The shockwave from the explosion of the vehicle ahead hit them like a tidal wave.
Kagura Hitomi felt her body lurch as the armored jeep came to a screeching halt thanks to the driver, a woman who slammed on the brakes.
'Clang!'
A piece of shrapnel, a piece of armor blasted off, fell from the sky, and crashed onto the hood of the vehicle in front of Hitomi.
"Enemy attack! Left side!"
The soldiers reacted swiftly, showing the training of seasoned military personnel.
"Jimmy! Stay in the car! Protect Mr. Stark and Miss Kagura!"
The female driver shouted, grabbing her weapon, and without hesitation, she opened the door and rushed out.
"Get down! Get down!"
Jimmy, sitting in the back, pressed a terrified Tony Stark down to the floor and pointed at Hitomi, "You too! Get down! Don't move!"
'Ra-ta-ta-ta-!'
The enemy's firepower was relentless. The driver had barely gotten out of the vehicle when she was immediately hit and fell to the ground.
"Oh my God!"
Tony Stark's eyes widened, his chest gripped in fear as he clutched at it.
Although he was wearing a top-tier bulletproof vest designed by Stark Industries, he didn't feel safe at all.
"Damn it!"
Jimmy, seeing his comrade fall, couldn't hold back anymore. He grabbed his weapon and opened the door. "You two stay in the car!"
"Wait! Wait, give me the gun!"
Tony shouted, but Jimmy didn't respond.
"Stay here!"
'Boom!'
The moment Jimmy got out of the car, a scatter grenade exploded right beside him.
The jeep, now armored, was instantly riddled with holes. Fortunately, Jimmy used his body to shield part of the door, or else Tony Stark might've had his head blown off.
"Oh my God!"
At this point, Tony Stark was completely dazed. The deafening explosion echoed in his ears, and the chaotic sound of battle made it impossible for him to get his bearings.
"Mr. Stark, Mr. Stark!"
In contrast to Tony's panic, Kagura remained composed. "Get out of the car!"
She had mentally prepared for this, but the shock of actually being in it was still jarring.
"Oh, okay!"
Tony Stark, still in a daze, clumsily opened the car door opposite the source of the attack, tumbling out of the vehicle.
Kagura also opened the passenger door, crouched down, and moved to Tony's side.
She grabbed his arm. "Mr. Stark, let's go! This way!"
Her visor displayed a sea of red boxes.
The attack routes, the next bomb drop zones, and the enemy's firepower distribution were all clearly marked in her line of sight.
If Hitomi activated her "short-term acceleration," she could cut through the gunfire and eliminate the attackers, but she didn't want to do that.
This attack had to capture Tony Stark. This was the moment that would make him Iron Man.
All she had to do was protect Tony Stark from injury and make sure they were captured by the Ten Rings.
"Wait, wait, where are we going?"
Tony Stark, still panicked, could barely keep his balance. It was hard to imagine that in a few years, this man would face Thanos without flinching and wield six Infinity Stones.
Well, that's a story for later.
"We're heading ahead!"
Hitomi shielded Tony, dodging bullets and crouching low, leading him towards the wreckage of a destroyed vehicle.
"Why…"
'Boom!'
Before Tony could finish his question, a bomb hit the jeep behind them, reducing it to ash in an instant.
"Because the intact ones will soon be wreckage too."
Kagura pushed Tony to the cover of the wreckage and told him, "Sit here and don't move."
She turned to survey the surroundings, activating her visor's scanning mode.
[HK416 Assault Rifle, Status: Functional, Usable]
"Who's using an HK416? Some rich kid soldier?" Hitomi thought, scoffing inwardly, as she picked up the weapon, taking a professional kneeling position next to Tony.
Using the destroyed jeep as cover, she began to fire back.
"How are you so skilled?"
Finally safe, Tony Stark managed to catch his breath. "I thought you were just a college student."
"I've had military training."
Hitomi replied casually, "Your safety is my responsibility."
Indeed, whether now or in the future, if Iron Man was to bear the weight of protecting this world and the universe, the responsibility of protecting him... that was mine.
As long as I'm here, the Tony Stark fifteen years from now will never have to sacrifice himself and leave this world.
The alerts on her visor were constant.
The red frames flickered rapidly. Incoming grenades were being calculated for their impact points.
Just like in the memory, a black cluster bomb came hurtling toward them.
"Mr. Stark, watch out!"
Hitomi reacted quickly, pulling Tony, who was fumbling with his phone in a panic, away from the impending danger.
"Move!"
The bomb fell at their feet in the blink of an eye.
At the last possible moment, Hitomi grabbed Tony and leaped toward the rocks by the roadside.
'Boom!'
A massive explosion erupted behind them, the shockwave spread violently, sending them flying like leaves in the wind.
"Oh my God!"
Tony Stark finally regained his senses, his ears ringing.
"What's this soft thing?"
He shook his head, trying to clear the dizziness.
"Mr. Stark, are you alright?"
Kagura Hitomi, still on top of Tony, sat up, rubbing her own head in mild disorientation.
The holographic UI in her vision was flashing, displaying mission updates.
[Additional Task: Protect Tony Stark from harm during the attack / Complete]
[Earned 10 QP]
"I… I'm fine…"
Tony Stark still clutched his chest, his face filled with panic. "You really are strong."
"Ugh..."
Hitomi sighed in relief, sitting back against the ground. "I'm glad you're okay."
She picked up her HK416 again, preparing to fight back.
The Ten Rings were ruthless terrorists—taking out as many as possible would make the world a better place.
However, the mission completion alert had already popped up, meaning the "attack" was coming to an end.
Just as she was about to fire again, she realized they had been surrounded.
"Don't move! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!"
Well, as far as I can see, my script seems fine so far!