Stealing

The moment Tony's armor shattered the French windows, the built-in sound system automatically switched tracks—the intro to Slipknot's "Psychosocial" suddenly exploded, the drumbeats and electric guitar screams perfectly matching the roar of the thrusters, the frenzied rhythm seeming to compose a death march for this battle.

"JARVIS, activate the 'Light Angel' protocol!"

The mechanical wings on the back of the armor spewed out blazing white flames, and six blue-white Photon Wings bloomed in the night sky, making Tony appear like a judgment Angel Descent.

The armor's paint scheme instantly switched to black, blue, and white, completely different from the previous flashy gold and red.

"Annihilation mode activated, target locked."

Tony swooped down, his wings trailing Six Paths dazzling particle trails as he plunged into the enemy ranks.

--boom

He crashed into the group of Extremis Soldier like a meteorite, the shockwave sending three enemies flying and creating a scorched crater ten meters in diameter on the beach.

Tony flicked his right hand, and the blue energy blade of his high-energy laser sword swept across like lightning, slicing two Extremis Soldiers in half at the waist. The intense heat at the cut instantly carbonized their flesh, and their burning remains exploded into fireballs in mid-air.

"The three on the left are yours, kid!" Tony shouted into the comms.

Blue Rose "Zi"

Chen Tian was almost as fast as Tony, his trench coat billowing wildly in the blast wave.

He gripped the "Red Queen" in his right hand, the crimson mechanical greatsword blazing with flames.

With his left hand, he rotated the "Blue Rose" gun to cock it, the energy patterns on the gun body pulsating like blood vessels, and the muzzle gathering a purple light like a zither.

"Mind your own business, Tony."

He leaped up suddenly, and the Red Queen cleaved down, striking an Extremis Soldier raised his arm to block, only to be sliced in two, arm and all. Chen Tian dodged to the side the instant he landed, casually firing Blue Rose to his side.

--Bang

Zi's beam of light, combined with the magic bullet, instantly vaporized the heads and bodies of four enemies, leaving them no chance to explode.

"5:2, leading." Chen Tian chuckled on the communication channel.

Tony scoffed, his shoulder armor sliding open to reveal two miniature laser cannons rotating and calibrating. "Don't get too cocky."

Laser cannons crisscrossed, creating a web of Death Beam, and four Extremis Soldier exploded amidst the crossfire. But one of their remains suddenly self-destructed, the shockwave sending Tony flying more than ten meters.

"Photon Shield energy reduced by 5%, Sir. Please note that these enemies generate up to 3000 degrees Celsius upon self-destruction. Please avoid direct contact if possible," JARVIS reported quickly.

Tony adjusted his posture in mid-air and just then saw Chen Tian weaving through the enemy ranks with almost dance-like steps. Purple beams of light bloomed one after another among the enemy ranks, like flowers of death.

"Show-off," Tony muttered, but couldn't help a smirk. He activated the missile bay on his back. "JARVIS, launch all missiles!"

Six miniature missiles, trailing plumes of flame, ascended into the sky and simultaneously struck their targets at the climax of the chorus of "Psychosocial." The chain explosions turned the entire sea crimson, and the shockwaves created massive waves that smashed three media speedboats to pieces.

The smoke hadn't cleared when Tony landed on the charred rocks. "How many are left?"

Chen Tian emerged from the smoke. "Three. But..." He suddenly narrowed his eyes, "... there are more, on their way."

On the distant sea, several combat helicopters, converted from civilian helicopters, were approaching at low altitude. Small missile pods mounted on both sides were launching missiles toward the two men. Inside the cabin, a dark shadow flashed—someone was jumping from the high-speed flying aircraft and heading straight for the beach.

"Tony, do you still have the strength?" Chen Tian turned the ignition handle of the Red Queen with his right hand.

Tony chuckled at Chen Tian's question, "Ha, I'm a party master, I could party for three days and three nights without getting tired." He stretched his mechanical joints, "Perfect, let me show you the new feature I developed."

Chen Tian smiled, Red Queen's engine roared deafeningly, the flames erupting from the sword distorting and scorching the surrounding air. His legs bent slightly, the hem of his trench coat fluttering even without wind: "Then—"

Before he finished speaking, he had already transformed into a crimson afterimage and soared into the sky. The Red Queen drew a perfect crescent arc in the air, and the blazing sword energy combined with the flying wave slash from One Piece to carve a vacuum belt a hundred meters long on the sea surface.

The incoming missile swarm was like butter meeting a hot knife through butter, split in two, and the ensuing fireballs dyed the night sky orange-red.

"Damn it!" Rhodes' shocked voice came through the communication channel. "Are you planning to detonate a nuclear weapon in Malibu?"

Two modified aircraft, unable to dodge in time, were caught in the aftershocks and exploded into two fireballs in mid-air.

