"We're dry!" Zhong Qiang yelled, his voice cracking as he slammed an empty magazine into the pavement. He ducked behind a concrete planter that was being systematically dismantled by Obadiah's hydraulic claw. "Jack, tell me you've got a bazooka in that trunk! Or maybe a SWAT team with some anti-tank rifles?"
Jack, crouched low and squinting through the dust, checked his last spare mag. "Do I look like I'm running a military surplus store? I'm a Precinct Chief, Qiang! My 'backup' is currently five minutes away stuck in New York traffic. Just stay low!"
"Getting real tired of staying low!" Reese Fisk growled. He reached into the inner pocket of his Tuxedo—a space that seemed to hold more than it should—and pulled out a compact, high-explosive grenade. "Eat this, you oversized toaster!"
With a flick of his wrist, the grenade arched through the air and rolled between the Iron Monger's massive, digitigrade feet.
BOOM!
The explosion was concentrated and violent. The Iron Monger's massive frame shuddered, and the hydraulic stabilizers hissed as Obadiah was forced back three steps, the metal screeching against the asphalt. A cloud of thick, acrid smoke rose from the blast site, but as it cleared, the "Suit Trio" felt their hearts sink. Aside from some blackened soot and a few bent cooling fins, the Iron Monger was still very much standing.
"Luxury materials," Jack muttered, his face pale. "Tony didn't just build a suit; he gave that maniac the keys to a fortress."
Inside the smoke, Obadiah's patience snapped. "Enough games."
The Iron Monger lunged. It was faster than something that size had any right to be. Obadiah didn't use his guns; he swung a massive, piston-driven fist intended to turn Reese Fisk into a red smear on the pavement.
Time seemed to dilate for Zhong Qiang. In that split second, the lessons he had half-ignored back at the martial arts school flashed through his mind. Huang Wen's voice, calm and demanding, echoed in his head: 'The Light-Body technique isn't about running, Qiang. It's about being where the wind is, not where the fist is.'
"Reese, move!"
Zhong Qiang didn't think. He felt a sudden, hot surge of internal energy—Qi he didn't even know he had fully developed—snap into his legs. His silhouette blurred, turning into a flickering afterimage as he pushed Reese out of the way.
But the Light-Body technique was a double-edged sword for an amateur. He had the speed to reach Reese, but not the control to vanish before the follow-through.
CRACK.
The Iron Monger's fist, carrying the weight of a commercial truck, caught Zhong Qiang squarely in the ribs. The Tuxedo flared a brilliant, neon blue as it attempted to disperse the kinetic energy, but the physical laws of momentum couldn't be entirely ignored. Zhong Qiang was launched into the air like a broken doll, his body trailing a mist of crimson.
"Qiang!" Jack screamed, his voice raw with a terror he hadn't felt since he was a rookie on the beat.
Floating in the air, Zhong Qiang felt a strange, detached peace. The world was silent. He saw the stars above the New York skyline and felt a sharp, burning regret. 'Teacher... I should have practiced more. I really should have listened when you told me my foundation was shaky.'
Then, the ground rushed up to meet him. THUD.
He landed hard, sliding across the pavement. The Tuxedo remained intact, but the man inside was shattered. Blood began to seep from the corners of his mouth, staining the elegant white collar of his shirt.
Obadiah turned the Iron Monger's head toward the fallen youth. To him, this wasn't a tragedy; it was a harvest. "One down. Let's see what this fabric is made of."
He raised a heavy foot, intending to crush Zhong Qiang's chest to ensure the kill.
"STANE!"
A streak of hot gold and cherry-red roared out of the sky. A repulsor blast, high-output and fueled by pure rage, slammed into the Iron Monger's shoulder, knocking the giant back.
Tony Stark, encased in the Mark III, hovered between the Iron Monger and the injured boys. His armor was scarred, and his flight stabilizers were flickering, but the light in his unibeam was steady.
"Tony?" Obadiah's voice was thick with disbelief. "You're a hard man to kill, I'll give you that. But you're running on a heart that belongs in a museum. You think you can stop me with a prototype?"
