"Pant... pant..."
In a dimly lit room, the narrow space was filled with a hazy glow and an intimate atmosphere. A man and a woman lay naked on the bed, breathing heavily.
"Why did you come back here?" Michelle asked softly, nestled in Raiden arms.
Raiden gently stroked Michelle hair but remained silent. The room fell into quietness, with only the sound of their breathing echoing in the air.
After a while, Michelle spoke again.
"Is it because of the Ten Rings? Is it because Raza is still alive, isn't he?"
"Hmm? How did you know?" Raiden lowered his head, resting his chin on Michelle head.
"Because in the Middle East, the cheapest thing is information" Michelle said with a smile, playfully biting Raiden neck.
"Seems like you still care about me, huh? Have you been keeping a close eye on me?" Raiden teased, his hand gently caressing Michelle back.
"I just wanted to know what happened to you, to understand what you went through during those years in that cave" Michelle said after a moment of silence.
Hearing this, Raiden body tensed slightly, and his grip on Michelle shoulder tightened a bit.
"Heh, that's a past I don't even want to revisit myself" Raiden said, his voice tinged with a faint laugh.
Michelle lifted her head, though she couldn't see Raiden expression. She nuzzled closer into his chest and said.
"Then forget that past. Leave this place, go back to where there's no conflict, no pain. Forget what happened, forget this place. After all, the present is more important than the past."
"I can't forget. Without settling this past, there's no escape... You must know where that guy is right?" Raiden asked in a deep voice.
But Michelle response was evasive. Instead, she asked Raiden.
"Was the purge of the Ten Rings a month ago related to you?"
"Purge?" Raiden tone was puzzled.
"One night a month ago, everyone at the Ten Rings' stronghold was killed. The village was filled with the bodies of their members—except for Raza. We thought Raza would never return, but not long after he came back and he's even stronger than before" Michelle explained to Raiden.
Raiden shook his head, denying any connection to the purge. He told Michelle.
"No matter what, I'll kill him. Tell me where he is."
Hearing Raiden answer, Michelle sighed.
"I'll tell you where Raza is. And, this is what he wants too. He's even more eager than you for you to know his whereabouts."
Michelle gently caressed Raiden face and said.
"Raza came to me personally. He already guessed that if you knew he was alive, you'd come back for him. So he told me his location and made sure I'd pass it on to you."
At this point, Michelle paused. She cupped Raiden face with both hands and said.
"I don't know how you managed to defeat the Ten Rings and escape last time, nor do I care what kind of extraordinary abilities you possess. But this time, Raza has made thorough preparations to deal with you, no matter what you have..."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Raiden asked softly.
Michelle smiled "This is your reward for tonight."
"A reward?" Raiden chuckled bitterly and shook his head "By telling me directly like this, aren't you afraid I might choose to run away, leave this place, and then the Ten Rings would come after you in retaliation?"
"Afraid? In the Middle East, if a person is already dominated by fear, then they are not far from death" Michelle said gently yet firmly.
"Then I won't be dominated by fear either. I must kill him, no matter what preparations he's made. He has to die, and he will die! Tell me where he is," Raiden said with a fierce tone, which then softened at the end.
"I will, I'll tell you. But wait until tomorrow. For today let's just enjoy our last moments together" Michelle said as she entwined herself around Raiden.
Once again, their bodies tangled together on the bed.
...
Meanwhile, in New York, USA, Tony and Yinsen, who were preparing to go to Iran to find Raiden, encountered a minor problem.
Two agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. had cornered them, and at the same time, military personnel demanded to speak with Tony. Surrounded by these two forces, Tony freedom was restricted, and he couldn't leave the United States.
"Bang!"
Tony slammed his fist heavily on the table, causing the water in the cup to spill.
"What the hell do these bastards want!" Tony said angrily.
According to JARVIS report, in the ten hours before Raiden left the United States, two people had visited him: one was S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Coulson, and the other was U.S. Senator Moody Flynn.
Now, when Tony and Yinsen wanted to go to Iran to help Raiden, they were again entangled by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and military personnel, which inevitably made Tony somewhat resentful.
Restricted in his freedom, Tony could only stay at home tinkering with his Iron Man suit, and incidentally, he also taught Yinsen how to use the suit.
Just as Tony was sulking, Yinsen flew back in the suit.
"Hey Tony, are you okay?" Yinsen, with the help of JARVIS, took off the suit and walked over, just in time to see the water spilled all over the table.
Tony tilted his head and shook it, saying nothing.
"It's okay, Raiden will definitely be fine" Yinsen stepped forward and patted Tony shoulder, saying
"He's Raiden Akatosh, a guy full of secrets and wonders. Even if it's the end of the world, I believe that guy will be fine."
Hearing Yinsen say this, Tony turned to look at him and couldn't help but smile.
"I hope so. By the way, how's the suit? Have you fully mastered it?"
Yinsen nodded excitedly. "It's great. With JARVIS help, it's quite easy to control."
"Alright" Tony nodded. "I'll design an intelligent assistant for you when I have the time."
Yinsen raised his eyebrows, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes.
Just then, Jarvis voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Sir, Mr. Coulson is here. He's waiting at the door."
"Coulson? That guy dares to show up!" Tony slammed the table.
Yinsen quickly interjected. "Go meet him. You can also ask about Raiden situation. He was the last person to see Raiden before he left."
"I'll see him" Tony said seriously, turning to meet Yinsen gaze.
"Let's go and meet this damn guy!"
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