Emerging from Kamar-Taj's laboratory, Sebastian didn't hesitate. He hurried to the only training courtyard in Kamar-Taj where teleportation was permitted, pulled up his hood, and cast a spell that enveloped him in black smoke, concealing his form and features. With his ring, he opened a shimmering portal and stepped through.
Moments later, Sebastian emerged in Pepper Potts' office at Stark Industries in New York.
Startled by his sudden, mysterious appearance, Pepper screamed and backed away, calling for help.
Sebastian quickly addressed her. "Pepper, where is Tony right now? Give me his exact address—he's in danger!"
"What did you say? Tony's in danger? Who are you?"
"You can choose to trust me, and Tony might be saved. But if you don't, you'll regret it when he's gone!"
Pepper's decisiveness shone through. Without hesitation, she gave Sebastian the address of Tony's mansion.
Kamar-Taj's portal magic had unique requirements. To open a portal, one needed a clear concept of the destination, but it didn't require having visited the place or knowing its precise details. A general understanding was enough. Sebastian had never been to Pepper's office, but knowing it was at Stark Industries in New York allowed him to arrive. Similarly, without Tony's address, he couldn't open a portal to his mansion. But with the address, Sebastian conceptually understood the location, enabling him to create a portal even without knowing its appearance or having been there.
Raising his left hand, adorned with the ring, Sebastian traced a circle with his right. A sparkling circular portal flared to life, revealing Tony's seaside cliffside mansion on the other side.
Without pause, Sebastian stepped toward the portal, only to notice Pepper following him. Her bravery impressed him—when it came to Tony, she seemed unstoppable.
The sounds of chaos—roars and crashes—filled the mansion, its interior visibly wrecked. Sebastian didn't have time to open another portal to send Pepper back.
"Find somewhere to hide. You don't want to become a hostage and put Tony at risk, do you?"
Pepper's sharp mind needed no further convincing. After Sebastian's warning, she nodded and moved to safety. Meanwhile, Sebastian acted swiftly. Keeping the ring on his left hand, he drew his wand with his right and waved it lightly. Another portal opened instantly, and he stepped through into Tony's mansion.
As he entered, Sebastian spotted Tony, clad in the battered Mark V armor, gripped by Obadiah's Iron Monger II. Obadiah slammed Tony to the ground and raised a foot to crush him.
Sebastian raised his wand, unleashing a blue-and-white burst of light that struck the Iron Monger II. The impact triggered a powerful explosion, forcing Obadiah to stagger back, creating distance between him and Tony.
Sebastian pointed his wand at Tony from a distance, then flicked it gently toward him. Tony was pulled to Sebastian's side as if gripped by an invisible hand.
"Tony, you okay?"
"Sebastian? What are you doing here? Are you in California?"
"I came from New York. Magic's sometimes more convenient than you'd think."
Struggling to his feet, Tony yanked off most of his damaged Mark V helmet. "Sebastian, I need to switch to another suit. Can you hold him off for a bit?"
"What's with this guy? Did someone steal your tech again?"
"He's Obadiah."
Sebastian's eyebrows shot up beneath the shroud of black smoke. "Wasn't he locked up by S.H.I.E.L.D.? How's he out, and in a suit that's clearly tougher than before, coming after you?"
"He was moved to a federal prison earlier. Then there was a fire—some people died, supposedly including Obadiah. But now it's obvious he's alive, and it looks like someone's backing him, giving him the resources to build this armor."
Tony's expression was grim. The armor's other tech was one thing, but the arc reactor was his proprietary invention. He was certain his designs and data hadn't been compromised, yet someone had built another reactor. Tony couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong.
"Okay, we'll sort that out later. For now, I'll keep him busy. Get moving—come back with a suit strong enough to handle this, not that flimsy one you're wearing."
Tony rolled his eyes, the urgency leaving no time for debate. Without another word, he bolted toward the area where he stored his other suits.
