"Between you and me? No, it's everyone's problem now."
The armor mask slowly opened, revealing Ivan's familiar, scarred face. His Russian accent was unmistakable: "New York is still as fascinating."
"No, you are not welcome here. Go back to prison," Tony Stark retorted with a mocking smirk.
Ivan had previously been defeated and imprisoned by Tony but was later freed by Justin Hammer. Unperturbed by Tony's taunts, Ivan unleashed a powerful wave of electricity.
With a crackling sound, blue lightning erupted as small electric snakes danced around two fearsome metal whips extending from his arms and wrists.
"Want to be a hero so badly? Tony, let's see who you can save now," Ivan said coldly as he closed his mask, sending a shiver through everyone present. He then lashed out with the whips at the nearest people.
Ivan had no allegiance to America or its citizens. He saw this as an opportunity to challenge Tony Stark and wreak havoc.
"Pop!"
The air split with a deafening sound as the electric whip, glowing with intense blue light, whizzed past the crowd. The people were paralyzed with fear, staring at the whip as if it were a beast ready to devour them.
At that moment, Flash appeared behind Ivan, grabbing him by the collar and teleporting him away just in time.
The electric whip struck the ground, creating a scorching mark and several cracks from the impact. The crowd screamed and scattered in terror.
Tony quickly fired an energy cannon, which hit Ivan's armor but only made him stumble a few steps. His armor, reinforced with heavy materials, was too resilient for Tony's energy attacks.
The Lost Whip armor was not like the mass-produced steel armors. It was nearly as durable as War Machine's gear and, enhanced with Pseudo Ark Energy, its melee destructive power surpassed even Tony's Mark 9.
Ivan's electric whip could turn ordinary people to ash, and it was a formidable threat even to Tony's armor.
"Mutant? Hahaha, these little punks pretending to be heroes?" Ivan sneered through his armor. "Doesn't your teacher teach you to run when you encounter a strong enemy?"
With a renewed wave of fury, Ivan whipped the air again. The intense heat from the whip created a distinctive smell as it cut through the air.
The whips, moving at high speed, looked like electric pythons attacking Thunderbird. The hero was stunned; a direct hit from the whip could leave him incapacitated.
Boom!
The electric whip collided with a solid object in mid-air—Lauren's invisible force field.
"Hurry up, I can't hold on much longer!" Lauren shouted, her forehead drenched in sweat.
Her ability to control water molecules and air to form a force field was being tested to its limits. The high-voltage current was rapidly evaporating the water molecules, causing the barrier to crack like glass.
Realizing the urgency, Cross fired two brilliant white lasers at the whip.
Ivan's brows twitched as he narrowly avoided the lasers, but they left deep scorch marks on his armor. The intense heat surged from the impact.
Cross was one of the most aggressive mutants among the new recruits. His light beams had strong penetrating power, and without a special shield, they could pierce through Mark 9's defense.
"Teacher All Might said that a hero is someone who can overcome adversity," Gali taunted. "Besides, you're not such a strong opponent."
Ivan's rage intensified upon hearing this. Just as he prepared to lash out with the whip, a strong telekinetic force from Andy began to act on his armor.
"Damn it!!!" Ivan roared. The powerful Lost Whip armor was extraordinarily strong and heavier than Mark.
Andy was sweating profusely, struggling to suppress the armor's movement with his telekinesis. The heavy force caused the surface of the whip to sink slightly, slowing down the entire armor.
"Now's our chance!" Tony and Roddy fired their multi-barreled machine guns and mini-missiles relentlessly at Ivan. Tony exhausted all his energy cannons in a barrage of fire.
As smoke filled the area, Rachel's telepathic scan detected Ivan's weakened state. "It's not over yet."
Tony quickly launched a charged laser, slicing through the armor.
Ivan let out a pained scream as the laser struck him, leaving a significant wound. Unfortunately, he couldn't fire continuously and had to recharge for high-penetration attacks.
When the smoke cleared, Ivan's battered steel body was visible, with his armor heavily damaged and a large bloodied wound on his right side.
"Damn it, damn mutants!!" Ivan howled in frustration, breaking free from Andy's telekinetic grip. His face was contorted with rage as he controlled his armor to charge forward.
The electric whip crackled and sizzled with increased voltage, creating fearsome scorch marks on the ground. Ivan ignored the armor's system warning of a rapid energy decrease and lunged at Tony.
Ivan was driven by his desire for revenge and restoring his family's honor. For him, defeat was not an option.
He swung both whips at the mutants and advanced with his full might.
"Flash!" Lauren called out, constructing a barrier with her hands positioned far in front of him.
Recognizing the cue, Flash unfolded the purple Uzumaki and Ivan was teleported ten meters away. As Ivan appeared in the new location, he slammed into an air wall.
Meanwhile, Rachel launched a psychic storm, piercing Ivan's mind with a sharp mental attack.
Gali slid through the portal with the opening facing away from them, firing two lasers into the now critically damaged armor.
Despite being less powerful than previous attacks, the lasers were enough to penetrate the failing armor.
"Ah!! You bastards! I won't forget this!!" Ivan screamed in agony, his legs pierced and blood gushing from his wounds.
"Sir, the energy levels in Ivan's armor suggest it has activated a self-destruct program. It's estimated to destroy half the exhibition hall," Gali reported.
Tony rubbed his forehead in frustration and cursed under his breath. There were still people trapped inside the hall.
The young heroes were also at a loss. The teleportation portal was no longer functional, and neither telekinetic nor force field powers could contain the explosion.
Xu Mo was on the phone with Charles, who warned him about the danger to his family. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Xu Mo's mind raced. Lorna was Magneto's daughter, and her brother must be Quicksilver.
His focus shifted from the imminent explosion to the realization that Quicksilver, his brother-in-law, was in grave danger.