Steel Showdown, Lightning and Shadows

While Superman, Diana, the Yellow Lantern Corps, and Chen Tian's group were engaged in a fierce battle on Titan, Tony, Batman, Flash, and Steel, who had not been teleported away earlier, confronted each other on the ruins of Trident Building.

Amidst the ruins of Washington District., the Flash's golden lightning pierced through the dark clouds.

He glared at Tony and Batman, his voice trembling with anger. "Where did you take Clark and the others?!"

Tony's armor hummed slightly as his mask snapped shut again. "Don't rush, Barry. We just found them... a better place to fight."

The Steel robotic arm hummed with hydraulic pressure, and the plasma cannon muzzle glowed with a dangerous blue light. "Tony, you betrayed us."

"Betrayal?" Tony's lips curled into a slight smile beneath the mask. "I didn't expect Steel to be so naive. I'm the Arbitrators, after all!"

The nanoparticles of the Mark-Eclipse armor began to recombine, the gold and red paint faded like a tide, and blue, white, and black armor quickly covered the entire body. Six mechanical wings unfolded from the back, each wing surface flowing with light patterns.

"Light Angel Mode, activated."

Without hesitation, the Steel unleashed a plasma beam that pierced the sky.

The instant Tony dodged to the side, all six mechanical wings disintegrated, splitting into thirty-six floating cannons that formed a three-dimensional fire net in the air. "Try this." The floating cannons fired simultaneously, blue and white particle beams weaving a web of death.

"Full power energy shield!" Steel's right arm transformed into a fan-shaped shield, but three projectiles within it suddenly changed trajectory, bypassing the shield and striking his left shoulder.

Sparks flew from the mechanical joints, Steel staggered backward. "A new weapon?"

"Quantum Entanglement Rounds designed specifically for you." Tony crossed his arms, and two lightsabers popped out from the back of his wrists. "Victor, you rely too much on visible machinery."

Steel's electronic eyes flashed rapidly, and its full armor plates suddenly flipped open, revealing a dense array of weapon ports.

Miniature missiles, laser arrays, and infrasound generators were activated simultaneously, instantly covering half the sky with a barrage of bullets.

Tony's floating cannons quickly returned to defense, their six main wings forming a honeycomb-shaped force field shield in front of him. The shockwave from the explosion leveled the surrounding buildings.

Amidst the smoke and dust, Tony suddenly burst from the ground directly beneath Steel, severing the hydraulic hose in Steel's right leg with a single stroke.

Steel roared and swung his left arm, the electromagnetic gauntlet carrying a million volts smashing towards Tony's face.

Tony leaned back to avoid the impact, his back thrusters fully activated, and delivered a knee strike squarely to Steel's chest.

"Bang!" The Steel crashed through three buildings before coming to a stop, and system alarms blared in unison.

He struggled to his feet and discovered that 40% of his musculoskeletal system was damaged.

Tony hovered in the air, all the floating cannons recharged, their muzzles glowing with a locked red light. "Surrender, Victor. You've lost this technological race."

Steel lay in the rubble pit, metal fragments writhing beneath him. Countless silver-gray mechanical tentacles extended from his back, burrowing into the ground like tree roots, frantically devouring the surrounding metal debris.

In Washington District., abandoned vehicles, steel frames, and even underground pipes began to twist and deform, being decomposed and absorbed by the tentacles.

"You shouldn't have talked so much nonsense, Tony Stark." Steel's voice was cold and flat.

His mechanical body suddenly trembled violently, and the armor plates on his chest unfolded like flower petals, revealing an energy core with a diameter of two meters.

F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s alarm system flashed wildly. "Warning! Antimatter reaction detected--"

A blinding white light exploded, and a torrent of energy, five meters in diameter, instantly pierced the sky.

Tony activated all thrusters to shift to the side, the beam grazing the armor and instantly vaporizing most of the Mark-Eclipse's left mechanical wing.

As Tony regained his footing in mid-air, the ground began to shake violently.

The crater where the Steel was located suddenly bulged up, and a huge metal hand burst out of the ground.

With a deafening metallic roar, the forty-meter-tall mechanical giant slowly stood up. Its torso was reconstructed from the metal that had devoured the entire street, and every piece of armor plate was flowing and deforming.

The Steel skull was embedded in the giant's chest, its electronic eyes flashing crimson. "Now, let's redefine the 'technology race'."

