Tony Stark's seaside villa.
"That weird guy with the wasp head—I don't know the physics behind the needles he fires from his wrist, but they actually managed to pierce my armor," Tony said, hissing in pain as he removed his suit and clutched his injured right hand.
"Sir, you are injured. Shall I prepare gauze and trauma medication?" JARVIS asked solicitously, having detected the wound on Tony's arm.
Tony furrowed his brow and nodded. "JARVIS, run a full scan of my body to check for toxins. Also, take a sample of the needle that managed to penetrate my titanium alloy suit for analysis."
"Tony, you're hurt. Eat a burger to recover," Burgermon, the Bugster, offered, handing Tony a hamburger.
"Your burgers can actually heal human injuries?" Tony asked, taking the burger with a look of mild surprise.
Burgermon nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "In the Burger Game, there are specific types of food designed to restore the player's status."
Tony took a skeptical bite. As soon as he swallowed, he felt a warm current coursing through his body, eventually converging at the puncture wound left by the Wasp Gurongi's needle. The wound began to itch slightly; the bleeding stopped, and it healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Good grief, that's instant.
By the time Tony finished the burger in a few quick bites, the wound had almost entirely vanished.
"Burgermon, your burgers really are useful," Tony praised, flexing his left hand. His eyes flashed with a sharp intensity. "It seems I really can't underestimate these Gurongi."
The reason Tony had clashed with—and been injured by—the Wasp Gurongi was that he had just finished building a detection device specifically for Gurongi life signatures, as requested by Coulson. Just as he finished, a member of the Me Group had begun their Gegel.
While flying over New York City to test the sensors, he detected the activity of the Wasp Gurongi. Tony immediately piloted the Iron Man suit toward the coordinates, intending to stop any potential killings and see for himself just how formidable these so-called Gurongi actually were.
The result? Although he successfully repelled the Wasp Gurongi using the suit's superior firepower, a flying needle had pierced the armor and struck his arm. While the physical damage wasn't severe, it served as a loud alarm bell for Tony.
The Iron Man suit's defenses had been breached.
This time, the penetration was marginal and the injury minor—aside from an excruciating, inexplicable pain—which was the only reason Tony hadn't pursued the fleeing monster. But what if next time the needle hit his eye instead of his arm? If it could pierce the suit to hit his arm, it could certainly hit his eyes. And if other Gurongi possessed even more powerful weapons, would the suit be destroyed entirely?
"JARVIS, is the analysis complete?" Tony called out.
"Sir, the analysis of the needle is finished," JARVIS replied. "The projectile released by the unidentified biological entity belongs to an unknown metal. However, based on its tested hardness, it should not be capable of damaging the titanium alloy of the Iron Man suit."
"And yet, it did. It broke right through and got me," Tony muttered, frowning. "There must be a specific reason why a needle with insufficient hardness could penetrate titanium. Replay the footage of the wasp-man firing the needle. 0.5x slow motion."
"Certainly, sir."
Tony watched the movement of the Wasp Gurongi on the screen. "Look at his waist. Did the belt flash right when he fired?"
After a quick analysis, JARVIS confirmed: "Yes, sir. Immediately after the unknown stone in the Wasp Gurongi's belt flashed, the needle was fired with enough force to penetrate the armor."
"So, the stone in the belt provides the energy to give his projectiles the power to pierce my suit..." Tony murmured thoughtfully.
"Sir," JARVIS interrupted.
"What is it?" Tony asked, his train of thought broken and his tone a bit annoyed.
"Sir, Agent Coulson is here to see you." JARVIS projected the security feed of the front door onto Tony's screen.
Tony rubbed his temples. "I almost forgot. I told Coulson to come pick up the Gurongi detector. Let him in."
"Tony, I heard you finished the device to track Gurongi life signatures. Have you tested it?" Coulson asked, wearing his usual warm smile.
Tony waved a hand dismissively. "Of course I tested it. I even went a round with a guy who has a wasp for a head. The needles he shoots actually punched through my suit."
Coulson's expression shifted instantly. Another Gurongi was active? Why hadn't SHIELD or the NYPD received any reports?! He quickly pressed Tony for details.
"I see... so this Gurongi is operating at an altitude of over two thousand meters. No wonder the NYPD couldn't confirm its appearance immediately."
After hearing Tony's account, Coulson nodded. "I'll need to notify Captain Stacy to see if there have been any unusual deaths reported in New York recently. However, a Gurongi with flight capabilities operating at that height is going to be difficult to handle. I might have to request a Quinjet from the Director."
Seeing Coulson lost in thought, Tony spoke up. "Finding him a bit too much to handle? Don't worry too much. I'll help you deal with it."
Coulson's eyes brightened. "Tony, if you can just strip away its ability to fly, solving the problem won't be difficult once it's on the ground."
Tony nodded noncommittally. While he believed he could defeat the wasp-headed freak himself, Coulson's point was valid. Since learning of the Gurongi's existence, Tony had JARVIS collect related intel; knowing that previous Gurongi had been successfully eliminated proved that Coulson's team had the capability to finish the job.
"By the way, do you know what's up with the belts they wear?" Tony pulled up the image of the Wasp Gurongi firing the needle, highlighting the flash of the belt. "His belt seems to release some kind of energy that reinforces the needle. That's how it got through my titanium."
Coulson fell silent for a moment, thinking back to the recent Rhino Gurongi. He suspected that the new wave of Gurongi might be collectively stronger, possessing power far beyond those they had faced before. He decided he needed to consult Steve; perhaps Steve would know something.
"I'm not entirely sure about the belt's mechanics yet. We'll need further analysis back at the lab," Coulson said, shaking his head.
"Fine. Take the detector and get out of here," Tony replied with a hint of disappointment.