Flames roared violently, illuminating the entire abandoned industrial zone. Eric Savin and Ellen Brandt were engulfed in blazing fire, like two gods of flame descending upon the world, their power overwhelming.
"Sir, be careful!" Jarvis urgently warned Tony Stark while analyzing the enemies' status and combat patterns.
Tony Stark took a deep breath. He knew this battle would be extremely difficult. He adjusted the suit's energy distribution, boosting the shield system to maximum capacity. At the same time, he coordinated efficiently with Jarvis.
"Jarvis, we need to find a breakthrough and come up with a targeted strategy," Tony said calmly amid the chaos.
"Based on the data, although they can generate intense flames, each release is followed by a brief cooldown period. That is our window to strike," Jarvis quickly concluded.
"Got it. The moment they fire, we counterattack—no breathing room," Tony replied firmly.
Eric Savin and Ellen Brandt unleashed increasingly violent waves of fire, a sea of flames raging like it intended to swallow the entire industrial zone. Tony moved with agility, dodging through the blazing attacks as he searched for an opening.
"Now!" Jarvis announced.
Tony seized the moment and charged toward Eric Savin. Using the suit's speed and maneuverability, he weaved through the firestorm and closed the distance. Sensing danger, Savin tried to release an even stronger blast, but Jarvis' analysis had given Tony perfect timing.
Tony punched Eric square in the chest and fired a laser simultaneously, sending him crashing to the ground.
BOOM!A wave of heat surged into the sky.
"One down," Tony said as he turned to face the remaining opponent—Ellen Brandt.
But Ellen didn't retreat. Instead, she let out an enraged scream and unleashed an even fiercer torrent of fire. She continuously shifted her attack angles, attempting to strike Tony from multiple sides.
"What the—?!"
The scorching flames surged toward him.
Tony activated his energy shield.
BZZZZT—!
Grinding his teeth, Tony endured the heat wave.
Then he raised his head, eyes locked on Ellen's movements. The pressure intensified—her flames made it harder and harder to move.
"Sir, watch for an opening!" Jarvis reminded again, mapping her attack rhythm.
Just like Savin, Ellen's flames required a brief pause after each burst—a fatal weakness.
Tony used the timing to dash forward the moment the flames halted.
"This time, I won't let you escape!" Tony growled, determination flashing in his eyes. He charged straight through the heat and struck Ellen in the abdomen with a powerful punch.
Her flames instantly extinguished. She flew backward, collapsing to the ground—unable to continue fighting.
"Target neutralized." Tony exhaled, glancing at the two super-powered fighters on the ground. The battle had been anything but easy.
"Sir, I'm relieved you're unharmed," Jarvis said, admiration in his voice.
Tony approached the unconscious Ellen Brandt and sighed deeply. He understood she was merely another victim manipulated by Aldrich Killian.
"We need to find Killian and stop his plan," Tony said firmly, resolved to finish this once and for all.
At that moment, Tony noticed an alert flashing on the right side of his HUD.
"Sir, Miss Potts is under attack. The Iron Legion is engaging the enemy," Jarvis reported as a window popped up before Tony.
The feed showed desperate Extremis soldiers fighting the Iron Legion as they protected Pepper Potts.
Tony's expression shifted instantly as someone appeared on the screen.
"Killian! You finally showed up."
Tony deployed his suit and blasted off toward Pepper's location, ordering Jarvis to prioritize her protection.
Sunlight bathed the tense city streets. Desperation-filled Extremis soldiers radiated scorching heat, wielding weapons that glowed red-hot as they spewed destructive flames. Buildings melted as the ground itself turned molten under their assault.
The Iron Legion formed a defensive perimeter, Pepper Potts at its center.
The Extremis soldiers advanced with maniacal grins, swinging heat-absorbing, flame-spewing weapons that burned everything in their path.
The Iron Legion held firm, their shields absorbing the intense heat. Each suit primed its built-in injectors, ready to fire the suppressive serum at the right moment.
The battle erupted.
The Extremis soldiers surged forward like demons born from fire. Their scorching weapons melted the landscape as they fought to break Iron Man's defenses.
But the Iron Legion countered with seamless precision.One suit dodged a flame blast and fired a laser, dropping a soldier instantly. Another darted forward at high speed and injected a serum into a second soldier.
The affected soldier staggered—his heat levels plunging, his weapon sputtering out.
"Focus fire!"
The Iron Legion adjusted tactics immediately, striking the weakened enemies.
One by one, the subdued Extremis soldiers fell.
But the remaining ones fought with suicidal fury. One armor suit was hit by multiple flaming blasts while shielding Pepper; its shields collapsed, and the frame began to warp from the heat.
The other suits closed ranks, covering the damaged one while eliminating its attackers.
The battlefield glowed with fire and metal. The Iron Legion danced around the flames, unleashing precise laser strikes.Although these Extremis soldiers were dangerous, they lacked the superhuman resilience of the stronger variants Tony had faced earlier.
Gradually, they were overwhelmed.
The Iron Legion spread out and encircled the remaining enemies.Serum injectors fired simultaneously.
One by one, the Extremis soldiers collapsed as their powers shut down.
"Excellent work, Iron Legion! Now it's time to capture Killian," Tony's voice echoed through comms, full of praise.
But his voice suddenly cut out.
A powerful blast erupted, and several suits were disabled instantly.
"What the hell is happening?!"
Aldrich Killian stood nearby, eyes burning with madness and confidence.
"Tony Stark, your Iron Legion is destined to be nothing more than my stepping stone!" Killian taunted. Flames gathered in his palm, compressing into a blazing orb before he fired it.
An armor suit tried to dodge, but the superheated blast melted its shell instantly. The shield system collapsed under the heat.
Pepper Potts remained steadfast behind the protective armor, trying to keep calm.
"Pepper, hold on!" Tony shouted, remotely piloting a suit toward Killian.
Killian smirked, forming another fireball.With a wild scream, he hurled it at the incoming Iron Man suit.
Tony maneuvered desperately. He dodged the direct hit—but the fireball grazed the suit's side, erupting in a violent explosion.
With no other choice, Tony switched to controlling another suit.
"You ridiculous Tony Stark—you really think you can stop me?" Killian sneered, madness flickering in his eyes.
More Extremis soldiers arrived, unleashing heat waves that battered the remaining Iron Legion suits. Shields failed one after another as armor plates began to melt.
"Damn it—how did this many Extremis soldiers even get into the city? Why wasn't there any sign of this?" Tony muttered in disbelief.
Something was very wrong.
Killian retreated slightly, laughing as he continued spewing waves of fire.
But just then—
A voice cut through the battlefield:
"Looks like I'm late."
A powerful blast of telekinetic force struck Killian instantly.
Killian looked up—then suddenly erupted in flames.
go to "patreon.com/Hussain678" for more chapter