Tony looked up at the forty-meter-tall mechanical giant, his eyes beneath the visor suddenly gleaming with excitement.

"Mechs?" He laughed out loud, his voice filled with fanatical battle lust. "F.R.I.D.A.Y., activate the Archangel Protocol!"

"The agreement has been confirmed," the AI female voice calmly responded. "Synchronous orbit connection in progress— Hephaestus's Forge has been activated."

The clouds over Washington District were suddenly torn apart, and more than a dozen huge metal boxes descended from the sky, trailing blue flames.

They disintegrated and reassembled in mid-air, the armor plates flowing and deforming like living things.

"Assembly mode activated." The sound of F.R.I.D.A.Y. remained clear amidst the explosions.

The metal components precisely docked with Tony in mid-air, first the skeleton, then the armor, and finally the weapon systems.

The moment the assembly was completed, a giant blue and white mech landed with a thud—similar to the mech Tony used to defeat the demon in Dewen County, but unlike the one Tony used to destroy, the six mechanical wings on its back unfolded into six flying wings, the signature Angel Wings of the Wing Gundam Zero EW. Eight Gates funnels surrounded the mech, and the energy core on its chest shone with a dazzling blue light.

"Welcome my new 'Archangel,' Victor!" Tony's voice boomed from the mech. "I've named it 'Mark-Michael'!" (Michael-Michael, Archangel.)

The Steel roared deafeningly, its arms transforming into two railguns. Tony's mech raised its right hand, the energy ring in its palm beginning to spin. "Let's see who the true god of machines is!"

The two colossal machines activated simultaneously, and the shockwaves instantly overturned all the rubble within a kilometer radius.

The ruins of the Trident trembled.

The Steel roared and raised its arms. The two railguns were fully charged, and a torrent of blazing white energy instantly tore through the air, blasting straight at Tony's 'Archangel' mech.

Tony's thrusters erupted with blinding blue flames as the machine swerved to the side to dodge, the shockwave from the railgun leveling three tall buildings behind it.

"'Cavalry,' fire all your weapons!" Tony commanded, and Eight Gates floating cannons opened fire simultaneously, unleashing a torrent of blue-white laser beams. The Steel's armor was blasted into countless craters, but its metallic body quickly writhed, devouring the surrounding ruins to repair itself.

"It's no use, Tony!" Steel's voice boomed from the giant's chest. "As long as there's metal in this city, I'm immortal!"

"Then let's try this!" Tony's mech suddenly accelerated, the Angel Wings on his back fully unfolded, and the mech transformed into a blue-white meteor that shot straight toward the Steel Giant.

The lightsaber sprang from the right arm, its blazing blade tracing a perfect arc as it slashed fiercely toward the giant's knee joint.

"Clang--!"

The ear-piercing sound of metal tearing echoed across the battlefield as the Steel Giant's left leg was severed, causing his massive body to lose its balance and crash to his knees.

But it reacted extremely quickly, its right arm instantly transforming into a giant Chainsword, which it used to slash at Tony's mech.

"Warning! Melee threat!" the alarm blared on F.R.I.D.A.Y..

Tony's mech leaned back to dodge, the Chainsword grazing his chest armor, sparks flying. He seized the opportunity to raise his left arm, the energy ring in his palm spinning rapidly. "Laser cannon, maximum output!"

"Boom--!"

A laser beam five meters in diameter struck the Steel Giant directly in the chest, blasting a huge hole in its upper body.

However, Steel's head remained suspended within the energy core, the surrounding metal writhing like living things, rapidly repairing the damage.

"I've already told you, Tony Stark," Steel, still expressionless, "You can't kill me!"

"Let's try again!" Tony's mech suddenly took off, its Angel Wings fully unfurled, and the Eight Gates floating cannons returned to their positions, forming a fire net around the mech.

"All weapon systems, remove restrictions!"

The energy core on the mech's chest erupted with unprecedented light, Eight Gates floating cannons simultaneously locked onto the Steel Giant's energy core. The laser sword, missile bay, and shoulder cannons all went into firing mode.

"The End it, F.R.I.D.A.Y.!"

"Final Attack Mode - Activate!"

In an instant, eight laser beams shot out from the floating cannons, accurately hitting the Steel's limb joints. Missiles rained down, shattering its armor. Finally, Tony's mech swooped down, its lightsaber raised high above its head, and with all its propulsion, plunged into the Steel's core!

