Chapter 222: The Beginning of Revenge
"Sir, transferring control authority."
In the extremely short time it took for Jarvis's voice to ring out inside the armor, the gold and red suit abruptly snapped into a sharp angle in mid-air that defied the laws of physics, sliding sideways to dodge that giant reef wrapped in crimson energy.
"Holy shit!"
Tony shrank his shoulders in a start, violently turning his head to look in the direction the attack came from.
Standing on the beach was a young woman with eerie red light surging in both hands and a fierce, man-eating look in her eyes.
Who is this? Never seen her before.
"Jarvis, who is she?"
"No matching identity found in the database, Sir."
"Then expand the search range. It's not like she came out of a stone..."
Before he could finish speaking, an alarm sounded from behind the armor.
A figure rushed out from behind Tony, stepped on a reef, leaped high into the air, and grabbed the right leg of the armor with both hands.
"Get down here!"
Pietro exerted force through his waist and abdomen, violently pulling downward.
Tony completely lost his balance, crashing straight down from mid-air onto the sandy ground and splashing up a large swath of sand and dust.
Lu Chen stood to the side without the slightest intention of stopping them.
After several rounds of enhancement, Pietro's physical constitution had already reached LV6. Even without using his extreme speed, the explosive power of his physical body alone was far beyond anything he could compare to before.
Furthermore, this guy had hated Stark for over a decade.
Now that the main culprit had delivered himself to their doorstep, they might as well let him vent.
"Hey!"
Tony flipped himself up, raising a hand to point at Pietro.
"Ambushing someone who's in the middle of talking, are all you people from Sokovia so impolite?"
Pietro's expression changed instantly.
"You know I'm from Sokovia?"
"Accent, clothes." Tony spread his hands. "Not very hard to guess."
Lu Chen glanced at him.
Tony still didn't know what landmine he had stepped on.
Wanda raised both hands, and several nearby boulders rose into the air simultaneously, smashing toward the armor with crimson energy.
"You have no right to mention Sokovia!"
"Fine, looks like negotiations have broken down."
Tony extended both arms, and the back armor split off a large amount of nanoparticles, recombining on the outer sides of his arms into several energy amplifiers.
Two beams of pulse energy shot out simultaneously.
The foremost boulder exploded on the spot, and the ones behind it were smashed to pieces one after another. Rocks fell all over the ground, forcing nearby Agents to quickly retreat.
As soon as Tony lowered his arms, Jarvis's reminder sounded in his ear.
"Left side, Sir."
"I see it!"
Tony turned around and threw a punch, but only hit an afterimage.
Pietro had already circled to his right side, slamming a punch into the side of the armor's waist, and immediately appeared behind him.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Fists came raining down from all directions, growing faster and faster.
Tony wasn't injured, but the armor kept getting knocked off course, making it impossible to even lock onto a target. Just as he wanted to take off into the air, the sandy ground beneath his feet was kicked up by crimson energy, crashing him back down once again.
"What on earth is wrong with these two guys?"
Tony gritted his teeth and pushed himself up.
Pietro's speed was too fast, and Wanda's crowd control was too troublesome. Although their cooperation wasn't airtight, it happened to block off the armor's maneuvering space.
If he kept taking beatings like this, the armor could hold out.
But his face couldn't hold out.
Tony raised his hand and fired a repulsor blast, forcing Pietro back, and turned his head to look at Lu Chen.
"Are you just planning to stand there and watch?"
Lu Chen folded his arms.
"Let them vent a bit."
"Vent?"
Tony dodged a boulder flying straight at him, cursing angrily.
"Venting on me? I don't even know them!"
Lu Chen did not answer.
He didn't intend to speak on behalf of Wanda and Pietro in this matter.
Damn it!
Tony cursed inwardly inside the armor. This guy was definitely doing it on purpose.
Wanda walked closer step by step, the crimson energy in her hands growing thicker and thicker.
This was the person.
The name behind this suit of armor had destroyed her home and taken her parents' lives.
She raised her right hand, closing her five fingers tightly through the air.
The nano-armor on Tony instantly froze, his limbs firmly suppressed by the scarlet energy. The thrusters activated several times in succession, but still failed to break free.
"Sir, external pressure is rising."
"I can feel it!"
Tony strained his arms, and the joints of the armor emitted an unbearable friction sound.
Pietro also stopped.
The next second, he accelerated once more, smashing punch after punch against the chest plate.
"Open!"
Bam!
"Open up for me!"
Bam!
"Aren't you Stark? What are you hiding inside for!"
Every punch carried more force than the last, but Pietro still felt it wasn't enough. He grabbed the edges of the armor with both hands, trying to directly pry open this shell and drag Tony out from inside.
Tony finally sensed that something was wrong, but what alarmed him even more were the emotions radiating from the two people in front of him. That thick, unresolvable hatred was by no means a misunderstanding or a spar; they wanted him dead.
Who on earth were these two? When on earth did he make such deadly enemies?
Especially that woman. As her emotions grew increasingly out of control, the pressure bearing down on the armor was also rising rapidly.
"Jarvis, disconnect the nano-links of the externally stressed parts!"
"Sir, this will cause a large area of gaps in the armor's defense."
"Better than being turned into a tin can by someone, execute!"
Following Tony's command, that portion of nanoparticles tightly gripped by Wanda directly lost control, detaching from the main body of the armor. Taking advantage of this opening, the thrusters on Tony's chest and soles simultaneously burst to their limit.
The gold and red armor slipped out of the restraint like an eel, shooting straight up into the sky and directly hovering dozens of meters high. The missing armor parts refilled, quickly covering the exposed area.
White light lit up on his hands, the energy amplifiers redeployed, and the micro-missiles on his shoulders aimed at the two people below.
He originally wanted to use a micro-missile to teach these two lunatics a lesson.
But looking at the hatred in their eyes that was almost dripping with blood, Tony hesitated for a moment.
Pietro stood in front of Wanda.
Yet Wanda reached out and pushed him aside, looking up at Tony. Crimson energy gathered between her hands, and even the scattered rubble around them began to float along with it.
The killing intent was real.
The hatred was also real.
But the problem was, he had no idea where this hatred came from.
"Enough!"
Tony's voice spread across the island through the armor's megaphone.
"I don't want to hurt you, but that doesn't mean I'll just keep taking beatings. If you continue attacking, I'm going to fight back."
Pietro sneered.
"You can try."
"I'm getting ready to try." Tony aimed both hands at him. "But before that, can you first tell me, who on earth are you?"
He paused for half a second, his tone losing a bit of its joking manner.
"What grudge do I have with you that's worth you trying to kill me the moment we meet?"
Hearing these words, the scarlet light in Wanda's eyes surged violently.
She stared at the Iron Man in the air, the missile that landed in the ruins appearing in her mind once again.
Stark Industries.
Those few words had stayed with her and Pietro for a full two days.
She was afraid that shell would explode, so terrified she didn't dare to breathe. Afterwards, every time she closed her eyes, she could see her parents lying in the rubble.
Yet the person who manufactured it didn't even know who they were.
She smiled faintly, a smile full of desolation and anger.
"That's right."
Wanda raised her face, and crimson energy flew out from her hands.
"Of course you wouldn't remember us!"
Tony dodged to the side, the energy blast flying past his shoulder.
"We're just two insignificant people from a family harmed by your weapons!"
A second energy blast followed closely behind.
Tony raised his hand and fired a repulsor blast, the two energies colliding in mid-air, and the exploding shockwave blew the sandy soil below flying.
"My weapons?"
Tony was stunned.
Old scores again.
