199

Chapter 199: The Vengeful Avenger

Half an hour ago, Stark had woken from his sleep, rubbing his aching head and exhaling slowly.

Last night, at Thor's banquet, Stark had eagerly proposed a drinking contest.

Karla was excluded because of her age, so among the others, Stark thought he could at least manage a second-place finish...

Thor was a powerhouse; no one dared to compete with him.

Soon, Stark regretted his decision...

Although Natasha was a woman, her background meant she could hold her own! To Stark, except for Thor, everyone else was just mediocre!

Steve Rogers, being enhanced, couldn't get drunk easily, even though he wasn't particularly fond of drinking. Ultimately, he was only supported out of the venue.

Falcon, Hawkeye, and War Machine Rhodes were either agents or high-ranking officers, with physical fitness far beyond Stark's usual level.

The only one who was somewhat easy to challenge was Bruce Banner.

The issue was that while Banner couldn't hold his liquor, the Hulk could. With Thor keeping the Hulk restrained, the Hulk couldn't emerge, meaning all the alcohol Banner consumed was absorbed by the Hulk.

Thus, Stark was the first to be defeated, and it was Steve and Bruce who ended up dragging him home...

The hangover was quite unpleasant. J.A.R.V.I.S. was considerate enough to bring him a glass of water and place it by his bedside.

"Thanks..."

Stark took a sip of water, reflecting on the events of the previous night.

The banquet had not only included the Avengers but also many friends.

He had an engaging conversation with a female scientist named Helen cho, whose ideas on nanotechnology were particularly enlightening.

There weren't many young women who were both beautiful and talented. Stark decided to use his resources to recruit her to Stark Industries, with plans of his own...

However, J.A.R.V.I.S. coolly informed him that Helen was already affiliated with a research institution under Stark Industries, was directly under Thor's command, and was an ardent fan of his.

It seemed that Stark's hopes of winning over the brilliant scientist were dashed. It looked like only his armor would keep him company.

Recently, he and Bruce Banner had been working on a special suit designed to contain the Hulk if he lost control, to minimize potential damage.

Driving his newly purchased sports car, Stark sped towards the northern suburbs of New York.

Among the Avengers, Thor was the primary leader, but Thor was often away from Earth, making Stark the de facto leader in many cases...

Thor's palace was designed to meet the Golden Hall standard in every way, with most weapons and facilities being Asgardian magic runes, which clashed with Stark's technological preferences. Thus, he had constructed his own version along the northern coast of New York, much like in the old days.

Another massive Avengers Base was located nearby Thor's castle, filled with state-of-the-art technological facilities.

After taking the elevator to the top of the building, Stark glanced at the endless sea, took a deep breath, and prepared to begin his day's work.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., the anti-Hulk armor should be ready by now, right?"

"Yes, sir. It's completed, though it has not undergone an official test yet."

"Then add designing armor with nano-elements to the work plan."

"Yes, sir."

Stark nodded in satisfaction and was about to continue speaking when—

"Doo————————————"

A piercing alarm cut through the air, startling him immediately.

"Boss, there is danger!"

The loyal Happy Hogan yelled, burst through the door, and charged towards him. However, he froze midway, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor.

Stark reacted swiftly, issuing commands to activate the latest Mark 43 armor, which encased him in seconds.

The cold battle armor enveloped him, providing a sense of reassurance.

He then turned to face the intruder.

A girl?

Stark was taken aback; the girl in the red dress looked barely of age.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

How could someone so young be so formidable (Noah?), did she think everyone was like Supergirl, Kayla?

Noting the sadness and fury in her eyes, Stark asked, "Young lady, what brings you here? If you need anything, I'm here to help."

Unexpectedly, Wanda replied, "Tony Stark? How could I not know you? I've remembered that name ever since I was ten years old!"

The deep-seated hatred in her voice made Stark shiver uncontrollably.

"I'll never forget the day you killed my parents!"

Red light began to glow ominously behind her.