下載應用程式
1.58% Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics / Chapter 68: Chapter 51: Heart of Iron Armor (Part 3)_3

章節 68: Chapter 51: Heart of Iron Armor (Part 3)_3

"He's never valued your hard work and now you're still acting as his security guard?! Old Andro was right, the only decent thing that bastard Howard ever did in his entire life was hiring you as his watchdog!"

The Iron Monster across from him remained silent, leading General Johnson to take a step back and address Rhodes on the other side. "See? This is your future! You're always following Stark around, at his beck and call. Friend? Hah, if he truly considered you a friend, he wouldn't have given you outdated technology!"

"Our friend across from us has been Howard's watchdog his whole life! What has he gained? He doesn't even dare to resist!"

Just as Rhodes and Stark were about to speak, Jarvis issued a severe warning: "High-energy reaction detected! Please evade immediately! Please take cover! Please take cover! 3! 2..."

In an instant, another intense mushroom cloud erupted. The explosion from the behemoth that General Johnson was piloting was extraordinary, leaving a huge crater hundreds of meters in size on the ground, and half the factory was shattered by the blast.

Nobody expected him to detonate so decisively. Iron Man did not have time to dodge; his Mecha was nearly shattered, and the suit Rhodes was wearing was utterly ruined. The Iron Monster had quite high defense, but it seemed to be struggling to get up.

Perhaps General Johnson had prepared in advance. While he was at the epicenter of the self-detonation, he wasn't killed but stood up from a safe compartment, holding a remote control.

"You might think it ends here, but on the contrary, this is just the beginning!" General Johnson said.

Stark, battered and bleeding, wiped his eyes and helped Rhodes up from the Mecha, stammered, "Your boss really does have quite the temper."

"That's exactly why I was driven into a corner." Rhodes replied with self-derision.

"You still don't know any better, Colonel Rhodes! Everything Howard promised Obadiah, nothing was fulfilled. He continued to care only about his son. Little Stark could shut down the most crucial military system with a word, destroying the lifelong efforts of an older generation. How ridiculous!"

"For him, you have repeatedly turned down my requests, only giving me a set of outdated Mecha technical data, but what did that bring you? You're just a backdrop for Iron Man. He's celebrated, you're obscure, just like Howard and Obadiah...."

"...The ranting of a loser." an voice came from the Iron Monster still lying on the ground.

"We chose Old Andro back then because you were too stupid. Even after all these decades, you haven't changed, which is why I still didn't choose you, you moron."

The tone of Obadiah was slow and gentle, not at all like someone on a battlefield, which only infuriated Johnson even more.

He gritted his teeth and fiercely press a button on the remote control, as several dozen robots flew over. They were smaller than the self-exploded robots, but they seemed more advanced.

"You don't have your Mechas now, but I have mine." General Johnson said, "Just like old Stark back then, who defeated my army with his new invention, now it's my turn!"

"Cough...Even after all these decades, there's one thing you haven't grasped." Obadiah's voice echoed, "A suit of Iron is useless."

Hearing this, Stark let out a sigh, slowly relaxed his shoulder muscles, and muttered to himself, "...Maybe he's right, maybe they're all right. Just having an Iron suit really isn't enough. It won't make things any easier for me."

As Rhodes stared ahead, the towering robots made them look even smaller in comparison. He said, "Enough with the sentiments, don't you think we should be figuring out what to do now?"

Stark looked up at the encircling robot army and turned to Rhodes, "Do you think we're like them?"

"No, you're worse than your father."

On a land scorched and blackened by the explosion, Stark touched his chest. Compared to those massive robots around them, they appeared inferior, but Stark did not seem worried. His tone was relaxed as if chatting with an old friend.

Then, under the pitch-black night sky, only the faint glow of the Robot's eyes flickered like twinkling stars. Stark turned to Rhodes and asked:

"Want a cigarette?"


next chapter

章節 69: Chapter 52 Iron Man Never Retreats _1

Rhodes replied, "No, thank you, I don't smoke..."

But then he saw Stark casually take out a cigarette, toss it into the air, and instantly, a thin, blue and silver mecha was assembled around him. Swallowing hard, Rhodes said, "Give me one, please. Thanks."

Meanwhile, General Johnson had just climbed back into the cockpit of a huge robot. What appeared in his field of vision was a fist as big as a sandbag.

Iron Man was about to join Rhodes to confront Johnson, but was intercepted by the restored Iron Monster. He heard Obadiah say, "You know? Most of what I told you about your father was not the truth."

