Chapter 44: Do You Believe in Magic?
Orion Cross took out his phone, naturally to contact the Ancient One.
Although constantly looking for the Ancient One like this made it feel like he was treating her as a tool, who told the position of Sorcerer Supreme to come with built-in GPS navigation?
In order to protect Earth’s dimension, every person and every place on Earth was a coordinate for the Sorcerer Supreme.
[Orion Cross: You there, tool?]
After sending the message, Orion Cross put the phone back into his pocket and waited for the Ancient One’s reply.
"Um... are you casting some kind of spell?"
Hill looked at Orion Cross with an expression as if she had seen a ghost, while Susan beside her was also full of curiosity.
"What?"
Orion Cross froze slightly, then followed their gazes and looked down. A circle flickering with sparks had appeared beneath his feet.
"Damn, is the great Sorcerer Supreme really this petty?"
"Ladies, bye."
Orion Cross gave the two of them a helpless expression and spread his hands.
Whoosh.
Orion Cross, along with the sofa, fell into the portal.
At that moment, on the rooftop of the New York Sanctum, the Ancient One was wearing sunglasses as she lay on a recliner drinking juice, casually waving a finger.
At the same time, inside a secret base covered by yellow sand somewhere in the Middle East, Tony Stark was lying exhausted beside a water basin. He had only recently escaped death, yet now he was being threatened by terrorists to manufacture Jericho missiles.
Why had Stark weapons appeared in the hands of terrorists? How was he supposed to survive? How could he escape this place? Should he give in?
Countless questions filled his mind, and for a moment, the pain in his head surpassed even the hollow ache in his chest.
"He only just escaped danger. It would be best for him to rest for a few days. Even if he doesn’t rest, he can’t do any high-intensity work..."
"I’ll help you persuade him. He’ll become your sheep to fleece, but only if that sheep stays alive."
On the other side, Yinsen, who understood the local language, was doing his best to defend Tony.
"Tomorrow. Tell him he has to start working tomorrow! Otherwise, both of you are finished!"
The terrorist leader glanced at Tony, warned Yinsen, then turned and left with his men.
Bang!
The heavy iron door was slammed shut and locked from the outside.
In the dim room, aside from a little light, there was only the old camera above their heads flickering faintly.
Tony was dispirited and had given up on himself, while Yinsen did his best to encourage him and restore his fighting spirit.
After Yinsen’s tireless efforts, Tony finally barely managed to regain the will to resist.
The two lay down on the old wooden plank beds, preparing to rest and wait for tomorrow to arrive.
Boom!
A thunderous noise instantly woke both men, who had only just closed their eyes.
"What the hell?"
"God, where did he come from?"
Tony and Yinsen looked toward the source of the sound. A brand-new sofa stood completely out of place on top of a pile of trash in the corner of the cave, and someone was sitting on it.
"Shit, this place stinks."
Orion Cross stood up from the sofa in disgust and stepped away from the pile of garbage.
"Who are you? How did you... suddenly appear there?"
Yinsen was the first to ask the question in both their minds.
Orion Cross did not answer him. Instead, he walked step by step toward Tony Stark, who was holding a battery to keep himself alive.
"Do you know something? I recently took in a pair of siblings."
"They told me that not long ago, their parents died in an accident."
"The two of them almost died as well. Fortunately, that Stark Industries missile seemed to have quality issues and didn’t explode."
As he listened to Orion Cross’s words, the curiosity in Tony’s eyes gradually changed and flickered. He glanced aside, not daring to meet Orion Cross’s gaze directly.
Ever since he had been attacked by a missile, he had not dared to think in that direction. Just how much military support had his company provided to terrorists, and how many people had it killed?
"So, you’re here to thank me?"
Tony pressed his lips together, his eyes slightly red as he raised his head to look at Orion Cross, forcing out a smile.
"Stark!"
Yinsen’s eyes filled with anxiety. He stepped forward and grabbed Tony’s arm, then hurriedly apologized to Orion Cross. "I’m sorry. He was just hit by a missile not long ago, so his head might have been injured."
Anyone with a normal mind could see that Orion Cross, who had suddenly appeared inside a completely sealed prison cell, was definitely not an ordinary person. Was provoking him not the same as courting death?
"Do you believe in magic?"
"That younger sister whose parents were indirectly killed because of you will one day be able to crush you to death as easily as this."
Orion Cross picked up a small tomato beside him, casually crushed it, and tossed it aside. "So your life will be kept for now. Whether they want it or not will depend on them."
"Then what are you here for? To keep me from dying early?"
Tony walked to the side with difficulty, sat down, exhaled, and asked.
"What else? To rescue you, playboy."
Orion Cross walked to the table and flipped through the few drawings that represented the first-generation Iron Man armor. "But before that, you have to do one thing first."
"What thing?" Tony asked.
"First answer me. Do you believe in magic?"
Orion Cross glanced at the triggered mission and asked.
[Iron Man Series Mission: Science and Magic: Make the technological maniac Tony Stark believe in magic, reaching at least 50%.]