...
Outside the launch silo under the cliff of Bin Hai Villa.
Tony, clad in his Mark 3, hovered in mid-air, waiting impatiently, muttering to himself, 'What's that kid doing? He's so slow...'
Just then.
Whoosh—
A whooshing sound came from the already open launch silo, and then Leon, driving the Jet Glider, flashed out, accelerating without hesitation and speeding into the distance.
"Hey, this is naked provocation!"
Tony's brow, hidden under his helmet, arched. The Mark 3's palm and foot thrusters immediately increased power, chasing after Leon.
The two Brothers were like two birds freely playing, chasing each other in the air, full of joy.
Since Leon only wanted to test the Jet Glider's acceleration and load resistance performance, when he reached a top speed of Mach 5 after 13 seconds and felt much more comfortable than driving a car, he began to slow down, waiting for Tony, who was being pulled further and further behind.
Soon.
Tony caught up and complained to Leon, "You did that on purpose, didn't You?"
"You can't keep up and You blame me?"
Leon shrugged, continuing in a Versailles-like tone, "I thought the Mark 3 could fly that fast too."
"You couldn't possibly think that with Your brain."
"Mach 2.5 is the limit of what can be achieved right now."
Tony rolled his eyes and said, "With the same technical support, a large motorcycle like the Jet Glider can be made by simply piling on materials, but when applied to the Mark, there's a lot more I need to consider."
"After all, the Mark is designed for people to wear, so I must maximize its limited space to create optimal performance and cost-effectiveness, finding a balance between the weapon system, power system, and various other auxiliary systems."
Tony tended to chatter when he talked about his Mark, and Leon listened quietly with gratitude.
"So, why don't You build an unmanned one?"
Leon suddenly asked curiously.
"Good question."
"I asked Rhodes a similar question before."
Tony replied, "He said that no matter how well an unmanned fighter performs, it can't adapt spontaneously like a human, so AI can only serve as human assistance, and the final decision must and can only be made by humans."
"I think he has a point."
"After all, AI is created by humans and can never be above humans."
"Perhaps in the future, I'll build some unmanned Iron Man Marks to serve as company bodyguards and guards, but my own set must be the most powerful."
"That's true."
Leon nodded, thinking: I hope You can maintain this initial intention when You suddenly decide to create Ultron in the future.
"Speaking of which, Brother, how did You solve the source of the Vibranium on my shield? I heard that Wakanda usually doesn't sell Vibranium to outsiders; You can't buy it even with money."
Only a very small number of people know that Wakanda produces Vibranium, and Leon and Tony happen to be two of them.
"What do You mean You can't buy it even with money? It means those who can't buy it aren't rich enough. If it were me..."
"Uh, well, okay, You can't buy it even with money."
"Those natives in Wakanda are stubborn; they can't be reasoned with, and they're all so arrogant, thinking they're someone important."
Tony got angry when he talked about Wakanda.
"Then how was the Vibranium for the shield obtained?"
Leon asked, while a bearded middleman appeared in his mind: Marvel's designated Vibranium supplier—Ulysses Klaue.
If Tony's Vibranium source was him...
Leon planned to acquire another batch, which would save him the trouble of finding people in the black market.
"Although those little Black ones in Wakanda are all incredibly arrogant, their old King T'Chaka is quite nice."
"He heard I just wanted to buy Vibranium to make a shield, and he immediately waved his hand and agreed to provide raw Vibranium for free."
Tony explained.
"The free ones are the most expensive, aren't they?"
Leon pressed, "So what's the cost?"
When Leon raised this question, some might ask—there must be something fishy about a free system; You'll be sold out by the system.
What a joke.
For such a simple, easy-to-use, and conscientious system, even if It sold Leon, Leon would still have to say It's good.
"You're right, I can't fool You."
Tony replied with a smile, "King T'Chaka said his younger daughter, Shuri, loves modern high-tech products, and asked me to remember to bring her when Stark Industries holds its next tech expo."
"Is that so..."
Leon fell into thought.
Tony might only have a partial understanding, but Leon, with his merged past memories, knew it clearly.
Wakanda might seem like a backward and conservative primitive tribe on the surface, but their technological level has actually been hundreds of years ahead of the outside World, backed by a Vibranium mine.
However, their advanced technology is still used for primitive hand-to-hand combat. Although traditional customs account for most of it, it's still a bit too laughable.
Leon didn't understand but expressed respect.
Besides the little-known Vibranium, Wakanda also has a "specialty" that outsiders can barely know about: the Heart-Shaped Herb that gives birth to the Black Panther.
With just these two things.
Leon would sooner or later have to visit Wakanda.
As for whether it would be a physical infiltration or another method, that would depend on whether they showed respect.
"Wait!"
Tony circled the Jet Glider and found several blue-purple paint streaks on the vehicle's surface, immediately saying, somewhat speechless:
"Don't tell me You made me stand out in the cold for fifteen minutes just to spray these childish, playtime-like paint marks?"
Before Leon could answer, the Jet Glider did a tail whip, and Tony, not paying attention, was blown away by the exhaust flame.
Immediately after.
Arcee's somewhat arrogant, pure and seductive mature female voice came through Tony's Mark helmet communicator: "You're the one playing like a child."
Oh-oh...
Our Sister Arcee is angry.
Nevertheless.
Leon felt more joy.
Because Arcee's performance just now clearly showed that her current state was not that of a cold human-machine without self-emotional consciousness; she just didn't like to talk and was a bit withdrawn.
"Shit?!"
"What the hell is this?!"
"She can talk?!"
"Leon!!!"
Tony, completely unprepared, was startled by Arcee's sudden voice. His flying posture deformed, he lost balance, and he spun 720 degrees in the air, plummeting towards the sea surface. He didn't even bother to save himself, directly calling out to Leon.
"I'm coming!"
Leon immediately responded, then, under the dazzling white incandescent headlights of Arcee, he opened the sunroof and leaped out of the Jet Glider's cockpit.
Golden light flashed from Leon's eyes, the palms of his hands, and the soles of his feet as he rapidly chased after Tony.
Soon after.
Leon caught up to Tony just before he crashed, hooking his hands under the Mark 3's armpits and gliding with Tony on the sea surface for a while, splashing up large waves.
Then.
They soared into the sky.
Chasing after Arcee.
However.
Leon and Tony maintained a not-too-close, not-too-far distance from Arcee; she seemed to want to be alone.
Tony's joke was merely the fuse; the massive shift in Arcee's Worldview was the real reason she wanted to be alone.
Everyone...
Is dead...
Only I remain...
'Do cybernetic survivors also get depressed?' Leon, following behind Arcee, thought for a moment and said to Tony, whom he was riding, "Brother, can You fly a bit faster? Give it some more power."
Leon probably understood Arcee's current mood; she needed guidance.
"This is as fast as I can go!"
"You don't even know how heavy You are!"
"What's going on with the Jet Glider?"
"Jarvis? Jarvis!"
"Give me an explanation, stop quickly!"
"Sir, I can no longer control the Jet Glider. Young Master Leon's picked-up intelligent AI named 'Arcee' has kicked me out of the game."
Jarvis explained dutifully, with a slightly resentful tone.
"What?!"
"An AI can be 'picked up'??"
Tony felt like he couldn't understand what Jarvis was saying anymore??