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*****
Made it a little itchy?
Hearing Mike's words, which practically begged for a beating, Tony's temples throbbed wildly.
However, it was completely undeniable that Mike looked far too relaxed.
"Truly a monster."
Tony said with a bitter smile. He could finally, truly understand how all of Mike's enemies must have felt.
But, it was precisely because of this that he could completely cut loose during this test and test everything without holding back. This was the exact reason he had asked Mike to help him with the test.
Leaping arcs of lightning and burning plumes of fire merged between Tony's hands, forming a roaring thunder-flame dragon that blasted toward Mike.
Mike remained standing quietly in his original spot. Just as Tony's attack was about to reach him, he simply threw a punch, shattering and passing straight through the lightning-wreathed fire dragon.
In an instant, Tony's attack dissolved, turning into harmless, scattered energy that dispersed in all directions.
Just at that moment, two cold, star-like points of light rapidly enlarged in Mike's vision.
Clang!
The armor on Tony's forearms transformed into two extremely sharp blades, which landed squarely on Mike's chest.
Mike smiled at Tony and said, "So, that last attack was just a distraction to cover for this one? Are you trying to... fight me in close combat?"
Close combat?
The corner of Tony's mouth twitched.
Don't be ridiculous. Against Mike's terrifying physique, if one's physical strength wasn't on the exact same level, engaging him up close was fundamentally a suicidal act.
Even if he used his Sentinel ability of 'metal transformation', he probably wouldn't be able to withstand more than a few punches.
However, his true purpose...
With a single thought, an icy frost surged forth from the blades. In just a fraction of a second, Mike was completely encased, turned into an ice sculpture.
Mike, still trapped within the ice, merely blinked his eyes and gave Tony a smile.
At that exact moment, Mike sensed a peculiar vibration. It was a vibration carried by sonic waves.
The sound waves seemed to be actively searching for a resonant frequency that matched his body, constantly adjusting their own frequency to find it.
Mike raised an eyebrow. Now this was interesting.
After several seconds, he started to feel a bit uncomfortable, but this vibration...
With a mere thought, the biological field surrounding Mike's body began to shift and change.
Instantly, the resonant frequency that Tony had just managed to find became completely ineffective.
The corner of Tony's mouth twitched again.
Damn it, how am I supposed to play this game?
With a light struggle, Mike shattered the layer of ice and broke free. He nodded at the Tony in front of him and said, "That was nicely done."
If he wasn't mistaken, that sonic attack just now was Tony's real hidden trump card.
Tony chuckled. "I'm not finished yet."
As he spoke, two laser beams shot out from the suit's eyes.
Boom!
The lasers slammed into Mike's body, resembling two high-pressure jets of water hitting an indestructible rock. They instantly shattered and splashed apart.
Mike's brow twitched. He continued to let Tony attack, but gradually, he started to notice something interesting.
The attacks themselves were actually beginning to vibrate, and in between these vibrations, the power of the attacks would suddenly surge by a significant margin.
After a few more seconds, Tony stopped his assault. He pulled back, creating some distance between them, and then said to Mike, "Alright, come on, Uncle Mike. Let's have a proper practical fight."
From the beginning until now, this couldn't really be called a battle. It was just him experimenting with his new abilities, demonstrating them to Mike. Only a real combat test...
"In that case, you'd better prepare yourself."
"Don't use too much force! I don't want this suit breaking right after I finished making it."
Mike just smiled and waved his hand, then abruptly vanished from his spot.
In the very next instant, Tony's suit immediately turned a silvery-white color, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Bang!"
With a dull thud, Tony was sent flying. Before he could even stabilize his body, Mike appeared directly above him. But just as Mike was about to punch downwards, two laser beams struck him. The beams made Mike's attack falter for a microsecond, and in that instant, lightning crackled over Tony's body. He transformed, becoming like a bolt of lightning himself, and rapidly repositioned to the far distance.
But Mike immediately gave chase. He casually waved his hand, batting aside the leaping bolts of electricity, and his fist once again landed on Tony.
Tony helplessly tried to retreat backward, but Mike was much faster than him. After catching up, Mike punched him straight out of the sky.
Boom!
Tony smashed heavily onto the ground, sending a web of cracks through the ice layer below.
But when he saw Mike disappear from the air above, he immediately scrambled away from his position.
Rumble!
Mike descended from the sky, his foot stomping down hard on the ice.
The scene seemed to freeze for a split second.
Then, a terrifying force erupted from Mike as the epicenter, sweeping out in all directions like a violent storm.
The ground itself shattered, and the thick ice, which had been condensed from frost, was blasted outwards in large chunks, continuously pelting Tony's armored body.