"I don't think, Obadiah," Tony's voice came through the external comms, cold and metallic. "I know. Pepper, get to the car! Get these kids out of here!"
With a roar of jet turbines, the Mark III tackled the Iron Monger, the two titans crashing through a nearby wall and out onto the main road, leaving a trail of smashed cars and panicked pedestrians in their wake.
Jack and Reese scrambled toward Zhong Qiang. Reese's hands were shaking as he knelt in the blood. "Qiang? Hey, look at me, buddy! Don't you dare close your eyes. You hear me? Your dad will kill me if you die!"
"Teacher..." Jack gasped, fumbling with the interface on his high-tech watch. "We have to call the Boss. Now!"
Siberia - The Underground Base
In the quiet chill of the Siberian sub-levels, Huang Wen was checking his internal status. The refinement of the Blood Bodhis had been a resounding success.
[Host: Huang Wen][Essence: 1083][Qi: 189][Spirit: 11.4][Total Combat Power: 4113 (Base) + 4500 (Silly Girl Transfer)]
"Legendary Realm..." Huang Wen whispered, feeling the vast, oceanic power swirling in his meridians. He was no longer just a martial artist; he was a walking natural disaster. He felt he could part the clouds with a thought.
Suddenly, a sharp, digital chime broke his concentration.
"Boss!" Silly Girl's holographic avatar appeared, her expression uncharacteristically urgent. "Emergency detection from the sub-program. Zhong Qiang has suffered a Grade-A catastrophic injury at the Stark Industries coordinates. His vitals are dropping into the critical 'Red Zone.' Estimated time to total organ failure: 180 seconds."
Huang Wen's heart skipped a beat. The air in the room seemed to freeze, then shatter as his killing intent leaked out. "Qiang is in trouble?"
He didn't wait for a secondary report. He didn't even have time to explain to Belle, who was still mid-meditation. In a flash of golden light, he vanished, utilizing the full extent of his newfound Legendary-tier speed.
However, even a god-like martial artist has limits. He had never been to the Stark facility. He had to 'step' through the dimensions, first appearing in the familiar Qi-signature of his Chinatown restaurant to orient himself, and then—sensing the frantic, dying pulse of Zhong Qiang's energy—he used the Dream Butterfly Escape.
Back in New York, Jack and Reese were practically sobbing as they watched Zhong Qiang's breathing become shallow rattles.
"Teacher! Help us!" Jack yelled into the empty air.
Whoosh.
A golden ripple appeared in the space between them. Huang Wen stepped out of the void, his eyes sweeping the scene. The sight of Zhong Qiang lying in a pool of his own blood caused a vein to throb in Huang Wen's forehead.
"Boss! You're here! He's... he's not breathing right!" Reese grabbed Huang Wen's sleeve, his face covered in soot and tears.
Huang Wen reached for his storage, his mind racing. 'The Rebirth Dragon Seal! No, damn it, I gave it to Belle for her breakthrough!'
His eyes fell on the small, wooden box in his hand. The last Blood Bodhi.
He didn't hesitate. He knelt down, prying Zhong Qiang's jaw open. "Qiang, if you can hear me, swallow. This is your only shot."
He placed the glowing, ruby-red fruit into the boy's mouth and pressed his palm against Zhong Qiang's chest. Using his immense telekinetic power, he forced the medicinal essence to dissolve instantly, bypassing the digestive system and surging directly into the bloodstream.
As the Blood Bodhi's energy hit Zhong Qiang's system, a miracle occurred. The pale, waxen skin of the young man began to flush with heat. The shattered ribs began to knit together with audible pops, and the internal bleeding stopped as if a faucet had been turned off.
The Blood Bodhi wasn't just medicine; it was a concentrated burst of life-force. Not only was it stitching Zhong Qiang back together, but the excess energy was sinking into his bones, tempering his body into something far more resilient than a normal human's.
Zhong Qiang took a sudden, gasping breath, his eyes snapping open. "T-Teacher?"
Huang Wen exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. He stood up, his gaze turning toward the distant sound of metal grinding against metal on the nearby highway where Tony and Obadiah were still brawling.