Tony watched the fiery slash soar into the sky and laughed loudly over the comms, "JARVIS, remember to remind me next time—don't let Chen Tian throw a party at my house!"

He stared at the hundred-meter-long vacuum slash mark on the sea, a wild grin spreading across his face beneath his armor mask. "This kid's sword aura has gotten even more powerful!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the six mechanical wings on the back of the armor suddenly detached from the main body with a 'click', like six sharp swords drawn from their sheaths, piercing straight into the night sky.

Each mechanical wing precisely locks onto a modified aircraft, with blue and white energy patterns flashing wildly on the wing surface.

"Sir, 'Cavalry' has been activated," JARVIS reported calmly.

Tony stood there, arms crossed, and snapped his the Snap with the elegance of a symphony conductor. Instantly, six mechanical wings deployed into attack mode, high-energy laser beams shooting from their tips. These beams wove a web of death across the night sky, each beam piercing an aircraft and causing an explosion.

The hit planes exploded one after another, turning into spectacular fireballs in the night sky. Tony whistled. "That's what you call precision strike. Learn from that, kid."

"It's not over yet, Tony, the party's still going on." Chen Tian watched as dozens of Extremis Soldier emerged from the black sea.

"Ha, the more people, the happier I am! Parties are more fun with lots of people!" Tony's lightsabers popped out again.

"Kid! Our competition isn't over yet. The loser has to wear a Lolita dress to the after-party!"

Upon hearing Tony's bet, Chen Tian burst into laughter, his voice clearly audible amidst the roar of the explosion, "I look forward to seeing you—"

Before Chen Tian could finish speaking, he had already transformed into a crimson afterimage and charged towards the enemy ranks. The Red Queen's engine roared, and the blade trailed a fiery trajectory ten meters long.

Before the Extremis Soldier could react, the three in the front row were cut in half at the waist. The intense heat at the cut instantly carbonized the flesh, and the sound of the explosion, along with Chen Tian's voice, reached Tony's ears.

"The scene where you wore Lolita fashion!"

Seeing this, Tony's armor thrusters emitted a brilliant blue flame. "You tried to sneak away!"

Outside the villa, the Kakkō from the explosion turned the night sky crimson, and the shockwave made the entire building tremble.

However, an eerie silence prevailed in the laboratory on the third basement level.

Maya Hansen stood in front of the central control console, arms crossed, waiting for someone to arrive.

Just then, a faint scraping sound of metal joints came from the shadows behind her.

Maya didn't turn around. "You're late."

Bucky emerged from the darkness, the red dot of his tactical goggles locking onto the back of her neck. He didn't speak, but a chilling sense of oppression filled the air.

Maya slowly turned around, her gaze calmly meeting his. "The armor is inside the wall. The villa's energy and systems have been paralyzed and collapsed. Can you break through the metal that seals the armor?"

Bucky silently strode forward, his boots striking the metal floor, his gaze sweeping across the laboratory floor against the wall.

"That suit of armor, Tony Stark never intended to give up, so it has its own power source, therefore..."

Bucky took a round electronic component out of his pouch and pressed it.

Tony's voice came from the electronic device in Bucky's hand. "I will never make a deal with the devil again."

The floor against the wall of the laboratory suddenly trembled, the metal floor split open, revealing a hidden vertical chamber. Accompanied by the hiss of the hydraulic system, a pitch-black metal column slowly rose, its surface flowing with dark red energy patterns, pulsating like blood vessels.

Maya Hansen instinctively took a half step back, her pupils slightly contracting. "This is..."

The metal column split open like flower petals, slowly revealing the armor suspended inside.

"Mark-2 Devil Edition," Bucky, walking toward the armor, "A product of Tony Stark's collaboration with demons."

"Ha, Stark really is a madman," Maya thought, looking at the armor. Its dark red color gave off an eerie feeling, as if a sense of fear was rising from the depths of her soul.

"Now, it's mine." Bucky took the gem William had provided from his pouch. As soon as the gem approached the armor, the two creations, belonging to different demons, resonated with each other. The Mark-2-Devil Edition hummed, seemingly anticipating the moment the gem would be placed into its chest.

The moment the dark red gem embedded itself in the armor's chest, the air in the entire laboratory suddenly froze. A blinding flash of blood-red light erupted from the point of contact between the gem and the armor, as if a demon had opened its eyes.

Click--click--

The sound of metal disintegrating was as chilling as bones breaking. Every armor plate of the Mark-2 Devil Edition trembled violently, and dark red energy patterns flickered wildly, as if countless blood vessels were pulsating.

The armor suddenly disintegrated into hundreds of modules, but instead of scattering on the ground, they floated in the air as if they were alive, slowly rotating.

"This is impossible..." Maya's voice was filled with shock. "Nanotechnology couldn't possibly achieve this level of autonomous recombination..."

