Chapter 75 - 75: Stubborn as Hell

Stark's unease was growing by the second. Was this reconnaissance robot already the pinnacle of alien combat technology? Or was it merely a disposable foot soldier? What if there were ten of these? A hundred? An entire army? "Jarvis, scan for weaknesses. I refuse to believe this thing doesn't have any." As Stark spoke, he fired a repulsor blast straight at the Kree robot. The force sent a ripple through its armor. "Sir, upon impact, I detected a slight crack in its plating," Jarvis reported. "However, its material exhibits a self-repairing function." Stark narrowed his eyes. "Scanning in progress… According to my analysis, the weakest point of this machine is its energy core. You have a 92.3% chance of destroying it." "Alright, then let's go for it." Stark's mind was racing. seaʀᴄh thё ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Jarvis, tell me—does this thing's vision system work the same way as Earth's tech?" "Affirmative, sir." "Perfect." A panel on Stark's gauntlet flipped open, revealing a miniature jamming device. Without hesitation, he activated it. Invisible electromagnetic waves pulsed outward, scrambling the Kree robot's vision system. Within seconds, the machine's perspective was filled with eight identical Iron Man figures. It hesitated. Then, its red energy beams shot out in all directions, blasting at the illusions. Stark seized the moment. He weaved through the chaos, dodging the deadly crimson lasers and the high-energy green beams from the machine's cannon. In a split second, he closed the distance. He lunged, wrapping his arms around the robot's massive frame. His chest hummed with power as the Arc Reactor began building up energy. A blinding white light surged from the core— The final blow was about to land. BOOM! An unexpected explosion rocked Stark backward. A beam of green energy had intercepted him mid-attack, stopping his charge. Stark gritted his teeth, stabilizing himself in midair. His HUD flickered, recalibrating as his eyes locked onto the new threat. Hovering in front of him was a blue-skinned Kree warrior, his face partially obscured by a transparent veil. In his hand was a sleek, futuristic white pistol, glowing ominously with lingering energy residue. He was the one who had just stopped the attack. "Great. Just great. Another one," Stark muttered under his breath. The Kree warrior met his gaze and spoke. "Iron Man. I am Captain Mar-Vell. I am not your enemy." Stark arched an eyebrow. "Yeah? Could've fooled me." Mar-Vell ignored the sarcasm and turned his attention to the reconnaissance robot. His expression darkened. "I am the Commander of the Science Division of the Kree Empire's Space Fleet. I order you to enter sleep mode." The robot's single red eye flickered, processing the command. For a moment, it seemed like it was working— Then— "INSUFFICIENT AUTHORITY. PRIMARY DIRECTIVE OVERRIDES ALL COMMANDS. ORDER TO DESTROY: ISSUED BY ACCUSER RONAN. OVERRIDE… DENIED." The robot's eye flared brighter. A red energy beam blasted forward, targeting Mar-Vell. The Kree warrior barely dodged in time, soaring into the air with incredible speed. "Okay, so I'm guessing you two don't exactly see eye to eye." Stark fired another repulsor blast, hitting the robot's head dead-on. The machine barely flinched. Mar-Vell landed a few feet away, his face more serious than before. "Iron Man, this robot belongs to Ronan the Accuser. He is a high-ranking officer of the Kree Empire… ruthless, relentless. He will not stop until this mission is complete." "Ronan?" Stark repeated. "Yeah, nope. Don't know him. But judging by your face, I'm guessing he's bad news." Mar-Vell nodded gravely. "You don't understand. Ronan is responsible for massacring entire civilizations. His brand of 'justice' is absolute destruction. If he sent this machine, then Earth is already on his radar." Stark raised a hand. "Hold up—so you're telling me there's an alien empire out there that wants to wipe us out?" Mar-Vell clenched his fists. "There's no time for explanations. We must destroy its energy core before—" "—Before what?" Stark interrupted. "Before it calls its friends? Before it gets mad? I hate to break it to you, Captain, but we've been blasting this thing for a while now, and it's still standing." Mar-Vell's expression darkened. "No… Before it detonates the Kree Empire's antimatter bomb inside its body." A long pause. Stark blinked. "…Excuse me, what?" "If that bomb goes off, it will erase this entire city. We will not survive." Stark exhaled sharply. "You mean to tell me this walking nightmare has a dirty bomb tucked inside its chest?" "Sir," Jarvis's voice chimed in. "Based on my scans, Captain Mar-Vell is telling the truth." "Oh, I knew he was telling the truth." Stark let out a tired sigh. "Because my life is a goddamn circus." At that moment, the reconnaissance robot went berserk. The red energy beams became a storm—firing indiscriminately in every direction. Trees exploded into flames, the ground shattered under the impact, and even the air itself trembled under the heat. Mar-Vell returned fire, his pistol unleashing waves of green energy. Stark launched his full arsenal—repulsors, missiles, everything. Nothing was enough. Mar-Vell shouted, "Iron Man, watch out!" A green blast narrowly missed Stark's shoulder, slamming into a tree and obliterating it instantly. "F—!!" Stark bit back a curse, checking his armor's damage. "Sir, your armor's integrity has dropped to 42%. Energy levels at 57%." Stark ignored the warning. "Mar-Vell, can we disable this thing long enough for you to rip out the bomb?" Mar-Vell hesitated. "…Yes. But only if you can completely immobilize it." "Well, paralyzing a bloodthirsty alien death machine sounds simple enough," Stark muttered. His gauntlet glowed. A high-energy laser cut through the air, slamming into the robot's limbs. It didn't work. The machine's self-repairing armor sealed the damage almost instantly. "Sir, I strongly recommend retreating. Your armor is reaching critical limits." Stark clenched his jaw. "I know, Jarvis." The situation was turning dire. Suddenly— A flash of blue light struck the robot. Unlike before, its self-repair process slowed. The machine staggered. For the first time, it looked vulnerable. Stark's eyes narrowed. That was new. Maybe, just maybe— They had a chance. -------------- T/N: Access Advance Chapters on my P@treon: [email protected]/MPHFics