Leo sped through the high altitude, his body a golden blur in the night sky. The protective light shield that enveloped him underwent a dramatic and breathtaking change. The original, thick silk threads of energy now extended into thousands of incredibly fine, microscopic golden filaments.
The familiar mesh holes of the protective shell were gone, replaced by an intricate, lattice-like structure of these illusory golden thread traces. This dense web somewhat obstructed Leo's normal sight, naturally triggering his newly enhanced ability—his Golden Eyes snapped open, glowing faintly.
The lingering phantom sensation of despair and pain from the body transformation still haunted Leo's memory, and the mere thought of that deep bone marrow agony would send chilling shivers down his spine. It had been the most harrowing experience of his life, a crucible that had tested his will to survive.
But at the same time, immense anticipation surged through him. He checked the System Panel in his mind, eager to see the results of that unbearable pain.
Control Point: 101
Strength: 20
Defense: 20
Speed: 20
Spirit: 20
Skills: Metal Control C-level, Body Enhancement B-level, Microscopic Manipulation C-level
Enhancements (Completed): Golden Eyes(100%), Copper Skin(100%), Steel Bars(100%), Iron Bones(100%)
Derivative Skills: Golden Eyes of Truth (Unaffected by any optical or physical abilities, sees through all illusions and disguises, greatly enhances visual observation, and can metallize objects with focused effort.), Immovable Golden Body (Greatly enhances passive defensive power; allows feet to firmly anchor to the ground regardless of opposing force; possesses unlimited kinetic stamina/endurance; body regeneration speed is significantly increased; renders the user practically immovable by non-metaphysical external forces.), Nirvana Golden Wings (Maximum sustained speed can be instantly increased to ten times the speed of sound; the user can instantly condense the ethereal wings into pure golden energy weapons; special skill: (Unknown))
Leo frowned in satisfaction. All his physical attributes had increased to twenty points—the absolute peak limit of a human body, confirming his physical fitness had improved significantly, far exceeding his previous nineteen points.
But why was the final special skill for the Nirvana Golden Wings still showing as (Unknown)? That felt incredibly lazy and irritating after all the pain he had just endured.
Nirvana Golden Wings?
Leo paused in mid-air, a shimmering golden statue against the dark sky. He closed his eyes, concentrating his mind and his newfound power to feel this special, incredible flight mechanism.
He felt the concentration of golden lines that had encased his front. They seemed to split apart, separating from their overlapping, protective state. The intense golden energy began to gather behind his shoulder blades, while the area in front of him fully unfolded, clearing his vision.
The golden 'egg' shell that had been covering Leo's body peeled away, revealing a pair of enormous, spectacular wings that instantly extended from his shoulder blades.
The two golden wings, each a full two meters long, attached seamlessly to his back. They were not made of feathers or metal, but of countless layers of shimmering, structured light. They appeared to be covered in interlocking, diamond-shaped patterns that were both brilliantly physical and utterly illusory, like something pulled from a dream.
He gave his wings a mental command, and they fluttered gently once. There was no resistance, no friction, no sound.
Still feeling completely unobstructed, Leo slightly flapped the Golden Wings and vanished from the spot. The acceleration was instantaneous, effortless. He easily broke the sound barrier—not with an explosive boom, but a silent, clean rip in the fabric of space itself.
Back in the subterranean depths, the agents guarding Pepper were quickly realizing they were outmatched.
The three S.H.I.E.L.D. combatants closest to the sudden, monstrous emergence of the Iron Monger instinctively raised their specialized pistols, firing targeted bursts at the mech's head and joints. The heavy rounds sparked harmlessly against the thick, crude military-grade alloy. It was all in vain.
With a sound like a freight train hitting a metal shed, a huge, crushing palm slammed down, instantly pulverizing one agent into a silent, bloody mess. A swift swing of the Iron Monger's massive arm sent the second agent flying, his body crumpling against a support beam before falling, lifeless. Ordinary humans stood no chance.
Obadiah, encased inside the machine, let out a guttural, excited laugh and stomped after Pepper. But his massive, oversized figure was momentarily blocked by a standard reinforced factory doorway. He crashed into the wall twice with frustrated roars, the heavy steel screaming in protest, before finally tearing through the wall and stepping out. By then, Pepper had already disappeared into the maze of pipes and corridors.
Obadiah, his face flushed with adrenaline, used the Monger's integrated mic to broadcast a command to the remaining two agents. "You should have stayed in the parking lot, boys! You're just a distraction!"
Tony, pushing the Mark III to its flight limit, was rapidly approaching the Stark Industries complex. With the brand-new Arc Reactor humming powerfully in his chest—a pure energy source with no degradation—he had no worries about running out of power. He was surging with adrenaline and a protective rage he hadn't known he possessed.
He dialed Pepper's emergency satellite number from inside the suit. "Pepper! Answer me! Pepper?!"
A gasp came over the comms. "Tony! Tony, thank God, are you alright?! I thought he killed you!"
"I'm fine! I'm in the air, almost there. Just tell me where you are!"
"Obadiah, he's gone mad! He's in a suit, Tony, a huge one! He's ripping the place apart. The agents are…" Pepper couldn't finish the sentence. She had already reached the massive steel exit door and was frantically explaining the chaos to Tony.
"Listen to me carefully: you need to get out of there, now! Drop the phone and run!" Tony instructed, his voice harsh with authority.
"He also made a set of armor… I'm outside now, but he's right behind me…"
Suddenly, the ground behind Pepper began to bulge and crack. The soil and asphalt ruptured violently, bursting open as a colossal shape tore through the surface.
Obadiah, in the Iron Monger, burst out from underground, having decided to take the most direct, brutal route out of the facility.
