The barrel on the Iron Man suit's shoulder lifted, locked on target, and fired in a flash. The bullets, aided by advanced AI targeting, were supposed to pierce flesh. But after the shots rang out, the man with short gray-white hair still stood there, wearing that unbearable smile. The bullets had vanished, leaving only a few spiderweb-like cracks in the air. Then, hundreds of Kaecilius' figures appeared in all directions, like the mirror maze in an amusement park, as cracks in the mirror spread across the entire space. Tony Stark couldn't tell which were just reflections—until a hand parted the mirrored surface like a curtain, and the real Kaecilius walked through. At some point, Tony Stark had already been drawn into the Mirror Dimension. Only now did he realize he'd lost contact with the outside world.
Stark possessed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s magical spectrum data, and in his scanners, Kaecilius shone with an intensely blinding magical aura.
"Your technology might be considered powerful by today's human standards, but on the scale of the galaxy or the universe, it's laughable. Even the tech from alien mechanical prostitutes surpasses yours." Perhaps after spending too much time with Solomon, Kaecilius had picked up his infuriating way of speaking. Feeling insulted, Tony Stark fired off a volley of micro-missiles, then activated his thrusters and charged at Kaecilius. The smoke from the explosion was quickly blown away by the roaring engines, only for a massive shield sparkling with magical sparks to smack Stark down as he burst through the smoke. Stark immediately fired his leg thrusters to retreat from the attack. He shifted the angle of his flight, soared above the shield by several dozen feet, and aimed the repulsor cannons on his hands at Kaecilius behind the shield.
Glowing blue tendrils sprouted from the ground. Though they appeared soft and feeble, they quickly wrapped around Iron Man's legs, pulling him off balance. His targeting was thrown off completely. As he frantically tried to break free from the tendrils, Stark found that these energy-formed bindings were nearly indestructible. They continued to slither upward, small tendrils wriggling into the gaps in his armor. His screen flickered, circuits began to short out. Even as he increased his thruster output, he couldn't break free from the spell Kaecilius had cast.
"Sir, I can't analyze... sir…" Friday's voice stuttered.
Kaecilius seized the moment. Stepping on the overturned shield, he leapt into the air and smashed Stark back down with a warhammer formed of crackling sparks. The mirrored sky shattered, spitting out searing fire. A man-sized meteor, burning with magical flame, fell from the heavens. The tendrils sparked and tightened around Stark's joints, locking him in place like a practice dummy. The meteor screamed downward—and before Stark could even react, it slammed into him. Or rather, he was slammed into the meteor, which was flying upward. The ground cracked as the meteor, now embedded with Iron Man, shot into the sky. The armor's internal systems kicked in as the superheated exterior began to cook the wearer alive. Cold white mist hissed from the armor's seams in an attempt to cool him down—one of Stark's emergency fire suppression systems. But it was futile. The internal temperature kept rising, the alarm grew louder.
Kaecilius strolled casually through the mirrored space. Folded layers of terrain sent the scorched and battered Tony Stark sliding to his feet. The sparks in the mage's hand coalesced into a long white blade. He stepped on Stark's arm and drove the blade into the shattered chestplate, prying open the armor like a can of food. Yet he didn't strike further. Instead, a seemingly thin shield hovered between his boot and the broken Stark.
A jolt of emergency adrenaline brought Stark back to consciousness.
He opened his eyes to find his oxygen system destroyed, and the main output line from his arc reactor severed. He was dehydrated, sweat clinging like glue to his spine. His joints ached, and he likely had a mild concussion.
"I didn't come to you about this, you know?" Stark lay on the ground, listening to the suit's deafening alerts. He looked up at Kaecilius through the geometrically shaped shield. "I just learned recently that an old friend came back from the dead... well, not exactly a friend, but he died for us. It was from him that I learned what Solomon has been doing—human experimentation, illegal detainment, unauthorized interrogations, murder. Do you really think this is the path to saving the world? That this is what it means to protect it? This isn't salvation. It's a crime... Kaecilius, right? I found your name in the missing persons database. I know the life you had before you joined Kamar-Taj…"
Kaecilius said something, but Stark didn't catch it. He only saw the mage step back a few paces.
So not everyone supports Solomon's methods, huh?
Stark slowly sat up. Beneath the helmet, he smirked, preparing to continue his accusations against Solomon's illegal actions. But before he could speak, a massive fist made of clay suddenly rose from behind and grabbed his lower body, slamming him violently against the ground. Disoriented and barely able to respond, Stark was seized by a second clay hand that emerged from beneath him, gripping his upper body tightly. A colossal clay giant rose from the ground, and in its hands, Iron Man was no sturdier than a twig.
"I'm summoning a clay golem—did you really think I was listening to your nonsense? Defeating you doesn't even require my strongest spells." Kaecilius extended his hand and ripped the arc reactor from Stark's chest. Then the clay golem began to pull, trying to snap Tony Stark in half like a cookie. The metal armor and exoskeleton groaned under the strain. Alarms pierced the air. "I only need to preserve your brain, Tony Stark. I'm sure Solomon would approve. Your spine's only good for causing trouble."
"We've lost Tony Stark's signal," said Captain Rogers, his face grim. "Where is he now?"
"He's receiving an education," Agent Hand replied flatly. "There's a reason the Monarch doesn't like your peace-on-earth antics, Steve Rogers. So foolish, so juvenile, so short-sighted. Even the near-destruction of Europe from the Ultron incident wasn't enough to break Stark's arrogance. He must pay for his actions."
"Speaking of paying the price, ma'am, maybe we should talk about the Inhumans."
"I knew Agent Coulson would call in reinforcements," Hand said without a hint of surprise. "And it just so happens I'm in charge of that matter. If you think Coulson's little stash of knowledge is enough to draw conclusions, I can only laugh once again at the Avengers' naivety. Right now, we're facing a magical crisis that could destroy the world. Tony Stark will be detained until it's over."
"You mean to hold him as a hostage?"
"Yes. If he's still alive," Hand said, her tone involuntarily rising. "I trust Solomon's colleagues will know how to deal with him."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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