Testing

Leon flexed his hands, feeling the suit's strength hum through him. "Hey, Tony, did you slap DNA locks on this portable armor?" his voice edged with curiosity. He shot a sidelong glance at Tony Stark, who was lounging against a workbench, smirking like he'd just cracked the universe's code.

"Of course," Tony replied, twirling a stylus between his fingers. "No ID, no dice. What if some punk swipes it? Can't have my genius walking off without me."

Leon smirked faintly, biting back a quip. 'In the movies, Rhodey snagged your suit with just a nudge, no fancy DNA tech there.' He didn't say it aloud. 

Leon's gene-extraction system gave him an edge, but the suit could save his ass in a pinch in dangerous times.

He dove into testing it, flexing his fists, rolling his shoulders, and pacing the lab to get a feel for the fit. The armor hugged him tight, amplifying every move with a quiet hum of power. Satisfied, he triggered the thrusters, lifting off the ground with a jolt. The lab blurred as he hovered, testing the controls.

Tony watched from the sidelines, arms crossed, a sly grin tugging at his lips. 'First flight's always a circus', he thought. He failed plenty of times himself, slamming into walls, ceilings, you name it, when he first took his armor for a spin. Leon, with no flight experience, was bound to eat dirt. Tony leaned back, ready for a laugh, and murmured to JARVIS, "Get the cameras rolling, let's immortalize this."

But Leon defied the script. His first wobble came fast, he tilted mid-air, a rookie misstep, and pitched toward the floor. Tony's grin widened, expecting a crash. Then, in a blink, Leon twisted, his spider-sense flaring. His body flipped mid fall, waist snapping into a graceful arc, landing him upright with a thud.

Tony's jaw dropped. "Well, damn."

Leon didn't stop. He launched again, thrusters roaring, testing the suit over and over. In just seven minutes, he had mastered the flight, hovering steady in the air.

Tony stared, a mix of awe and mock indignation on his face. Sure, he flew like a pro now, but nailing it that fast? It'd taken him weeks of crashes and tweaks. "You're showing off, you know that?"

Leon landed, smirking as he flexed his armored hands. "Just getting the hang of it. Nice toy, though."

Tony snorted, shaking his head. "Toy? This is art, bro, and speaking of…" He trailed off, eyes glinting with that reckless spark.

...….

Meanwhile, just outside the seaside villa, a squad of figures clad in black gear crept through the shadows, their faces hidden behind masks.

One of them raised a hand, signaling the group. Another pulled an electromagnetic pulse device from his pack, flipping it on with a faint hum. The air crackled as it disrupted the villa's systems, just enough to throw JARVIS off balance. Then, a third hefted a shoulder mounted rocket launcher, aimed it at the front door, and fired.

The blast tore through door and sent debris flying. Tony's villa shuddered under the impact, alarms blaring to life as JARVIS's voice cut through the chaos: "Intruder alert, security breach detected."

Tony and Leon didn't need the warning. The explosion's shockwave rattled the lab, a fierce growl echoing through the walls. Tony's face darkened, his grin vanishing. "They're here and they're not screwing around. Rockets? Really?"

Leon's eyes narrowed, his smirk replaced by a cold edge. "Told you Obadiah wouldn't wait."

Tony's fists clenched, fury bubbling beneath his sarcasm. "Bastards. Fine, guess it's time to test this suit for real." He slammed his foot on the briefcase before fully encasing him in the armor.

...…

Four figures in black night gear stormed the breach, UMP-9 gleaming in their hands.

Outside, more shadowed figures swarmed the perimeter, grappling hooks clawing onto balconies and open windows, infiltrating from every angle. Their mission was clear, to find the missing bodyguard Leon had nabbed. If he was here, silence him, permanently. If not, rough up Tony Stark, snag some tech secrets, and bolt. Killing Tony? Too messy. Obadiah Stane wasn't ready to burn that bridge in the U.S., not yet. The fallout would be a nightmare, and he couldn't dodge a full-scale investigation. So he'd sent these goons instead, banking on plausible deniability.

The intruders didn't mess around. JARVIS's smart locks? Useless, they smashed through every secured door with C4 charge, tearing from the first floor up to the second. The lab was accessible only via a hidden passage on the second floor, a secret chute Tony had rigged for emergencies.

Tony snapped his helmet shut, the red-and-gold suit gleaming under the lab lights. "So, Leon, what's the plan? We nab these clowns or just knock them flat?"

Leon smirked, flexing his hands in his own portable armor. "Let's take them down."

Tony's grin widened, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Oh, it's on. How about a bet? Whoever bags fewer, washes the winner's shocks for a month. Deal?"

Leon snorted, raising a brow. "You? Washing socks? I'd pay to see that."

"Sounds like you're scared you'll lose," Tony shot back, his voice dripping with mock confidence.

"Please," Leon said, smirking. "I've got this in the bag."

"We'll see about that," Tony huffed, then rocketed upward without another word. His thrusters blazed, propelling him through the lab's ceiling hatch, a custom exit JARVIS flipped open straight toward the villa's front gate.

Leon didn't flinch at Tony's showy exit. His eyes flicked to the stairs leading up from the lab, and he charged, the armor's repulsors humming as he bolted to the second floor.

"JARVIS, heat scan, find me those terrorists," Leon ordered, his voice steady as he hit the landing.

"Yes, sir." JARVIS replied, crisp and efficient. The HUD in Leon's suit flared to life, thermal signatures lighting up like beacons.

He locked onto them instantly, four intruders tearing through a room just ahead. Without breaking stride, Leon barreled toward them, his armored boots pounding the floor.

The terrorists froze as he burst in, a towering figure in gleaming steel. They'd never seen anything like this. Shock flickered across their hidden faces, but training kicked in fast. Four UMP-9s snapped up, spitting a storm of bullets straight at Leon.

He didn't dodge. No need. The rounds slammed into his suit, pinging off like hail on a tin roof. He charged through the gunfire, closing the gap in a heartbeat. His left fist rocketed forward, piercing one of the terrorist's gut. The man crumpled with a choked *Pfft!* blood sprayed from his mouth as he flew back, crashing into the wall. He slumped to the floor, lifeless.

"Shit! What the hell is that?!" one of the remaining three asked, his voice cracking.

"Keep firing, blast through him!" another roared.

They unloaded again, a desperate barrage of bullets. This time, Leon didn't tank it. He moved, dodging with fluid twists, each sidestep a blur. The rounds whizzed past, tearing into walls and furniture as he closed in.

The suit amplified his already razor sharp reflexes, boosting his speed to inhuman levels. In a flash, he was on them, a predator among prey.