Flight Test

Tony rolled his eyes and circled the two suits of armor.

His fingers lightly brushed over his own red-and-gold nanotech armor, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

"Honestly, the design of your suit is way cooler than mine," Tony said with a curl of his lip.

"Black and gold, understated yet flashy, and you don't even need a faceplate. That's practically cheating."

The corner of Xiao Han's mouth lifted. "You don't have to wear a faceplate either."

"So the media can catch photos of me rolling my eyes?" Tony rolled his eyes again.

"Forget it. I still prefer my high-tech style."

He walked over to his armor and patted the Arc Reactor on his chest. A Miniature Artificial Sun was now embedded within it, golden energy slowly circulating inside.

"JARVIS, initiate the test program."

"Test program initiated, sir."

Tony's armor instantly broke apart into countless nanoparticles, flowing like liquid metal and rapidly covering his entire body.

The next second, the red-and-gold armor sealed perfectly around him, and the eyes on his faceplate lit up blue.

Xiao Han stood before his own black armor, using Super-Sight to scan the structure of every nanotech unit.

The golden S-shaped emblem on the armor's chest gleamed beneath the lights, its overall lines cleaner and sharper than Tony's.

"Your armor really doesn't need a faceplate? I still don't get it." Tony walked over and curiously poked at the neck design of Xiao Han's armor.

"It doesn't." Xiao Han smiled faintly. "My eyes are the best sensors."

Tony curled his lip. "Okay."

"How does it feel?" Xiao Han asked, watching Tony inspect his armor like a curious child.

"Fantastic!" Tony's voice came through the armor's speakers, filled with obvious excitement.

"The energy flow is much smoother than before. It's like... like liquid sunlight flowing through my veins!"

Xiao Han nodded and flicked a finger. The black armor instantly broke apart into countless nanoparticles, wrapping around his body like a living creature.

In less than a second, the armor was perfectly equipped, golden patterns glimmering across the black base.

"JARVIS, initiate the test program." Tony raised an arm. "Let's start with the basic functions."

The laboratory floor suddenly sank, revealing a massive testing ground.

All kinds of targets, obstacles, and simulated enemies rose from beneath the floor.

"Same old rules. Whoever scores lower buys dinner." Tony looked at Xiao Han provocatively.

The corner of Xiao Han's mouth rose. "Are you sure you want to bet on that?"

"Hey, this time is different!" Six miniature thrusters unfolded from the back of Tony's armor. "Using the technology you provided, I upgraded every system."

"Then let's begin."

Before the words had even faded, the two figures shot forward at the same time.

Tony fired first. His repulsors blasted apart three targets, and his nanotech armor changed direction nimbly at high speed with almost no inertial lag.

He proudly whistled. "See that? The magical properties of Uru increased the armor's reaction speed by—"

His words cut off abruptly because Xiao Han was already hovering silently before him, every target around them precisely sliced apart by Heat Vision.

"That's not fair!" Tony protested. "You used superpowers!"

"You said we were comparing armor performance." Xiao Han spread his hands innocently. "This is my armor's performance."

Tony muttered a few words, then suddenly accelerated toward the far end of the testing ground. "Then let's get serious!"

The armor's arms spread wide. Dozens of miniature missiles screamed out while his repulsors fired continuously, forming a dense web of firepower.

Xiao Han chuckled, and his figure vanished instantly, weaving through the barrage at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.

"Sir, this contest is nearly impossible for you to win against Mr. Xiao," JARVIS reminded him.

"Shut up, JARVIS. I'm creating a miracle!" Tony gritted his teeth and continued attacking.

Suddenly, every missile stopped in midair, as if they had struck an invisible wall.

Xiao Han hovered at the center of the testing ground, golden light blazing in his eyes.

"My turn."

He gently raised a hand, and the missiles actually turned around, lining up neatly as they aimed at Tony.

"Wait! That's not scientific!" Tony hurriedly activated his defense system. "How can you control my missiles?"

