In front of the Stark Industries headquarters building.
Bandy Wald looked at his former place of employment with a complex expression. However, as a flash of orange-red light flickered in his eyes, his gaze was replaced by a visceral, burning rage and hatred.
"Sir, can I help you with something?" Several plainclothes police officers near the building's entrance noticed Wald's abnormal behavior and slowly approached him.
George Stacy had guessed that the culprit who melted the foundation of the previous building might be targeting Stark Industries specifically, so he had stationed personnel at all buildings related to the group.
The security at the Stark Industries headquarters was especially tight. Any suspicious or abnormal individual was to be placed under immediate, comprehensive surveillance. Bandy Wald, standing frozen in place with a shifting, volatile expression, was clearly a prime suspect.
The nearby plainclothes officers naturally closed in to conduct an investigation.
Wald watched as the officers formed a semi-circle around him. He didn't know their identities—whether they were police or Stark security—and he didn't care. He could feel his fury surging like erupting magma, impossible to suppress. No one could stop him now.
He glanced at the officers, grinned, and pulled out the Magma Memory.
"Magma!"
As Wald transformed into a Dopant, a wave of scorching air instantly swept outward. The plainclothes officers were forced back several paces by the scalding wind. Their faces paled as they watched Wald's body turn into a mass of molten rock, radiating orange-red light and intense heat that distorted the very air around him.
"Suspected target has appeared. He's transformed into a monster seemingly made of magma!" The officers didn't dare engage him directly and immediately called George for backup.
Hearing the screams and seeing people flee in terror at the sight of him, Wald laughed triumphantly. He walked straight toward the headquarters. Today, the most important symbol of the Stark empire would fall by his hand!
"Release your transformation and surrender! You can still fight for a lenient sentence." A G3 armor combatant arrived on the scene, aiming his Scorpio pistol at Wald.
"Nobody can stop me!" Wald roared. His entire body erupted in fierce flames as he condensed a fireball of molten energy in his palm and hurled it at the G3 operator.
The G3 operator, detecting the dangerously high temperature of the fireball, didn't hesitate to open fire. However, the extreme heat melted the bullets into liquid lead mid-air. The operator barely managed to dodge the attack.
"Permission to use special ammunition granted," George ordered from the command center after seeing that standard rounds were useless.
"When will the other two G3 units arrive?" George asked, frowning as he watched the current G3 operator struggle against the Dopant's extreme temperatures. Because the target's next location had been unknown, the G3 team had been split up to ensure a quick response anywhere in the city.
"At least ten to twenty minutes," an officer replied after calculating the distance of the other units.
"Dammit. All officers on-site, provide fire support for the G3 unit! Pin that thing down!" George gritted his teeth and issued the command.
However, the bullets from the police handguns were useless against the Magma Dopant; they simply melted upon impact. At most, the hail of gunfire slightly annoyed Wald.
The G3 operator switched to the Nerve-Breaking bolts used against the Gurongi, but they were equally ineffective. The intense heat of the magma prevented the bolts from delivering their secondary continuous damage effects.
Wald, annoyed, fired a barrage of molten fireballs. Though the G3 operator dodged them, the fireballs turned the pavement into pools of liquid lava. In his maneuvering, the operator stepped into a patch of molten ground, hindering his movement.
Seizing the opportunity, Wald cloaked himself in flames and charged like a massive comet. With no time to dodge, the operator raised his electromagnetic dagger to shield himself, desperate to avoid direct contact. Despite the G3 armor's high defensive capabilities, he didn't want to bet his life on whether it could withstand such terrifying heat.
After being knocked back, the G3 operator stood up and looked at his dagger—it had been partially melted away. He shuddered; the Magma Dopant's temperature was simply too high. The electromagnetic dagger, designed to slice through metal with ease, now looked like a half-melted popsicle. Furthermore, the G3's internal diagnostic system flagged multiple points of armor damage.
In short—the situation was grim.
Wald glanced at the damaged G3 armor and snorted smugly. "Now, no one can stop me!"
He turned back to the Stark building and waved his hand, launching two high-temperature magma energy bolts.
Suddenly, two miniature missiles streaked through the air, accurately intercepting the magma bolts and neutralizing the attack in a mid-air explosion.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Steamy-Magma-Man, but Stark Tower isn't going anywhere today," Tony Stark announced as he descended from the sky in his Iron Man armor.
Seeing the iconic suit, Wald hissed through gritted teeth, "Tony Stark!"
Tony replied in a playful tone, "You sound excited. Did you really think you could attack my headquarters without Iron Man showing up to stop you? Or were you just subconsciously avoiding the question because you're afraid of me?"
Wald's body glowed with an even more brilliant orange light, the ambient temperature rising further. "You're as arrogant as ever. It makes me sick, Tony Stark."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "You sound like we've met. Honestly, I don't remember you at all."
"I'll make you regret that!" Wald roared, unleashing a continuous volley of searing lava bolts at Tony.