Tony Stark glared at Nolan Locke in frustration.
A military colonel wasn't going to follow his orders. The reason the colonel treated him respectfully was simple he was Iron Man. Beyond that, the colonel had no reason to care about him.
Nolan Locke, however, was different.
He was directly in charge of the Titan Project. Though he lacked official military authorization, he wielded enough influence to shape a colonel's decisions. With a single reason, he could sway the man's judgment entirely.
"Damn it!"
Seeing Nolan remain unmoved, Tony cursed under his breath.
Nolan chuckled.
"Maybe if you leave now, you can still make it in time."
Hearing that, Tony didn't argue. He wasn't under the military chain of command, so he didn't have to follow orders. Getting ahead to intercept the Inhumans himself was a smart move.
But Tony glanced at Nolan and asked, "What about you?"
"Of course I'm coming with you," Nolan answered firmly.
If he didn't, Tony probably wouldn't dare move in. Proud and arrogant as he was, Tony was smart enough not to fight when defeat was certain. But with Nolan at his side, he could act without hesitation.
Tony relaxed slightly. Having Nolan here was reassuring.
Nolan smiled to himself. Babysitting was nothing new for him, especially back in the Prime Universe when he had to deal with Iron Man Tony Stark. Thinking of that time, he couldn't help but smirk. How long ago that felt.
Even though the Titan mechs had already deployed, the military moved in formation. And as powerful as these Titans were, they had flaws.
The biggest problem was that while they packed incredible firepower, they weren't agile. Even with energy shields, their safety wasn't guaranteed.
It was an unavoidable design limitation, and also a flaw Nolan had intentionally left. He could have built stronger Titans, but there was no need. Even if he had a method to forcibly connect to the Titan controllers, it was a last-resort option.
If, by some chance, someone needed to fight against a Titan, that possibility had to exist. A dangerous weapon with flaws posed far less of a threat than a perfect war machine.
In the Prime Universe, he used the G5 close-combat robots defensively. Here, he had no intention of mass-producing them.
Soon, Nolan and Tony overtook the Titan formation. The colonel saw them fly overhead but, knowing what they were doing, could only frown and push the formation forward faster.
Meanwhile, Black Bat King and his group drove along the road. Calm and even cheerful, they acted as if the journey held no danger at all.
Suddenly, a heavy armored figure slammed into the road ahead, stretching out a hand toward the approaching vehicle. If they continued, interception was inevitable.
Without hesitation, Gore stopped the car.
"Iron Man."
Black Bat King's face darkened, while Medusa spoke calmly beside him.
Then, clad in the hammer of Thor, Nolan landed beside Tony Stark.
"And Nolan Locke. You actually dare show yourselves here!"
Medusa's eyes widened in surprise. They hadn't expected their location to be discovered so quickly, nor had they imagined Nolan would confront them directly. Didn't they learn the last time?
Tony chuckled.
"Long time no see. Last time my Mark XIII almost got obliterated, but this time, I've made sure I'm fully prepared."
Gore stepped forward as Black Bat King's personal bodyguard, ready to confront them. But a hand landed on his shoulder.
Turning, Gore saw Black Bat King.
His expression was icy, his eyes brimming with unrestrained killing intent.
Nolan Locke... he had thought he'd only find this man in New York. But here they were, face to face. Clearly, they were ready.
Now, Black Bat King would show his true power. Against absolute force, preparation was meaningless.
Feeling the king's fury, Gore bowed his head and stepped back. Medusa sensed his emotions too.
"No matter why you are here, I guarantee there will only be one outcome."
Tony raised an eyebrow. Of course, he knew Medusa was speaking for Black Bat King.
"What outcome? Getting beaten up?" he scoffed.
Medusa stayed silent. Black Bat King spoke instead.
"Death."
One word, yet it carried the full weight of his immense power.
The surrounding trees were shredded as if they were nothing. At the storm's epicenter, Nolan and Tony felt the full brunt of the force.
But Tony relaxed. Last time, such an attack would have torn his armor apart. This time, he held firm.
Nolan, under the hammer of Thor, remained calm, unaffected. Not surprising just as he could modify armor to resist sonic waves, Nolan could modify his own defenses.
The real battle was just beginning.
As the low-frequency wave subsided, Tony leapt toward Black Bat King. Gore rushed to intercept.
Boom!
They collided violently. Tony was surprised that this Inhuman actually blocked him.
Without hesitation, he fired his repulsor palm. At the same moment, Medusa's hair lashed out, disrupting his attack.
Black Bat King watched impassively.