"Bang--!!!"

A massive shockwave from the explosion swept across half of Washington District. The Steel's body disintegrated under the energy overload, scattering metal fragments like rain. Tony's Jaeger was thrown hundreds of meters by the shockwave, crashing heavily into a dilapidated building.

As the smoke cleared, the Steel skeleton emerged from the ruins, its mechanical body battered and bruised, its mechanical eyes dull and lifeless.

He struggled to lift his head and saw Tony's mech slowly stand up. Despite the severe damage to the armor, the energy core on his chest was still steadily flashing a blue light.

"It seems..." Steel's voice trailed off, "That you still won..."

Tony's visor snapped open, revealing a weary yet determined gaze. "Victor, you're strong, but technology lies in creation."

Steel's electronic eyes flashed a few times, and his body collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Tony let out a long sigh of relief. The chest of the 'Archangel' armor opened, and he flew out of it, still clad in his armor.

"Phew..." He let out a long sigh of relief. "I wonder how the battle between Little Bat and Little Lightning is going."

On the other side of Washington District., the Flash's golden lightning bolts darted through the ruins, leaving charred footprints on the ground with each step. Batman stood in the shadows, his cape draped, seemingly blending into the darkness.

"Bruce, I don't want to fight you!" Barry's voice distorted with the speed of his movement. "We can sit down and talk!"

Batman didn't answer, but simply pressed a button on his belt.

"Buzz--"

A high-frequency pulse instantly covered the entire battlefield, Flash's figure froze abruptly—his Speed Force had been disrupted. Barry staggered to a stop, staring in astonishment at his hands. "When did you figure this out?"

"In the beginning," Batman's voice was hoarse and calm, "When you joined the Justice League."

A flicker of pain crossed the Flash's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by anger. "So you've been on guard against me all this time?"

"Beware of everyone." Batman suddenly threw three batarangs, their blades crackling with high-voltage electricity. "Including myself."

Barry's figure transformed into golden lightning once more, easily dodging the dart. But just as he was about to counterattack, the ground suddenly exploded—the pre-buried Vibranium net closed in from all directions!

"Too fast, Barry." Batman pressed another button. "You're always going in a straight line."

The electric grid suddenly switched on, Flash let out a painful groan. But he gritted his teeth, and his entire body erupted with an even more intense burst of Speed Force light—the electric grid began to melt!

"Bang!"

The instant the power grid shattered, Batman was already upon Barry. His gauntlets flashed blue, and a precise hook punch aimed straight for Barry's chin.

"Smack!"

The fist struck only an afterimage. The real Flash appeared behind Batman, delivering a chop to the back of his neck.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Batman suddenly ducked and rolled, simultaneously unleashing a smoke grenades from his cape. From within the thick smoke, his deep voice echoed from all directions, "You've forgotten what I'm best at."

Barry glanced around warily, then suddenly felt a tightening around his ankle—the Batchain had caught him! The immense pull dragged him to the ground, followed by a knee strike from Batman!

"Hmm!"

At the last second, the Flash twisted his body and blocked with his arm. The two rolled and fought amidst the ruins. Batman's every move was precise and ruthless, targeting joints and pressure points; while Barry used his speed to counter each move, but every attack was anticipated.

"You've studied my fighting style," Barry said breathlessly.

"300 possibilities." Batman backflipped to avoid the golden lightning, simultaneously firing his grappling hook. "Including what you're about to do—"

Sure enough, just as the Flash was about to launch a surprise attack from the left, he was blocked by an electromagnetic barrier that suddenly appeared. Batman seized the opportunity to throw out his electrified batarang, which this time hit Barry's shoulder.

"Ah!" Barry knelt down, but the stubbornness in his eyes remained undiminished. "Why does it have to be like this? Weren't we comrades-in-arms?"

Batman paused almost imperceptibly, but quickly resumed his fighting stance. "Precisely because you are comrades, it is all the more important to stop you from going further down the wrong path."

The Flash suddenly laughed, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Bruce... you rely too much on the plan."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure suddenly split into six! Six Flash rushed towards Batman from different angles, each carrying real electric lightning.

Batman's pupils contracted—a power Barry had never demonstrated before.

"Speed Force Afterimage." The six Barry spoke at the same time, "We trained for three months just to deal with a control freak like you."

Six afterimages of the Flash simultaneously hurtled towards Batman from different angles, golden lightning weaving a web across the ruins. Batman's cape fluttered in the high-speed airflow, yet he remained remarkably calm.

