Chương 315: Chapter 315: Picking the Peaches?
At this moment, when Ivan removed his robe, Tony Stark saw a familiar Ark reactor on Ivan's chest. Although it was slightly different in shape from his own Ark reactor, essentially, it was a type of energy device. Tony Stark was all too familiar with this kind of energy now.
"What are you talking about? I don't know where you stole the Ark reactor technology from, but if you think..." Tony Stark didn't fully catch Ivan's accusation about being a thief. He furrowed his brows, still speaking when suddenly his expression changed and he instinctively dodged.
With a "snap!" a whip struck the ground, cracking the surface. From the force displayed, it was evident that Ivan had not used his full strength when he attacked Happy earlier; otherwise, Happy would not have been barely hanging on but would have been split in two right then and there.
Perhaps, Ivan harbored a deeper hatred for Tony Stark than for Happy, the bodyguard, whose importance in his vengeful heart might not have been as significant.
It was only Tony Stark's quick reflexes, much faster than those of an ordinary person, that saved him. Otherwise, he would be either crushed into a pulp or sliced in half. Indeed, his experiences as Iron Man had just saved his life.
Although Jarvis's assistance was crucial, Tony's own reaction speed was also important, especially his ability to adapt in situations sometimes exceeded even Jarvis's capabilities. This had further honed Tony's already impressive reflexes, enabling him to survive this encounter.
When Ivan initially swung his whip at Tony, he had felt a twinge of regret, thinking that killing Tony too easily would be letting him off too lightly. He had plans to torment Tony thoroughly, to crush his pride.
"You didn't die? You playboy, you react that fast?" However, seeing Tony dodge his attack, Ivan showed a trace of surprise, followed by a sneer, "That's even better. I'll enjoy tormenting you, making you suffer before you die, to repay the debt you owe our Vanko family!"
With each word, Ivan launched another attack, and Tony dodged awkwardly. It seemed as though Ivan was toying with him, his strikes less forceful than before but faster.
Initially, Tony could evade based on his reaction speed, but as the battle wore on, he began to tire. After all, no matter how fast his reflexes, he was still human.
If Tony had taken Steve's advice to inject the super soldier serum or had developed a similar formula, he might not have been so vulnerable without his armor. Unfortunately, Tony had little interest in that path.
As Ivan continued his assault, Tony's injuries accumulated, and his anxiety grew, not over the prospect of defeat—Jarvis had informed him that his armor was arriving soon—but for Happy's safety. Despite Pepper bravely checking on Happy and encouraging him, Happy's consciousness was fading, and his life signs weakening.
Sending Happy to a hospital was out of the question given his severe injuries; even immediate hospital care might not save him. Thus, Tony hoped Robert would arrive soon with the means to save Happy, or he would lose one of his closest friends.
On the other end, Robert, having received the message from Jarvis, was momentarily stunned, especially since Jarvis's voice was somewhat unfamiliar to him. It was only when Jarvis mentioned Tony Stark that Robert snapped to attention.
Calculating the distance, Robert realized it wouldn't take him long to arrive, but pinpointing Tony's exact location was a bit tricky. He contacted the Guardians, using their magic base as a transit point, and finally, with coordinates provided by Jarvis, he successfully reached Tony's location.
With a "swoosh!" Robert appeared just as a whip was about to hit Tony's head. Tony, exhausted, could hardly keep up with the pace; dodging life-threatening blows was far more taxing than regular movement.
With a "snap!" Seeing Tony unable to dodge, Robert swiftly intervened, grabbing Ivan's electrified whip, which was incapable of harming him even in his transformed state.
"Who is this?!" Ivan, seeing Robert appear out of nowhere, was baffled; he hadn't noticed anyone approaching.
As Robert grabbed the whip, unable to be pulled free by Ivan, Happy, regaining consciousness, looked confused about what had happened to him. He felt weak and unable to move, his mind fading in and out, only hearing Pepper's voice, who seemed to be crying beside him.
But now, everything that felt like an illusion was becoming clear as his body recovered and his mind woke up.
"I almost died just now? OMG! Thank you, but wait, aren't you the person my boss had a bounty on... no, offered a reward for?" Happy, after coming to his senses, thanked Robert, but then remembered the bounty, making things a bit awkward.
