The phone number was unfamiliar to Steam, but not to Leo. Because that string of numbers was the phone number Leo gave to Bucky for that Daimi phone.
âAnswer it, Steam,â Leo instructed, setting aside his work.
âBuzz! Answering.â Steam responded.
âLeo, are you there? Itâs Bucky,â Buckyâs voice came through the phone.
âItâs me,â Leo casually asked, âHow is it?â
âNot yet. Those snakes are good at hiding. I chased them for five days before I finally found their main base.â Bucky continued, âBut the base is a bit huge. As huge as the cotton production factory back then. I donât think I can handle it alone.â
After listening to Bucky, Leo was intrigued. But his question wasnât about the H.Y.D.R.A. base as he asked, âBucky, youâve chased them for five days straight, right? What did you eat?â
âWhat else could I eat? I had to steal! I donât have any money on me,â Bucky replied.
It was the first time Bucky had such a tough time on a mission abroad, but he didnât mind. In fact, he added, âYou know what? Itâs quite sneaky if you go around stealing while wearing Winter!â
âItâs good that you have a positive mindset,â Leo sincerely praised.
As for the correlation between Ant-Man Suit and stealing, Buckyâs summary wasnât necessary. Leo had long realized the practical use of the Ant-Man Suit, given Scott Langâs background and the tasks that Dr. Pym had assigned him while wearing the suit.
If that wasnât clear enough, just think about what Leo had done after acquiring the Pym Particles. It was apparent that the Pym Particles and stealing were a match made in heaven.
Bucky then said, âLetâs not talk about irrelevant things for now. What are you planning to do about this massive base? As I mentioned earlier, thereâs no way I can take them out on my own.â
Bucky implied that he wanted Leo to join him in this mission. However, Leo had been extremely busy lately, and the idea of eliminating a H.Y.D.R.A. base didnât appeal to him at all.
So he suggested, âI donât have much time for now. Why donât I pick you up first? Once youâre back and have a new set of gear, you and Natasha can go and deal with the base together. As long as you donât alert them, the base wonât go anywhere.â
After thinking for a bit, Bucky answered, âSounds good. We can also bring along my student, Daredevil. Itâll be an eye-opening experience for him. Heâs always stuck in that small corner of Hellâs Kitchen, not realizing how boring it can be!â
âWhy about Spider-Man? Heâs even stronger than both you and Matt combined.â Leo suddenly became interested.
âPeter is strong and certainly can hold his own in a fight. But heâs just too kind. He canât bring himself to take down even the most heinous criminals, and that doesnât fit well with my methods. If we bring him to Africa to deal with the H.Y.D.R.A.s, heâd probably just made more trouble,â Bucky explained, clearly grasping his studentsâ personalities well.
After a brief chat, Leo didnât want to waste any more time and asked right away, âGive me your location. Iâll head there now to pick you up.â
âIâm in the coastal city of Tanga, in Tanzania. Thereâs an uninhabited area about three hundred kilometers south of here. Thatâs where I am,â Bucky, being a former reconnaissance soldier, instinctively reported his precise location.
Leo pulled up a map to confirm the location mentioned by Bucky and remarked, âYouâve traveled quite a distance in these five days!â
âWait for me there, Iâll be there in about two hours,â Leo said before hanging up the phone.
Although Viper Mark VIII was currently being upgraded to Viper Mark IX and couldnât be used at the moment, he had prepared an additional set of Viper Mark VIII as a backup. The purpose was to have a replacement option readily available in case any components of the main armor were accidentally damaged
While the current situation didnât involve any accidental damage, the backup could still come in handy.
He swiftly put on the armor, ensuring it was properly fitted before immediately taking off and soaring into the sky, heading to Tanga.
âŠâŠ
Five hours later, Leo safely picked up Bucky and dropped him off at the Chinese restaurant where he had last bumped into Natasha. He firmly refused Buckyâs offer to treat him and returned alone to the Erwin Research Center, leaving Bucky behind.