A surge of irritation and helplessness welled up in his heart. He had already shut down the weapons division, but the sins he had committed in the past clearly weren't so easily wiped away.
Wanda didn't give him any time to think at all, blasting energy balls upward one after another.
Tony could only raise both hands to retaliate, dodging back and forth in the air with the armor. White pulses and crimson energy collided continuously, the exploding light flashing constantly over the island, and the shockwaves blew the surrounding sand everywhere.
Lu Chen still did not intervene.
With Wanda's current strength, she still couldn't pierce through this set of nano-armor. Pietro likewise would find it difficult to truly harm Tony.
Letting both sides speak their minds was more appropriate than him forcibly stopping them.
On the distant beach, Hulk had just finished eating the last bite of roasted meat.
He wiped the grease from his mouth, listened to the explosions coming from mid-air, and strode over to Lu Chen's side.
He raised his head, looked at Tony flying back and forth in the sky, and then looked at Wanda continuously attacking from the ground.
Hulk scratched his head.
"Why are they fighting?" Hulk asked Lu Chen in a booming voice.
Chapter 223: Who Should They Hate?
Lu Chen did not answer Hulk's question.
This matter wasn't particularly complicated to explain, but making Hulk distinguish the responsibilities among a weapon manufacturer, an arms dealer, and a war criminal was probably harder than teaching him Baji Quan.
Besides, now wasn't the time for explanations.
The energy bombardment in mid-air was still ongoing. Tony was unwilling to strike with full force, but Wanda's rationality had already been overwhelmed by hatred.
If this drag went on any longer, no one would be able to clean up the mess.
Lu Chen raised his right hand and pressed his five fingers downward.
An invisible magnetic field instantly enveloped Tony's armor.
Tony, who was currently dodging the energy blasts, suddenly felt his armor plummeting heavily.
The thruster output data maxed out instantly, yet it still couldn't stop his body from falling downward.
"Jarvis?"
"External magnetic field interference, sir. The propulsion system is operating at full capacity, but it cannot offset…"
"Holy crap!"
Before he could even finish listening, Tony plummeted straight down from the sky.
Bang!
Tony crashed headfirst into the sand, half of his body sinking into it.
Just as the shoulder missile pods were about to spring open, they were forcefully pressed back down by the magnetic field.
"Sir, the armor is experiencing strong magnetic field interference."
"I can see that!"
While pushing himself off the ground and trying to get up, Tony shouted toward Lu Chen.
"You'd better give me a reasonable explanation!"
Wanda had no intention of stopping.
Red light gathered between her hands as she stared at Tony in the sand, her fingers tightening rapidly.
To kill him—this thought had appeared in her mind countless times.
Now, her enemy was right in front of her.
She raised her hand, wanting to unleash it on Tony, the crimson energy already condensing at her fingertips.
Just as Wanda was about to raise her hand, Lu Chen had already appeared in front of her and grabbed her wrist.
"Boss?"
Wanda was stunned for a moment.
The crimson energy in her hand dissipated by more than half.
She could not care less about what Tony said, but she couldn't ignore Lu Chen.
Lu Chen didn't speak immediately.
Forcing her to let go would only make this thorn embed itself deeper.
On the other side, Pietro accelerated once more.
Stepping onto the armor on Tony's back, he raised his fist, ready to smash it toward the helmet of the armor.
"You come over here too."
With a sweep of Lu Chen's telekinesis, he directly yanked Pietro off Tony.
Pietro's limbs still maintained the posture of throwing a punch, but his whole body had already flown backward, landing beside Lu Chen.
"Boss!"
Struggling twice and finding it completely impossible to break free from the telekinesis, he could only anxiously say, "Don't stop me! This is a matter between us and Stark!"
"That's why I need to ask clearly."
Lu Chen released his telekinesis and glanced at the two of them.
"You want revenge, I won't stop you."
Pietro quieted down.
Wanda also raised her head, the red light in her eyes still not fading.
Lu Chen knew very well that this pair of siblings had never been soft-hearted people.
He also had no interest in standing on a moral high ground to force them to forgive anyone.
Without experiencing someone else's suffering, one should say less of that nonsense.
But revenge still required finding the right person.
"You guys answer me a question first."
Lu Chen pointed at Tony.
"What is it that you truly hate?"
Wanda pressed her lips tightly together and didn't answer.
Pietro frowned.
"Do you hate the missile that killed your parents? Or do you hate the arms dealer who sold that missile?"
Lu Chen paused for a moment.
"Or perhaps, do you hate the person who pressed the launch button?"
The anger on Pietro's face froze.
Of course he understood that these three were not the same thing.
Yet for so many years, the words Stark Industries had long been bound together with the fear of those two days.
They had stared at that unexploded shell beneath the ruins, not even daring to breathe too heavily.
At that time, they were only ten years old.
Aside from hating the name written on it, who else could they hate?
Wanda abruptly shook off Lu Chen's hand.
"Even so, he still bears responsibility!"
She pointed at Tony, her voice trembling.
"Stark Industries is printed on that missile! His company manufactured it, and his family profited from it!"
Her voice was trembling—the anger and helplessness of someone whose hatred had lasted too long and been suppressed for too long, only to be suddenly deconstructed by someone else.
What warlords, what smuggling, what wars—she didn't understand any of that back then.
She only knew that her parents had died, and the murder weapon had Stark written on it.
Lu Chen sighed.
This was the crux of the problem.
Wanda wasn't unaware of reason; she was simply unwilling to let those dozen years of hatred lose their target.
Because once Stark was no longer the sole culprit, she wouldn't know where to place her own pain.
Lu Chen looked at her.
There were tears at the corners of her eyes.
"I know."
Lu Chen turned around and opened his right hand.
The magnetic field pressing down on Tony began to contract.
The nano-metal on the surface of the armor peeled off layer by layer, floating in mid-air like flowing water.
Tony's newly repaired chest armor quickly thinned out, and his helmet was forcibly stripped away.
"Hey! Stop!"
A few seconds later, Iron Man had turned into a middle-aged man wearing undergarments, standing on the sandy beach without any protection, right in front of Wanda and Pietro.
Tony looked into Wanda's bloodshot eyes, and then looked at the clenched fists of Pietro beside her.
Lu Chen looked toward Wanda.
"The year you turned ten, Howard had already been dead for eleven years."
"At that time, the weapon trade of Stark Industries was actually operated by Obadiah Stane. Without Tony's knowledge, he illegally sold a large quantity of weapons to warlords and terrorist organizations."
Tony opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.
What Lu Chen said was a fact.
Even if he hated others digging up old scores, he had no way to refute it.
"So you guys should think carefully."
Lu Chen's voice was calm.
"Should you hate Obadiah, who illegally sold the weapons, or the Sokovia warlord who fired the missile?"
He paused for a moment.
"Or perhaps, do you believe that manufacturing weapons itself is a crime?"
Pietro wanted to retort, but his mind was a mess.
If the one buying and selling weapons was Obadiah, and the one firing the missile was the warlord, how much responsibility should Tony actually bear?
He didn't know.
But Wanda was unwilling to accept this.
"Even so…"
The red light in her hands gathered more and more densely, and her voice rose along with it.
"Even so!!"
She had waited for so many years, not to hear someone tell her she had found the wrong person.
If Tony wasn't the culprit she had imagined him to be, then what did all these years for her and Pietro amount to?
The fear of those two days, the sleepless nights—who should they seek compensation from?
"Wanda."
Pietro reached out and grabbed her shoulders.
After a few seconds of silence.
Tony spoke up.
"Obadiah, I pretty much killed him with my own hands."
He looked into Wanda's eyes, his tone completely lacking its usual snark and banter.