"In reality, he smoked, drank, chased women, daydreamed, and often jumped to conclusions. He messed things up and then passed the buck."

"Those heroic tales about him were all fabricated by me. He was utterly an asshole."

"Do you know how I managed to stop him from spouting dumb ideas?"

Iron Man had a sinking feeling, but before he could answer, he saw a fist as large as a sandbag in his view.

Watching Iron Man being knocked away, Little Spider rubbed his hands and said, "Alright, here's the question—who should we help?"

Slapping his shield, Captain America said, "I think Obadiah was right. After all, he is Stark's elder and has more reason to give him a beating."

"But wouldn't it look bad if we just watch?"

"Then let's not watch. Let's get moving. We have wounded to load onto the ambulance."

Elsewhere, Iron Man was groggily clambering out of a pile of steel bars. He said, "Wait! Uncle... okay, I get it. Howard was a jerk and so am I! But I think there are better ways to settle this. We can have a conversation, or hold a board meeting or something. We don't always have to resort to fists..."

"You're the last person who should be saying that."

With a roar, the Iron Monster leaped. Landing in front of him, its shadow enveloped Iron Man's armor. Obadiah said, "Soon you will realize that your iron shell won't help you at all, even if you give it a new look."

Iron Man seemed helpless, Obadiah was clearly set on beating him up. His temper flared, "You'll soon find out if it's just a new look!"

With that, he swiftly dodged the Iron Monster's punch like a bird. In almost an instant, he was behind the Iron Monster, and he landed a blow on its back.

The Iron Monster swung its arm, but Stark skillfully dodged again. His current armor was lighter, but thanks to the modified power system, it was faster and more agile.

He stretched out his palm, and the steel bars in the nearby rubble began to vibrate slightly. They took off in an instant, aiming directly at the Iron Monster. Jarvis told Stark, "The magnetic control system is still being upgraded and can't operate at high frequency. Also, energy is almost exhausted..."

Stark clenched his fist, and the steel bars flew at the Iron Monster.

Obadiah clearly didn't expect this trick. After all, Iron Man was primarily a warrior who, apart from his palm cannons, spent most of his time trading punches with the enemy. But this silver and blue mecha made him look more like a mage.

With the move of Stark's arms, the steel bars shot at the Iron Monster at high speed. Obadiah only managed to dodge most of the bars on his left side, but a few bars struck his armor's right arm.

But he was unflappable. The moment he was hit, he used the force to jump out and launch an uppercut at the airborne Iron Man.

Iron Man's armor spit out a series of sparks, but he didn't back down and made a nosedive to punch the Iron Monster's neck. The Iron Monster wobbled slightly, grabbed Iron Man's leg, and threw him away.

Iron Man was again thrown into disarray. He fell right into the battlefield between Rhodes and General Johnson. With Rhodes also struggling, Iron Man shouted, "Let's switch opponents for the second half!"

It was the right decision. Rhodes's armor was stronger, but he was up against General Johnson's large mecha equipped with eight tentacles. He'd get brutally smacked if he wasn't fast enough. So, it was more practical to let Stark's more agile armor deal with him.

Stabilizing himself, Rhodes immediately ascended and dived, heading straight for Obadiah's Iron Monster.

After the opponents were correctly paired off, the situation quickly clarified. Stark, with his high-mobility combat skills, swiftly dismantled more than half of the tentacles on General Johnson's back. Without the assistance of the tentacles, Johnson's robot became an actual can of iron – a sandbag for Iron Man. With several punches, the machine started to spark.

The robots that he had summoned were also speedily disposed of by Stark's high-speed movements.

On the other side, although it was tough to deal head-on with the Iron Monster, Rhodes was holding his own. After a few rounds, the Iron Monster fell to the ground, seemingly unable to stand up again due to its previously damaged leg.

Walking to Iron Man's side, Rhodes said, "I once heard my former boss, Old General Andro, mention that he knew your father when he was young. I don't know the details."

"That damn, treacherous little Howard! His dealings with the military helped build up Old Andro! Originally, I shouldn't have been just a minor Air Force general!"

"None of that matters now," Stark said. "At this point, you're probably not going to remain a general anymore."

"Everyone knows that only Iron Man can build these mecha. I was using the technology you provided to the military. As long as..."

"No, I didn't mean it that way. What I'm trying to say is that Howard, as screwed up as he was, did possess qualities worth learning from. For instance, finding a right partner within the military...of course, that's not you…"

"Didn't you intend to shut down Stark's weapons manufacturing department?"

