"What kind of ability is this? Growing a cape on his own? And it's bulletproof?" Tony Stark stared at Simmons below, momentarily stunned. He had always been thinking about how to advance his suit of armor further, wishing it could cover his body at all times so he could resist any danger swiftly.
Even though Tony Stark was steps ahead of the world in technology, he still couldn't develop a suit of armor that maintained the Arc Reactor's energy level. According to his calculations, if he developed nanotech armor, its portability, close-combat capabilities, and diversity of combat methods should all improve. However, the most potent energy destruction power would decrease, and endurance remained an issue.
Yet, seeing Simmons now, Tony Stark's eyes lit up, believing he might find inspiration for his nanotech armor from Simmons.
However, as Tony Stark pondered, Simmons, who blocked the palm repulsor with his cape, launched a counterattack. No one had taught Simmons how to use his powers, but as his anger surged, it seemed as if he intuitively grasped these abilities.
With a "puff," Simmons' chains turned into spikes aiming at Tony Stark. As Tony dodged, the chain spikes exploded into more black spikes, piercing through Tony Stark's armor!
"What the hell?!" Tony, looking down at the gaps in his armor, cursed, then released an ultimate energy beam from his chest, locking onto Simmons.
With a "hiss," the attack, concentrated with all the energy of the new Arc Reactor, was once again blocked by Simmons. He released a dark blast filled with hellish aura from his hands, clashing with the energy beam.
Initially, Tony Stark managed to hold on, but as the Arc Reactor's energy gradually depleted, Simmons' dark blast ultimately prevailed.
"Boom!" When the forces were no longer on the same level, the dark blast instantly repelled Tony Stark's energy beam back at him, causing his armor to explode on the spot, stunning many onlookers.
"Damn, is Iron Man dead?!"
"Did Tony Stark die?"
"No way, is that monster that powerful?"
"Where's Superman? Why hasn't he come yet?"
"Help! Superman, we need you!"
Thoughts and shouts echoed everywhere, and in S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, who had thought about recruiting this seemingly rational individual into the Avengers, saw Tony Stark's armor explode.
This left Fury in silence, then with narrowed eyes, he said, "Try contacting Tony Stark's side, and also get in touch with Steve and Bucky. Make sure they stop this monster. If not, ask them to notify the Saiyan..."
"Yes!" Natasha quickly turned to make the contacts.
However, no matter how Natasha tried, they couldn't reach Tony Stark or the others, nor could they locate them.
Meanwhile, at Tony Stark's house, Tony had stopped Steve and Bucky from leaving. Yes, they were still living in Tony's house, much to Peggy Carter's dissatisfaction. Since Bucky showed up, her screen time had diminished, leading others to think Bucky and Steve were the main couple!
Steve and Bucky were still on their quest to track down Hydra, armed with a plethora of Hydra mission files. Even if the documents didn't directly lead them to Hydra, they could deduce Hydra's targets from the missions.
When Jarvis reported a metahuman causing chaos on the streets, Steve and Bucky prepared to check it out. Tony deployed an armored suit with a voice system to fake his presence, illustrating why the military coveted his technology. To them, the presence of Tony Stark in the armor mattered little; controlling the armors could significantly boost their combat power.
Seeing his armor blown up, Tony felt relieved he hadn't been in it and stopped Steve and Bucky from going.
"Are you two planning to get killed?" Tony said to the elders, "My armor was destroyed by him. Doesn't that prove his strength? What we need to do now is notify the Saiyan to help..."
"We should at least try to stop him from harming the public!" Steve said firmly, "Even if it means dying, it's worth it to protect the people!"
"But you should see if he poses any threat to the public," Tony shrugged, showing a surveillance feed of Simmons in his demonic form, wielding chains and spikes without harming anyone except the seemingly deceased Tony Stark.
"Based on his previous actions, he seems to have some rationality left. He appears to be heading somewhere. We can deduce who he is and what he wants to do from his destination," Tony said, advising Steve and Bucky to act on solid information.
"I'll contact the Saiyan. You keep an eye on him. Tony, continue to send drones to follow him and intervene if necessary," Steve said, nodding to Tony and contacting Robert.
"Don't worry, I'm already on it," Tony said, hinting at the surveillance feed. "Jarvis, double encrypt and disguise our communications. Many are likely monitoring our calls to find the Saiyan's location. We need to be cautious. I don't want him targeted by those with ulterior motives."
Though wary of Robert, Tony also found him to be genuinely straightforward and didn't want Nick Fury to find him, fearing a difficult resolution.
Fury and others might control Robert by threatening his family, something Tony doubted would work on Robert.
If Fury dared threaten Robert's loved ones, Fury wouldn't survive, likely bringing down S.H.I.E.L.D. with him, setting Robert against official entities, a scenario Tony wished to avoid.