The red light in Wanda's hands flickered unsteadily.
Tony took a step forward and stood in front of her.
No armor, no weapons, and no dodging.
"I don't know why that missile appeared in Sokovia, nor do I know who fired it."
Tony looked at Wanda.
"But it had Stark's name printed on it."
Coming out of his mouth, these few words were heavier than he had imagined.
He used to think that he was only responsible for manufacturing, and what the buyers did with them had nothing to do with him.
It wasn't until he saw his own weapons falling into the hands of the Ten Rings Gang with his own eyes in Afghanistan that he realized how ridiculous that mindset was.
"I take responsibility for this debt."
Tony spread his hands open.
"If you want to strike, go ahead."
Wanda stared at him intently.
The energy in her hands rose, aiming at Tony's chest.
All she needed to do was push forward.
An ordinary human body couldn't withstand her current attack.
Tony would die, and he wouldn't have any chance to fight back.
Tony still didn't move.
Lu Chen didn't stop her either.
The choice should be left to Wanda.
She needed to decide with her own hands where this hatred would lead.
The scarlet energy flickered in her palm several times before finally blasting forward fiercely.
Boom!
The energy blast grazed past Tony's body, blowing up a huge crater in the sandy ground behind him.
Tony stiffened in place, a scratch bleeding on his side face from the flying sand particles.
Wanda's arms lowered.
The hatred that had sustained her for so many years hadn't vanished, but that villainous face she had imagined countless times no longer matched the Tony in front of her.
Wanda's expression collapsed bit by bit.
Revealed after the hatred receded was a sorrow that had been hidden behind a facade of strength for the sake of revenge over the past dozen years—a sorrow no one had ever seen before.
She bit her lips, and tears quickly filled her eyes.
"Then who should I look for…"
Lu Chen raised his hand and wiped away the tears on her face.
"Rest assured."
Looking at Wanda, he said word by word, "I will help you get it back."
Wanda raised her face.
Lu Chen's voice didn't hold any hesitation.
"From your true enemy."
Chapter 224: The End of Hatred
Lu Chen's promise echoed in Wanda's ears.
"Direct it at your true enemy."
These few words were like a key, unlocking a long-sealed corner of her heart.
The hatred was still there, but it was no longer the only emotion.
Tony Stark, who had been silent all this time, looked at the girl in front of him whose eyes were red from crying yet was stubbornly holding on without collapsing, feeling an indescribable mix of emotions in his heart.
Just as Lu Chen was about to leave the island with Wanda and Pietro, Tony's voice came from behind.
"I want to aid Sokovia."
Wanda stopped in her tracks.
Tony raised both hands, signaling that he meant no harm.
"The weapons department of Stark Industries is already closed, and now we mainly focus on clean energy."
Everyone's eyes focused on him.
Tony looked at Wanda and Pietro, his tone unprecedentedly serious.
"I can provide money and technology to help you rebuild your home."
He paused, as if making a difficult but necessary decision.
"This... can also be considered a little compensation for the mistakes our family once committed."
As soon as these words were said, Pietro and Wanda were both stunned.
Lu Chen looked at Tony and did not answer for them; this decision was not surprising.
Tony had seen the consequences of his own family's weapons in Afghanistan and had personally dealt with Obadiah.
After that, he had already begun to pull Stark Industries back from the path of an arms dealer.
Now being willing to spend money to rebuild Sokovia at least showed that he didn't just want to admit his mistake with words.
Of course, whether money could make a country stand up again was another matter.
But what Sokovia lacked the most right now was electricity, housing, and order.
Stark Industries' willingness to contribute money was already much more useful than a mere apology.
Wanda looked at him for a long time, so long that Tony felt somewhat uncomfortable.
She had thought Tony would make excuses, and she had thought he would shirk responsibility by claiming ignorance, but she never expected him to proactively offer aid to Sokovia.
"Is this charity?"
If it was charity, Tony didn't need to put it so directly.
But if it wasn't charity, how should she face the person she once hated the most?
"What do you want from Sokovia?" Wanda asked.
"I want nothing."
Tony answered quickly.
He looked into the distance and added, "That place is already miserable enough. I just hope that in the future, no one else will lose their family because of a weapon bearing the Stark name."
Wanda's fingers twitched slightly.
These words did not make her forgive Tony, but they eased the pent-up anger in her chest a little.
Finally, Wanda nodded gently.
"On behalf of the people of Sokovia, I thank you."
This sentence might not represent forgiveness, but it represented a brand-new beginning.
Lu Chen was not surprised by this.
With a wave of his hand, the nanoparticles floating in the air seemed to have found their home, covering Tony again and forming a complete iron suit.
"Now that things have been laid out in the open, that's enough," Lu Chen said calmly, "Let's go."
He didn't look at Tony again, and with his telekinesis, he lifted Wanda and Pietro. The three of them turned into a stream of light, soaring straight into the clouds and disappearing into the horizon.
Tony stood in place, watching the direction they left, and didn't move for a long time.
"Sir?" Jarvis's voice sounded.
"...Help me contact the current person in charge in Sokovia," Tony took a deep breath, "No, forget it. Is there even anyone in charge over there right now?"
He shook his head.
"Prepare the reconstruction plan, Jarvis. Highest specification."
Above Sokovia.
Wanda and Pietro looked at the familiar land below with complicated emotions.
This was their home, but looking around, it was scarred and devastated.
The flames of war had burned down the city, leaving behind patches of ruins and lingering smoke.
Lu Chen took out the Mind Stone from his storage space. The moment it appeared, his spiritual power spread out in all directions with himself as the center through the stone, covering the entire Sokovia.
This was a very small country, and under years of war, the population was reduced to only hundreds of thousands.
There was no stable government here, only various large and small warlords fighting each other in chaos, with civilians struggling to survive in the cracks.
Lu Chen's spiritual power indiscriminately swept across everyone's brain, reading their memories.
Countless chaotic, sorrowful, and angry images flooded into his mind.
Civilian casualties, the destruction of homes, and the separation of loved ones.
But Lu Chen still found it.
In the memories of countless people, that warlord occupied the same position.
He was currently the armed leader with the largest force in Sokovia.
More than a decade ago, in order to wipe out the rebels, he directly ordered missiles to be fired into the civilian area.
It was him.
Lu Chen transmitted this clear image, along with that ferocious face, directly into the minds of Pietro and Wanda.
The siblings' bodies shook at the same time.
That face, the moment of giving the order, was branded deep within their memories like a hot iron.
The hatred that had been suppressed for more than a decade found the most precise and direct outlet for vent at this moment.
Wanda and Pietro looked at each other, both seeing the rekindled murderous intent in each other's eyes.
"Go," Lu Chen sent the two of them to the ground, "I will watch over you."
As soon as his voice fell, Pietro already grabbed Wanda's hand, turning into a silver lightning bolt and rushing toward the direction of the warlord's Base.
Behind them, the sky had somehow become gloomy.
Heavy dark clouds covered the entire country. Among the clouds, the violent lightning originating from Lu Chen rolled and surged, emitting a dull roar.
He was using this way to tell everyone in Sokovia that a new rule had arrived.
The warlord's Base quickly fell into chaos.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The piercing alarm sounded through the camp.
Shells and machine-gun bullets poured toward that silver lightning bolt as if they cost nothing.
However, it was useless.
Pietro's speed had far exceeded the limit of what the naked eye could capture, and all attacks fell on the afterimages behind him.
Wanda was carried by him, and the chaos energy in her hands was wantonly unleashed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Artillery positions were blown directly into the air one by one, armored vehicles were kneaded into scrap metal by an invisible force, and solid fortifications were like paper in front of the crimson energy.
