The atmosphere throughout the entire place and on the streets was clearly wrong. It was as if the end of the world had arrived, as everyone was fleeing in panic.
Tony walked out of the temple and stepped onto the street. Moving against the flow of the crowd, someone accidentally slammed into a telephone pole and fell to the ground.
Tony quickly helped her up. "You okay?"
However, the person seemed to have suffered a tremendous mental shock as she frantically pushed Tony away and continued running.
Tony pointed toward a car that had crashed into the roadside and said, "Help him!"
"Banner!" Banner and Wong rushed over immediately, and they rescued the people trapped inside the vehicle.
"Wong! Look alive!"
"Go, go! We got it!"
Tony put on his glasses. "Friday, what am I looking at?"
Friday replied, "Not sure. I'm working on it."
Tony rushed forward. Turning back to Strange, he said: "Hey! You might wanna put that Time Stone in your back pocket, Doc!"
Strange followed behind him, and his hands trembled slightly as particles of magical light danced around them. "Might wanna use it."
Tony walked toward the intersection, and a tent was blown away by the powerful winds. After dodging it, he quickly moved into the side street. And right ahead, a massive ring-shaped spacecraft hovered in the sky. The ring ship stood vertically while shockwaves spread from the vessel, covering nearly the entire city.
"Oh shit, it's here!"
"What a huge ship!"
"A vertically standing spaceship? I never would have imagined it."
"I feel like that spaceship could destroy the entire city just by rolling over."
"It's on a completely different level... Thor got beaten badly, let alone the people on Earth."
"Tony doesn't even have his armor. Why is he still rushing in?"
"It must have come for Strange and the Infinity Stone. Hide it quickly!"
"Huh? That kid, isn't that Spider-Man, Parker?"
The screen shifted.
On a bus, a boy who had been resting suddenly felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. Parker abruptly raised his head and looked out the window. He immediately spotted the towering ring-shaped spaceship, and shock filled his face.
He quickly woke up his best friend sitting in front of him. "Ned, hey. I need you to cause a distraction."
When Ned turned around, he happened to see the spaceship. He shouted loudly: "Holy shit. We're all gonna die! There's a spaceship!"
When the people on the bus heard him, they hurriedly looked toward the windows.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, my God!"
Parker pulled the web-shooters out of his bag. The webbing shot out, opening the opposite window; he leaped out. Webs rippled across the bridge as he sped toward the spaceship.
An old man who was the bus driver said, "What's the matter with you kids? You never seen a spaceship before?"
On the street, Tony and Strange stood facing the enormous spacecraft. "Friday, evacuate anyone south of 43rd Street. Notify first responders!"
Friday replied, "Will do!"
Smoke and dust rolled in from the distance. Strange cast magic with both hands, and he thrust them forward sharply. A faint golden light surged ahead, and the dust was instantly swept away. The streets and the spaceship became visible once more. Tony turned around in surprise, and Strange blinked.
Suddenly, another beam of light descended from the ship and landed on the street. When the beam converged, it revealed Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian.
Ebony Maw spoke in a noble and arrogant tone: "Hear me and rejoice."
Tony sneered and raised his hands to stop everyone.
Ebony Maw continued: "You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos. Be thankful... that your meaningless lives are now contributing...
Before he could finish, Tony interrupted him. "I'm sorry, Earth is closed today. You better pack it up and get outta here."
Ebony Maw remained expressionless. Instead, he looked at Strange and said, "Stonekeeper. Does this chattering animal speak for you?"
Strange stepped forward and replied, "Certainly not. I speak for myself."
His palms collided, opening two magical shields. "You're trespassing in this city and on this planet."
Tony added loudly, "He means get lost, Squidward."
Tony didn't care how powerful the opponent was, and his taunting skills were maxed out.
"He exhausts me. Bring me the stone." Ebony Maw muttered something to Cull Obsidian, and the giant advanced, carrying a battle axe in his hand.
"Tony's mouth is seriously incredible!"
"Hahaha, with Tony around, there's no way to lose a war of words!"
"If Tony lived in ancient times, he would've been a leading general!"
"Doesn't this big guy look a bit like Thanos?"
"Squidward... This squid-faced monster looks really strong. Be careful, Tony."
"Tony, calm down! You don't have your armor!"
"It's up to Strange and Banner now."
"Indeed, one of Tony's biggest weaknesses is that without the armor, he can't fully utilize his combat capabilities."
"Ah, I miss Jarvis."
"Tony is a genius when it comes to nicknames!"
"Don't you think this squid-faced guy is strangely elegant?"
"The people saying Earth is doomed, stop jinxing it!"
"Tony, please stop provoking them and hide!"
At the Human Potential Organization.
Ashton and the others stared at the screen. The appearance of these aliens greatly attracted their interest, especially Ebony Maw. His effortless manipulation of surrounding objects aboard the ship was almost divine.
"Is this a race talent?" Ashton narrowed his eyes. He wondered whether this ability could be developed for human use.
Kayden walked out of the laboratory, and she had been handling the initial activation phase of the Extremis Virus.