The Iron Monger, constructed from the wreckage and reverse-engineered designs of the Mark I, used thick, military-grade alloy armor. It boasted a crude, rugged design, a comprehensive but manually controlled information management system, and overwhelming physical bulk.
However, due to the technical impossibility of miniaturizing the reactor, the operation method had been compromised, changing the sleek limb-and-nerve synchronization of Tony's suit to a clunky, direct joystick control system. Furthermore, the Iron Monger's exterior featured numerous exposed, vulnerable hydraulic rods, air pumps, and rotating joints, making it a powerful but flawed machine. Still, its sheer size made it far more physically intimidating than the Mark III.
The massive Iron Monger spotted Pepper, who was still holding the phone, about a hundred feet away.
"Little bird, where do you think you can run to?" Obadiah's voice was distorted and mechanical, laced with terrifying glee. "You're useless now, Pepper."
The six-barreled Gatling gun, a monstrous weapon mounted on the mechanical right arm, whirred, raised, and aimed directly at the panicked Pepper. The heavy barrel began to spin with a chilling sound.
Tony's electronic roar echoed from the sky, a sound of fury and vengeance.
"STANE!!!"
A red and gold steel figure appeared high in the sky and descended like an artillery shell, charging straight towards Obadiah.
In the next moment, Obadiah instantly pivoted the Iron Monger and pointed the massive Gatling gun at Tony. The weapon spat out a storm of high-caliber rounds. But before he could fire more than a few scattered shots, the Mark III slammed into him with the force of a high-speed collision.
Tony grabbed the Monger and sent him tumbling, the two armored figures crashing through two empty warehouse walls before rolling violently into the thick night traffic of the adjacent industrial park road.
Iron Monger was the first to regain his feet, its massive frame dominating the four-lane thoroughfare. A minivan full of children and their mother, who had been driving home late, slammed suddenly on its brakes, skidding to a halt directly in front of the colossal suit.
Obadiah reached down, his huge metal hand grabbing the minivan. He effortlessly lifted the entire vehicle, turning it to face Tony.
Obadiah's mechanical voice boomed with excited, murderous joy. "I love this armor, Tony! It has some weight to it!"
"Put them down, Obadiah!" Tony commanded, hovering a few feet above the ground.
"They deserved it, Tony! They're in my way!" Iron Monger took two steps forward, holding the screaming family hostage with their own vehicle.
Because of the clear and present danger to the hostages, Tony stopped using the powerful palm pulse cannons he was about to charge. Instead, he quickly diverted all available energy to the center of his chest.
The central Arc Reactor in the Mark III shone even brighter, culminating in a focused energy beam as thick as an arm. The powerful repulsor blast shot out, hitting the Iron Monger square in the chest and repelling the massive suit backward, forcing Obadiah to stumble and drop his grip on the car.
The minivan suddenly fell toward the ground. Tony reacted instantly, catching the plummeting vehicle with both armored hands. The Mark III's sleek, tight-fitting design, optimized for flight and speed, was not built for such heavy deadlifts.
With the unexpected weight of the car full of people, the energy consumption spiked, and Tony was forced to kneel down to stabilize his posture. He strained, trying his best to smoothly lower the car, but the terrified mother driving the car—seeing a red and gold demon—frantically slammed the accelerator.
The car, its rear wheels barely touching the ground, violently pushed Tony out from underneath it. The frantic thrust even dragged the Mark III along the asphalt, causing the armor to rub violently against the ground with a screech of sparking metal.
Tony was pinned under the momentum of the civilian vehicle and finally thrown more than ten meters away, skidding into a pile of roadside debris. He quickly pushed with his arm, lifting the rear wheel of the car, which was now spinning uselessly, and put it back behind him, finally freeing himself from this embarrassing and damaging situation.
Iron Monger had already rushed over, seizing the advantage. Obadiah spotted a discarded construction motorcycle nearby, grabbed it like a toy, and swung it like a colossal iron bar, smashing it directly into Tony and sending the Mark III flying.
The entire road was plunged into complete chaos. Countless minor accidents occurred as drivers slammed on their brakes. Vehicles within hundreds of meters of the road came to a complete stop, their occupants scrambling out and running away screaming.
The Iron Monger simply walked over, his massive iron hand lifting the Mark III, which lay prone on the ground, making the advanced suit look like a big, expensive toy in front of the overwhelming machine.
"For thirty years, I have been supporting you, Tony," Obadiah growled, his mechanical voice dripping with resentment. He slammed Tony down again, his massive iron foot stomping down on the Mark III's chest, pinning him. "I built this company from scratch, Tony! I am the foundation!"
"Nobody can stand in my way. Especially you!"
He grabbed the Mark III by the neck joint and brutally slammed him into the side of a parked public bus.
A medium-sized, semi-automatic, laser-guided missile system extended from the left side of the armor plate—a terrifying piece of stolen technology. It detached from its casing and launched from the wreckage of the targeted bus.
The missile arced into the sky, but instead of tracking its target, it was hit by a silent, golden projectile, flying harmlessly upwards and exploding high above the city, scattering harmless light.
A blur of golden light suddenly appeared directly in front of the Iron Monger's huge visor, and then slowly dissipated, revealing a furious boy in a plain T-shirt hovering in the air.
Leo had arrived.
With a small right hand encased in a sudden burst of focused golden light, he pushed. It was a simple, short gesture, but the kinetic force unleashed was irresistible.
Iron Monger was blasted away by the overwhelming, silent force, sent flying backward more than a thousand meters, a grotesque, tumbling iron wreck.
Leo hovered, his newly-minted Golden Wings pulsing gently, and asked into his headset. "Mr. Stark, are you alright?!"