Half an hour later, Lance stood outside the law firm, staring at the heavily armed military off-road vehicle, and could not help grinding his teeth as he turned to Stark beside him.
"Is this the foolproof plan you were talking about?"
Stark stood to the side, clutching a silver briefcase. He looked up at the sky, then down at the ground, and finally glanced at Rhodes.
Rhodes stepped forward, adopting a dutiful tone. "We're going on a mission, aren't we? This vehicle has a much higher safety rating."
Lance almost laughed out of sheer irritation.
"We're going to Afghanistan, not visiting some aunt in upstate New York." He pointed at the vehicle and asked dryly, "What, is this thing going to fly us there? Or am I just uninformed, and this is actually Mr. Stark's latest invention?"
"…You didn't say we were going to Afghanistan," Rhodes replied after a brief pause.
"I certainly didn't," Lance said, his tone growing sharper. "Because when someone picked up my call and heard Stark had finally crawled out of his sealed lab, he hung up immediately and said he was going to discuss things with Stark."
Lance shot Stark a look. The man was still staring at the sky one second and the ground the next, as if avoiding every word directed at him.
"I assumed the two of you had already agreed on a plan. Now I find out you haven't even discussed it." Lance let out a cold laugh. "I'd really like to know what you've been doing for the past half hour. Planning how to braid each other's hair?"
Neither of them said a word. Both lowered their heads.
Lance took a slow breath. He had expected Stark to be unreliable. He had not expected Rhodes to follow suit.
Then again, anyone who could be close friends with Stark probably shared certain traits.
That was his mistake.
"Now." Lance's voice steadied as he looked at the two silent men. "Rhodes, you drive. We're heading straight to Stark Tower. Stark, call Miss Pepper and have her coordinate a flight route. We're taking your private jet directly to Afghanistan."
"Wouldn't that be too conspicuous?" Rhodes asked.
"The moment you drove this military off-road vehicle here, we were already as conspicuous as possible."
"Don't hesitate, gentlemen." Lance went downstairs first and slid into the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle. "The moment Stark proposed this plan, keeping a low profile was never an option. We're already on stage, and the audience is all around us."
He pointed upward. "Not just on the ground. I can guarantee we have an audience up there as well."
"Now all we need to do is put on a satisfying performance and show them how capable your collection of metal toys really is." Lance chuckled. "If we do well, it might even help with my case next Wednesday."
"So, gentlemen, let's move."
"I still have no idea what kind of cases you've been busy with lately," Stark muttered as he got into the car.
Lance and Rhodes exchanged a glance but said nothing.
The engine roared, and the vehicle sped out of Hell's Kitchen, heading straight for Stark Tower.
If nothing went wrong, something inevitably would.
They were driving steadily along a New York highway when Lance, seated in the passenger seat, suddenly reached out and grabbed the steering wheel from Rhodes.
Though startled, Rhodes had the sense to let go.
The off-road vehicle swerved sharply off its original path, and in the next instant, a shell slammed into their side.
If Lance had not changed their direction at that exact moment, everyone in the car would have gone to meet Howard Stark.
Howard Stark would likely have been quite pleased to see his son arrive with company.
"What the hell is going on?" Stark shouted from the back seat, clutching his case tightly.
"I don't know!" Rhodes shouted back. "But I'd say our mission's been compromised!"
"Less complaining, gentlemen." Lance took the semi-automatic rifle Rhodes handed him, rolled out of the car, and pressed himself against the side of the vehicle as he returned fire. "I warned you earlier. The moment we decided to go to Afghanistan, the actors would start taking the stage one by one."
"Now, it's showtime."
"What?!"
"Nothing."
JARVIS fed positional data directly into Lance's mind. With that kind of assistance, bordering on outright cheating, Lance quickly took down the attackers who had appeared out of nowhere, one precise shot after another.
Beside him, Rhodes fired with practiced efficiency.
"Whatever hidden tricks you've prepared, now would be a good time to use them." Lance shot a glance at the metal case Stark had been clutching. "The main act is here."
Just as Stark finished equipping himself, a matte black heavy-duty suit appeared before them.
"Wow." Lance looked at the armor, which was at least two sizes larger than Iron Man's red and gold suit, and let out a low whistle. "That thing looks like it could give birth to you."
"Save the commentary." Stark flexed his limbs, then tossed the metal case he had been holding to Lance's side. "Call for backup or come up with something."
With that, Iron Man charged forward, and the two massive steel figures collided.
It was obvious the new suit had been designed specifically to counter Iron Man. Its operator understood Iron Man's combat patterns, countering nearly every move and style.
This was nothing like the street criminals Iron Man usually dealt with. With JARVIS's calculations mirrored in the opposing system, Iron Man was clearly struggling.
"He's experienced," Rhodes said beside Lance. "At the very least, he knows this armor inside out."
"Appreciate the insight. I noticed," Lance replied. "So what now?"
"I thought you had a plan." Rhodes raised his weapon and shot down someone trying to sneak up behind Lance.
"I did," Lance said calmly. "But I have a feeling Stark's best friend might have a solution that suits him better."
"Are you jealous?" Rhodes looked at Lance in surprise.
Lance said nothing. He raised his gun and fired without expression, cleanly taking down the attacker behind Rhodes.
"I don't understand him as well as you do."
In this situation, Rhodes, experienced enough to deal with people like Lance, chose the safest approach.
Lance kept his eyes on the two machines fighting in the distance. Iron Man lifted the massive armored figure by the waist and slammed it hard into the ground from midair, sending shockwaves through both suits.
Despite its bulk, the larger machine was incredibly durable. Even after taking such a heavy hit, only the cockpit area showed visible damage.
Iron Man's armor, however, fared worse. His shoulder plating was badly damaged, and one arm could no longer be raised properly.
The fight was brutal.
"I originally had other plans."
Lance narrowed his eyes, focusing on the cockpit of the larger suit. There was no pilot inside. It was clearly being controlled remotely.
"But now I have a more effective solution."
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