"How is it going?"
A hint of joy appeared on Kayden's face. "Mr. Ashton, the progress may be even better than we originally anticipated."
Ashton's eyes lit up. Even better?
"Look, these aliens possess tremendous combat power. Let's see whether they can provide some inspiration for our research and development."
Kayden nodded.
At the Training Grounds.
Ren looked at the screen and chuckled lightly. "Tony is still as conceited as ever. How dare he provoke monsters in a situation like this? That squid-faced alien could probably kill Tony in a single move without his suit."
No one doubted that. In terms of combat ability, Tony's strength came from his armor. Without armor and without any equipment on hand, Tony was still just an ordinary person.
Louis pointed at the triangular device on Tony's chest. "Brother, didn't Tony say this stores nanomachines?"
Elenora said, "It is still just a storage. How much can such a small device hold? That squid-faced alien can manipulate objects at will. He could imprison Tony easily."
Regarding Tony's personality, Elenora had long been displeased with him. High-profile, conceited, arrogant, and stubborn. That was her impression of Tony. However, he had previously done many things to save the world.
"At a time like this, he still wants to court death?"
Throughout the training grounds, everyone else wore similar expressions. Personal feelings were one thing, but now was not the time for jokes.
On the street, looking at the Titans marching forward, Tony whispered to Banner, "Banner, you want a piece?"
Banner tugged at his collar and stammered, "Mmm, no, not really. But when do I ever get what I want?"
Tony looked ahead calmly.
"That's right," he muttered through gritted teeth.
Banner rubbed his hands together and concentrated. "Okay. Push!"
A patch of green spread across his neck.
Tony remarked, "It's been a while. It's gonna be good to have you, buddy."
Banner clenched his fists. "Okay. Shh. Let me just... I need to concentrate here for a second."
Tony froze for a moment before realizing something was wrong.
"Come on, come on, man."
Watching Banner struggle, Tony was astonished.
"God!"
"Where's your guy?"
"I don't know. We've sorta been having a thing," Banner replied.
Tony panicked. "It's no time for a thing."
Banner sighed helplessly. "I know."
He pointed toward the Titan monster charging at them. "That's the thing right there. Let's go."
Banner focused once more. Strange and Tony exchanged glances as they felt that something was off because Banner still couldn't summon the Hulk.
Tony tilted his head toward Banner, looking utterly defeated. "Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards."
Banner looked equally miserable. "Tony, I'm sorry. Either I can't or he won't."
Tony supported Banner and handed him over to Wong. "It's okay. Hey, stand down. Keep an eye on him. Thank you."
"I have him."
"Damn it."
Despite the tense atmosphere, the scene was oddly amusing.
"Damn, now I know why Tony was so confident earlier. He thought Banner could turn into the Hulk!"
"I'm dying of laughter. Tony's act completely fell apart."
"Trying to rely on someone else's strength never ends well."
"Tony knew how powerful the Hulk was, so he thought he had a safety net."
"Well, the Hulk can't come out now."
"About Tony's Failed Attempt at Showing Off."
"So only Strange and Wong are left."
"Those two aren't weak either, right?"
"Tony still has self-awareness. He didn't charge in without armor."
"Yeah, he just assumed the Hulk was available."
"Where's Veronica? Bring her in."
"Right! I almost forgot. Veronica took down those two alien monsters before."
Inside the Administration.
The Director and the experts looked somewhat helpless.
Johan commented, "Tony's stubborn personality can easily get him hurt."
The Director laughed bitterly. "No, he just panicked without the Hulk."
Tonio smiled and said, "Don't worry. With Strange here, they can always be teleported away through a portal. Tony doesn't need to bring a suit. He's not the main force."
Darwin laughed as well. "Tony just needs to protect himself, so leave the rest to Strange."
Just as those words fell...
On the screen.
After pushing Banner aside, Tony walked directly toward the Titan. The Titan was enormous and imposing, a stark contrast to Tony's lean frame. It looked like it could blow him away with a single breath.
Xiaotian sounded calm. "Tony is a truly good man. When disaster strikes, he never backs down."
Seeing Tony walk forward, the audience exploded with reactions.
"Damnit, Tony! What are you doing?"
"You can't go! You're courting death!"
"Is Tony seriously planning to fight that monster with his own strength?"
"I'm getting nervous..."
"Enter Strange!"
"Tony is way too confident..."
"F**k!"
"Is there a new armor?!"
"Light it up!"
At this moment, the audience across the world soared, and everyone watched with excitement. Everyone on Terra believed Tony walking toward the Titans was suicidal. The massive difference in physical size was obvious, so people could already imagine Tony being smashed into oblivion.
But as the footage continued, silence filled the world.
Tony continued forward, and his eyes locked onto the Titan. He reached down and pulled at the device attached to his chest. He tapped it several times and instantly, countless nanomaterials surged out from the chest device. They spread rapidly across his body.
Red armor plating formed over his chest and then quickly extended toward his shoulders. Intricate electronic components, buffer layers, defensive systems, and countless internal mechanisms assembled themselves. Layer after layer formed at incredible speed. Then came the arms, abdomen, and back.
