"Boom!!!"
A massive explosion echoed, followed by a fiery blaze lighting up the sky.
The shield cracked and shattered instantly.
Tony was hurled a hundred meters away by the shockwave, regaining stability only after some effort.
He didn't have time to ponder the origin of the shield; his immediate concern was Hermione.
Unfortunately, a quick scan revealed nothing—no trace, not even a scrap of clothing.
Tony's eyes widened, his vision blurring with red as he glared at the two fighter jets.
Even though Hermione was affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D., she bore him no ill will. She wasn't a bad person.
Most importantly, she was just a child!
Now, she'd been hit directly by a missile. Even in his armored suit, he'd barely survived. Hermione, unprotected, couldn't have...
For a moment, guilt consumed Tony.
If he hadn't been so conspicuous, drawing military attention and fighter jets, Hermione wouldn't have been killed.
In the cave, he'd lost Ethan. Now...
"Hoo... You scared me half to death, almost lost it..."
Suddenly, a voice spoke behind Tony.
Tony spun around, eyes wide with shock, spotting the familiar figure.
Black robe, broomstick, little cutie.
Hermione patted her chest, feigning fright.
Thankfully, the suit had absorbed the brunt of the impact, or she'd have been in real trouble.
"Still, the defense limits of the Level 2 Shield Charm were nearly reached. It only held for a moment before shattering, absorbing most of the missile's force," Hermione mused.
"You're not dead?!"
Tony blurted out.
Hermione glared at him, "You're the one who's dead!"
Seriously, if she hadn't been helping him, would she be in this mess?
It wasn't her that locked onto the missile.
However, she'd seen Tony's efforts to help her, and her anger subsided, her attitude softening.
"Rhodey!"
Tony urgently contacted Rhodey. "What you see in the sky is me. I'm flying in armor. Tell the fighters to stop attacking. There's a child with me!"
After a half-second of shock, Rhodey replied, "Oh my god, it's you in that suit. You always come up with something new!"
"But... What child? The pilots only see you, and you're the sole target on radar!"
"Impossible, she's right here..."
Tony turned, but found nothing behind him. Hermione had vanished again.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he understood immediately.
Damn it, not this again!
"Confringo!"
"Confringo!"
"Confringo!"
Three incantations echoed nearby, followed by the sound of an aircraft disintegrating mid-air, right before Tony's astonished eyes!
The pilot, left with only his seat, seemed bewildered, as if he'd suddenly found himself skydiving without a plane.
The next moment, the parachute deployed, and the pilot drifted downward.
"Tony, what are you doing!"
Rhodey was furious on the other end.
He'd halted the attack, yet an F-22 had inexplicably disintegrated mid-air!
This was an F-22, not a toy. How could it just fall apart?
Tony was the only one present. It had to be his doing!
In retaliation for the missile!
Tony, unjustly blamed, quickly responded, "I'll cover all your losses!"
With that, he promptly hung up.
The other fighter circled briefly, seemingly receiving new orders, then turned away.
Tony called out hesitantly, "Hermione?"
"What's up?"
A cheerful voice responded, and Hermione's figure gradually reappeared nearby.
Though Tony didn't fully grasp what had happened, recalling the earlier shield, he asked directly, "What did you do? How did the fighter disintegrate? What kind of tech was that energy shield? It withstood a missile, and your invisibility?"
You're so stubborn... Hermione thought, rolling her eyes. "I told you, I'm a wizard. Everything I did was magic, magic! Don't you understand?"
With that, she pointed her wand at Tony.
"Reparo!"
Tony heard a small sound, then watched, amazed, as the suit's damaged parts began to mend.
In moments, it was as good as new.
"Sir, the suit has been restored for unknown reasons and is now 100% intact," Jarvis reported.
After all this, Tony's skepticism wavered.
This magical reset was the final straw, breaking his resistance.
"There really is magic... How can there be wizards and magic in the world?" Tony murmured, his worldview shattered.
"What's so strange? You barely grasp all of science, yet dismiss the mystical. Pepper's right, you're arrogant," Hermione chided gently. "The world is more complex than you think."
After a while, Tony composed himself, exhaling deeply.
"I accept you're not with S.H.I.E.L.D., and S.H.I.E.L.D. can't sustain someone like you, a wizard."
"My name is Hermione, Hermione Granger."
Tony nodded, "Tony Stark."
Thinking something was missing, he added, "Famous genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist..."
Hermione gave him a sidelong glance, adding lightly, "And narcissist."
Ouch.
Tony grimaced.
His accolades seemed trivial to this mysterious young witch.
In her eyes, he felt like a child, boasting about achievements that, to adults, were laughable.
Tony Stark, heir to Stark Industries, genius scientist, belittled by a child?
Feeling out of place, Tony, accustomed to admiration and being the center of attention, was unsettled but held his peace.
They flew in silence toward Stark Tower.
Tony noticed something.
The young witch's broom... wasn't as fast as his suit!
An idea sparked, bringing a smile to his face.
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