The two of them were like a hot knife through butter, and no one could stop them at all.
The guarding soldiers were completely dazed.
What they were facing was not human beings at all, but two vengeful demons crawling out of hell.
"Stop them! Stop them for me!"
In the command room, the warlord leader looked at the mess on the surveillance screen and roared in panic.
But his roar didn't last long.
Bang!
The door of the command room was blasted away entirely by a huge force.
Wanda and Pietro walked in side by side, their gazes locked tightly on the man sitting in the chair who was scared pale.
"It's you..." Wanda's voice contained monstrous hatred.
The warlord leader looked at the red light flashing in Wanda's eyes, his legs went soft, and he almost slipped off the chair.
He wanted to beg for mercy and make excuses, but under the gaze of those eyes filled with a sea of blood and deep-seated hatred, he couldn't say a single word.
Pietro didn't talk nonsense, his figure flashed and he appeared in front of him.
Wanda also raised her hand, crimson energy condensing at her fingertips.
The two of them made a move together.
When everything was over, the command room returned to silence.
The pleasure of having revenge fulfilled surged like a tide, but after the tide receded, what remained was an indescribable emptiness.
The goal they had lived for more than a decade had disappeared.
Wanda and Pietro looked at each other, both seeing the same confusion in each other's eyes.
"Let's go," Pietro took a deep breath, breaking the silence, "Next, let's wholeheartedly work for the boss."
Wanda nodded.
Besides following Lu Chen, she couldn't think of what else she could do.
Just then, Lu Chen's voice directly sounded in the hearts of both of them.
"Don't live your lives like tools."
The siblings were both stunned.
"Didn't Tony say he wanted to aid in rebuilding Sokovia?" Lu Chen's voice continued to come, "Then let's first clear out the war and chaos here. Starting today, this place will be taken over by Vought Company."
"Boss..."
Wanda's eyes suddenly lit up.
Just now, looking at the chaotic city below, she had indeed thought of simply killing all the warlords in this country.
But she was very clear, what after killing them all?
She didn't have the ability to handle and take over all this. After she left, new warlords would only move in, and war and suffering would still repeat in a cycle.
If she could tell the boss... the boss definitely had the ability to accomplish this matter.
She only dared to think about this thought in her heart.
She and her brother had just joined and hadn't made any contributions yet, but instead had the boss help solve their enemy. How could she have the nerve to bring up such an unreasonable request equivalent to asking the boss to take over a country?
She couldn't bring herself to open her mouth.
But she didn't expect that the boss would propose it himself.
She never thought that Lu Chen proposing this matter might be for something else.
After all, there were neither rich resources nor any valuable specialties here; it was just a poor and backward small country repeatedly ravaged by the flames of war.
The boss did this... it was for them.
As soon as this thought appeared, it caused a warm current to surge in Wanda's heart, dispelling all the emptiness after revenge.
Lu Chen's figure appeared in front of them, looking at them and smiling.
Telekinesis gently lifted the two of them, flying out of the dilapidated Base.
"Let's go."
His voice echoed over the sky of Sokovia.
"Step one, a thorough purge."
Chapter 225: Dark Clouds Weigh Heavily on the City"
"Step One, a thorough purge."
As Lu Chen's voice fell, thunder rumbled across the sky above all of Sokovia.
The sound rolled from deep within the clouds, drowning out the gunshots, cries, and roaring vehicle engines in the city.
Lu Chen's mental power no longer restrained itself in the slightest; amplified by the Mind Stone, it swept across the entire Sokovia instantly like an invisible tide.
Carrying unquestionable majesty and will, this power resounded directly deep within the minds of every single person in Sokovia.
Whether it was the civilians struggling to survive in the ruins, the warlords acting tyrannically in their strongholds, or the soldiers holding guns and clueless about who they were fighting for.
"All armed leaders and all military forces in Sokovia, starting now, a ten-minute countdown begins."
"Within ten minutes, lay down the weapons in your hands, kneel in place, and wait for takeover; you will be spared."
"After ten minutes, anyone holding weapons and harboring resistance will be executed without mercy."
These few sentences exploded simultaneously in the minds of hundreds of thousands of people like a thunderclap.
Immediately after, a scene even more terrifying than the voice appeared.
The thunderclouds that had already shrouded the skies of Sokovia turned violent once more; the sky blackened completely, roiling and compressing as if it had a life of its own, heavily pressing down toward this trauma-ridden land.
Within the clouds, lightning intertwined and darted about, emitting a muffled roar, yet bizarrely, not a single bolt descended.
The light of the entire World was swallowed up, and daylight instantly degenerated into night.
An invisible pressure descended from the sky, shrouding the hearts of everyone.
That was a fear stemming from the most instinctive part of life, as if the Last Judgment had arrived and the firmament was about to collapse, grinding everything into powder.
"Heavens... Oh heavens..."
"What is happening?!"
"Is this divine punishment?!"
The civilians in the ruins shrieked in terror, holding their heads as they fled in all directions, looking for any place to hide.
They did not know where the voice came from, but the anomaly in the sky was telling them clearly that a terrifying existence far beyond their understanding had descended.
Meanwhile, a different scene was playing out in military Bases and strongholds across Sokovia.
Under the dual impact of hearing the voice in their minds and seeing the heavenly anomaly, the psychological defense lines of most low-ranking soldiers instantly collapsed.
They had only become soldiers to make a living; facing such divine means, how could they dare harbor the slightest bit of resistance?
Clang!
The first soldier threw away the rifle in his hand, held his head with both hands, and knelt on the ground in terror.
This action seemed contagious; the clanging sounds of metal rose one after another, and patches upon patches of soldiers gave up resistance, choosing the most instinctive survival.
However, there were always some people whose eyes were blinded by power and desire, used to living like local emperors, who could not accept losing everything in a single instant.
"What bullshit deity! Playing ghosts and gods!"
Inside a sturdy underground bunker, an obese warlord kicked over a table and roared hysterically into the communicator: "It's the enemy's psychological tactic! Hold your ground, all of you! Whoever dares to surrender, I'll shoot him first!"
"It's nothing more than a weather weapon! Raise the anti-air missiles for me and blast away the dark clouds in the sky!"
At another stronghold, a middle-aged Commander with gloomy eyes forced himself to remain calm, but his trembling hands still betrayed the fear in his heart.
Those harboring wishful thinking were far more than just one or two of them.
In their view, they held heavy troops in their hands and had solid fortifications; wanting them to surrender based on an illusory voice? It was simply a fantasy.
High above the sky, Lu Chen mercilessly "looked" at all of this.
Every person's psychological activity, every acceleration of a heartbeat, every trace of a thought of resistance was clearly presented in his spiritual perception.
Wanda and Pietro stood by his side, feeling that terrifying coercion sweeping across the country, not even daring to breathe loudly.
Utilizing Lu Chen's mental power, they watched the soldiers kneeling in surrender, and "saw" the warlords clamoring in the command room, their moods complex to the extreme.
This is... Boss's methods?
Suppressing a nation with the power of a single person.
Ten minutes seemed incomparably long amidst boundless fear and torment, yet vanished in a flash.
When the final second ended.
"Time is up."
Pietro lowered his head to glance at his watch, raising his hand to point into the distance.
"Boss, some people are still having a meeting."
Lu Chen looked over along his pointing direction.
Several warlord Bases still had their lights on, with figures moving back and forth inside.
Some people organized soldiers to prepare for a breakout, some intended to drag civilians out as shields, and other warlords loaded their families and valuables onto vehicles, preparing to flee to neighboring countries before the thunderclouds fell.
