…
At the same time—
Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.
At the U.S. military testing site—nicknamed "The Junkyard"—Tony Stark flawlessly demonstrated his latest weapon to the military: the Jericho missile.
Both sides were extremely satisfied. Champagne had already begun to flow.
Tony had a habit—every deal exceeding five hundred million dollars came with a complimentary case of champagne. It was his way of showing appreciation to major clients.
"To peace!"
"To peace!" ×N
Tony raised his glass, and the assembled officers echoed him enthusiastically.
"Tony."
Obadiah Stane appeared via video call.
"Hey, Obie," Tony greeted, stepping aside with his flip-rotating phone. On the other end, Obadiah leaned against his headboard, looking as though he had just woken up.
"I couldn't sleep without knowing the results. How did it go?"
"When I handle it? No surprises."
"It's like Christmas over here. Take a look."
Tony flipped the screen and showed him the celebratory scene.
"That's a relief," Obadiah replied.
After ending the call, Tony casually boarded an armored Humvee heading back to base.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the one originally assigned to him.
Rhodey had suggested Tony ride with him instead.
"I'm already in the car, and now you're telling me this?" Tony shot back.
Rhodes sighed and let it go. After all, who would dare ambush the world's most famous weapons supplier right outside a U.S. Air Force base?
Reality, however, had other plans.
On the return route—
The convoy came under heavy fire.
RATATATAT!
BOOM—!!!
Most of the soldiers didn't even have time to react before armor-piercing rounds tore through them.
Tony barely escaped out the opposite door. He tried using his phone to call for help—
No signal.
The attackers had come prepared.
"Shit!"
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!"
Then—
A missile slammed into the ground near him.
Tony's pupils shrank in terror.
Stamped clearly on the missile casing were the words:
STARK INDUSTRIES
The irony was suffocating.
"Leon, you jinxing bastard!"
That was all he managed to shout—
Before the explosion hurled him through the air.
Shrapnel tore through his vest. Blood poured from his chest.
Within moments, Tony Stark lost consciousness.
News spread rapidly—helped along by certain interested parties—
Tony Stark attacked by terrorists. Status unknown.
Pepper Potts learned of it almost immediately.
…
Malibu Mansion
Leon was still asleep when quiet sobbing pulled him from his dreams.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., what's going on?"
"Sir—"
Before the AI could finish, Pepper—eyes red and swollen—rushed forward and threw herself into Leon's arms.
"Leon… Tony, he—he might be…" She broke down entirely.
J.A.R.V.I.S. calmly delivered the report:
Tony Stark had been ambushed by terrorists. His survival was uncertain.
"What?!"
Leon felt as though the sky had collapsed.
He couldn't imagine a future without Tony.
"Pepper," he said steadily, forcing composure, "there's a saying—'Scoundrels live a thousand years.' My brother's too stubborn to die."
"I'll go find Uncle Obie. He's got connections everywhere. If anyone can fix this, it's him."
Pepper was too shaken to even stand.
Leon helped her to the couch before racing out, flooring his accelerator toward Stark Industries Headquarters.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., call Uncle Obie."
"Right away, Master Leon."
Click.
"Hey, Leon."
"Obie, you already know about Tony, right? Any updates? I'm on my way to the office."
"No need."
"What do you mean, no—"
Leon's words died in his throat.
Up ahead—
A fully loaded semi-truck barreled down the road—
In the wrong lane.
Straight at him.
"Shit!"
Leon jerked the wheel and executed a hard lateral drift. J.A.R.V.I.S. engaged the vehicle's stabilization servos at full capacity.
Screeeeech—
The brakes screamed. The tires nearly shredded.
The car came to a stop.
But the truck didn't slow down.
It was coming directly for him.
"Shit—!"
BOOM!!!
The sports car was smashed and sent flying off the cliffside highway.
The airbags deployed instantly—
But Leon had already blacked out.
…
"Boss. Target's handled."
The masked truck driver stared down at the tumbling wreckage below and made the call.
"You're certain he's dead?" came the skeptical reply.
"Uh…"
"I'll go confirm."
"Make it quick. Police will be on the way."
"Yes."
The assassin mounted a pre-prepared amphibious jet bike from the truck's cargo hold and descended.
Leon was still barely breathing.
To ensure finality, the killer dragged him from the wreckage—
And emptied an entire magazine from a .50 caliber Desert Eagle into his head.
The result was unrecognizable.
Then he chained the body to a weighted stone and sank it far offshore.
By the time authorities traced the crash, there would be nothing left but wreckage—and whatever the ocean chose to return.
What the assassin didn't know—
Was that Leon's heart never stopped beating.
A faint, mysterious force protected it.
System power, kid.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the unlock condition: "Struck by catastrophic vehicles twice."]
[Daily Sign-In System activated. Beginner Protection enabled.]
[Question: Do you wish to bind this system? Please answer yes or no.]
"…or?"
[...]
[Severe cranial trauma detected. Host consciousness unstable. Default binding initiated.]
[Binding complete.]
[Drawing Starter Gift Pack…]
[ Congratulations! You have received: "Soldier Boy Template."]
[Bonus: Soldier Boy combat suit set — including tactical armor and tungsten-alloy shield.]
[Notice: Beginner Protection will expire once the Host regains full consciousness.]
"…What the hell…"
Leon's awareness flickered briefly—
Then faded again.
Without Beginner Protection, even with the Soldier Boy template integrated, he would have died instantly.
His skull had been physically blown open.
But under the dual effects of Soldier Boy's regenerative abilities and the System's protection—
His fatal wounds began slowly repairing.
Meanwhile—
Memories from a forgotten previous life resurfaced under the System's mysterious influence.