"Thank you very much, Saiyan. We will remember your kindness!" Unlike the somewhat clueless Happy, Pepper, who was well-informed, looked gratefully and apologetically at Robert. "I'm sorry, Happy was just through a life-or-death ordeal, his mind isn't clear, please don't mind what he said..."
"Oh, no problem, do you need any more help from me here?" Robert waved his hand nonchalantly, looking toward Tony Stark and asking. Although Ivan seemed momentarily distracted by Robert's appearance, his attacks on Tony only grew fiercer, perhaps because he feared losing his chance for revenge.
For Robert, Ivan was hardly a challenge; subduing him would take no effort. He hadn't immediately neutralized Ivan, sensing that there seemed to be a personal vendetta against Tony.
"No need for further assistance! The situation here is under control, and thank you for your help!" Tony Stark, managing to dodge another of Ivan's strikes, responded with an unusually polite tone, even more humble than when he had first acknowledged Robert's strength. After all, Robert had just saved his dear friend Happy.
"It looks like I'm not needed then." Robert nodded. He noticed the approaching suit of armor nodding in agreement as the balance of power was about to shift with its arrival. Whether in terms of the armor's material or its power source, the new suit would place Tony far beyond Ivan's reach.
With a "click!" just as Ivan was preparing another strike, Tony completed donning his latest suit of armor. Though using such advanced technology against Ivan felt like an overkill, Ivan had nearly killed Happy and almost slain Tony himself, fueling Tony's rage and determination.
With a "snap!" Ivan's next attack was blocked, his whip now gripped in the mechanical hand of Tony's armor. The disparity in their strength was clear, and with a forceful pull from Tony, Ivan, despite his exoskeleton armor, was dragged right before Tony.
"Now, do you regret playing games with me?" Tony, eyes narrowed, demanded sternly, "Speak! Who are you really? Who sent you? And where did you get your Ark reactor from?"
With a "snap!" Ivan, faced with Tony's interrogation, showed no intention of responding. Regretting not having killed Tony when he had the chance, Ivan remained defiant, continuing his attempts to counterattack. But unfortunately for him, even with the Ark reactor enhancing his whip, he couldn't breach Tony's new armor.
The gap between Ivan and Tony was like comparing two players in a game: one just starting to unlock abilities and the other fully maxed out with premium gear.
With a "crack!" facing Ivan's continued aggression, an already irritated Tony didn't hold back. He simply broke Ivan's whip on the spot, leaving him with only the Ark reactor and no other means of attack.
"Stop!" Just as Tony was about to further engage Ivan, a commanding shout rang out, and both a military helicopter and a S.H.I.E.L.D. jet appeared overhead. Nick Fury and a military colonel made their entrance.
"Tony, glad you're okay..." Nick Fury nodded at Tony, glancing at Robert then pretending he wasn't there, and addressed Tony, "Heard you were attacked, came as fast as I could. Thank goodness you're alright, I wouldn't know how to explain this to your father!"
"Was that you who yelled 'stop'?" Tony's helmet retracted as he squinted at Nick Fury.
"No, it was him..." Nick Fury quickly shook his head, pointing to the colonel, "I'm here to inform you of his identity and how he got the Ark reactor."
"Yes, I was the one who called for a stop. You can't kill him..." The colonel nodded seriously, addressing Tony, "This man has compromised national security. We need to take him in for a thorough investigation. His presence in the country should be restricted; we need to verify his identity thoroughly."
"Get lost!" Tony gave the colonel no courtesy, aware of what they really wanted. Was it not obvious they were eyeing the Ark reactor in Ivan's chest, hoping to seize it? Did they think Stark Industries was easy to bully?
Moreover, Tony was already furious. Happy had nearly died, and he himself had been injured by Ivan. If Ivan hadn't been overconfident, he, Happy, and Pepper might have died there. And now that he had finally dealt with Ivan, the military wanted to swoop in and take his victory? Ridiculous!
"Are you talking to me?" The colonel's face darkened upon hearing Tony's dismissal, "Do you think just because you're a superhero, you're above the military and the nation? Tony Stark, remember who you are!"
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