As Tony fled, Obadiah advanced toward Sebastian.
"I've heard rumors of people with special abilities, but killing one with my own hands? That's beyond what I expected. Besides Tony and Pepper, you're the one I want dead most. What a fool, showing up right at my doorstep."
Sebastian didn't bother responding to Obadiah's taunts. He raised his wand, and the scattered concrete debris around them lifted into the air. With a sharp gesture, he sent the chunks hurtling toward Obadiah like a barrage.
"Depulso "
Boom! Boom!
Obadiah smashed the two largest concrete pieces with his fists, ignoring the smaller ones that pelted him, and charged straight at Sebastian.
But one of the flying chunks suddenly transformed midair, reshaping into a thick chain that coiled around Obadiah's legs. The Iron Monger II's momentum faltered, nearly tripping him. With a grunt, Obadiah snapped the chains with a quick flex of his suit's strength.
"Heh, little trick. Is that all you've got? Why not aim for my knees this time? Or can't you handle the upgraded Iron Monger?"
Sebastian studied the Iron Monger II, as if sizing up Obadiah within it. Something felt off—Obadiah was talking too much. His earlier taunting of Tony seemed playful, but from another angle, it could suggest he was stalling, holding back from killing Tony outright.
But why?
Unable to puzzle it out, Sebastian pushed the thought aside. First, he needed to deal with Obadiah. He wasn't the same mage he'd been six months ago. His magical power had grown stronger and more robust, and spells once too demanding due to limited energy were now within his grasp.
Sebastian glanced at a concrete chunk at his feet. With a flick of his wand, he pointed at the stone, lifting it into the air. Guided by his wand, it shot toward Obadiah at near-bullet speed.
"Depulso!"
Obadiah sneered at the incoming stone, unfazed. The Iron Monger II could shrug off real bullets, let alone a small rock.
But then, a brilliant white light flared from Sebastian's wand. The thumb-sized stone swelled rapidly, growing to nearly Obadiah's size without losing speed. It slammed into him with tremendous force!
"Engorgio!"
Boom!
The massive stone struck Obadiah head-on, dealing significant damage. His hulking frame crashed to the ground, pinned beneath the enlarged rock.
Creaking and grinding, Obadiah slowly rose, heaving the giant stone off and hurling it toward Sebastian.
Sebastian pointed his wand at the oncoming boulder. The massive stone morphed swiftly into over a dozen thick chains. Under his control, they swirled around him before shooting toward Obadiah. As if guided by instinct, the chains wrapped tightly around Obadiah's body, binding him.
"You can't trap me!"
Crack! Crack! Boom!
The chains shattered, but Obadiah didn't immediately charge at Sebastian. Instead, he studied him cautiously.
Whether it was the stone that suddenly enlarged or the boulder he'd thrown back transforming into chains to bind him, Obadiah was caught off guard. He'd never encountered such an extraordinary figure with such strange abilities.
"Obadiah, are you scared? Then I'll make my move."
Sebastian waved his wand, pointing at the ground beneath Obadiah's feet. A massive stone pillar erupted from the floor, slamming Obadiah upward into the ceiling.
Boom!
The ceiling and the transfigured stone pillar shattered in an explosion of debris. Obadiah's six thrusters roared with intense flames, propelling him downward toward Sebastian in a fierce dive.
"Protego!"
An invisible barrier materialized above Sebastian, shielding him from Obadiah's collision.
At the same time, Sebastian aimed his wand at Obadiah and cast a levitation spell.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The magic lifted Obadiah, slamming him toward the ground. But Obadiah's thrusters flared again, their high-energy output breaking the spell's hold. He surged forward, swinging a powerful fist at Sebastian.
Just as Sebastian prepared to open a portal to sever Obadiah's arm, a gold-and-red figure burst through the wall behind him. It darted in front of Sebastian, colliding with Obadiah in a thunderous clash!