As the setting sun dyed the mountains a dark red, the situation inside the cave began to deteriorate.
Tony's body temperature continued to rise. After checking him with crude instruments, Dr. Yinsen's face turned extremely grim. The infected wound, combined with the primitive surgery and harsh environment, had triggered early symptoms of sepsis. Yinsen's desperate pleas for medicine to the lead guard were met only with rough shoves and a roar to "finish the blueprints first." The air in the cave was heavy with despair.
Outside the cave, Artoria and Minerva lay in wait within a rocky crevice, synchronizing everything via quantum communication.
"We can't wait any longer." Artoria's voice echoed in Minerva's mind, her calmness suppressing a trace of anxiety. "Once sepsis fully sets in, he won't last long in his current state. We must intervene with treatment immediately and then get them out."
"The plan?" Minerva responded succinctly. She was making minute adjustments to several Miniature Directional Sonic Burst Devices positioned around the cave entrance—one of the "little gifts" she had brought, capable of creating several seconds of intense vertigo and confusion when necessary.
"I'll enter from the front to create a deterrent and control the scene. You take the opportunity to eliminate threatening guards, prioritizing the safety of Tony and Yinsen. After that, I'll treat them," Artoria said quickly, her consciousness sinking into the system interface. Among today's Projections, besides Seele, there was a character even more suited for this moment.
[Genshin Impact: Sangonomiya Kokomi] (Available, 12 hours)
[Hydro Element Control / Precision Healing / Tactical Command]
[Note: Powerful area-of-effect and single-target healing capabilities; can purify toxins, heal wounds, and stabilize vital signs. Combined with exquisite tactical layout abilities, suitable for the current crowd control and rescue scenario.]
"A healer with a certain degree of crowd control, capable of dealing with bullets," Artoria explained to Minerva. "Your task is to end the fight quickly and eliminate any enemies that might interfere with the treatment or threaten our extraction. Any problems?"
"None. Your safety is the priority. During the treatment, I will ensure an absolute domain." Minerva's voice was devoid of emotion, but her protective will was indestructible.
"Move out."
Artoria (in Seele form) stepped out from her hiding place. Under Minerva's cover, she once again "phased" into the mountain, lurking within the rock wall near the cave's exit passage. Then, she deactivated the Seele Projection.
Almost at the same instant, a new power surged in.
[Using Projection: Sangonomiya Kokomi]
Faint light flowed within the rock wall as her form shifted. Her clothes transformed into a magnificent shrine maiden outfit with a blue-and-white gradient, adorned with shells and flowing water patterns. Her long hair turned into a pink-and-blue gradient, tied into an elegant braid behind her head. A shimmering hydro Catalyst appeared in her hand. In her Kokomi form, Artoria's aura became serene and wise, carrying the power of healing and control.
She no longer hid. Taking a step forward, her body "flowed" directly out of the solid rock wall as if passing through a water curtain, appearing in the shadows inside the cave entrance.
Her appearance was silent, yet it carried an undeniable presence. The first to notice her was the leader who was currently roaring at Yinsen. He turned sharply, and seeing the figure in the shadows, he froze for a moment before raising his gun in a rage: "Who?! How did you get in here?!"
The other guards were also alerted, grabbing their weapons and pointing their muzzles in unison at this suddenly appearing woman with strange clothing and a face so exquisite she didn't seem mortal.
Artoria (in Kokomi form) scanned the crowd calmly, lingering briefly on the pale-faced Yinsen and the unconscious Tony, who was shivering from a high fever, before looking at the leader. She raised her right hand, palm upward.
"Stand down."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange penetrating power that echoed clearly through the cave.
"Fire! Kill her!" the leader roared.
Gunshots exploded! Several bullets hissed through the air toward Artoria.
However, the moment the bullets were about to touch her, a layer of flowing, translucent water curtain manifested around her. The bullets entered the water curtain as if sinking into a viscous gel, their speed dropping sharply until their kinetic energy was completely spent, clattering to the ground.
