Fusion

'Wait. Will it hurt?' Leon asked the system in his mind.

The system's voice crackled in his mind:

[Yes. The integration will inflict temporary physical stress. Please find a quiet, undisturbed place.]

'Let's wait a moment,' Leon replied quickly, then strode purposefully toward the villa.

As Leon was moving towards his room, Tony called out from the living room, where he lounged on the sofa watching a movie.

"Leon, you're back, dinner's ready," Tony said.

"I'm skipping dinner, I got some things to take care of. And if you hear any weird sounds, don't worry," Leon replied.

Tony's laughter followed. "For how long are you going to depend on your hand, buddy? Maybe it's time you find a girl to help you out with that urge!"

Shaking his head, Leon turned away. He knew better than to waste time, every second counted.

"Jarvis, please enhance the sound insulation in my room," Leon instructed the AI as he opened his room's door.

"Yes, Mr. Stark," Jarvis responded in his calm, measured tone.

Inside his room, though Leon saw no immediate visible change, he trusted Jarvis's system was already at work. He collapsed onto his bed, took a deep breath, and activated the system with a thought inside his head 'Hey system, can you hear me?'

[Host, I can hear you] the mechanical voice replied.

'Excellent. Initiate fusion now!'

Leon's eyes blazed with determination.

[Initiating fusion] The system intoned just before an intense, burning sensation shot through Leon's body. In an instant, his skin prickled with the agony of integration.

He cried out, his voice raw with pain. "Ahh!" The pain was unlike anything he'd ever experienced, a relentless, fiery torment that made him feel as though he were enduring a hundred layers of torture. Leon's vision blurred, and he was on the verge of fainting.

[Host, if you faint, it may compromise the fusion process] the system warned in a calm, detached tone.

Gritting his teeth through the pain, Leon muttered, "I-I'm not fainting. Just hold on."

Every second stretched out like an eternity, but eventually, the excruciating agony subsided after less than five minutes, yet feeling like an eternity of hellish torment.

"Master Leon, your vitals indicate significant distress. Shall I alert Mr. Tony?" Jarvis's concerned voice echoed from the speaker.

Leon managed a weak chuckle. "No, my condition is fine," he replied, though his voice trembled.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Jarvis pressed.

"Yeah... I'm sure." With great effort, Leon forced himself off the bed, his body still trembling from the ordeal, and staggered toward the bathroom. .

After what felt like ten minutes, Leon emerged from the bathroom. 

Standing before the full-length mirror, he inspected his reflection. In the glass stared a striking face with a chiseled jawline. His physique had transformed, his arms and abdomen were now sculpted.

He flexed experimentally, feeling the raw strength in his muscles, a strength that far surpassed what he'd possessed when he'd first crossed over. Yet, this newfound power was still raw and untamed. Earlier, going in for a shower, his uncontrolled strength had even broken the heavy door knob.

Leon took a deep breath. This just changed everything. If he played his cards right, he might actually have a shot at surviving this world. Maybe even thriving in it. But first, He had a trip to Afghanistan to prepare for.