Chapter 29: Tony Is Rescued

In the endless desert, two figures stood out against the vast, empty landscape.

One of them was Adam Wayne, clad in his sleek, black-and-white armor. The other was Tony Stark, battered and exhausted but alive after escaping the Ten Rings' base.

After dealing with the terrorists, Adam didn't feel like sticking around. He had immediately grabbed Tony and flown them both out to safety.

Now, as Tony gulped down water from the bottle Adam handed him, Adam couldn't resist throwing in a jab.

"Tony, you didn't expect me to save your ass, did you?"

He smirked, leaning against a nearby rock. "You guys at Stark Industries need to step it up. For someone as important as you, it sure took them long enough to even start looking."

Tony didn't rise to the bait. He was too busy trying to catch his breath, but his eyes kept darting toward Adam's armor, scanning every detail.

His gaze lingered for so long that Adam started to feel uncomfortable.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Adam finally asked.

"Nothing," Tony said quickly, though his tone betrayed him. "It's just… what the hell is that suit?"

Adam crossed his arms, knowing full well this conversation was inevitable.

"Steel armor."

Tony's eyes lit up, and Adam could already see the gears turning in his head.

"This is what you call 'steel armor'?" Tony asked, stepping closer to examine the design.

His gaze swept over the joints, the plating, and the reactor glowing faintly at the center.

"This thing's incredible. You're using a Mills reaction force buffer system, aren't you? And the propulsion—Hall thrusters, right? But this…"

He paused, squinting at the reactor on Adam's chest.

"This looks familiar."

Adam's lips twitched. He wasn't about to let Tony connect the dots.

"Ahem. It's my design," Adam said quickly, cutting off Tony's train of thought. "Cold fusion reactor. Built it myself."

Tony raised an eyebrow but didn't push.

"Not bad," he said, nodding in approval. "I've just started to crack the surface of cold fusion myself, but this…"

He shook his head, clearly impressed. "This is miles ahead of what I've been working on. Hell, I'm almost jealous."

Adam coughed awkwardly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Adam said, trying to deflect. "You did all that with nothing but scrap metal and spare parts. That's pretty damn impressive too."

Tony smirked at the compliment but quickly brushed it off.

"Impressive? Maybe. But compared to this? My armor looks like something out of a junkyard."

His eyes traced Adam's suit again, and the fire of inspiration was already burning in them.

"It's fine," Tony said confidently. "I'll make something better. Just wait and see."

Adam couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Tony Stark's confidence was something else, but Adam knew the truth. It wouldn't be so easy for Tony to surpass him—not with the technology Adam had access to.

Still, he decided not to crush Tony's enthusiasm.

"Sure," Adam said with a grin. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with."

Tony didn't catch the sarcasm in his tone.

Instead, he looked down at the damaged armor he'd built and shook his head.

"This thing's already obsolete," Tony muttered.

Adam smirked but didn't respond. Instead, he looked off into the distance, noticing a cloud of dust rising on the horizon.

"It's time for me to go," Adam said, stepping back.

Tony's head snapped up.

"Wait—what? You're leaving already?"

"The people looking for you are almost here," Adam explained. "I don't feel like answering any questions, so I'm out of here."

"Hold on! At least let me—"

"Don't tell anyone I was here," Adam cut him off. "Got it?"

Without waiting for an answer, Adam's thrusters ignited, and he soared into the sky, disappearing before the military helicopters approaching in the distance could spot him.

Tony watched him go, shielding his eyes against the glare of the sun.

"Show-off," Tony muttered, though there was a hint of admiration in his voice.

He slumped down onto the sand and let out a long breath.

He was alive.

But even as relief washed over him, his mind kept drifting back to Adam's armor—the sleek design, the advanced systems, and, most importantly, the cold fusion reactor.

Tony had seen many incredible things in his life, but this…

This was something else entirely.

The sound of helicopter blades snapped him out of his thoughts.

A black military chopper landed nearby, kicking up sand and dust.

Colonel James Rhodes jumped out, his eyes wide as he ran toward Tony.

"Tony! Jesus Christ, are you okay?"

Tony staggered to his feet with a weak grin.

"I'll live," he said. "But I need a cheeseburger and a drink. Now."

Rhodey laughed, clapping Tony on the back.

"Same old Tony."

As they climbed into the helicopter, Tony took one last look at the horizon where Adam had disappeared.

For the first time in his life, Tony Stark felt like he wasn't the smartest guy in the room.

And he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

But one thing was certain—he wasn't going to let it stay that way for long.

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