"Hey, it's me, Steve." Steve nodded in agreement with Tony's actions, calling Robert, "We have a potentially powerful demon here. Can you come over?"
"Really? Powerful?" Robert sounded excited and surprised.
"Very. Tony Stark's latest armor was destroyed in two moves by him!" Steve slightly embellished, causing Tony to grimace.
"I'll be right there!" Robert said excitedly, hanging up.
Destroying Tony's armor in two moves indicated a formidable demon, at least a high-ranking one, worth Robert's visit.
"I have to go; a powerful demon has appeared. Take care of them after school!" Robert, usually at school, skipped class again, informing Kara before vanishing.
"Another powerful demon? Didn't the dimensional barrier prevent such appearances?" Kara mused, wondering if it was a leftover threat and what it meant.
"Did you say my armor exploded? I lasted quite a while, okay?" Tony grumbled at Steve back at his house.
"I had to make it sound urgent, or he might not have come," Steve explained, noting Robert's different approach from Superman, who seemed absent.
"Who knows what that guy's doing? He's all over the place," Tony remarked about Superman, slightly irked yet acknowledging Superman's potential equal strength to Robert, even without much information on Superman.
Unbeknownst to them, Clark Kent was about to intervene when he saw Tony deploy his armor, deciding to let Tony handle it, respecting his involvement and later helping the Kent family financially, for which Clark felt grateful.
Meanwhile, Constantine, tracking Robert with a spell, was baffled by the sudden change in Robert's location, indicating a direct involvement with Simmons, leaving Constantine perplexed and hurrying to catch up.
"What? I thought your armor was destroyed?" Near Simmons, Robert, following Steve's lead, noticed Tony's suit and muttered in confusion.
"Destroyed? I've got dozens more where that came from!" Tony Stark's voice, tinged with pride, came through the suit, then he cautiously asked Robert, "So, can you handle him?"
"No problem. But could you clear the area for me? I'll try to minimize the damage, but a real fight might hurt a lot of people and damage many buildings..." Robert assessed Simmons' strength and requested softly.
This was a bustling urban area, and a full-on battle with Robert unleashing his power could quickly turn it into a wasteland, ready for redevelopment without even needing demolition.
"No worries, I've bought this area!" Tony Stark boasted about his financial power, proud of his proactive measures.
Meanwhile, Constantine, following the abrupt change in Robert's location to near Simmons, muttered in confusion. He hadn't led Robert to the demon's mortal body; Robert had gone on his own. "Was all my effort in vain?" he wondered, biting his lip as he continued towards Robert's new location.
"Hm? I thought your suit was blown to bits?" Near Simmons, Robert, having tracked down Steve's call, noticed Tony's suit in the air and commented.
"One suit blown up? I have dozens more!" Tony Stark's proud voice transmitted from the suit. He then cautiously asked Robert, "Think you can handle it?"
"No problem, but can you clear the area a bit? I'll try to keep the damage under control, but if things escalate, there could be collateral damage to both people and buildings..." After sensing Simmons' strength, Robert spoke softly.
In contrast to their usual battle locations, this was a bustling urban center. Unleashing their full power here could quickly turn the area into a rubble, no demolition required.
"Don't worry, I've bought this place!" Stark boasted, showing off his wealth.
While Tony Stark displayed caution towards Robert, acknowledging his pure nature, he also didn't want Nick Fury or similar individuals finding him, fearing a complicated outcome. Stark knew Fury might attempt to control Robert by threatening his family, a tactic Stark doubted would work on Robert. Should Fury dare, he'd likely not survive, potentially dragging down S.H.I.E.L.D. and setting Robert against official entities, a scenario Stark wished to avoid.
Meanwhile, unaware of Stark's musings, Clark Kent had initially planned to intervene upon noticing Simmons' rampage. However, seeing Stark's involvement, he chose to step back, not wanting to overshadow Stark's efforts, especially after Stark canceled the bounty on Robert and directed funds to the Kents, improving their opinion of Stark.
In contrast, Batman, who had also contributed financially, didn't receive the same warmth, illustrating the complexities of their superhero relations.
As Stark and Steve debated the need for Superman's involvement, they were unaware that Superman had been ready to assist but chose to respect Stark's active role, focusing instead on other crises around the world. When Stark's armor was destroyed, Superman considered returning but halted upon hearing Steve contact Robert, deciding to trust in their combined capabilities.
Constantine, meanwhile, tracked Robert's sudden change in location with bewilderment, mistakenly believing he had inadvertently led Robert to the demon's human host. As Constantine pursued Robert's signal, now converging with Simmons', he wondered if his efforts had been unnecessary.
Elsewhere, Robert, upon hearing Stark's suit was destroyed, expressed excitement at facing a formidable opponent, promising to arrive promptly. This enthusiasm for battle highlighted the distinct motivations driving these heroes, each navigating their own path within a complex web of alliances, rivalries, and ethical dilemmas.
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