iron Man Series Mission: Science and Magic. Mission progress: 47%.]
Beep, beep.
In the desert, Orion Cross was half crouched and preparing to leap into the sky when the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
"There’s signal even here? As expected of the 8848 S.H.I.E.L.D. professional phone."
Orion Cross took out the phone, complained under his breath, and answered the call.
"Hello? Wanda, what’s wrong on your side?"
"Brother Orion Cross, something bad happened! A strange man is trying to take Pietro away! The school security guards are no match for him at all. He beat them all down!"
Wanda’s anxious cry came from the other end of the phone.
"Okay, don’t worry. Give me two minutes. I’ll be there right away."
Orion Cross frowned slightly and hung up.
Someone wanted to take Pietro away? If they were coming after him, should they not have taken Wanda too?
Orion Cross was a little puzzled, but the simplest way to clear up his doubts was to go ask in person.
Boom!
The desert ground suddenly caved in, and Orion Cross’s figure vanished from the center.
On the playground of Anderson Academy in Manhattan, more than a dozen security guards lay collapsed beside the soccer goal. The other children and teachers were hiding in the distance, staring at the strong man standing in the middle, a man filled with violent aesthetics.
"Pietro, listen to me. I need your help. This concerns everyone’s future."
The strong man placed both hands on Pietro’s shoulders and stared seriously into his eyes.
"I... What do you want me to do?"
Pietro looked completely confused, but in order to buy time, he decided to first go along with what this "madman" was saying.
"Save this world."
Seeing that Pietro was no longer resisting, the strong man let out a long breath and released him.
"Save the world? But I’m just an ordinary person. I don’t have any superpowers..."
Pietro carefully looked at the man in front of him, who had taken down more than a dozen security guards, and spoke.
"No. You do."
The strong man narrowed his eyes as he looked at Pietro.
"You..."
Pietro was just about to refute him when he suddenly remembered that he had been the superhero "Silver Musketeer" for a few days back in Sokovia. Could the person in front of him be a witness from back then?
"Time is tight. I’ll explain on the way. Hurry and come with me."
The strong man grabbed Pietro’s hand and started walking toward the school gate.
"Wait!"
"I really am just an ordinary person right now. If you’re really in some kind of trouble, my sister has already contacted someone. He’ll definitely be able to help you!"
Pietro broke free from the strong man’s hand and spoke.
For some reason, Pietro felt that the man in front of him did not seem like a lunatic. His eyes were filled with rationality.
"Sister?"
The strong man glanced at Wanda, who was looking up at the sky nearby, then walked over. "Does your sister have any special ability? If necessary, it would be best for her to join our team too..."
Boom!
The moment the strong man walked up to Wanda, he was sent flying. His head was pressed against the grass and dragged dozens of meters across the ground.
"Oh, big bro, you’re finally here! Too slow!"
Seeing Orion Cross appear, Pietro finally let out a sigh of relief. His legs went weak, and he sat down on the ground.
"Do you know where I rushed back from? And you’re still calling me slow?"
Orion Cross replied speechlessly, then looked at the strong man in the pit.
"You still alive? Make a sound."