Stark Industries Underground
"Pepper! Pepper!"
From the horizon, a familiar shout echoed as Iron Man's suit emitted black smoke, causing him to tumble.
"Tony!!"
Pepper rushed over to help him up, exasperated, "Why are you always in such a mess? What happened?"
Tony lifted his visor with a nonchalant expression, "You're fine. I couldn't leave my assistant behind. It's just the thrusters that burnt out."
Pepper glanced at Jie Luosi, who was observing them intently. Her heart raced under the gaze of such a formidable figure, wondering if she was attracted by Jie Luosi's striking presence.
After calming Pepper, Tony turned to Jie Luosi with a smirk. As he was about to speak, Jie Luosi cut him off.
"Tony Stark, I have successfully protected Pepper Potts as per my master's instructions."
"...Master? Oh, Xu Mo's idea, huh? I didn't expect him to pull this stunt," Tony muttered, seemingly intrigued.
Before he could elaborate, a gun was pointed at him.
"Click."
Jie Luosi's left hand transformed into a musket, aimed directly at Tony.
"Mr. Tony Stark, I can sense your dissatisfaction with my master and will act on your next remark."
Pepper stepped in front of Tony, shielding him. "Tony, shut up and look behind you. This was caused by Jie Luosi," she scolded, managing to persuade Jie Luosi to lower her weapon.
Though the protective mission was complete, Jie Luosi hadn't received a new directive. Her intention had merely been to intimidate Tony.
Tony, momentarily taken aback, cleared his throat. "Just kidding, like when Xu Mo gave me those bear-shaped cookies last time."
Tony had received a cookie that turned out to be a prank; it transformed into a mini bear head when given to a stray puppy. Tony had been so frightened that he'd nearly had an accident. He had tried to reverse the effect but failed to identify the cause.
The next day, Xu Mo denied any involvement, and Tony was left with a hilarious story.
Jie Luosi, expressionless, turned and departed. Coulson, with a distressed look, approached and forced a smile. "You..."
"Whoosh!"
Jie Luosi shot into the air with flames erupting from her feet, leaving Coulson behind in embarrassment.
Nick Fury's voice came through Coulson's communicator: "You need to get Tony up to speed on the latest developments."
S.H.I.E.L.D. Aerospace Carrier
"Deploy all near-Earth satellites to locate the robot, immediately."
Nick Fury issued the order to his agents, his face dark with concern. Another unexplained event had occurred.
Despite not being able to reach the scene in time, the importance of Tony Stark and his father Howard meant that S.H.I.E.L.D. kept a close watch on the situation.
The technology displayed by Jie Luosi was far superior to Tony's, and Fury was intent on understanding it better.
"Satellite One has lost target information."
"Satellite Two has lost target information."
"Satellite Three..."
The satellites continued to fail, with S.H.I.E.L.D. Director slapping his head in frustration. Even Tony's Iron Man couldn't keep up, let alone track Jie Luosi.
Manhattan Effect
"Master, Jie Luosi has completed the task."
Xu Mo watched the scene on television and nodded approvingly. "Very well. You can return now."
In contrast to the usual heroic portrayal of Tony Stark and the villainous Obadiah in the movies, Jie Luosi's appearance had captivated the media's attention. Despite this, there was no mention of Genos, the comic artist's creation. Due to the distance, the night's events, and Jie Luosi's distinct appearance, few made the connection between her and Genos.
"This night has been quite troublesome."
Xu Mo stretched and checked the time before heading to bed. After greeting Gali, who had bloodstains on his mouth from his earlier basement work, Xu Mo left the house.
Elsewhere
This house was exclusively for summoners, and currently, only Kaneki Ken occupied it. Skynet Alice lived on the Internet, the blue-eyed white dragon resided in Cary, and the five Terminators, including Jie Luosi, worked non-stop to copy comics. Xu Mo himself had moved to another house to live with Gali and Lorna Dane.
While Xu Mo enjoyed a relaxed evening, Tony was busy dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D., begrudgingly.
Tony disliked official institutions and preferred to keep his distance from them.
Later That Night
Tony, who had just sent Pepper away, couldn't sleep easily. He stood in front of Mark's armor, eyes gleaming with determination.
"Night State Metal... such powerful energy is truly a formidable weapon."
"How did Xu Mo develop it? I need to find out."
Tony wasn't disheartened; instead, he was more motivated than ever. He walked to the console and began developing a new suit, inspired by Jie Luosi's advanced technology.
In a Distant Laboratory
Amidst the quiet of the night, Dr. Stern anxiously warned Bronsky, "You can't inject Banner's blood. It will either kill you or transform you into another beast!"
Bronsky, determined to surpass the Hulk and become a superior fighter, insisted, "Hurry up, or I'll kill you."
Bronsky, having observed Hulk's strength and the experiment's potential, was desperate for power.
"I will be the strongest fighter, surpassing even Captain America!"
Bronsky's eyes burned with ambition. Moments later, a deafening roar erupted from the lab as a massive dark brown monster smashed through the wall.
"Hulk! Here I come!!"