Lu Chen's mental power swept across those Bases, reading their intentions.
He did not speak to remind them again.
Opportunity, he had already given.
Since someone chose not to cherish it, then there was no need for them to exist.
With a thought in his mind.
The thunderstorm clouds covering the entire Sokovia finally unleashed their fury at this moment.
Pale lightning serpents thicker than Water buckets, carrying an aura of destroying everything, tore through the dark curtain of the sky and landed precisely in every corner of Sokovia at a speed exceeding vision.
They bypassed the soldiers kneeling in surrender and the civilians hiding in the ruins.
Their target was only those who, after ten minutes, still held weapons or whose hearts were filled with resistance and killing intent.
That roaring warlord leader in the underground bunker was preparing to execute a personal guard who wanted to surrender.
A violent bolt of lightning ignored the dozens of meters thick reinforced concrete, exploding directly above his head and instantly vaporizing him along with his most loyal subordinates beside him into basic particles.
That Commander who forced himself to remain calm had just given the order to fire.
A bolt of lightning precisely drilled into the command room where he was, transforming into a violent sea of lightning before his terrified and despairing gaze.
Warlord after warlord, diehard element after diehard element, executioner after executioner with hands stained in blood.
No matter whether they hid in armored vehicles or the Underground Room, they could not escape this judgment from the sky.
Under divine punishment, all living beings are equal.
In the eyes of those surrendering soldiers and surviving civilians, they only saw countless rays of lightning descending from the sky, as if a deity was cleansing the sins of the mortal World.
The entire process lasted less than ten seconds.
Ten seconds later, the lightning dispersed.
Those once-arrogant warlords, those stubbornly resisting soldiers, were completely erased from this World, leaving not even a trace of ash behind.
Not even bones remained.
Lu Chen's voice entered everyone's minds once again.
"Starting today, Sokovia is taken over by Vought Company."
"Those who plunder civilian property will be killed."
"Those who harm civilians will be killed."
"Those who attempt to rebuild warlord forces will be killed."
As the words fell, the thunderstorm clouds that had suppressed the entire nation began to dissipate as abruptly as they had arrived.
The heavy dark clouds were torn apart as if by an invisible giant hand, and warm sunlight spilled once more onto this devastated land.
The sky cleared up.
Chapter 226: A Flower Blossoming in the Ruins
Lu Chen, accompanied by Wanda and Pietro, slowly landed in the central square of the capital of Sokovia.
The traces of war could be seen everywhere here: collapsed buildings, charred walls, and abandoned vehicles.
But at this moment, the square was packed with people.
They walked out from their hiding places, their faces still bearing lingering terror and confusion, but more than that, a sense of fortune for having survived a disaster, and being at a loss for the future.
They looked up at the sky and then at each other, as if confirming whether they were still living in reality.
Just then, a little girl of about five or six years old, with little braids and a dirty face, timidly walked out from the crowd.
In her hand, she clutched a yellow wildflower that had stubbornly grown out of a crevice in the stone.
She walked up to Wanda, raised her little face, and handed over the wildflower in her hand. There was no fear in her clear eyes, only a child's purest curiosity and goodwill.
Wanda's body stiffened for a moment.
She looked down at the child, looking at the wildflower blooming in the ruins. The place in her heart that had become hard and cold due to revenge seemed to be gently touched by something, and began to melt.
She slowly squatted down, and with trembling hands, took the flower.
"Thank you..." Her voice was a bit hoarse.
The little girl flashed a bright smile at her, and then turned and ran back into her mother's embrace.
Wanda clutched the tiny wildflower, stood up, and looked towards the distance.
Lu Chen had his back to her, making a call to Simone.
"Boss?"
Simone's voice came from the communicator, with the sound of flipping paper in the background.
"Starting today, Sokovia is also our territory."
Lu Chen glanced around the square.
"Transfer the medical team and engineering team over. First establish a temporary medical point, and then count the food, medicine, and missing persons."
"It's already being prepared."
Simone held her pen, her tone still crisp.
"I need authority and a budget."
"Go to HYDRA to ask for people, money, and supplies."
Simone seemed to confirm what she heard before speaking again.
"Ask them directly?"
"Of course."
Simone on the other end of the phone was obviously quite shaken by this answer, but still answered professionally: "Okay, Boss. I will handle it immediately."
"Understood." Simone quickly jotted it down, "Boss, there is another question... What is our company's current main business? How should I introduce us to HYDRA, or rather, to the whole World?"
Lu Chen turned around, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on Wanda, who was clutching the wildflower with a complex look in her eyes, the corners of his mouth curving into a meaningful arc.
"First of all, it is side-effect-free human enhancement."
Simone's breath hitched on the other end of the phone.
She had injected that serum herself and knew better than anyone what kind of World-shattering value and storm were hidden behind this short sentence.
She took a deep breath, her tone becoming extremely solemn, even carrying a hint of fanaticism.
"Rest assured, Boss."
"I guarantee that the name Vought will resound throughout the World."
Before Simone's fanaticism on the other end of the phone had dissipated, Lu Chen had already hung up the communication.
He stood in place, the wind in the square blowing the hem of his black coat. Behind him was the newly cleared sky, and before him were countless pairs of bewildered, terrified eyes carrying a trace of faint hope.
Wanda looked at his back as he put down the phone, clutched the tiny yellow wildflower, and walked over step by step.
She walked up to his side and handed the flower that stubbornly bloomed in the ruins in front of him.
"Boss..." Her voice was filled with complex emotions: gratitude, awe, and a hint of reliance after finding a new direction from the emptiness of revenge.
"Thank you... for what you have done for us."
Lu Chen took the flower.
The petals were a bit wilted, but still carried the resilience of life.
He smiled, raised his hand, and gently rubbed Wanda's chestnut-colored long hair.
Wanda's cheeks instantly flushed red.
"Go on, together with Pietro, maintain some order."
"I'll make it clear first, I'm going to be a hands-off boss. You siblings will have plenty to keep you busy with the reconstruction and management of Sokovia later."
She didn't expect Lu Chen to hand such an important matter directly to her. That sudden trust and responsibility made her a bit flustered, but more than that, it brought a sense of fulfillment and groundedness in her heart.
She was no longer the orphan who lived only for revenge; she had a new goal and a career she could strive for.
"I... I will work hard!"
She nodded heavily, like making an oath, and then turned and quickly ran away, merging into the crowd, beginning to comfort the people and organize order in her still unskilful way.
Pietro's figure turned into a silver light, flickering around her, helping out in his unique flippant way, occasionally making one or two inappropriate jokes to the panicked soldiers, which unexpectedly eased the tense atmosphere.
Lu Chen watched this scene with a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Just then, a low roar came from the sky.
This sound was completely different from the previous thunderstorm, full of mechanical texture.
Dozens of transport planes painted with the Stark Industries logo, as well as several larger cargo planes, arrived in the skies above the capital of Sokovia almost simultaneously.
The transport planes brought by Simone landed in the city. The fuselage was printed with a brand new, tech-filled, and aggressive logo—a capital letter V, which was the logo of Vought.
The cabin door opened, and Tony Stark was the first to step down.
He was not wearing armor, just a well-tailored casual suit, but his expression was exceptionally solemn.
Following behind him were his bodyguard and friend Happy Hogan, and the CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Pepper Potts.
When Tony's feet stepped onto the land of Sokovia, witnessing firsthand the devastated scene ravaged by war, and smelling the lingering smoke and dust in the air, a hint of indescribable grief flashed in his eyes.
Those collapsed buildings, dense bullet holes on the walls, abandoned tank wrecks, and the expressions intertwined with numbness and fear on the faces of the people in the square were like needles piercing his heart.