"Where did you hear such rumors?"

Johnson turns to look at Obadiah's mech.

"Did my uncle tell you that?"

"Did he also tell you that every Stark is like this? We change in the blink of an eye. Just a few minutes ago, I changed my mind. Not only will I not close down Stark's weapons manufacturing department, but I plan to officially collaborate with the military. I have some ideas on a single soldier exoskeleton and medical support systems..."

"No! You can't do that! Bloody hell, I already promised Hammer Arms Industry…"

"Fools always seek other fools," the sound of Obadiah's voice echoed from afar.

Johnson's mech spits out a series of sparks. Apparently, he was pounding on something inside.

"It seems these mechs were made for you by Hammer Arms Industry, but sorry to say this, they're quite outdated."

"Yes, you've only given outdated tech to Rhodes." Even now, Johnson couldn't help but sow discord.

Rhodes crossed his arms and said, "He just gave me a cigarette, a quite fashionable one."

Stark didn't waste words with Johnson any longer. He went to the collapsed Iron Monster and opened the cockpit. Obadiah was lying inside. He didn't seem physically injured, but his complexion was awful, looking as if he were on the brink of death.

"Doctor! I need a doctor!"

Shiller appeared at the call. He spread his hands, "I guess you need more than a psychologist."

"Of course, but stop the chatter, get him to a hospital now."

"His heart..." the host said inside Shiller's head.

Shiller checked Obadiah's pulse and found it indeed peculiar. Obadiah coughed and said, "The external energy core can't sustain such a behemoth…"

"Did you do something to your heart?" asked Shiller.

Stark anxiously tore open Obadiah's shirt, and sure enough, there was a scar on his chest. He urged Shiller, "Hurry up! Take him back to my lab!... Damn it, the path of bionics is a dead end! It's nothing but draining life!"

"You're as obstinate as your father, never listening to others..." Obadiah said, but he fell silent at the sight of the blood trickling down Stark's forehead.

"Take him back first. I know a pretty good neurosurgeon - you'll meet him at Stark Building shortly."

After Shiller and Stark had left, only General Johnson and Rhodes remained on the battlefield. Johnson was cursing wildly, "You damn madman! Rhodes! Don't you know a soldier's duty is to follow orders? I am your superior now! Old Andro is long retired!"

"Yeah, he retired honorably as a general, got a high-paying sinecure in Congress, collected tons of pension. Last winter, he even spent two months in Hawaii, and his granddaughter just got accepted by Harvard..."

Johnson's mech exploded violently again.

After a while, he said, "You'll regret this, Rhodes. Never trust a Stark. You will regret being his friend."

"They're selfish, sensitive, suspicious all the time. In the end, they ruin everything. They have a genius mind to save themselves, but they won't save you - not even a watchdog."

Rhodes stepped out of his mech, looking around.

The scene had been reduced to ruins. Not far away, the Little Spider and Captain America were getting the wounded onto ambulances. Most people had orderly evacuated, but quite a few were hurt while running from the blast waves. They had just been rescued.

New York is vast. The battle's aftermath only affected a few nearby streets. Further away, the roads were still bustling with vehicles and pedestrians.

Suddenly, a streak of crimson light illuminated the distant sky. Dawn was about to break.

"You're right. The Starks are all rotten - impulsive, willful, never considering the consequences, leaving others to clean up their mess. But Iron Man is different..."

Rhodes stared at the light on the horizon. He raised his hand, plucked off his epaulets and looked down at them. He squeezed them between his fingers, and tossed them onto Johnson's face.

"...Iron Man never steps back."


Load failed, please RETRY

禮物

禮品 -- 收到的禮物

    每周推薦票狀態

    批量訂閱

    目錄

    顯示選項

    背景

    EoMt的

    大小

    章評

    寫檢討 閱讀狀態: C68
    無法發佈。請再試一次
    • 翻譯品質
    • 更新的穩定性
    • 故事發展
    • 人物形象設計
    • 世界背景

    總分 0.0

    評論發佈成功! 閱讀更多評論
    用推薦票投票
    Rank 200+ 推薦票榜
    Stone 38 推薦票
    舉報不當內容
    錯誤提示

    舉報暴力內容

    段落註釋

    登錄

    tip 段落評論

    段落註釋功能現已上線!將滑鼠移到任何段落上,然後按下圖示以添加您的評論。

    此外,您可以隨時在「設置」 中將其關閉/ 打開。

    明白了