The fight was over in under sixty seconds. Tony had started confident, almost cocky, while Hong Fei dodged with unpredictable grace. Then came the lightning counterattack—Hong Fei seized an opening, pressed his advantage, and before Tony could react, the Cross-blade was wrenched from his grip.
Rhodes snapped out of his daze and unleashed a barrage of repulsor blasts. Hong Fei hit the ground rolling, snagged Tony by the throat, and hurled him like a ragdoll. Rhodes cut off his attack mid-stream to catch his friend, both men crashing to the floor in a tangle. Hong Fei pivoted—
—just as Natasha materialized from the shadows, pistol already barking. His left hand became a blur, the blade weaving a net that shredded bullets midair. The gun clicked empty. Natasha's eye twitched, but she didn't retreat. She flung the weapon at his head and lunged.
Her body hit the floor in a roll, fingers scrabbling for his ankle. Metal shrieked as Hong Fei rammed the iron rod into concrete, using it to pole-vault over her. He landed square on her waist, knees clamping like a vise. Natasha bucked once, twice—then went still, hands darting toward a hidden weapon.
Hong Fei drove the Cross-blade into the floor, pinned both wrists with one hand, and leaned down until his breath stirred her hair. "Keep squirming," he murmured, "and I stop playing nice."
Natasha turned her cheek against the concrete, gaze flicking to the blade. Her struggles slowed. Stopped. "Define 'nice,'" she breathed.
He chuckled, shifted his grip, and brought his right hand down hard. Smack. The sound cracked through the room like a whip. Her body jerked, the impact rippling through firm curves.
"Clear enough?" Hong Fei asked.
Her fists clenched, but his grip didn't budge. He swapped hands, yanked the blade free, and slammed it down beside her face. The edge split her lashes clean in half. Natasha went very still.
"Freeze!" Tony and Rhodes staggered upright, weapons raised. Then they saw the tableau—Hong Fei crouched over Natasha, blade gleaming—and exchanged a glance.
Hong Fei grinned up at them. "Wrong move. You stay put, or she dies."
This double-agent hadn't bolted when she had the chance. Nerves of steel, he noted.
Tony snarled, "Don't even—"
Hong Fei didn't let him finish. Psychic energy lashed out, seizing Rhodes's mind. The colonel pivoted smoothly, repulsor aimed at Tony's chest. "Stand down," Rhodes ordered, voice flat.
Tony's eyes widened. Natasha tensed beneath Hong Fei, confusion flashing across her face.
"Now it's two-on-two," Hong Fei said. "Isn't that much fairer? If that doesn't work, three-on-three..."
Tony roared, "Fight me yourself, coward!"
Hong Fei just smiled. He'd already tested the waters—Tony's new armor repelled psychic probes. No surprise there. The man had clearly been busy since their last encounter.
Hong Fei could still force his way through the barrier and take control of Tony if he unleashed his full power—but that would be overkill. Even without psychic abilities, he had other ways to win. Flexing his strength just to prove a point would only push Tony to improve his armor. Next time, Hong Fei might not break through so easily.
That would be shooting himself in the foot.
"Your new armor is impressive," Hong Fei admitted. "How'd you manage it?"
Tony sneered. "You wouldn't understand even if I explained it. Now put down my blade—or this won't end well."
Hong Fei smirked. "My blade. I've already named it—Stark Blade. Catchy, don't you think?"
Beneath the helmet, Tony's face burned red with fury. Stark Blade? The audacity—
"Great name!" Rhodes chimed in.
Tony whipped his head toward him, then remembered Rhodes was still under Hong Fei's control. His fists clenched.
Perched casually atop Natasha, Hong Fei shrugged. "The situation's obvious. I hold the advantage. Dragging this out is pointless. Remember what I said? I came to talk business. Interested?"
Tony stayed silent, unmoving.
Hong Fei wasn't in a rush. He glanced down at Natasha, lips quirking. "By the way, your assistant's skilled. Strong nerves, too. Shame she isn't an agent."
Natasha's expression flickered. Tony caught the implication but bit back his questions.
After a beat, Tony ground out, "What kind of business?"
"The kind that saves your life."
Tony's pulse jumped, but he kept his voice steady. "Go on."
Hong Fei tapped his own chest.
Tony exhaled sharply. "Fine."
Under Hong Fei's command, Rhodes slumped to the ground, asleep. As Hong Fei reached for the blade, Tony snapped, "Wait—what are you doing?"
Hong Fei ignored him, flipping the weapon to strike Natasha's temple with the hilt. She crumpled. He stood, hefting the blade. "No more games. Two billion."
Tony barked a laugh. "Why not just rob a bank?"
"Too slow."
Tony's retort died in his throat.
Hong Fei tilted his head. "What's worth more? Two billion, or your life?"
Tony lifted his chin. "My life isn't for sale."
Hong Fei considered him. "Should I raise the price?"
"Skip the theatrics. How much do you know?"
"Enough. Palladium poisoning. Chlorophyll drinks—useless, but you're stuck with them. The shrapnel's still in your chest. Feels like dying, doesn't it?"
Tony stiffened. He'd expected this, but hearing it aloud still hit like a punch. "How?"
"Doesn't matter. What matters is I know the solution."
Tony scoffed. "If you hadn't kidnapped me, there'd be no shrapnel to begin with."
"Wrong. Obadiah's missiles did that. Or should I blame Stark Industries for making them?"
Tony paused, let out a long breath, and said: "Tell me your solution."
Hong Fei's gaze shifted. "I'll give you the full plan. Once you hear it, you'll fix your problem—but then, how do I guarantee payment?"
Tony's jaw tightened. "What do you want?"
"Payment first."
Tony laughed, sharp and humorless. "Hah. Simple as that?"
"Think about it—what's stopping you from taking my money and running?" Hong Fei balanced the Cross-blade across his palms, running a thumb along its razor edge. "You've got two choices: trust me, or I skip the negotiations and take what I want by force."
Tony's jaw clenched. "Since when did business discussions involve threats?"
"Since you started wasting my time." Hong Fei flipped the blade into a ready stance. "No deal? Then we do this the hard way. I didn't trek out here for charity."
It was nothing more than the result of improving physical fitness or increasing energy. The Shenzhou-13 streaked across the heavens—another triumph for the motherland's space program.