068. Moving To Receive Punches

With the failure of the plan looming large, General Chris felt close to despair. But even then, he was determined not to let the superheroes steal the spotlight again. He would rather see the Mandarin's chaos unfold than let these "heroes" bask in glory.

Suddenly, a congressman's voice broke the silence in the conference room:"Do you all see that?"

All eyes turned to the surveillance screen, where a sudden red glow appeared on the dark rooftop of Stark Industries. Initially, it looked like a fire. President Matthew Ellis leaned forward, his face lighting up with anticipation."Zoom in!"

Thanks to the infrared night vision, the screen soon displayed Jason—now the blazing figure of Pyro—facing none other than the Mandarin.

"It's Pyro!" someone shouted, their voice filled with excitement."Yes! He's found the Mandarin!""Did he skip the Radio and Television building because he already knew Mandarin's location?"

Meanwhile, General Chris stood dumbfounded at the front of the screen, repeatedly blinking as if trying to process what he saw."Impossible," he muttered. "Mandarin is too cunning to be found so easily. Our plan was foolproof; how did he…"

But as the reality dawned, Chris's expression turned smug. "Clearly, Mandarin wanted him to find him," he declared. "Mandarin knows these heroes can't defeat him. Pyro has no chance!"

Yet, his words fell on deaf ears. The councilors watched the screen intently, their hope rekindled as they witnessed Pyro in action.

On the rooftop of Stark Industries, Jason and the Mandarin stood face to face, locked in a tense standoff.

The Mandarin sneered, watching Jason engulfed in flames. "Petty tricks," he mocked.

But before he could continue, Jason raised his fist and swung, a blazing firestorm of force hurtling toward the Mandarin. Startled by the intensity, the Mandarin quickly activated the vortex ring on his right middle finger, conjuring a high-speed whirlwind to propel himself out of range. However, in his haste, he miscalculated his movement—and ended up right in the path of Jason's fist.

The Mandarin's eyes widened in shock, realizing he had unintentionally maneuvered directly into the blow. With no time to escape, he braced himself, summoning every ounce of strength to withstand the hit.

The impact was brutal. The scorching flames seared through his defenses, leaving him wincing in pain, his face twisted in agony. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Jason.

"Moving to receive punches?" Jason raised an eyebrow, smirking. "That's a new one."

The Mandarin glowered silently, unable to speak through the pain. If not for his years of training, the punch would have shattered his insides. Desperately, he wondered how his carefully calculated movement had misfired so spectacularly.

Jason chuckled. "Seems like my luck's pretty good today."

Mandarin's frustration grew. He, the leader of the Ten Rings, was not about to be humiliated in this way. Yet, as he watched Jason, he realized that straightforward attacks wouldn't work. Somehow, Jason seemed to sidestep every move, almost as if he was blessed with an uncanny stroke of luck.

Summoning his will, the Mandarin considered his options. If he could combine the Ice Storm, vortex, and cutting beam, he might trap Jason for good. The Ice Storm, powered by the ring on his left pinky, could unleash a freezing blast strong enough to encase his enemy in near absolute zero. It might not stop Jason permanently, but it would surely slow him down.

The Mandarin smirked, a plan forming in his mind. He'd use the Ice Storm to block Jason's movements, then use the vortex ring to maneuver into range for a close-up cutting beam. Jason's luck couldn't possibly save him from such an attack.

"Luck only goes so far," he taunted, watching Jason closely. "And I'm eager to see when yours runs out."