Bucky remained rooted to the spot, but the hydraulic system of the robotic arm began to operate uncontrollably. The first thing to come into contact with him was the chest armor—the metal crawled up his chest as if it were alive, and the moment it touched his skin, Bucky's muscles tensed up and his veins bulged.

"Ugh--!"

He let out a low growl that sounded inhuman. More armor modules swarmed in, the leg armor coiling around him like venomous snakes, the shoulder armor digging into flesh like claws. The helmet hovered in the air, spinning half a circle, and suddenly lunged at Bucky's head with astonishing speed.

Maya quickly retreated to a safe distance, her eyes fixed on the strange event unfolding before her.

The moment the helmet closed completely, the demonic patterns on the mask suddenly lit up with a blinding red light, and six mechanical tentacles burst out from the back armor, dancing in the air like spider limbs.

Buzz--

The armor suddenly vibrated, and Bucky's body floated up strangely, twisting involuntarily as if adapting to his new body. When he landed again, the armor had completed its final form—taller and more ferocious than before, with bone-spiky protrusions growing from the edges of every piece of armor.

"Very good," Bucky's voice was devoid of human warmth, "This suit of armor is perfect."

The visor snapped open, and Bucky looked at Maya. "Your mission is complete. The gem's energy can't sustain the armor for long battles, so," Bucky pointed his hand to the ground, "I hope to see you again."

Lava continuously spewed from Bucky's hand armor, landing on the laboratory floor.

Maya stared at the lava spreading beneath her feet. The dark red fluids writhed like living things, drawing eerie runes on the ground. The temperature in the room rose sharply, and the air distorted due to the intense heat.

"Damn it!" Maya turned and ran, a red glow flowing through her exposed skin as she moved with incredible speed.

As she ran into the villa's hall, a tremendous energy erupted from beneath her feet, and her body was thrown into the air by the shockwave like a kite with a broken string. The last thing she saw was the entire villa crumbling apart in the lava eruption.

As the shockwave from the villa explosion swept across the beach, Tony's armor HUD suddenly displayed a dozen red alerts.

The mask scan revealed a lava mushroom cloud, 100 meters in diameter, rising from the direction of the villa, with dark red energy pulses spreading out like ripples.

"Damn it! What happened?" Tony quickly flew into the sky and looked at his villa, which had been blown up and the cliff on which it stood had been swallowed by lava.

Chen Tian turned his head slightly, "Tony!" Chen Tian's shout was like a thunderclap.

With his left hand, he unleashed a barrage of fire from his 'Blue Rose,' the purple beam blasting three charging Extremis Soldier to smithereens. His right hand swept across with the Red Queen, its flaming sword energy carving scorched furrows into the sand. "What the hell are you standing there for?!"

"Get to the building!" Chen Tian shot another Extremis Soldier in the head. "The enemy is definitely launching another attack at the Arbitrator Tower!"

Tony then realized what was happening. "Kid! I'm coming over now! You're in charge here!"

Tony unfurled his Photon Wings and flew toward the Arbitrator Tower at incredible speed.

After seeing Tony leave, Chen Tian jumped back a few steps, moving away from the Extremis Soldier's encirclement, and tilted his head slightly.

"Alright, that's enough fun." His voice lacked the urgency he'd shown when calling for Tony earlier.

He stretched out his hand and whispered, "Spell Sequence - Azure."

A tremendous gravitational force was generated among the Extremis Soldier, pulling them all together.

Chen Tian sneered, his right hand forming a palm, and a huge blue demonic hand phantom appeared in the air, slamming down hard on the Extremis Soldier who had been sucked together.

Chen Tian pressed down with his palm, and the phantom of the blue demon hand also pressed down.

The Extremis Soldier, gathered by "Azure," let out inhuman howls. Their lava-like bodies twisted and deformed under absolute pressure, and the sound of their bones shattering was as dense as popping beans.

The Demon Hand, like a hydraulic press, crushed the Extremis Soldier into a bloody pulp. The moment its palm touched the sand, the Extremis Virus energy, compressed to its limit, exploded violently within the Demon Hand.

Boom!!!

The muffled, thunderous explosion was completely contained within the energy field formed by the demonic hand.

After the explosion subsided, Chen Tian waved his hand, and the phantom of the demon hand disappeared. He looked at the charred marks on his palm, then looked back at the location of the explosion.

A perfectly hemispherical crater, fifty meters in diameter, appeared on the beach. The crater walls were as smooth as a mirror, Pacific Ocean water rushed in, bursting into a cloud of steam that blotted out the sky when it came into contact with the hot, vitrified bottom of the crater.

"The extreme heat of the Extremis Virus is quite formidable." Chen Tian shook his stinging palm, the charred marks healing at a visible speed.

He turned to look in the direction of the villa ruins—the explosion there had ceased, and the residual heat of the lava distorted the air above where the villa had once stood.

"Don't disappoint me, Zhongshan Wolf."