Ivan Vanko continued his earlier conversation, turning back to the Wakandan king.
"King T'Chaka, what do you think of my proposal?"
T'Chaka, of course, would not reveal Wakanda's secret. He answered calmly,
"The Black Panther suit is a legacy passed down through our generations. It is why we've preserved it until now. But our nation has no vibranium left. The last of it was stolen by a bandit named Ulysses. If we still had some, I would gladly trade it for resources to strengthen Wakanda."
Vanko frowned. He couldn't tell if the king was lying. But he knew the name Ulysses—that thief truly had stolen a great deal of vibranium.
"That's a pity. I only needed a little, just enough to upgrade my armor. Looks like I'll need another way."
He left, and T'Chaka exchanged a silent glance with T'Challa. Neither spoke.
Though T'Challa had already lost, they weren't leaving yet. They wanted to learn more about Earth's extraordinary powers and gauge the true limits of the other contestants.
Half an hour passed quickly.
Eddie Brock took the stage and announced,
"The second round of the Dragon Ball Contest begins now! Contestants Tony Stark and Thor Odinson, enter the arena!"
Tony soared in wearing his new armor. Thor spun Mjolnir and landed on the ring.
Smith Dole looked at them both.
"The rules remain the same. The match begins!"
Thor eyed Tony.
"Give up, Iron Man. I can't imagine what you'll look like after lightning cooks that metal shell. Medium rare, perhaps?"
It was meant as a warning, but Tony shot back immediately, smirking.
"And you—an overgrown theater actor with mommy's cape. Don't think beating a trickster means you're invincible. You should be the one surrendering."
The jab not only mocked Thor, but hit Mordo in the crowd as collateral.
Thor sighed and hurled Mjolnir.
Boom!
The hammer struck Tony full-on, flinging him across the ring. But unlike his last armor, this suit—crafted from secondary adamantium—remained intact. Not a dent.
Tony grinned inside his helmet.
"Come on, then."
Thor recalled his hammer, spinning it to unleash a crushing blow. He assumed Tony's armor had to be faltering—after all, Xu Wenwu's rings tore his last suit apart. Surely Mjolnir would do even better.
But before Thor struck, Tony fired twin repulsor blasts.
Boom! Boom!
Caught off guard, Thor staggered back several steps, his hammer's rotation broken.
Tony shot forward, boot slamming into Thor's chest. The god of thunder was knocked clear across the arena, even losing grip of Mjolnir for a moment.
Recovering quickly, Thor summoned it back and raised it high, arcs of lightning crackling along its edge. A bolt lanced down, striking Tony's chest reactor and faceplate. Electricity danced wildly over his armor.
Jarvis's voice chimed in his ear,
"Sir, energy levels at 400%."
Tony blinked.
"…What?"
Then, reactor and gauntlets flared simultaneously, blasting Thor with a massive surge of power.
Boom!
Thor was hurled backward, stopping only at the ring's edge.
The god clenched his teeth. To be humiliated like this in front of so many was intolerable. With a roar, he charged again, hammer blazing. Tony rocketed forward as well.
They clashed in midair, hammer against steel. Tony grappled Thor upward, firing chest beams in bursts. Thor countered with hammer strikes, both refusing to yield.
Their battle raged from the arena floor to the skies above. At one point, Tony rammed Thor with a brutal headbutt.
Thunk!
Thor reeled, then slammed his forehead back into Tony, sending both tumbling down to crash onto the ring.
Bang!
They rose again, locked hands in a contest of strength. Thor expected his divine might to crush the armored man's arms—but the suit held firm.
"This isn't the same toy you wore before?" Thor muttered.
Tony's chest cannon flared, blasting Thor off his feet.
"Of course not. Otherwise, I might not have lost last round."
Thor growled, seized Tony in a grapple, and hurled him hard into the floor.
Boom!
Then he summoned Mjolnir again, intent on pinning it atop Tony. With the hammer's enchantment, once it pressed him down, Tony would be unable to move—ten seconds, and Thor would win.
But Tony's thrusters roared, propelling him up just before the hammer struck. He darted forward and punched Thor across the head.
Thunk!
The blow barely fazed the Asgardian.
"Damn it!" Tony cursed.
Thor retaliated, hammer slamming into his chestplate.
Clang!
Though his armor absorbed the hit, the sheer force sent Tony skidding meters back.
Unfazed, he deployed shoulder-mounted micro-missiles.
Whoosh—Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions engulfed Thor. He shielded himself with crossed arms, flames licking at his armor but leaving him mostly unscathed.
The clash raged on, iron against god, lightning against firepower. Neither combatant willing to yield.
(End of Chapter)
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