The water curtain didn't even ripple much.
The guards were stunned, staring in disbelief at the deformed bullet heads on the ground. The flesh on the leader's face twitched, fear flashing in his eyes, but it was replaced by a more murderous glint: "Use the RPG..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the light in the cave suddenly dimmed for a split second.
A silver-black afterimage, like a lethal phantom, erupted from the shadows near the cave entrance! Minerva's speed exceeded the limits of normal human retinal capture; while the guards were still immersed in the shock of the bullets' failure, she had already cut into their ranks.
Crack!Thud!
The crisp sound of snapping neck bones and the dull thuds of precision strikes against flesh were almost continuous. Minerva's figure flickered within the narrow space; with every pause, a guard slumped down as if their bones had been removed. Her movements were efficient, concise, and without any flair. Her face under the black blindfold was expressionless, as if she were merely performing a routine cleanup.
The leader was terrified. Just as he was about to turn his gun, Minerva appeared beside him like a ghost. Her palm, covered in bionic skin, lightly patted the wrist holding the gun; it seemed casual, but a clear sound of bone cracking echoed. The leader screamed, and the gun fell. Minerva's other hand, with fingers joined like a blade, struck the side of his neck. The scream cut off abruptly, and his burly body crashed to the ground.
The entire process took less than ten seconds.
Inside the cave, aside from Dr. Yinsen, who stood frozen in shock, only the unconscious Tony and the guards strewn across the floor remained—all unconscious, but none dead. Minerva had controlled her strength; her orders were to eliminate the threat and, unless necessary, not to end lives.
Minerva shook her hand as if merely brushing off dust. She walked to Artoria's side, turning slightly to protect her from behind. Her black blindfold "scanned" the area, confirming there were no more potential threats, then she nodded slightly to Artoria.
"Control complete. Secure."
Only then did Dr. Yinsen recover from his massive shock. He looked at the guards scattered on the ground, then at the mysterious priestess who had appeared and rendered bullets useless, and finally at the silver-black figure with the strange blindfold who had taken everyone down in an instant. He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound; his body was only trembling slightly.
Artoria didn't explain much. She walked quickly toward the iron cage. Minerva preceded her, lightly pinching the rusted iron lock; the high-grade steel buckle deformed and snapped like it was made of clay. She pulled open the barred door and stepped back, but remained in a vigilant stance, her blindfold tightly locked onto the newly awakened Tony and Yinsen beside him.
Tony managed to open his eyes amidst the chaotic noise and intense pain. His vision was blurred, and the high fever made his thinking sluggish. He only saw the cage door open and a strange, exceptionally beautiful woman in blue-and-white clothes walk in and crouch before him. Behind her stood a... silver-haired woman in black skin-tight armor and a blindfold, exuding an aura that warned others not to approach.
"Yinsen... what kind of... new show is this?" Tony's voice was hoarse and weak. He tried to hide his frailty and confusion with his usual sarcasm, but failed.
"Be quiet, Mr. Stark," Artoria spoke, her voice gentle yet carrying an unquestionable power. She reached out her hands, and a soft, pure blue light manifested in her palms—a light like flowing clear water, yet containing a vigorous vitality.
"You..."
Tony wanted to say more, but the blue light had already enveloped him. Warmth. An indescribable warmth that permeated every cell and every inch of his marrow, dispelling the heat of the fever and the burning pain of his wounds. He felt a tingling sensation at the hideous wound on his chest where the shrapnel was embedded; it was the feeling of flesh rapidly healing. His groggy mind felt as if it were being washed by a cool spring, quickly becoming clear. Strength flowed back into his weakened body at a rapid pace.
After only two or three minutes, the blue light slowly receded. Tony looked down in disbelief, tearing away his blood-stained bandages—the terrible wound on his chest had vanished, leaving only smooth skin and the miniature Arc Reactor beneath it, which maintained his heartbeat and emitted a steady blue glow. He moved his arms; the pain and weakness were gone. Aside from a slight faintness from blood loss and hunger from not eating for a long time, he felt almost completely recovered!