"Bruce, surrender!" six Barry's voices overlapped. "You can't win!"

Batman didn't answer; his pupils contracted rapidly behind his goggles—he was analyzing the trajectory of every afterimage. Suddenly, he flung out three specially made batarangs, their blades gleaming with an eerie blue light.

"Useless!" The Flash easily dodged, but the next second—

"Bang!"

The batarang exploded in mid-air, releasing a thick, gel-like substance. Five afterimages were instantly stuck, their movements slowed, only the real Flash managed to break free using his Speed Force.

"Phase interference gel," Batman gasped, "Specifically interferes with your vibrational frequency."

A flicker of surprise crossed Barry's eyes, but he quickly smiled again, "A clever trick, but not enough!"

His figure accelerated again, this time not in a straight line, but in a strange arc. Batman's goggles flashed warnings, the tracking system was beginning to overload.

"Bruce, you always calculate everything," the Flash's voice shifted from side to side, "But some things cannot be calculated!"

A golden bolt of lightning suddenly struck Batman from behind. Bruce barely managed to turn and block, but Barry's fist had already slammed heavily into his abdomen.

"Cough!" Batman coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered backward.

The Flash didn't give chase, but stopped five meters away. "That's enough, Bruce. I don't want to hurt you."

Batman wiped the blood from his mouth and suddenly smiled, "Barry... you're too kind."

His finger quietly pressed the last button on his belt.

The Flash suddenly felt a sharp pain—he looked down and found that his suit was covered with microelectrodes.

"When--"

"When you hit me," Batman struggled to his feet, "My suit was covered in conductive nanowires."

"Sizzle--!"

A high-voltage current instantly coursed through the Flash's entire body. Barry screamed in agony and collapsed to his knees. His Speed Force began to malfunction, and golden lightning bolts scattered uncontrollably.

Batman, dragging his injured body, approached. "Speed... is your strength, and also your weakness."

He raised the last batarang and aimed it at the back of the Flash's neck.

Barry struggled to lift his head, his eyes filled with confusion. "Why... why go to this extent..."

Batman paused for a moment.

"Because... I am Batman."

As the dart fell, the Flash's body finally collapsed to the ground.

Batman knelt beside Barry, his trembling hands checking his pulse. After confirming he was only unconscious, he let out a long sigh of relief, and finally collapsed into the ruins.

Tony's Iron Man Armor crashed down beside Batman, the thrusters kicking up a cloud of dust. His visor snapped open, revealing his signature grin. "Wow, looks like our Dark Knight's finally decided to take a break?"

He crouched down, took a can of nanomedicine spray from his arm armor, and pressed the nozzle against Batman's bloodied and mangled abdomen. The moment the blue mist touched the wound, a faint sound of flesh growing could be heard.

"This stuff works way better than aspirin, though it probably tastes about the same." Tony tilted his head, examining Batman's pale face. "Seriously, you look like a Halloween decoration that's been run over by the Batmobile."

Batman's lips moved, his voice weak but still deep. "The Arbitrators... the defenses..."

"Oh, that?" Tony casually tossed the empty can behind him. "Don't worry, the Arbitrators' strength is definitely not as simple as you see." He laughed. "Besides, there's also Hulk, oh right, Thor is here too."

The medical spray began to take effect, and Batman's breathing stabilized somewhat. He tried to sit up, but Tony pressed down on his shoulder. "Don't rush, your internal organs are still rearranging themselves."

The distant rumble of collapsing buildings echoed as Tony snapped his the Snap. Miniature missiles rose from the shoulders of his armor, precisely striking the falling steel bars.

"Seriously," Tony suddenly stopped laughing, "You guys who don't wear armor always manage to get yourselves into such a mess." He pointed to Batman's tattered gauntlet, "This thing needs an upgrade, I can give you a discount."

Batman finally lifted his eyelids, his eyes still sharp beneath the bruised sockets. "No need."

Tony spread his hands dramatically. "Typical Batman response." He stood up, his armor retracting. "Can we walk? Okay, I have to apologize. Batman doesn't back down, does he?"

As Batman leaned against the wall to stand up, Tony handed him an adrenaline syringe at just the right moment.

The two looked up at the mushroom cloud rising from the sea, Tony's visor reflecting an orange-red Kakkō: "Look, they're setting off fireworks."