Chapter 032: War with Iron Man

The top floor of the hotel was a helipad, usually deserted at night. As the elevator reached this secluded area, Tony Stark's intentions became clear—he was declaring war on Jiang Chen.

"Unlike Captain America, I don't just talk," Tony said, his voice calm yet charged. "I'm simple and violent."

As he finished, a loud boom echoed across the rooftop. From seemingly nowhere, a red Iron Man suit shot toward Jiang Chen at incredible speed. It was on a collision course with him.

But just as it was about to hit, the suit crashed into a nearby pillar, scattering parts everywhere.

Tony sighed and muttered to J.A.R.V.I.S, his AI assistant, "J.A.R.V.I.S, why MK42? Can't you deploy something more reliable?"

Jiang Chen sneered at Tony, eyes narrowing in disdain. "I thought you'd be different from the Captain. Seems you both enjoy sneak attacks."

Suddenly, Jiang Chen's body radiated a fiery red aura, and his eyes burned with the same terrifying glow. The temperature around them rose sharply, turning the helipad into an oven-like furnace.

Tony shrugged, spreading his arms with casual arrogance. "Honestly, I just wanted to be surprised."

Then, his eyes hardened. "But you've got no sense of humor."

With that, the parts scattered on the ground shot toward Tony, reassembling into the Iron Man suit with lightning speed. The helmet snapped into place, and Tony's voice, now muffled by the suit, rang out proudly.

"I am Iron Man."

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and fired an arc pulse cannon at Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen sidestepped the blast with ease, barely flinching. He could have struck back in that moment, either disarming Tony before the suit fully assembled or destroying it as it approached. But Jiang Chen held back. He wasn't interested in a cheap victory.

True strength wasn't born from fear, and Jiang Chen feared nothing.

He clenched his fists, his expression darkening. Then, he charged forward, throwing a powerful punch at Iron Man. Despite his enhanced speed, Jiang Chen's movements were still several times faster than an ordinary human.

Tony barely dodged, taking to the sky and firing another arc pulse at Jiang Chen from above. This time, he was certain the blast would land, but Jiang Chen avoided it again with inhuman agility.

The blast missed, tearing a hole in the helipad. Tony growled in frustration.

"FUCK..." he muttered under his breath, wondering why his shots were so inaccurate. "J.A.R.V.I.S, aim for the heat signature and launch another attack."

Iron Man could have ordered J.A.R.V.I.S to go all out and eliminate Jiang Chen with full firepower. But he held back, not having enough proof to pin Jiang Chen as the mastermind behind the recent bombings. He only knew Jiang Chen had defeated Captain America, which made Tony eager to test the limits of his abilities.

"Yes, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S responded, firing another arc pulse. But once again, it missed its mark as Jiang Chen effortlessly dodged.

Tony was growing increasingly annoyed. "J.A.R.V.I.S, what the hell is going on?"

"Running diagnostics on the armor, sir."

Meanwhile, the explosions had caused a commotion in the city below. The loud blasts echoed through the streets, drawing attention from passersby.

"It's Iron Man!"

The hotel wasn't very tall, and the bright lights of the city made it easy for onlookers to spot the glowing red figure in the sky. Recognizing Iron Man, the crowd quickly began to gather.

"It's Iron Man fighting a bad guy!"

"Who is that guy? Look, he's glowing!"

People took out their phones, cameras, and even binoculars, capturing every moment of the battle.

"Iron Man is invincible! Take him down!"

"You got this, Iron Man! You're the pride of the country!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd below as more and more people gathered at the base of the hotel, watching the fight unfold. The traffic in the surrounding area came to a standstill, as cars stopped and people climbed out to witness the spectacle.

Although they had no idea who Jiang Chen was or why he was fighting Iron Man, the crowd instinctively rooted for their hero. To them, Iron Man could do no wrong—he was the protector of the people, a symbol of hope.

Hearing the cheers, Tony's voice dripped with smugness as he called out to Jiang Chen, "Hear that? The whole city's rooting for me."

Jiang Chen scoffed. "You're a little early with your victory speech, don't you think?"

He frowned slightly, his irritation growing. Though his abilities had improved significantly—his strength, speed, and power far beyond that of an average human—he still lacked one crucial ability: flight.

"I really need to figure out how to get some flight abilities. Something similar will do," he muttered to himself.

With a flick of his wrist, Jiang Chen sent a wave of fire hurling toward Iron Man.

Tony, distracted by his diagnostics with J.A.R.V.I.S, wasn't fast enough to dodge. The flames struck his suit, causing him to plummet from the sky, crashing into the ground with a loud thud.

J.A.R.V.I.S's voice sounded in Tony's ear. "Sir, the suit's diagnostics show no malfunctions. Target locked and ready for cluster gun deployment."

Tony struggled to his feet, shaking off the impact. His face hardened behind the helmet as he prepared for the next round.

This fight wasn't over yet.