"This... this is impossible..." Dr. Yinsen also leaned in, his eyes wide behind his glasses. All the medical knowledge he had ever learned was overturned at this moment.
AI Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite
"A little special trick," Artoria said nonchalantly, turning to Yinsen. "Dr., you need treatment too. You have multiple abrasions and bruises on your body, and your state is also very poor due to prolonged mental stress and malnutrition."
The same soft blue light enveloped Yinsen. The abrasions on his face and the bruises on his arms faded at a speed visible to the naked eye; his sallow complexion returned to a healthy flush, and the exhaustion and terror in his eyes were smoothed away significantly.
"Th-thank you... Madam," Yinsen said, his voice choked with emotion, tears of gratitude welling up.
Tony, meanwhile, stared fixedly at Artoria, his caramel-colored eyes filled with shock, inquiry, and a burning light as if he had found "one of his own." "You're not an ordinary person. Who are you? A new trick of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or some... alien? Mutant?"
"I am Artoria. Your neighbor," Artoria looked at him calmly. "As for the ability, you can understand it as... a gift. Just like the knowledge in your brain that transcends the era, it is also a gift."
Neighbor? That blonde girl from the beach cottage? Tony's memory raced; that beautiful but distant face overlapped with the woman before him who radiated mysterious healing power. The massive information shock left him speechless for a moment.
"So, you've been... pretending?"
"I just wanted to live a quiet life. But it seems your trouble is a bit big, and it has affected a friend I care about." Artoria glanced at the reactor on his chest. "This is ingenious, but too crude. You need to make a more stable one when you get back."
Tony subconsciously covered his chest, his expression complex, containing both the embarrassment of being seen through and curiosity about the word "more stable."
"creator, vehicles are approaching from the outside, about five minutes away. It is speculated to be a shift change or supply personnel." Minerva's cold voice broke the brief silence. She remained standing in front of Artoria, maintaining a vigilant posture, her eye mask seemingly casting a cold "glance" at Tony, especially when he subconsciously sized up Artoria, that invisible "chill" became even more obvious.
"We have to leave here." Artoria stood up. "Can you walk, Mr. Stark?"
"Of course!" Tony stood up, leaning against the wall. Although he was still a bit weak, he could walk without hindrance. He glanced at the unconscious guards on the ground and then at Minerva, his eyes strange: "This is..."
"Minerva. My family and guard." Artoria introduced simply.
"Guard..." Tony chewed on the word, his gaze sweeping over Minerva's equipment, which clearly did not belong to any known special forces on Earth, as well as her cold black eye mask, and wisely did not ask further. "Alright, Miss Neighbor, and this... Ms. Minerva. How do we leave? There are more than just these few people outside."
"Follow me." Artoria walked towards the depths of the cave, where there was a rock wall that looked solid. She reached out again, blue light flowing in her palm, and pressed it gently against the rock wall. The hard rock, like the surface of water with a pebble thrown into it, rippled, then "melted" and separated to the sides, revealing a smooth passage leading deep into the mountain, wide enough for two people to walk side by side! This was another application of the Heart Water element control—temporarily softening and restructuring the rock structure.
Yinsen exclaimed again. Tony whistled, the interest in his eyes growing even stronger.
"Let's go." Artoria entered first. Minerva followed closely, almost sticking to Artoria, separating her from Tony behind by a distance. Yinsen hurried to keep up. Tony walked at the end. He took one last look at the cave that had held him captive for many days, as well as the unconscious kidnappers on the ground, his eyes darkening for a moment, before turning and stepping into the passage.
The passage was not long, and at the end was a more hidden crack on the other side of the mountain. The four of them filed out, and it was already dusk outside.
"Where to now?" Tony asked, greedily breathing in the cold air of freedom.
Artoria did not answer, but instead communicated with the system again. "System, request a one-time short-range space jump capable of carrying four people, returning to the safe coordinates on the Long Island coast of New York."
