Marvel : Endless Power

Although this was already anticipated, looking at Pepper Potts' worried expression, Rody was reminded of his own missing parents. He understood her feelings all too well.

"You don't have to worry. Tony's a genius, and he always has a plan," Rody reassured her, already preparing to mount a rescue mission.

Pepper, ever the strong woman, quickly composed herself. Tony's disappearance wasn't just a personal matter—it had enormous implications for Stark Industries. She needed to return to the company and maintain stability while he was missing.

After washing his face and having his first real meal in hours, Rody made his way to the underground lab. There, in front of him, stood the reworked Green Goblin Armor—now fully customized to his needs. Or rather, it was no longer the Green Goblin armor, but a newly christened Black Goblin armor.

The matte black plating, accentuated with sleek silver highlights, perfectly matched Rody's taste. The helmet, now streamlined and aerodynamic, abandoned the original demonic visage and instead resembled a futuristic knight's helm. Satisfied, Rody put on the armor and ran final diagnostics. Everything checked out. He was ready.

"Jarvis, pull up the specs on the Arc Reactor. I want to integrate it into the Goblin Glider as a power source," Rody instructed, already beginning the modifications.

Crossing the mountains to rescue Tony required far more energy than the original glider could provide. Fortunately, Tony had completed an Arc Reactor prototype before leaving, and with Jarvis' help, Rody could adapt it for flight enhancement. The conversion was challenging, but well within his capabilities.

After half a day's work, the transformation was complete. Now clad in Black Goblin armor, Rody stepped onto the enhanced glider, ready for departure.

"Jarvis, last time we lacked extreme flight data. Let's run that test now," Rody smirked.

"Sir, I must remind you that launching without extensive safety simulations poses significant risks," Jarvis cautioned.

It was a fair warning, but neither Tony nor Rody were ever the type to play it safe.

"Tony always says, 'Sometimes, you just have to build it and see what happens.' Even Ben Franklin flew a kite in a thunderstorm," Rody equipped before igniting the thrusters. With a burst of energy, he shot into the night sky above New York.

Flight and Adjustments

Long-distance flight at near-sonic speed was brutal. Despite the armor's advanced protection, the sheer wind resistance compressed against Rody's chest, making it difficult to breathe. He had to slow down.

The Black Goblin armor isn't designed for high-speed flight over long distances, Rody noted. The bionics provide great flexibility, but the pressure resistance is too low. I'll need to reinforce it with materials from Stark's suits.

He imagined the possibilities. If Tony Stark and Norman Osborn collaborated, what kind of tech would they produce? Throw in Bruce Banner, Dr. Otto Octavius, and Curt Connors, and they'd have a team capable of rivaling even LexCorp in technology.

"Hah, this is basically a Legion of Mad Scientists waiting to happen," Rody muttered.

But that was a thought for another day. Right now, saving Tony was the priority.

Despite traveling at night and hugging the ocean's surface to avoid detection, Rody's movements triggered a U.S. military radar. A patrolling warship detected an unidentified flying object moving at near-supersonic speeds.

Fortunately, a single cruise ship had no means of intercepting him. By the time they relayed the signal to a carrier's fighter jets, Rody was already far out over international waters. His small size made him nearly invisible to satellite tracking.

According to Jarvis' calculations, it would take about 17 hours to reach Tony's last known location. Thankfully, the glider's magnetic adhesion system allowed Rody to sit and rest during autopilot navigation.

After nearly 13 hours, land finally appeared on the horizon. The moment his boots touched the warm sand, Rody stretched his limbs, shaking off fatigue.

"Jarvis, how far are we from the ambush site?"

A holographic map appeared in front of him, marking several possible locations.

"This region is near a known military base. If terrorists were prepared for an ambush, they likely had inside information," Jarvis reported.

Rodi frowned. "Can you identify any nearby terrorist activity?"

"Negative. The situation in this region is volatile, with shifting allegiances and no clear intelligence," Jarvis replied.

That was expected. If the U.S. military had solid intel, they would have sent drone strikes already.

Hunting for Tony

Based on the Iron Man film's events, Rody knew that Tony had shrapnel lodged near his heart, forcing Ho Yinsen, a captured scientist, to keep him alive using a crude electromagnet. That meant there was only a small window of time to act before Tony either died or completed his escape plan.

Rody recalled that Tony was held in a mountainside cave, likely near one of two locations that matched the terrain. The nearest one was the best starting point.

Powering up his Goblin Glider, Rody soared toward the target. Even with the glider's increased speed, the journey took over three hours—the desert was an endless expanse of sand and scorching sun.

If this place didn't have oil, would the U.S. even care about it? Rody wondered.

Just then, gunfire erupted in the distance.

Rody had come looking for terrorists, but they had found him first.

"Jarvis, can you get a visual?" Rody asked, increasing speed.

"This is live satellite footage," Jarvis replied, projecting an image.

Rody's eyes darkened.

The battlefield wasn't a battle at all it was a massacre.

A small desert settlement was under siege. Several militants, armed with AK-47s, fired indiscriminately, cutting down men, women, and children.

Different race or not, murder was murder—and Rody wasn't about to stand by and watch.

Kicking his Goblin Glider into high gear, he rocketed toward the village.

These terrorists had no idea that death was coming for them.

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