"Tony..." Pepper walked to his side, gently holding his hand and comforting him softly.
She knew he was blaming himself again.
Tony took a deep breath, suppressing his churning emotions. His gaze swept across the square and finally locked onto the solitary standing black figure.
He strode over, with Happy and Pepper following behind.
"Who is in charge here now?" Tony stopped in front of Lu Chen and asked straightforwardly.
His tone lacked its usual flippancy, replaced only by a solemnity after shedding his disguise.
"Me."
Lu Chen's answer was only a single word: simple, direct, and unquestionable.
Chapter 227: Let's Just Call You Yuheng
After hearing Lu Chen's answer, Tony stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded as if he had let out a sigh of relief.
"Fine," he twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a wry smile, "with your ability, you can at least ensure that there will be no more wars here."
He turned sideways and pointed to the transport planes behind him that had already begun unloading cargo.
"I won't go back on what I said before."
"These are the core equipment and materials for assembling a large Ark Reactor. This is a pollution-free clean energy source, enough to power the entire country. Let's solve the most basic electricity problem first, and subsequent aid will follow."
Tony's gaze swept once again across those sallow and emaciated civilians.
"As for the specific subsequent reconstruction plan, technical support, and investment, I'll let my CEO handle the handover with you."
He motioned backward.
Pepper stepped forward and showed Lu Chen a professional smile, although her eyes still carried scrutiny and curiosity toward the young man in front of her.
"Hello, Mr. Tianshu. I am the CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts."
Her voice was capable and elegant.
"We currently plan to transfer a portion of Stark Industries' manufacturing plants to Sokovia, which can provide a large number of jobs. At the same time, we also need your authorization to explore the mineral resources and geographical environment here in order to plan a more long-term investment scheme. And..."
"Just call me Lu Chen."
Lu Chen interrupted her.
Pepper was slightly stunned.
Lu Chen's gaze passed over her and looked at Simone, who was hurrying over.
"Moreover, as for these matters, you and my CEO can just handle the handover together."
Following his gaze, Pepper saw a woman wearing a professional suit skirt and exuding a gentle temperament jogging over, with a trace of doubt still on her face.
"Boss?" Simone stopped beside Lu Chen, looking somewhat puzzled at the group of Stark people in front of her.
Lu Chen smiled.
"Simone, congratulations, you've been promoted." He patted Simone's shoulder and announced in a relaxed tone, "From now on, you are the CEO of Vought International."
Simone's mind went blank for a split second.
From an undercover Agent who could be silenced at any time, to a personal secretary, and then to... CEO?
Wasn't this span a bit too huge?
But after all, she had undergone professional training, and her psychological resilience was extremely strong.
The shock lasted for less than two seconds before she quickly accepted this new identity and instantly understood Lu Chen's intention.
A flash of gratitude and excitement flickered in her eyes, and she immediately bowed deeply to Lu Chen.
"Thank you for your trust, Boss. I will never let you down."
When she straightened up, her entire aura had completely changed.
She turned to Pepper, wearing an impeccable business smile on her face, and proactively reached out her hand.
"Hello, Miss Potts. I am Simone, the CEO of Vought International. Everything regarding the reconstruction of Sokovia is now under my sole charge. This is my contact information; we can find a place to talk about the framework of cooperation in detail."
Pepper looked at the woman in front of her who had quickly switched to work mode, and then glanced at Lu Chen beside her with an expression of "none of my business." A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she still professionally shook Simone's hand.
"Of course, Miss Simone. Nice to meet you."
The two women quickly walked aside and began discussing intensely over a holographic projection device brought by Stark Industries.
As for the Agents brought by Simone, they had already joined forces with the Vought employees who had arrived a step earlier, and began efficiently setting up temporary medical stations, distributing food and water, and registering missing persons. Although the whole scene was busy and chaotic, it was full of a sense of order.
Lu Chen walked over to Tony, who was standing alone and looking left and right.
"How do you feel now?"
Tony had his hands buried in his pants pockets, watching a Vought Company medic gently bandage an injured little girl's wound, and smiled helplessly.
"I hope I can bring some real help to the people in this place," his voice was somewhat low, "and not more disasters."
"Then you'll have to come and visit more often," Lu Chen said, "to supervise the progress of the project."
"Oh, come on, I'm almost too busy to remember my own affairs." Tony seemed to remember something, and changed the subject, "By the way, that armor I built for you, did you open it and take a look?"
Lu Chen shook his head: "Not yet. Besides, you built it for me without even asking what style I wanted. If I'm not satisfied, you'll have to rework it."
Mentioning this, a mixed expression of annoyance and grievance appeared on Tony's face.
"You have the nerve to say that!" He raised his voice, like a wronged genius, "Those two people you brought back from Wakanda are really difficult to deal with!"
"Especially that Dr. Helen Cho! She actually completely rejected my perfect design of integrated molding and modular loading!"
Tony began pouring out his grievances.
"She insisted on adding her so-called 'Cradle' technology into the nano-Vibranium particles, giving those nano-particles a biological sense! She said this way it can perfectly adapt to your ability and maximize the characteristics of the nano-particles!"
"Do you know what that means? It means that thing is no longer a purely mechanical creation; it's more like a... living metal! It can transform into any form and style according to your wishes! Even if you usually wear it on your body like an ordinary jacket, it's not a problem!"
Lu Chen's eyebrows twitched slightly, looking somewhat surprised.
This sounded much more powerful than he had anticipated.
Tony was still chattering away, but there was a hint of imperceptible emotion in his tone.
"Although our fields of research are different, I have to say, in aspects like biotechnology and material fusion that I am not interested in and haven't studied carefully, I am indeed... inferior to them."
Admitting that he was inferior to others was an extremely rare thing for Tony Stark.
As if to cover up his embarrassment, he took out a simple-looking watch from his pocket and handed it over.
"Here, this is the artificial intelligence you wanted, and it has already been deployed inside. It is built using the same nano-particles as your battle suit, and can integrate into your battle suit at any time to become the core control center."
Tony curled his lips.
"Give her a name."
Lu Chen took the watch. The touch was warm and moist, as if it were a piece of jade.
He put the watch on his wrist, and the size automatically adjusted to fit perfectly.
He looked at the black dial and thought for a moment.
Since his hero name was Tianshu...
"Then let's call you Yuheng."
As soon as his voice fell, a light blue halo appeared on the surface of the watch, and a cold electronic female voice sounded.
"Name confirmed, Yuheng."
"Core database loading complete."
Chapter 228: Eternal Action
"Database load complete."
A cold electronic female voice sounded from Lu Chen's wrist, the blue halo on the surface of the watch fading away and returning to a deep black.
Tony watched from the side, couldn't help curling his lips with an expression that said "the things I make are just this awesome," but his mouth was still sour: "Yuhang? Same as you, also from the Big Dipper? It's alright, barely worthy of my masterpiece."
Lu Chen ignored his glib talk, and asked Yuhang on his wrist with great interest: "Yuhang, what can you do?"
This question was a bit nonsensical, like teasing a child who had just learned to speak.
"Based on Stark Industries' global database and your authorization, I can hack ninety-nine percent of the global network nodes and mobilize any non-military level satellite. Military satellites require authorization or cracking." Yuhang's voice remained cold and aloof without any emotional fluctuation, but the content of the answer made Tony beside him twitch the corner of his eye.
"I can also assist you in combat data analysis, optimize the energy output model, and adjust the armor form in real-time based on changes in your physiological data."
"Oh?" Lu Chen became interested, "Then do something different, can you sing a song?"