"Gore, stand down!" Medusa commanded. Black Bat King didn't need his bodyguard in front of him now.
Gore obeyed immediately.
Then Black Bat King opened his mouth. His roar was several times louder than before. Even the specially reinforced Mark armor trembled under the force.
Tony's eyes widened. Black Bat King's output was terrifying.
But this was only the beginning. Black Bat King drew in a deep breath. Next time, he would destroy them.
"Roar!"
A deafening wave surged outward, ripping the ground three or four meters deep. Tony, inside the armor, felt the sheer physical force. His modifications could resist the sonic impact, but not the raw kinetic energy.
He braced himself with a defensive stance, legs apart, arms forward.
Nolan, watching, shook his head. Black Bat King's strength was indeed formidable. Even Tony had prepared specifically, yet he still underestimated him. Nolan could no longer hold back.
His right hand traced a circle in the air. The "Any Door" magic was new in this world; he had never used it before.
Suddenly, a massive mechanical arm, full of intricate mechanisms, appeared and attached to him.
The next instant, it powered up.
Hum.
A field radiated outward from him, nullifying the sonic wave as if it never existed. Inside, silence; outside, destruction raged.
Tony turned in shock. Nolan shrugged and lifted his head slightly, a confident smirk on his face.
"You think I spent three months just adding a sonic defense layer?"
Tony's face flushed beneath his mask. That bastard! He could almost imagine Nolan's expression. The modifications were more than sonic defense, but in practice, only this layer had shown itself utterly unstoppable. Nolan had just humiliated him.
Tony lifted his head defiantly.
"Hey, I could handle it myself!"
"Want me to remove the field?" Nolan asked, teasing.
Tony didn't reply. Damn it! That single word summed up his frustration.
In the distance, the colonel's face was dark. Strange gusts swept toward them.
"Colonel, they've probably already engaged," the adjutant said.
"I know!" the colonel snapped. His soldiers' frustration had reached its peak. They had all been eager for the first human mech battle. Now, the target was intercepted.
"Full speed! These are our opponents!" the colonel commanded.
"I doubt those idiots are still alive when we reach them. They can't die here not in front of us. They're the smartest fools among humans!"
He gritted his teeth. They were still five kilometers from the attack's center. If the surrounding power was already this destructive, the epicenter's force was unimaginable.
"Should the Titans break from the main force?" the adjutant hesitated.
The colonel made a swift decision.
"Three Titans switch to flight mode. The rest proceed on land. Merge as soon as possible."
The three massive Titans rocketed into the sky, leaving streaks of light toward the battlefield. The adjutant led the APU-powered exoskeleton units through the dense forest.
"What idiots," the adjutant muttered.
Black Bat King's attacks intensified, but Nolan's mechanical arm projected field held, steadfast as a mountain.
Damn it! Black Bat King cursed internally. He halted his assault, taking a deep breath. This was serious.
"Hey, Nolan, how much energy does that field have left?" Tony asked anxiously.
"Relax, plenty more," Nolan replied calmly. Even a nuclear blast wouldn't faze him.
This mechanical arm had a name: EVA: Unit-01. Its field was the AT Field, a domain of absolute defense. Even just the arm was nearly invincible in this universe.
The next instant, a shrill roar hit. Even more terrifying power surged. The ground tore like paper, everything around reduced to rubble.
Medusa and the Inhumans stared in awe at Black Bat King. This was his true strength. With this power, nothing in this world could oppose them.
Yet… why were those two humans still standing? The sonic wave should have obliterated them.
Nolan didn't owe anyone an answer. A smile curved his lips.
"It's over."
"Huh?" Tony was confused.
"The Titans have arrived."
At that moment, a thunderous barrage erupted.
Dust and debris enveloped Black Bat King's group. Heavy missiles rained down relentlessly. The three soldiers inside the Titans were stunned. Such firepower never before seen in individual combat equipment was staggering. No, it rivaled battleships.
"Check target status."
"All targets intact."
"Damn it, fire another round! Full power crush them!"
Black Bat King looked up at the colossal machines, shocked. These were the Titans? He had thought them just showpieces. Now he realized their true terrifying firepower.
The next attack came, but all he could do was roar and unleash a low-frequency counterwave.
Nolan smirked.
"Guess how much ammo these three Titans have?"
Like clockwork, the third wave of attacks was ready.
Black Bat King could resist this attack, Nolan expected as much. But the Titan plan was massive, coordinated. Even if he could handle three Titans, what about the APU exoskeleton units arriving behind them? What about other Titan support from afar?
This battle was lost the moment it began.