Chapter 33: The Battle with Iron Man

As soon as Iron Man was struck, the crowd gasped in shock. The fight was taking place on the roof, hidden from their view, and uncertainty about Iron Man's condition only fueled their nerves. Desperate and full of hope, they began shouting towards the rooftop of the hotel.

"We're not afraid of you! Our heroes will protect us!"

"Iron Man fought off aliens before! What's a little fire compared to that?"

"Come on, Iron Man! Take this guy down and send him back to his planet!"

The bystanders' panic was intensifying. What had started as rumors of Jiang Chen being a terrorist mastermind quickly morphed into him being an alien threat. The fear of him grew with every second. At this point, they were counting on Iron Man to stop him.

On the rooftop, Tony Stark—Iron Man—was more than a little frustrated. His first three shots had missed entirely, and despite not firing at full strength, the fact that Jiang Chen dodged them with ease was making Tony uneasy. He knew Jiang Chen was powerful, but speed hadn't seemed like one of his strengths. Yet somehow, the guy was avoiding everything Tony threw at him.

"J.A.R.V.I.S, any suggestions?" Tony asked.

"Recommend firing the cluster cannon, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S responded.

Tony hesitated. He knew what the cluster cannon was capable of. At full power, it would be catastrophic—not just for Jiang Chen, but for anyone in the vicinity, including the civilians below. He couldn't risk that.

"Lower the output to 20%," Tony ordered. "Get it ready."

Even at reduced power, the cluster cannon packed a punch, roughly equivalent to a tank's armor-piercing round. This would be fast enough to catch Jiang Chen off guard, no matter how quick he was. As the arc reactor on his chest brightened, Tony aimed carefully, and in an instant, a beam of energy shot toward Jiang Chen's position.

BOOM!

The blast hit the rooftop with precision, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Below, the crowd erupted into cheers.

"He's got him now! No way he's getting up from that!"

"That's Iron Man for you! Always comes through!"

"This guy thought he could mess with Iron Man? What a joke!"

Tony hovered in mid-air, scanning the dust cloud where Jiang Chen had been standing. He was confident. Even if Jiang Chen survived the hit, he was sure to be injured. That would be enough for Tony to wrap things up and make a point—don't mess with Iron Man. He was ready to accept the crowd's applause.

But then, something unbelievable happened.

From within the swirling dust, a figure emerged, glowing with heat. Jiang Chen stepped forward, completely unscathed, flames flickering around his body.

Tony's eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell? You've got to be kidding me!"

Jiang Chen smirked, looking completely unfazed. "Finished? Good. My turn."

Before Tony could react, Jiang Chen's body seemed to gather energy, and with a roar, a torrent of flames erupted from his mouth, surging towards Iron Man. Tony barely had time to rocket into the sky, dodging most of the blast. But the sheer intensity of the fire was more than his suit could handle.

"Sir, the temperature is rising beyond safe levels. The suit is sustaining damage," J.A.R.V.I.S warned.

The crowd below, who had been cheering moments before, froze in terror as they witnessed the explosion of flames. Panic spread, and people began scrambling for cover, realizing that this was no ordinary battle. Some even fled, too scared to stick around.

Up in the air, Tony's suit was struggling. The flames had overheated several key components, and the MK42's fire-resistant systems weren't designed to handle this level of heat. To make matters worse, the flames had scorched his thrusters, causing erratic flight.

"J.A.R.V.I.S, damage report," Tony demanded.

"Flight systems malfunctioning. Immediate landing is recommended to avoid a potential fall."

Tony cursed under his breath as he was forced to descend. He touched down on the rooftop just as Jiang Chen came at him with a fierce punch. Tony managed to block with his left arm but missed the chance to counter, as Jiang Chen darted behind him with surprising speed. Before Tony could react, Jiang Chen grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground with incredible force.

The impact left a deep crater in the rooftop, the weakened surface barely holding together after the previous blasts. Tony groaned, the armor absorbing most of the blow, but the force of it rattled him.

"Sir, the suit's structural integrity is compromised," J.A.R.V.I.S announced.

Tony wasn't done yet. He quickly tried to get back to his feet, but Jiang Chen didn't let up. With lightning speed, he landed a punch right to the faceplate of Tony's helmet. The force of the hit sent a shockwave through the HUD, causing the screen to flicker and glitch.

"Warframe integrity critical," J.A.R.V.I.S warned again.

Tony felt the pressure mounting, the situation becoming dire. Jiang Chen wasn't just powerful—he was relentless, and his ability to withstand everything Tony threw at him was unnerving. This wasn't a fight Tony could afford to lose, especially not with so many lives at stake.

"Okay, tough guy," Tony muttered under his breath, gritting his teeth. "Let's see how you handle round two."

Despite the damage to his suit, Tony activated a new sequence, readying himself for the next clash. This wasn't over yet.