"Telekinesis." Xiao Han smiled. "What do you think? Want to learn it?"

All the missiles suddenly self-destructed, but the flames of the explosions were bound by some kind of force field, forming a perfect fireball that slowly drifted toward Tony.

"Do you concede?" Xiao Han asked.

Tony's faceplate popped open, revealing a helpless expression. "Fine, fine. Dinner's on me tonight. But..."

A crafty smile suddenly appeared on his face. "Let's test one more thing!"

Xiao Han retracted his armor and landed lightly on the ground. "What?"

"Want to try flying?" Tony suggested.

"You're sure?" Xiao Han's expression turned slightly strange.

"Absolutely sure!" Tony grinned. The thrusters beneath his armor's feet erupted instantly, launching him toward the laboratory skylight like a rocket.

Xiao Han gave a light leap, instantly breaking the sound barrier and leaving a ring of white vapor in the air.

The two shot out of the building one after the other, carving dazzling trails across New York's night sky.

"JARVIS, activate full-speed mode!" Tony shouted excitedly.

"Warning, sir. Speed has exceeded the safety threshold!"

"Who cares!"

Tony's armor thrusters went to full power, and his red-and-gold figure streaked into the sky like a meteor.

Xiao Han followed easily at his side, even leisurely turning his head to look at him.

"Are you sure you can keep up with me? How's the armor's noise-canceling mode?" Xiao Han teased.

"The wind is pretty strong at this altitude."

"Shut up!" Tony's voice came through the communicator. "I'm wearing the most advanced suit of armor in the world!"

"Really?" Xiao Han chuckled, then suddenly accelerated, vanishing from Tony's sight in an instant.

"Hey! Cheater!" Tony's eyes widened. The armor's radar scanned frantically, yet it could not detect any trace of Xiao Han.

The next second, Xiao Han's voice came from behind him. "You're too slow."

Tony whirled around and found Xiao Han hovering behind him, arms crossed and looking completely relaxed.

"Damn it!" Tony gritted his teeth. "JARVIS, activate overclock mode!"

"Sir, overclock mode will consume an enormous amount of energy. I recommend—"

"Activate it!"

In an instant, Tony's armor thrusters erupted with blinding blue light, and his speed surged again, even leaving a series of sonic boom clouds behind him.

Xiao Han raised an eyebrow, a trace of approval flashing through his eyes. "Not bad. You've improved."

With that, his figure vanished again. This time, he broke straight through the atmosphere and charged into outer space.

Tony followed close behind, alarms blaring wildly inside his armor. "Warning! Oxygen supply in the air is decreasing! External temperature is dropping sharply!"

"Shut up, JARVIS! I can do this!" Tony gritted his teeth and pressed on, his armor continuously adjusting its posture to withstand the pressure of the thinning atmosphere.

At last, his vision suddenly opened up to the pitch-black universe and the blue curve of Earth.

And Xiao Han, floating not far away, bathed in sunlight.

Xiao Han turned his head and gave him a slight smile. "Welcome back to space, Tony."

Tony froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Ha! This feels completely insane!"

He looked down at Earth. New York's lights flickered indistinctly beneath the clouds, while the waves of the Atlantic Ocean reflected the moonlight.

"I never imagined that one day, I'd be able to fly here in armor I built myself." A rare note of emotion entered Tony's voice.

Xiao Han floated beside him, his gaze fixed on the farther reaches of the stars. "This is only the beginning."

Tony turned his head toward him. "You're already used to this view, aren't you?"

Xiao Han smiled. "Used to it? No. Every time I see it, I'm still amazed."

The two fell silent for a while, enjoying the quiet of the universe.

PS: There are only a few more chapters until recommendations begin, and honestly, I'm a little nervous, even though this is already my third Ben book. If you like this Ben book, please tap for updates, leave a good review, or send a small gift—free ones are fine too. Over the next seven days, every little thing you do will determine this book's performance!