Apocalypse tanked it. The beams didn't even scorch his armor.
"My turn."
He moved faster than something his size should. Crossing the distance in a blink. His fist swung down like a hammer.
Tony phased. The fist passed through him harmlessly.
But Apocalypse had anticipated that. His other hand shot out. This time he didn't try to grab. He unleashed raw Celestial energy.
*Boom!*
The blast hit Tony before he could react. Sent him flying backward. He crashed through three ruined buildings before finally stopping.
Tony stood up slowly. His armor was scorched. Damaged. But already repairing through nanite technology.
'He's fast. Faster than I calculated. And he can hit me even when I'm phased if he uses energy attacks instead of physical strikes.'
Tony activated the second ring. Ice projection.
Temperature around Apocalypse dropped instantly. Frost formed on the ground. The air itself began to freeze.
Apocalypse waved his hand. Heat radiated from his body. The ice melted before it could take hold.
"Temperature manipulation? Child's play."
Tony switched tactics. He used the third ring. Mental amplification.
His consciousness expanded. Time seemed to slow as his thoughts accelerated a thousandfold. Every movement Apocalypse made was predicted. Calculated. Analyzed.
'There. His left side. He favors his right. Unconscious habit from an old injury that never fully healed despite his regeneration.'
Tony moved. Exploiting that micro-weakness. His quantum-enhanced combat forms flowing perfectly.
Strike. Block. Counter. Dodge.
Each movement was precision itself. Techniques from hundreds of martial arts styles merged seamlessly. Refined by AI. Enhanced by superhuman abilities.
Tony landed three hits on Apocalypse's left side in rapid succession.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Apocalypse grunted. Actually felt those strikes.
"Interesting. You have some skill after all."
He retaliated. Reality warped around his fists. Each punch bent space itself.
Tony dodged using quantum manipulation. Shifting his position through probability fields. Existing in multiple potential locations simultaneously until the punch passed. Then collapsing back to a single state.
It was exhausting. Mentally draining. But effective.
They exchanged blows at superhuman speed. Each strike creating shockwaves. The ruins around them collapsed further.
Tony activated the fourth ring. Flame generation.
Fire erupted from his hands. Not normal fire. Starktonium-enhanced flames that burned at temperatures approaching the sun's core.
The flames washed over Apocalypse. For a moment he was completely engulfed.
When the fire cleared, Apocalypse stood unharmed. His Celestial armor had protected him completely.
"I have walked through stars. Your flames are nothing."
He gestured. Reality rippled. Gravity inverted in a fifty-foot radius around Tony.
Tony found himself being pulled upward. Away from the ground. Into the sky.
He corrected using his suit's flight systems. Stabilized. But the gravity manipulation continued.
'He's testing me. Seeing what I can do. Analyzing my capabilities just like I'm analyzing his.'
Tony used the fifth ring. Lightning.
Electricity arced from his gauntlets. Not just normal lightning. Quantum-aligned electrical energy that existed partially outside normal space-time.
The bolts struck Apocalypse from multiple angles simultaneously.
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
For the first time, Apocalypse staggered. The lightning had actually hurt him.
"You dare!" His voice carried rage now. "You dare injure me?"
He released his full power. Energy exploded outward in all directions. The shockwave leveled everything within half a mile.
Tony's armor took the full brunt. Systems failed. Shields collapsed. He was blown backward like a leaf in a hurricane.
He crashed into the ground hard enough to create a crater. Alarms screamed in his helmet. Damage reports scrolled faster than he could read them.
'Not good. He's stronger than I estimated. Even with all my preparations, he's still overwhelming me in direct combat.'
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