078. Hope in the East

Compared to the bystanders in the distance who were caught in the shockwave of the explosion, Thor, who was right at the center of it, suffered the most damage. However, the Asgardian constitution is different from that of Earthlings—even rifle bullets can’t penetrate their thick skin. So, Thor actually came away with the lightest injuries. After rolling through the debris filled with rebar and glass, he managed to force himself to his feet.

“It’s useless! The Destroyer was created by Odin. Its energy is nearly limitless, and its power is unmatched. Unless you can fight while recharging, you’ll never outlast it!” Thor shouted again, but Iron Man ignored him. After the explosion, his thrusters engaged at full power, and he shot across the ground toward the Destroyer.

Ever since that night at Hammer Industries, when Batman slapped him across the face, Tony Stark finally understood what he was missing. Long-range munitions can run out, energy weapon ports can be destroyed, signals can be jammed. What he lacked most was close-quarters combat capability—skills that could operate offline, without external support.

Over the past days, he’d upgraded and improved his suit, uploading vast amounts of martial arts data—techniques from every school around the world, including the Unrestricted Combat Style from the Dragon Kingdom. With these, and with Jarvis’s assistance, Iron Man could now unleash powerful close-combat skills, and even perform expertly in offline mode, becoming a master brawler relying solely on his own control.

All of this, of course, had been meant for Batman.

The next time we meet, I’ll prove to you that I’ve become better than ever!

But it seemed those preparations were going to be put to use ahead of schedule.

Propelled by his thrusters, Iron Man shot forward with incredible speed and, in a blink, was right beneath the Destroyer. He clenched his right fist, his elbow emitter flaring, and with an upward swing, smashed his iron fist into the Destroyer’s chin.

Bang!

The Destroyer evidently hadn’t expected this “iron fly” to dare take it on in close combat. Caught off guard, it took the punch squarely, its head snapping to the side.

Landing a solid blow, Iron Man was immediately exhilarated.

No wonder Batman loves slapping people—this feeling of delivering direct, physical damage to an opponent is even more satisfying than that final shudder after a night of exercise. This is addictive!

Without hesitation, Iron Man unleashed all the combat techniques he’d downloaded, holding nothing back as he pummeled the Destroyer.

It was surprisingly effective. Amidst the ringing sounds of metal on metal, the Destroyer was forced back again and again, its armor visibly dented and deformed in places, looking increasingly battered.

The only pity was that this opponent was just a hunk of metal, with no face, heart, or vulnerable regions—so many of the quick-finishing moves Iron Man had learned, especially the rabid-dog attacks of Unrestricted Combat, were rendered useless.

Caught up in the thrill of battle, Iron Man failed to notice that Thor, not far away, was still frowning.

“This level of attack is nothing to the Destroyer!” Thor muttered.

Sure enough, as soon as he spoke, the Destroyer seized an opening. Its massive hand shot out, gripping the armor at Iron Man’s throat, and with a single motion, it lifted him up and smashed him to the ground as if swatting a fly.

With a thunderous crash, Iron Man’s armor was twisted and deformed, joints sparking and crackling as if they might explode at any moment.

The Destroyer slowly straightened, its battered metal skin gradually restoring itself. Then, it raised its colossal foot—easily the size of a car—and brought it down toward Iron Man’s stomach.

If that stomp landed, the Stark family line would be more than just ended. From stomach to tailbone, he’d be crushed to pulp.

At that moment, a figure hurtled in like a comet, colliding with the Destroyer’s crotch—height differences being what they were, that was the only spot he could reach.

It was Thor. Though he was much shorter than the Destroyer, he weighed over five hundred pounds, and the impact was enough to make the Destroyer’s movement falter, its descending foot missing its mark.

Thor landed, dragged the nearly incapacitated Iron Man several yards away, and rapped on his helmet.

“Hey, are you dead?”

Iron Man didn’t open his helmet; his face was in no state to be seen.

“No—this kind of damage is nothing but a drizzle to me!” Even though his body was nearly falling apart, Tony Stark’s mouth would never admit defeat—never.

“Good,” Thor sighed in relief. “I need to get to the east side—New York. Can you help me?”

Thor had given up on reasoning with Loki. Talking was pointless—he’d just look like a lovesick fool begging for attention. The only thing left to do was to take down the Destroyer. Only by defeating it would they have a chance to speak with Loki as equals.

But to bring down the Destroyer, the two of them alone clearly wouldn’t be enough.

“Why New York?” Tony Stark asked, making it clear that he had issues with that particular city.

Thor shrugged. “Do you have backup here?”

Tony Stark had no answer. If he could lure the Destroyer to Stark Industries headquarters and hit it with a giant reactor explosion, maybe they’d have a shot. Unfortunately, the last reactor was destroyed during the fight with Iron Monger, and the new one wasn’t built yet, so that trump card was still on cooldown.

Thor nodded. “I have backup in New York, so New York it is!”

Tony Stark was internally reluctant. Go to New York? What if Batman showed up again? What if he got slapped again?

He’d even imagined Batman’s lines for him:

“Who told you to bring enemies to New York?”

“Which is better, New York or Los Angeles?”

“Do you love daddy or mommy more…”

That was a real psychological shadow.

But even with all his hang-ups, seeing the Destroyer’s face light up ominously in the distance, Tony Stark could only grit his teeth and swallow his pride.

“Let’s go!”

With a burst of fire, Iron Man grabbed Thor by the arm and shot into the sky, heading for New York.

Behind them, the Destroyer’s flames chased after Iron Man, licking at his heels, but never catching so much as a hair.