Tony's mouth twitched.
Is he really sure he isn't trying to kill me?
Just as that thought flashed through his mind, Mike turned to look at him.
Tony's heart clenched. A massive amount of frost energy blasted from his palms, momentarily obstructing Mike, while he used the chance to retreat further.
But, it was completely useless.
Mike was like an all-penetrating, indestructible arrow. He directly smashed through the frost energy and continued his pursuit.
Tony flew at his top speed, dodging frantically while launching a continuous stream of attacks back at Mike.
Frost, fire, and lightning appeared one after the other, illuminating the entire sky.
Several seconds later, accompanied by a loud explosion, Tony was once again knocked out of the sky.
Tony climbed up from the ground, looked at Mike floating nonchalantly in the air, and said speechlessly, "This is completely impossible. There's no way to fight you."
"Does that mean we're finished this time?"
"Wait!"
Tony called out to stop Mike. "I still have one more move. It's a really powerful one."
"Oh?"
Mike's eyes lit up. "Let's see it."
Tony said with a serious expression, "Be careful. Even I'm not entirely sure of its full power."
"Don't worry about me."
Mike waved his hand dismissively, floating in the air and waiting.
In the next instant, Tony controlled the Sentinel armor to shift into its diamond form. Streams of energy surged from every part of his body, colliding and fusing on the armor's diamond-hard surface, before flowing down his arms and gathering in his palms.
Lightning, fire, and lasers... they swirled like a living bloodstream, surging rapidly over his body and emitting astonishing energy fluctuations.
Tony cupped his hands together, forming an aiming posture, and pointed them directly at Mike. Immediately after, he used his weapon-transformation ability. The armor on his hands seemed to melt and fuse together, morphing into a single, shining cannon muzzle.
Watching this entire series of operations, Mike was momentarily stunned.
That... actually looks pretty awesome.
"I'm attacking now!"
Tony's voice came through, thick with excitement.
Mike nodded.
The next instant, a brilliant column of light erupted from the cannon's muzzle.
Lightning and fire twisted in a spiral formation, wrapping around a core laser beam that was filled with pure concussive force. It looked as if it was tearing the very sky apart as it continuously expanded, growing into an energy column with a diameter of over ten meters, and completely swallowed Mike whole.
Boom!
Mike was pushed back continuously within the beam of light.
The thunder and fire, in their fusion and alternation, had become a 'thunder-flame' that contained a terrifying temperature. Meanwhile, the vibrating laser beam at its core was madly assaulting his body, trying to tear him apart.
The column of light shot relentlessly upward, pushing Mike with it until it reached an altitude of over a thousand meters, at which point it exploded spectacularly.
"BOOM!"
Following the violent explosion, a massive, expanding curtain of light appeared in the sky.
The laser's vibrations shook the heavens, while fire and lightning raged within the light screen, before finally breaking apart into tiny specks of light that rained down slowly from the sky.
Tony stared with wide eyes, searching for Mike's figure, which should have been submerged in the blast.
But there was nothing but the continuously flashing residual energy.
"The power... it's even greater than I anticipated..."
Tony murmured. Seeing no sign of Mike, he muttered quietly to himself, "Don't tell me I actually... killed him with one shot?"
The words had barely left his lips when Mike appeared directly behind him, planting a solid kick on his butt and sending him flying.
"Heh. In your dreams."
Mike, looking only slightly disheveled, said flatly.
That blast's power was indeed greater than he had imagined, and it had caused him some minor trouble. But wanting to kill him with it? That was just dreaming.
Tony climbed up from the ground, chuckled, and asked Mike, "So, how was the power?"
"Are you referring to the Sentinel armor in general, or that final blast?"
"Both!"
"Very impressive. If a blast like that managed to hit Mister Sinister, it could probably kill him outright."
"Mister Sinister?"
Tony murmured, pondering this. Hearing that, he now had a solid grasp of its capabilities.
"However," Mike shook his head, "that blast takes far too long to charge. In the time you're gathering energy, I would have plenty of time to take you out."
Tony nodded, indicating he understood.
"Oh, by the way, I have a question," Mike said after a moment's thought. "Why include the metal-transformation ability? Is your suit's own defense not as good as the metal-form?"
"So you noticed." Tony gave a bitter smile. "It's just as you said."
"Because the materials used to create the Sentinel-model suit are completely different from the standard armor. Its inherent defensive capabilities aren't actually that strong. That's why the metal-transformation is still very important."
For that very reason, in_jecting himself with the Extremis virus was another defensive measure he had prepared.
Mike nodded. "Well, since the test is finished, let's go."
As Mike spoke, a portal opened in front of them.