Tony aside almost choked on his own saliva, looking at Lu Chen with the gaze of looking at a lunatic.
He spent so much effort, integrating Wakanda's technology and Helen Cho's technology, to produce a top-tier artificial intelligence, just to make her sing a song?
This is an insult to science!
"Yes, sir. However, given your hearing, electronically synthesized voices might not necessarily count as enjoyment."
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow.
This artificial intelligence seemed to be more than just a tool.
"Then will you fall in love?"
"No."
Yuhang paused for half a second, then added another sentence.
"According to existing data analysis, sir is quite good at it."
Tony next to him let out a puff of laughter.
"Not bad, I like her."
Lu Chen glanced at Tony.
"What did you stuff into her database?"
"Don't wrong me, this is a conclusion she drew herself based on your information."
Tony spread his hands, the smugness on his face completely unable to be hidden.
Just as Lu Chen wanted to continue asking, the communicator on Tony's wrist suddenly lit up.
"Stark, can you hear me?"
Natasha's voice came out from the communicator, speaking very fast.
The smile on Tony's face faded.
"I can hear you, what happened?"
"A super-large energy fluctuation has appeared near South America, and the values monitored by satellites are still rising."
Keyboard tapping sounds came from the communicator side.
"The energy nature is similar to that force that appeared in London last time, but the intensity is much higher. We are already rushing over there."
Tony turned his head to look at Lu Chen.
"That time in London?"
Lu Chen pondered for a moment.
The energy nature was similar, but the intensity far exceeded last time.
A single Eternal should not have this scale of energy. Unless they had already completed the connection and concentrated everyone's cosmic energy onto one person.
Ultimately, they still couldn't hold back.
"Is this what you called the Eternal?"
Tony's tone became much more serious.
"Most likely."
Lu Chen looked at Wanda and Pietro who were helping on the other side of the square, and beckoned to the two of them.
Pietro arrived a step earlier, and Wanda landed closely beside him.
"Boss, what's wrong?"
"The situation has changed, the enemy has appeared." Lu Chen succinctly explained the situation, "The intensity might exceed your imagination, I'll go scout the path first. This is the first time the two of you are participating in this level of combat, remember, preserving your life comes first, don't be impulsive."
Wanda looked at Lu Chen, her eyes carrying a trace of worry: "Boss, you must be careful too."
Pietro opened his mouth, originally wanting to say he wouldn't hold them back, but seeing Lu Chen's serious expression, he swallowed the words back down.
Lu Chen nodded at her, gave her a reassuring look, and then turned to Tony.
"The Eternal has a special connection method that can gather everyone's energy onto one person."
"Everyone?"
Tony frowned.
"Yes. The reinforced person will become very strong, but while maintaining this state, other Eternal will basically lose combat effectiveness."
Lu Chen directly stated the most important information.
"After you arrive, find the connection between them first. Find a way to interrupt it."
Tony touched his chin.
"Energy transmission must have a channel. As long as a channel exists, it can definitely be found."
He was indeed professional in this aspect.
He took out several Compound V and reinforced potions made from Sam's blood from the storage space, and threw them to Tony.
"What is this?" Tony caught it, looking at the liquid inside.
Lu Chen explained, "You can understand it as Captain America serum with almost no side effects. The rest are enhanced potions. This time's enemy is completely different from anything you've encountered before; if your physical strength isn't enough, you don't even qualify to be cannon fodder. Let them choose whether to use it themselves, I only provide the choice."
Tony put away the potion and nodded seriously.
"I will hand the right of choice over to them."
Lu Chen pointed at Pietro again.
"Also, prepare a Vibranium weapon for him."
Pietro was stunned for a moment, instinctively looking at Tony.
Not long ago, this person was still an enemy he couldn't wait to kill, but now... it seemed like they were going to become teammates fighting side by side?
But Lu Chen had already given the order.
For Pietro, other things could be put aside; the mission must be ranked first.
Tony also noticed Pietro's gaze, and he cleared his throat somewhat unnaturally, which counted as tacit consent.
Lu Chen didn't bother with them anymore.
"Yuhang, connect to the satellite network, bring up the exact location of the energy burst."
"Understood."
The blue light on the watch flashed rapidly.
Tony watched the artificial intelligence he created start hacking into various countries' satellites after just a sentence from Lu Chen, his eyelids twitching a few times.
"You're making the artificial intelligence I created hack into satellites right in front of me?"
"Borrowing."
Lu Chen corrected.
In less than ten seconds, Yuhang's voice sounded again.
"Location locked."
A three-dimensional map projected from the dial, and a red dot was flashing frantically on the coastline of South America.
Lu Chen memorized the coordinates, his expression becoming a bit more serious.
Being able to transmit the fluctuations to the global satellite monitoring network, the energy gathered this time would definitely not be weak.
The newly acquired armor would come in handy right now.
Lu Chen raised his hand and grabbed, taking out the metal box Tony gave him earlier from the system space.
The box opened, and inside there was no cold steel armor as imagined, only a simple-styled necklace quietly lying on the velvet cushion.
Tony pointed at the necklace.
"You can emit energy attacks yourself, so I didn't design an independent energy core for it. The space saved is all used to store nanoparticles and enhance defense."
Lu Chen nodded, indicating understanding. He picked up the necklace and put it directly around his neck.
The next second, he reached out and gently swiped across the necklace pendant on his chest.
The black-gold nano-alloy gushed out from the necklace, covering downwards along the neck. Chest, shoulders, arms, waist and abdomen, and finally the legs.
One second later, the entire armor was completely formed.
The watch on his wrist then decomposed and integrated into the interior of the armor.
Lu Chen moved his fingers, not feeling a shred of blockage. The armor clung to his body, making him even more flexible than wearing ordinary clothes.
Helen Cho's modifications were very successful.
These Vibranium nanoparticles with biological characteristics were indeed more suitable for him than pure mechanical armor.
"Sir, armor connection complete."
Yuhang's voice sounded.
"The main body of this armor is forged from nano-Vibranium alloy, which can absorb external physical impacts and energy attacks to a great extent and store them. When you launch an attack, the stored energy can be released together to form an amplification effect."
Lu Chen raised his hand, a tiny flash of lightning jumping at his fingertips.
The patterns on the surface of the armor lit up accordingly, and the originally tiny lightning was compressed to a single point, shining so brightly that people couldn't look directly at it.
Not bad.
"It suits you well, right?"
Tony crossed his arms.
"I admit, Helen Cho's biotechnology and the Vibranium technology provided by Shuri played a lot of roles. But the core design is still mine, don't forget this point."
"Understood."
Lu Chen put away the lightning and looked at Wanda, Pietro, and Tony.
"I'll go check out the situation first. Arrive as soon as possible after you rendezvous."
Wanda nodded.
"We will arrive as soon as possible."
Pietro also put away his joking manner.
"Boss, don't solve them all by yourself, leave a couple for me."
Lu Chen didn't answer, just raised his head to look in the direction of South America.
The next second, Lu Chen had already rushed into the high altitude.
Yuhang's voice sounded accordingly.
"Route established."
"Target energy level is still rising."
Chapter 229: Avengers Assemble
Tony watched Lu Chen dash into the high sky and completely vanish into the clouds before retracting his gaze.
"Let's go. What are you still looking at?" Tony turned and walked toward the aircraft parked to the side.
Pietro leaned against the cabin door and couldn't help asking, "Don't you have a suit of armor? Why do you still need to take a plane?"
Tony glared at him irritably.
"Because I have to bring both of you, plus a green passenger who exceeds the weight limit. My armor is not a taxi, understand?"
The plane quickly arrived at the island.