Tony remained calm as an enormous amount of nanomaterial covered his head and a familiar gold-and-red helmet took shape. In the blink of an eye, the fully assembled Nano Armor appeared. Compared to his previous armor, it was sturdier and far more visually imposing.
The entire process lasted only a few seconds before Tony transformed from ordinary clothing into a fully armed combat suit.
Viewers stared at the new suit, and their breathing quickened.
The next moment, the Titan charged at Tony. It raised its massive mechanical axe, and the tremendous force came crashing down. Tony raised his arm without hesitation. In an instant, a half-human-sized arc-shaped shield formed in his hand.
Bang! The giant axe collided with the nano-shield. The hastily formed shield, despite appearing thin, remained completely undamaged. It successfully blocked the Titan's overwhelming strike.
Tony crouched slightly. Taking advantage of the opening, he drove his left fist upward.
Boom! The punch landed directly on the Titan's chin, and the enormous creature staggered backward repeatedly.
The audience held their breath. Suppressing the excitement building inside them, they stared at the screen.
After forcing the Titan back with a single punch, Tony straightened up. He bent his knees slightly and raised both fists, allowing nanomaterials to surge around his arms. At the same time, four semi-circular mechanical structures emerged from his back, and they hovered beside him. The four devices glowed with light simultaneously.
Buzz! Amid the soft humming sound, the energy sources converged, and a massive pulse beam erupted forth. The roaring Titan was blasted away.
As the light faded, the four pulse devices automatically retracted, and they returned to storage within the nanodevice. Clad in the Nano Armor, Tony stood proudly.
The audience completely lost control.
"That's insanely cool!"
"F**k! It looks incredible!"
"This Nano Armor is way cooler than the previous versions!"
"Instant startup again!"
"Nanosystems can directly transform weapons? That's ridiculous!"
"Amazing! Tony created armor comparable to magic!"
"This transformation sequence is unbelievably cool!"
"A body of flesh and blood, a heart of steel. With human strength, he stands shoulder to shoulder with gods!"
"Technology versus gods?!"
"This armor is so convenient. I thought he was completely unarmed."
"I owe Tony an apology for doubting him."
"That's insane! What was Tony even thinking?"
"My hands are shaking with excitement. I want a set of Nano Armor too."
"Can nanotechnology really do this?"
"Expanding shields, large pulse emitters... Terra can't achieve anything close to this yet."
"The suit is so complex. How can it deploy directly from nanodevices?"
"Are these nanobots? Can computers control them?"
"I kneel before this! It's beyond incredible!"
The comments on the screen moved quickly, and everyone was venting their admiration and shock toward Tony's new armor.
Meanwhile, at the Training Grounds...
Elenora's expression was extremely unpleasant. Her jaw dropped, and her mind had collapsed. She had believed Tony would be crushed instantly as she had listed Tony's weaknesses one by one. Yet Tony's Nano Armor had stunned everyone, leaving her utterly embarrassed.
Ren was equally speechless. Tony possessed no supernatural abilities, so everything depended on his armor. Without it, Tony would be at his weakest. But the appearance of the Nano Armor directly solved the greatest weakness in Tony's combat capability.
"Compared to these predecessors... I'm still too inexperienced." Ren shook his head with a bitter smile.
He was extremely impressed. Who could have imagined nanotechnology being utilized so brilliantly? It elevated Tony's combat capability to an entirely new level.
Within the Administration, the Director and the experts wore complicated expressions. It was as if embarrassment and conflict had been splashed across a painting. Xiaotian opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unable to speak for a long time.
Inside Essen Heavy Industries Group.
Chief Engineer Astor and his colleagues sat in the conference room. They stared at the projected footage, and everyone was overwhelmed.
"Sir, this armor is revolutionary!"
"Exactly! Nano-scale armor means infinite adaptability!"
"Tony is a genius! To achieve something like this..."
"Using nanotechnology to construct circuits directly, the technological complexity involved extends far beyond nanotechnology alone."
Listening to the discussions around him, Astor had only one thought. They were both building suits. Yet compared to Tony, they were like fireflies attempting to rival the moon.
"Honestly, I don't even want to continue building suits anymore." His confidence had been shattered, and he even wanted to change careers.
Yet everyone else in the room remained excited.
"Nano Armor is unbelievably powerful."
"Doesn't this mean there is another person capable of fighting Thanos?"
"Exactly! But we still don't know this armor's upper limits."
Previously, no one believed Tony's armor could contribute much. After all, Thanos existed beyond ordinary power systems. Against the Infinity Stones, conventional technology seemed insignificant.
However, the appearance of the Nano Armor, combined with the offensive and defensive capabilities Tony had just displayed, gave them a glimmer of hope.
Not just Astor and his team; viewers across the world were discussing the same thing. Tony's counterattack hadn't defeated the Thanos who had arrived on Earth.
The footage continued to play, and the audience cast aside their earlier despair. Everyone watched the screen with renewed hope.
"Will Tony's new Nano Armor reveal even more surprises?"