24: Tony's Armor Begins To Collapse

A golden light flashed. 

The Emperor's Armor appeared again.

After this time exercising and spiritual practice. 

The golden glow around the Emperor's armor looked even more dazzling.

This represented Andrew's strength constantly increasing.

"S.H.I.E.L.D and Tony have likely found this area already. Can't just fly out openly like before."

"Transform!"

Andrew's figure blurred for a moment, then he arrived at the spot where he had transformed previously. 

That's when Andrew materialized. 

On the S.H.I.E.L.D mothership.

The monitor in Hill's hand immediately beeped. 

"Boss, the mech just reappeared!"

Nick Fury took the monitor from Hill's hands, his dark expression barely changing. 

He just asked flatly: "Where did it show up this time?"

"The same place it vanished last time." 

Hill replied.

Nick Fury narrowed his eye, then stated, "Bring Phil Coulson back, he's been spotted."

When Nick Fury spoke, Hill immediately responded. 

She picked up a satellite phone and dialed.

On the other end, Phil Coulson was dozing in his car when the satellite phone rang.

He jerked violently awake. 

With a bang, his head hit the roof. 

"Oh sh*t..."

Phil Coulson swiftly grabbed the sat phone. "Hello Miss Hill."

"She said you've been spotted, mission's over. Come back." 

"What?"

Phil Coulson looked incredulous. 

Before he could ask anything more, Hill had hung up. 

Staring at the satellite phone, Phil Coulson was still confused. 

I, a senior agent, was discovered? 

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

But the retreat order had been given...

Phil Coulson had no choice but to comply.

...

"Watch him and see where he's headed!" 

Nick Fury mobilized all of S.H.I.E.L.D's resources to monitor Andrew. 

He didn't believe Andrew could vanish from sight this time.

"Let's see who you really are." 

Nick Fury spoke solemnly.

Tony's house.

Though Tony was missing now. 

J.A.R.V.I.S still had its AI running independently.

It immediately switched to surveillance mode when Andrew materialized. 

Andrew hovered midair surrounded by massive transparent light screens. 

Appearing to check direction and coordinates. 

"This side should be accurate!"

Andrew knew S.H.I.E.L.D and J.A.R.V.I.S had eyes on him now. 

"Meditation Seal!"

Andrew pressed both hands to his belt. 

A ripple emanated out with him at the center, and everything within range entered a state of absolute stillness.

In a fifty kilometer radius, besides Andrew, all was forcibly halted. 

Including light!

Light couldn't continue propagating in this zone, rendering optical surveillance of Andrew futile. 

"It will automatically release in thirty seconds."

Andrew moved swiftly, flying toward Tony's location. 

In S.H.I.E.L.D's view, the mech just stayed motionless! 

Not moving at all!

"What's happening? What's he doing?" 

Even Nick Fury with his intellect was perplexed. 

Not to mention Hill beside him.

The two stared wide-eyed at the screen.

Every monitor that could be called was locked onto Andrew. 

But without exception, the same frozen image was captured.

Thirty seconds later, the "Meditation Seal" ended.

"Holy sh*t, what the hell was that!"

Nick Fury's classic foul-mouthed mantra burst out instantly.

Because in that instant, the mech seemed to vanish from existence. 

It disappeared without a trace.

Such an ability was incomprehensible to him, and even more unacceptable. 

He had utilized nearly every surveillance method S.H.I.E.L.D possessed.

Yet it was gone anyway. 

He hadn't felt so frustrated since becoming the SHIELD Director. 

"Hill. Find him for me!" 

"He must've been headed somewhere he didn't want us seeing. Use every resource worldwide to locate him!"

He punched Hill's monitor in fury. 

"Yes sir!" 

Hill responded right away and got to it. 

Meanwhile.

In another part of New York. 

A bald woman in a yellow hoodie stood on a rooftop, gazing intently in a certain direction. 

She whispered, "This is...the power of time." 

After half an hour.

On a stretch of yellow sand. 

Andrew stood amid debris on the ground and explosion traces everywhere.

"This should be the right spot."

Next was finding where Tony was being held by the Ten Rings. 

Andrew remained in place, arms spread. 

He released the spiritual energy cultivated recently through the Emperor's armor.

Like an enormous net, it unfurled outwards with Andrew at the core. 

Ten kilometers... 

Twenty kilometers...

Twenty-five kilometers... 

Thirty kilometers...

...

"Got you..."

Andrew was elated. 

With the correct bearing and distance, he could teleport. 

Suddenly, he arrived atop a sandstone canyon.

Below was the cave where Tony was captive.

"Meditation Seal!"

The seal activated again, freezing the Ten Rings members patrolling under him.

Inside the cave. 

Tony, typing the suit code, also stopped. 

Yinsen beside him held a screwdriver mid-turn. 

Andrew slowly approached Tony's side, seeing the blueprints stacked on the computer.

He nodded, satisfied. 

"Luckily Tony's still Tony. Losing you would really cost me." 

This was the Mark 1 design. 

It looked a little different?

Andrew picked up the schematic to inspect it, and his mouth twitched. 

The Mark 1 head wasn't the classic cylindrical shape. 

More a helmet with exaggerated eyepieces.

Those lenses - Andrew knew them very well.

Weren't they the same as his Emperor's armor? 

"So I was the one who inspired Tony's Mark 1 design..."

Andrew had a strange look. 

Although Tony still built the Mark 1...

The suits' evolution seemed to have altered because of him...

"Oh well, time to go!" 

After Andrew left, the Meditation Seal lifted. 

Tony, typing code, noticed his drawings were disturbed.

"Yinsen, did you mess with my designs?"

"No, I've been working on you..."

Tony shrugged, perhaps just a lapse in memory from fatigue. 

As he finished the last power code, Tony's mouth twisted, eyeing the pile of parts strewn about. 

"Yinsen, you ready?"

"Tomorrow morning, we're getting out of here..."

...To be continued.