The process of picking up Hulk was surprisingly smooth. This big guy had eaten his fill of roasted meat and his mood was very stable; seeing Tony, he didn't lose his temper either, just grunted twice and followed onto the plane.
"Natasha, send the coordinates." Tony shouted in the communication channel, "We brought some 'local specialties' over."
A dozen minutes later.
Inside the Quinjet in mid-air, the atmosphere was somewhat gloomy.
Steve Rogers sat on the bench, lowering his head to wipe the shield in his hand. His movements were very slow, and his mind was obviously not on it.
Beside him, Clint Barton was inspecting the special arrowheads in his quiver one by one, while Natasha stood in front of the console, staring at the constantly fluctuating energy readings on the screen, her brows knitting tighter and tighter.
The rear cabin door slowly opened.
Tony brought Wanda and Pietro in, followed by the bulky Hulk. But he was very quiet, simply finding a corner to sit down.
Tony didn't talk nonsense, walking straight to the metal table in the middle.
He took those few vials out from the storage compartment and placed them on the tabletop.
Steve stopped his movements, glanced at the vials on the table, and then looked up at Tony.
"What is this?"
"Given by Lu Chen." Tony pulled over a chair and sat down, crossing his legs, "Super Soldier Serum without side effects, and the rest are enhancement serums."
Steve frowned.
He heard an unfamiliar name.
"Lu Chen?"
Tony was stunned for a moment, only then reacting that they had always only known Tianshu.
"It's Tianshu; he asked me to bring a message to you."
Steve straightened his body, his expression turning serious.
"He said that this time's enemy is different from before. If you don't take this stuff, you aren't even considered cannon fodder. So, choose for yourselves whether to inject it." Tony shrugged, "Those were his exact words, I didn't change a single word."
Steve looked at the faintly glowing vials on the table and fell silent.
He knew very well what the Super Soldier Serum meant. It was not only power, but also huge risks. Back then, Dr. Erskine's experiment had a pitifully low success rate, and the serum would amplify the essence of a person's heart.
Steve's gaze crossed over Tony and fell on Wanda and Pietro standing behind.
The faces of these two youths were unfamiliar, but they carried a sharp aura forged through the flames of war.
"Who are these two?" Steve asked.
Tony was slightly stunned.
He really didn't know how to introduce this pair of siblings to the Avengers bunch.
"They are Lu Chen's…" Tony choked, turning back to look at the two, "Sorry, what are you two to him again?"
Pietro raised his chin, showing no stage fright.
"He is my boss."
The tone carried unmasked pride and a sense of naturalness.
Tony curled his lips.
"Fine, his subordinates."
Pietro frowned.
"Your phrasing sounds somewhat disrespectful."
"Do you want me to call you Mr. Tianshu's high-speed errand boy and red magic assistant?"
"You…"
Pietro was a bit confused; clearly, just before, Tony had looked at the two of them with a guilty expression.
Tony stood up, put away his joking expression, and clapped his hands, "I'll take my leave first to check out the situation. You choose for yourselves; I won't interfere."
The mask dropped, and the thrusters of the iron armor lit up. Tony flew straight out of the tail cabin door, cutting an arc in the air and accelerating toward the direction of South America.
The message he was supposed to bring had already been delivered.
As for whether these people dared to use it, that wasn't his responsibility. Lu Chen said the serum had no side effects, and Tony believed his judgment, but Steve and the others might not unreservedly believe it.
This was very normal.
Facing a vial capable of altering the body, hesitation was a normal person's reaction.
Wanda looked out the window, her brows never relaxing.
Lu Chen left early precisely to block the most dangerous enemy. Every extra minute she stayed here, the boss might bear an extra fraction of pressure.
Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances.
"We're leaving too."
Wanda nodded, and the figures of the two flashed, directly disappearing into the cabin, leaving behind only a breeze whipping up dust.
The cabin quieted down once more.
Leaving Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Hulk scratching his head in the corner, the four people stared at each other in blank dismay.
Natasha stepped forward and picked up a vial.
"Captain." Natasha looked toward Steve, a hint of inquiry in her tone, "What was your reaction when you injected the serum back then?"
Steve stared at that vial, recalling the laboratory filled with instruments decades ago. The pain of having his bones smashed inch by inch and then reassembled was something he would never forget in this lifetime.
He gave a bitter smile.
"That is hardly a pleasant memory."
"But we don't have a choice, right?" Clint walked over, picking up another vial, "Since that guy named Tianshu said we aren't even cannon fodder, it means the guy on the other side is definitely a tough nut."
Steve took a deep breath and reached out to pick up his own vial.
On the other side.
Lu Chen had already pushed his speed to the limit.
This set of nano-Vibranium armor integrated with biotechnology was indeed much easier to use than his previous equipment. There was no sense of stagnation at all, yet it possessed extremely formidable defense and energy conductivity.
"Yuheng, how far is the distance to the target?"
"Seventy-five kilometers, Sir." Yuheng's cold voice sounded,
Continuing to close in had no meaning.
The Eternal could share power through mental connection. Since they dared to wait for him here, methods must have already been arranged nearby.
Lu Chen wasn't planning to accompany them in probing.
Erase the entire area first.
He stopped in place, the energy within his body being forcibly converted. The massive power compressed in front, the light growing brighter and brighter.
"Lock onto the center of the energy outbreak." Lu Chen stared at the red dot marked by Yuheng in his field of view.
"Locked."
Fifty kilometers away from the target.
Enough.
Lu Chen pushed his hands forward abruptly.
The light accumulated to its extreme gushed out from his palms.
A pure White pillar of light with a diameter exceeding a hundred meters pierced through the clouds, carrying the momentum to destroy everything as it smashed straight toward the energy outbreak point dozens of kilometers away.
Wherever the pillar of light passed, the clouds were instantly evaporated, leaving behind a straight vacuum channel.
Lu Chen watched the pillar of light extend.
This blow, even if it couldn't directly blast Ikaris into slag, was enough to completely flatten that area along with the other Eternal. As long as the energy transmission was interrupted, Ikaris would just be a slightly higher-grade punching bag.
But at the very instant the pillar of light was about to hit the target.
On the distant horizon, an even more dazzling golden light suddenly lit up.
Two streams of energy fiercely crashed together in mid-air.
There was no sound.
At least in the first few seconds of the Impact, all sounds were swallowed by the massive energy fluctuation.
The next second, a huge fireball exploded in the air, an Impact spread outwards like a tsunami, and the seawater below was directly depressed into a huge concave shape.
Lu Chen stabilized his posture in the air, watching that golden ray in the distance that was hard-resisting his energy cannon.
Ikaris's Heat Vision.
When they fought last time in London, Ikaris had also used this move. But compared to the intensity back then, it was simply like the difference between a flashlight and a searchlight.
This current golden ray not only blocked his fully-charged energy cannon, but even directly shattered the pillar of light.
He really sucked dry everyone's energy.
Lu Chen felt reassured.
The instant the pure White pillar of light vanished, that golden Heat Vision lost its resistance, directly piercing through the center of the previous collision and shooting straight toward Lu Chen's face.
The speed was so fast that there was simply no time to dodge.
Lu Chen immediately took the initiative to change the molecular structure of his body.
Virtual-real conversion activated.
The originally solid black-gold armor on his body also phased along with it.
The golden Heat Vision directly penetrated his body, shooting toward the clouds at an even higher altitude.
The next second.
The billowing thick smoke produced by the explosion was brutally torn apart from the middle by a terrifying force.
A figure wrapped all over in dazzling golden light directly smashed through the aftermath of the Impact, rushing out from the sea of fire.
Mind-Unifier — Ikaris.