The two stepped through, emerging back in Tony's laboratory.
Tony stepped out of the suit, rummaged around on his lab bench for a moment, and then tossed a key to Mike. "This is a small thank-you for your time."
"That's not necessary."
"It's a car key. One I custom-built myself," Tony said with a smile. "It's very suitable for Aunt Raven to get around in. It's got bullet-proofing, auto-pilot, an emergency beacon... it even has an anti-gravity system for flight, among other functions."
Looked at that way, it really was quite good. Besides, their family car was about due for a replacement.
"In that case, I'll happily accept it."
Mike said with a laugh. He waved the key, turned, and left.
As for Tony, after a long stretch, he had his AI, Friday, store the new Sentinel armor, and then he left the lab.
He had been holed up for so long developing this new suit. He planned to swing by Stark Industries and the Avengers Tower first, and then have a candlelight dinner with Pepper tonight.
"A perfect itinerary."
Tony muttered, humming an unidentifiable tune as he walked into the bathroom.
On the other side, after Mike left Tony's house, he pressed the key. A virtual screen immediately appeared in front of him, and a crisp, female voice sounded.
"Hello, Mr. Kent. Celia, at your service."
Huh? Celia?
Mike was stunned for a second, then shook his head with a smile. He commanded the car to come to his location.
In the next second, with the roar of an engine, a car sped out of Tony's garage and appeared in front of Mike.
The car was entirely red, with golden, flame-like decals painted on its body. It looked incredibly flashy.
"Why is everything in this color scheme?"
The Iron Man suit was this color, and the car was, too.
"Mr. Kent, if you do not like this color, you can select your own color scheme."
As the AI spoke, a virtual model of the car appeared on Mike's screen, with a color palette right next to it.
Mike raised an eyebrow.
That was impressively user-friendly.
Mike tapped the color palette twice, changing the car's body to a deep sapphire blue.
"This will be fine for now. If I need to change it, I'll do it later."
Mike muttered, and when he hit the 'confirm' button, the car in front of him shimmered, as if a new film was being applied, and in a matter of seconds, it turned completely blue.
"Convenient."
He couldn't help but praise it again. Mike drove the car and parked it in front of his own house.
Speaking of which, this was the second new mode of transport his family had acquired recently.
"Mike! Is this your new car?"
Just as Mike finished parking, his neighbor John, Luke's dad, opened his door and walked over. He looked the car over, his eyes full of amazement. "What kind of car is this? I've never seen one like it."
"It's custom-made."
Mike said with a smile, holding up the key. "Want to take it for a spin?"
"Ah, I can't. I have to go out for something."
John reluctantly patted the car's body, walking a full circle around it, hissing in appreciation. He then said to Mike, "Oh, by the way, there's a car thief operating in the area recently. Several cars on nearby streets have been stolen. You should be careful."
"A car thief?" Mike couldn't help but laugh. "He'd dare to come and steal from here?"
John paused, suddenly remembering the identities of his neighbors.
"You're right. If he dares to come, he's definitely not leaving."
The community they lived in was, without a doubt, the safest in the entire world.
The two said their goodbyes, and Mike went home.
Seeing that Raven and Gwen weren't in the living room, Mike went upstairs. He saw that Raven had already started her afternoon nap, so he went to Gwen's door. He knocked lightly twice, waited a few seconds, and then pushed the door open and walked in.
"Dad, what's up?"
Gwen took off her headphones, paused the music playing on her phone, and looked at Mike curiously.
Her smooth, platinum-blonde hair seemed to reflect a mesmerizing light under the afternoon sun. A few playful strands hung down the side of her face, making her already-fair skin look as if it were glowing.
Before I even realized it, has my daughter already grown up this much?
"Dad?"
Seeing Mike just staring at her in a daze, Gwen's emerald-green eyes flickered with confusion.
"It's nothing!" Mike snapped back to himself and smiled. "I remember your spring break is coming up soon, right? Is it next Sunday? Do you remember what I mentioned to you last time?"
"A trip?"
Gwen's interest was immediately piqued.
"That's right!"
Mike replied. He took out his own phone—a special-edition model produced by Future Technologies—and tapped it lightly. A map of the world appeared, hovering above the screen.
"Pick one," Mike said with a smile. "See which place you want to go to the most."
Gwen excitedly tapped at the map, just about to select the city she had always dreamed of visiting, when her finger, as if guided by fate, inexplicably tapped on a strange, unfamiliar city.
Gwen paused for a moment, then said, "This is it. Right here."
For some unknown reason, she suddenly had a strong desire to go there.
"Alright. I'll get everything ready."
(End of this chapter)