[Command confirmed. Temporary space passage is being constructed...]
The deep blue star gate unfolded again in the wilderness.
Seeing this scene that defied the laws of physics, Tony's eyes lit up completely, like seeing his favorite toy. "Space teleportation? This technology... how did you..."
"Tony." Artoria interrupted him, her expression serious. "Everything you saw tonight, about my ability, about Minerva, about how we found you, saved you, and treated you—is top secret. Do not disclose the details to S.H.I.E.L.D., to Potts, to anyone. You only need to know that you were saved by an anonymous good Samaritan who used some 'advanced technology,' but whose identity is unknown. Understand?"
Her tone was unquestionable. Tony looked at her, then at Minerva, who stood quietly by her side, silent but exuding an aura of "if you dare to talk, I'll make you shut up forever," and shrugged: "Alright, alright, mysterious good Samaritan. I get it, secret identity, I'm familiar with it. But..." He looked at Artoria, his caramel-colored eyes filled with sincere gratitude and curiosity. "Thank you. Really. I owe you my life—no, several lives."
"Let's go back first. Potts is very worried about you."
The four of them stepped into the star gate. After the familiar sensation of displacement, they were already standing on the hidden coast of Long Island, New York. In the distance, the outline of Artoria's cottage could be seen, as well as the lights of the Stark Villa further away.
Back on solid ground, Tony let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if a lifetime had passed. Dr. Yinsen was also incredibly excited.
"My car is nearby. I'll take Dr. Yinsen to a safe place, then contact Potts and S.H.I.E.L.D.," Tony said, his gaze falling back on Artoria, regaining a bit of his playboy tone. "Hey, thanks again, my savior and mysterious neighbor. I'll definitely come to thank you another day with the best wine, and we can have a good chat about those... 'gifts'." He winked at Artoria.
Just then, the silent Minerva suddenly moved.
She stepped forward, blocking the space between Tony and Artoria, so close that she was almost touching her. Then, in the stunned gaze of Tony and Yinsen, she extended her arm and, with a posture of absolute protection and possession, gently wrapped her arm around Artoria's shoulders, pulling her slightly into her embrace.
Her movements were very natural, as if she had practiced them countless times. Her face, covered by a black eye mask, lifted slightly toward Tony. Although there was no "gaze," that posture and the silently emanating chill clearly conveyed a message:
The conversation is over. Keep your distance. She is protected by me.
Tony's teasing smile froze on his face, his eyebrows raised high. He looked at Minerva, then at Artoria, who was being held in an intimate posture by Minerva, his expression becoming extremely colorful.
Artoria was also stunned by Minerva's sudden action, her cheeks warming slightly. But feeling the firm, protective strength coming from Minerva's arm and that unquestionable "no entry" aura, she felt a slightly amused warmth in her heart. She gently patted the hand Minerva had wrapped around her shoulder, signaling her to relax, and then said to Tony:
"Take care of your business first, Mr. Stark. Stay safe. Goodbye, Dr. Yinsen."
After speaking, she nodded to Minerva. Minerva immediately understood, and with Artoria, turned and walked towards the cottage, her pace steady, but her figure exuded a determination of "no strangers allowed, especially you, playboy."
Tony stood on the spot, watching the two figures—one silver-white and one blue-white—leaning against each other as they walked away. He rubbed his chin, a complex smile appearing on his face, mixed with gratitude, curiosity, frustration, and a certain "things are getting more interesting" feeling.
"Family and guard, huh?" He muttered to himself, then looked at Yinsen, who was still dazed beside him. "Let's go, Dr. We need to let Potts know we're safe. As for my mysterious neighbor and her... 'family'... there will be plenty of time."
The sea breeze blew past, carrying the salty scent and the breath of freedom. The rescued Iron Man set foot on his destined path. And his World had already quietly shifted along a tiny, yet potentially far-reaching, trajectory because of that "mysterious neighbor" and her silver-white Guardian.
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