Chapter 34: Violating Agreements
Going up against a single vehicle with over twenty people, there was no way they could lose. It was just a vehicle, after all. It wasn't packed with people like a minivan.
The Ten Rings members on the outskirts of the stronghold were the first to notice their returning comrades. Seeing only three individuals returning, they displayed puzzled expressions. Just as they were about to inquire about what had happened, the three seemingly ordinary Ten Rings members suddenly raised their guns.
Ratatatatatatat...
Boom! Boom!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire and explosions erupted, instantly shattering the tranquility of the valley. The Ten Rings members inside the stronghold hadn't even realized what was happening when the outer Ten Rings members fell victim to the storm of bullets from the Gatling machine gun and the bombardment of the rocket launcher.
The three Ten Rings members under Russell's control showcased exceptional combat skills. Symbiote bonding had granted them extraordinary physical attributes they'd never possessed before. Russell's manipulation allowed them to possess combat skills akin to Navy SEALs.
Through the symbiote threads, Russell controlled the three Ten Rings members, employing various combat techniques he had copied from the Punisher. While not on par with his personal execution, these techniques still created an insurmountable gap for the Ten Rings members who hadn't received specialized combat training.
The contrast was akin to an NBA team bullying a high school basketball squad.
Russell, who had already determined Tony's whereabouts, had no intention of sparing the Ten Rings members. Under his manipulation, the three Ten Rings members under symbiote possession mercilessly harvested the lives of their companions, much like death incarnate.
The battle concluded swiftly.
In less than five minutes, the Ten Rings members within the stronghold had formed a line, headed to the underworld to report to Mephisto.
After dealing with these individuals, Russell forcefully ceased the heartbeats of the three Ten Rings members under symbiote possession through the symbiote threads, granting them a dignified death similar to the Punisher's execution.
The first battle of the Venom puppetry technique had yielded even better results than Russell had anticipated.
Until the fight concluded, none of the Ten Rings members within the stronghold had detected his presence. Perhaps some of them had noticed the three symbiote threads finer than baby fingers, but they never had the chance to grasp what was happening before succumbing to the Venom puppetry's grip.
Although there might be a sense of frustration in dying at the hands of one's comrades, it was still a favorable outcome compared to facing Russell personally. If Russell had unleashed his Venom form in battle, their demise would have been far more tragic.
Having dealt with the Ten Rings members within the stronghold, Russell approached the pickup truck he had purposely left behind. When he manipulated the Venom puppetry during the fight, he had done his best to avoid the battle affecting the truck. Although the truck seemed a bit old and worn, with a touch of the battle-damaged look reminiscent of Iraq, it was the only mode of transportation available at the stronghold.
Unlike the facility where Tony was being held, which stored a plethora of Stark Industries weapons, this stronghold had very few decent guns, let alone heavy weaponry like missiles. Russell boarded the pickup truck that appeared to have the battle-worn aura of Iraq. Employing the keyless ignition technique he'd learned as an assassin, he started the truck, uncertain of how much longer it could endure.
....
Tony was held captive in a cave.
As soon as the makeshift workshop was set up, Tony had the Ten Rings members outside deliver twelve Stark Industries miniature missiles.
After a bit of fiddling, he easily dismantled one of the pricey miniature missiles and retrieved a small device from inside.
"What's this?" Yinsen curiously asked.
"Palladium metal, 0.15 grams!"
"We need a total of 1.6 grams, so you'll have to dismantle the remaining 11 missiles!"
Tony looked at the palladium metal before him and said slowly.
Although Tony had answered his own question, Yinsen still had no idea what he was up to. The only consolation was that Tony's survival instinct had been fully ignited now.
In another cave,
"What is he doing?"
Raza, a small leader of the Ten Rings, said to his companion who was watching the surveillance feed.
"Working."
The Ten Rings member watching the feed swiftly responded.
With dark skin and a shiny bald head, Raza didn't say anything else. He silently stared at the campfire before him.
Originally, Tony helping them manufacture Jericho missiles wasn't part of his plan.
At the start, his plan—or rather, the agreement between him and Obadiah—was to kill Tony, not kidnap him.
Obadiah would provide Tony's location, and Raza would carry out the attack.
Afterward, Obadiah would not only provide them with satisfactory compensation, but also fulfill all of their purchasing needs.
While Tony was under the protection of the U.S. military, a well-planned operation could still take him out under that protection.
If everything went according to plan, Obadiah would already be the new owner of Stark Industries.
However, plans rarely keep up with change.
Or rather, Obadiah shouldn't have scheduled the attack for when Tony was returning to the U.S. military base.
Witnessing the power of the Jericho missile, Raza had a change of heart.
The Jericho missile's power was astonishing.
Indeed, after killing Tony, he could undoubtedly buy Jericho missiles from Obadiah.
But paying for something from someone else could never compare to having someone manufacture it for free.
Furthermore, during the manufacturing process, he would gain access to all the relevant data for creating Jericho missiles.
As a result, Raza slightly deviated from the agreement. Instead of immediately killing Tony, he had him kidnapped back.
While the person was in his custody, Tony was now dutifully manufacturing Jericho missiles.
However, for some reason, Raza couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
He couldn't pinpoint what went wrong exactly.
Just as he was contemplating how to handle Obadiah's potential dissatisfaction, a Ten Rings member suddenly approached him.
"Boss, we can't contact Rashimi and the others right now."
"Can't contact them? What do you mean?"
Raza looked up at the Ten Rings member, furrowing his brow.
"We tried calling them, but there's been no response."
"Keep trying. If there's still no response, send a few people over to check."
"And while you're at it, contact the other strongholds too. Tell them to be cautious; the U.S. military is currently searching for Tony Stark, so they shouldn't wander around recklessly."
Raza quickly gave orders.
"Got it, boss!"
Once his subordinate left the cave, Raza raised his head, gazing at the surveillance feed with a serious expression.
At this moment, Tony had no idea about the events outside. He was busy enthusiastically disassembling missiles with Yinsen, extracting the palladium metal he needed.
On the other side of the mountains, Russell was speeding along in the battle-damaged pickup truck reminiscent of Iraq.
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