Of course, Luca had no idea what was happening outside the World Barrier.
He had other business to attend to.
With school suspended and infiltrating SHIELD to capture The Spot proving difficult, Luca decided to use this free time to visit Sokovia and handle affairs there.
But before that, he had a small matter to settle.
---
New York Outskirts. A massive enclosed testing ground.
Luca looked around at the array of high-end equipment with a depressed expression.
"Didn't Stark Industries shut down its weapons division? Why do you still have such a huge weapons testing facility? Planning a comeback?"
Tony, who was busy calibrating a mech suit, smirked with pure rich-guy arrogance.
"Don't be dramatic. It's just a testing ground. Maintenance costs peanuts. Besides, I need somewhere to test my new toys. See? It's coming in handy right now."
As he spoke, Tony climbed into the bizarre new armor in front of him.
Limbs, helmet, chest plate—they locked into place around him.
He literally had to climb in because this new suit was over 5 meters tall. It was nearly double the size of the Hulkbuster from the movies.
The color scheme was Tony's signature hot-rod red and gold. The design echoed the Hulkbuster but was sharper, more angular, shedding the bloated look of the original.
This was the "Veronica" series armor Tony built after the Second Battle of New York.
Code name: Anti-Boxer Armor.
Watching Luca's [Boxer] (Atom/Boxer Mech) duke it out with Kurse while he could only watch from the sidelines had hurt Tony's pride.
Embracing the concept of "Big is Beautiful," he created this Veronica armor, overturning his previous design philosophy.
Tony had called Luca here specifically to test its combat capabilities.
Once Tony was sealed in, the electronic eyes of the helmet lit up.
Tony's voice, slightly distorted, boomed from the speakers.
"Hey, kid, what are you waiting for? Get in your robot. Come taste Uncle Tony's iron fist!"
Luca shook his head at Tony's arrogance.
He flexed his legs and leaped several meters into the air, landing smoothly in the open cockpit of the [Boxer].
Watching Luca's stylish entry, Tony thought about how he had just clambered into his suit like a monkey. He pouted internally.
Next time, I need to upgrade the entry sequence. Maybe rocket boots...
As the Boxer's cockpit closed, Luca's voice came over the comms.
"We agreed to test after I finished upgrading the Boxer. I haven't even installed the weapon systems yet. What's the rush?"
Despite his complaints, the [Boxer] looked completely different now.
The scrapyard aesthetic was gone.
It was now covered in refined, high-tech armor plating.
The overall shape still retained the heavy, frog-like silhouette of the original Boxer, but the joints and shell now screamed "industrial sci-fi."
To keep the "roll into a ball" function, Luca added curved armor plates that integrated seamlessly with the body when upright and retracted when not in use.
It used a lot of Gundam tech, but the end result looked more like a specialized Zaku.
For the paint job, Luca chose the classic Gundam protagonist colors: blue and white, with red accents.
Protagonist colors = Luck +10.
(Sorry, no image available yet.)
Hearing Luca's complaint, Tony retorted shamelessly.
"Who told you to run off to Sokovia? Who knows when you'll be back? Once school starts again, the upgrade will be delayed indefinitely."
"Quit whining and fight! I promise I won't use my weapon systems either~"
Without waiting for Luca, Tony piloted Veronica forward, striding toward the Boxer.
A 5-meter mechanical monster is usually terrifying. Every step shook the ground.
But compared to the 10+ meter colossus in front of him, it looked like a child running to hug an adult.
It wasn't that Tony couldn't build bigger. But after seeing the Boxer in action, he also noted the disadvantages of giant mechs: transport issues, lack of agility, and excessive collateral damage in urban combat.
So Tony restrained himself. The Anti-Boxer wasn't his daily driver; it was for specific heavy-hitter scenarios.
Seeing Tony launch a sneak attack, Luca didn't hold back.
He piloted the Boxer forward.
Instantly, ion thrusters on the mech's back, legs, and arms flared to life.
Boosted by the thrust, the mech's speed exploded.
Before Tony could react, the Boxer raised its right leg. Six thrusters on the calf fired simultaneously. The leg became a blur.
WHAM!
A roundhouse kick slammed into Veronica's chassis.
BOOM—
Dust exploded outward.
Tony, who had been charging aggressively, was punted backward like a football. He rolled and skidded for dozens of meters before stabilizing.
"How is it that fast?!"
Tony shook off the dizziness and shouted in disbelief.
JARVIS provided the data instantly.
"Sir, analysis indicates the upgraded Boxer is constructed from E-Carbon Alloy, reducing weight by 64%. The additional thrusters increased speed by 32%. Total effective speed increase: over 200%. Agility and maneuverability are currently unknown. I advise hit-and-run tactics. Avoid direct confrontation."
"But... I used E-Carbon Alloy too, dammit!"