"That is…"
Tony had just suited up in the armor, and the noisy chaos in the stands fell silent at once. Everyone stared toward the center of the track, and even those who had already fled toward the exits stretched their necks to look when they realized the crowd had stopped running.
Boom—
Ivan Vanko's whip slammed directly onto Mark V's arm. Tony staggered, and the repulsor blast in his tilted palm fired off at an angle, shooting a bright white energy bolt that struck the car Happy had been driving.
Boom—
Another explosion thundered across the arena. The car was shoved sideways, smashed into the barrier netting, burst into flames, and was blown apart into scrap.
"Your junk isn't bad!" Tony quipped, then snapped his hand up and returned fire.
"Hmph!" Ivan Vanko flicked one whip, absorbing the force of the palm cannon, and then cracked the other across Tony's shoulder, interrupting his volley. In the same motion, the second whip wrapped around the neck of Tony's Iron Suit and yanked him violently, swinging him in a full circle and smashing his head into the ground, splintering the pavement into a web of cracks.
"Hah—" Tony was stunned by the impact. He grabbed at the whip around his neck with both hands but couldn't pry it loose. The particle stream along the whip hissed and scorched the paint on Mark V's neck and Tony's palms.
"Tony! Stark!" Ivan Vanko roared, viciously flinging Tony back and forth like a rag doll. Each time, Tony's armored body slammed into the ground, pulverizing the surface into rubble.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The throws were brutally satisfying—but unlike Tony, who had the tremendous strength granted by his armor, Ivan Vanko was still flesh and blood. After several slams, he finally stopped, panting heavily and bending forward with exhaustion.
"Ugh…" Mark V hit the ground and didn't move. Inside, Tony felt dizzy, shaking his head hard to clear the ringing in his skull. The violent impacts had cracked parts of the HUD display inside the helmet.
"Tony Stark… I'll send you to hell to atone with my father!" Ivan Vanko growled. Calming his breath just enough, he raised his glowing whip to deliver the final blow.
The particle-charged lash crackled like lightning as he brought it down toward the still-stunned Tony on the ground.
Mark V, built as an emergency suit, was never as durable as Tony's standard armors. Designed for rapid deployment, its materials weren't as strong as the fully armored Mark IV. And Ivan Vanko's whip—while it couldn't slice the gold-titanium alloy cleanly in half—would absolutely break through the weaker joints.
"Tony!" Pepper cried, sprinting from the side of the track into the center.
Happy, who had just been relieved moments ago when Tony suited up, immediately pulled a pistol from his waistband and aimed it at Ivan Vanko. But he knew full well that shooting a man wielding dual particle whips wouldn't stop him in time—and killing Ivan Vanko wouldn't save Tony.
Boom—
Just then, from the far end of the track came a thunderous roar. Everyone turned to see a blazing sphere of blue lightning tearing along the curve of the circuit. The wind pressure alone bent the barrier fences backward, and even spectators far from the center felt a flash of brilliant blue wash across their vision as the track's surface ripped apart.
Behind him came a high-pitched shriek of air. Ivan Vanko glanced sideways, his face shifting instantly. He yanked both whips back defensively and even redirected the killing strike meant for Tony.
"Tony, brace—defensive impact incoming." Inside the hurtling car, Harry curled the corner of his mouth as he sent the message straight into Tony's mind through telepathy.
That blue electrical mass was Harry's racing car. Using both electric-energy control and magnetic-field manipulation, he forced the vehicle to accelerate far beyond its limits.
Harry no longer held the steering wheel. His power alone guided the car.
"Now." Harry tightened his gaze. The Phoenix Force surged through his vision, enveloped the vehicle, and rapidly consumed it. He did it deliberately—to make sure Ivan Vanko survived the impact. Whatever Ivan's morality, the Whiplash armor and the drones he would someday build were far too valuable for Harry to let him die here.
The blue lightning sphere slowed just enough for the human eye to catch a glimpse. The black racing car was no longer black from paint—it had been charred pitch-dark by the current. Tiny arcs still flashed through the wheels.
Even slowed, it was only slow compared to before—its current speed was still several times that of any normal racing machine.
The scorched vehicle barreled forward with crushing wind force. Pepper and Happy saw the oncoming car too late to dodge—the wind pressure flung them both into the air, crashing them hard into the barrier netting.
A figure leapt gracefully out of the electrified vehicle, flipping through the air and landing steadily above the ground.
Harry swept his gaze across the track. Spotting Pepper and Happy being thrown aside, he extended his hand and cast two barriers, cushioning and lowering them safely back to the ground.
"What—what's happening?" Jarvis' alarms blared inside Tony's helmet, clearing his daze just in time for him to see something massive rushing straight toward him.
Boom—
The Mark V suit was scooped off the ground like a toy, flipped over the racing car, and smashed back down with a resounding crash. Tony lost consciousness inside the suit instantly.
The racing car, though cut apart twice by Ivan Vanko's whips, still slammed into him—Harry's directed burst of electricity struck Ivan squarely in the neck. His huge frame convulsed violently, and he collapsed.
"How is it?" Harry slowly touched down. With a slight motion of his fingers, Pepper and Happy landed gently beside him.
"Tony!" Pepper hurried straight to Tony's motionless body, falling to her knees as she checked him.
Harry only pouted and didn't worry. He glanced at Happy, who was still recovering from panic, then lifted his hand once more.
With a wave, the ruined racing car and Ivan Vanko's limp body were pulled toward him. From the debris, a bright object flew straight into Harry's palm.
As the police finally rushed into the arena, Harry looked at the item in his hand, then tapped it lightly.
Ding-dong!
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