The round trip from New York to Tanga took only four hours of flight time. With one hour remaining, Bucky led Leo to explore the H.Y.D.R.A. base.
Sure enough, it was a massive base comparable to the cotton production factory. Leo even caught a glimpse of Dr. Zola inside.
But things were no longer the same. The H.Y.D.R.A. base that couldâve spelled doom for him three years ago, and the same base that brought him substantial wealth a year and a half ago, now didnât even deserve a second glance from him!
The meager wealth in the base no longer interested the wealthy Leo, and he had no intention of wasting time there, especially since he couldnât kill Dr. Zola.
Coincidentally, he now had a few powerful subordinates, and he was in the process of distributing potions and equipment to form a complete team. It was a perfect opportunity for team-building and annihilating a H.Y.D.R.A. base to practice their skills.
With these thoughts in mind, he found himself back at the Erwin Research Center in no time. With Steamâs assistance, he wasted no time and immersed himself once again in the production of Viper Mark IX and the Smart Utility Belt.
After a day and a night, both pieces of equipment were completed, and an extra set of backup Viper Mark IX was produced, all exuding the fresh scent of Vibranium.
Securing the Smart Utility Belt around his waist, Leo ascended to the rooftop with confident strides. The rooftop was battered by strong winds, howling with chilling cold.
It was December 30, 1994, Friday, 8 PM, and New York City was about to experience its first snowfall of the year. It seemed like the snow would continue into the following year. In the bustling streets of New York City, pedestrians clad in padded coats and warm hats would greet their family and friends with a friendly shout, âHappy New Yearâs Eve.â
However, the Marvel Base was located on the outskirts, and on this Friday evening, during the holiday season, the base was virtually empty except for a few security personnel.
Naturally, on the desolate rooftop where the wind roared, there was only Leo.
Yet, Le felt no sense of loneliness because the howling cold wind was his companion.
Soon enough, he was going to embark on a satellite installation mission in outer space, with the satellite add-ons. There, even the howling cold wind would be absent as the atmosphere would be far beneath him, marking the true essence of solitude.
Pitter-patter~
Suddenly, the sky began to sprinkle fine snow, hitting his face with the cold wind.
Since Leoâs body had undergone multiple enhancements, he paid no attention and kept his eyes wide open, staring at the vastness of space. Excitement brimmed his heart because he had never been to space before.
He exhaled a breath, which turned into a white mist instantly as it came in contact with the cold wind and dispersed into the surroundings.
Then, a surge of Mechanical Force washed through his body as he activated âMechanical Force â Relayâ to connect to the Smart Utility Belt around his waist.
In an instant, the Viper Mark IX was launched from the belt, enlarging in the wind. Layer by layer, it covered Leoâs body while releasing the mechanical sound of gears interlocking.
BOOM!
The pitch-black faceplate abruptly snapped shut, and the inky-black eyes lit up with a blue-purple radiance. Inside the helmet, the reconnaissance module, positioning module, and target-assisting module all came online. Virtual display screens appear one by one before Leo, exuding a captivating sci-fi vibe.
âBuzz! Steam, at your service, master.â Steamâs voice sounded excited as well. It was the first time it accompanied Leo on a long-distance flight. And it was the first time that they would be venturing directly into space.
âBuzz! Armor self-diagnosis checked. All modules functioning normally. Ready for takeoff.â
Slightly lifting his head, Leo ignited the Anti-gravity Pulse Blasters. Together with armor, he rapidly ascended into the air.
Simultaneously, the shrinking function of the Pym Particles was activated and the Vibranium Defensive Runes were activated too. His speed increased once more, reaching an acceleration of 10G.
Combining Earthâs gravity, the acceleration of 11G exerted no inconvenience on him. Even ordinary astronauts with robust physical abilities could withstand up to 10G of gravity under extreme conditions, let alone Leo, whose body had undergone comprehensive power up.
Moreover, the acceleration could be doubled!
With an acceleration of 21G, he reached an altitude of ten thousand meters in just ten seconds.