Chapter 23 Iron Man VS Indra

After going through all your complaints, I decided to rework this chapter completely. I took out anything inappropriate and made sure to get Iron's mans character right by watching his fights over and over on YouTube. Now, the chapter is 1,600 words long. I really hope you enjoy it. If you find any more issues, please let me know.

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The speculation about Indra grew more intense. What started as accusations of being a bomb mastermind turned into fears of him being an alien threat to the world. The crowd's fear deepened, and they only hoped Iron Man could defeat this terrifying foe.

Lying on the ground, Iron Man was clearly frustrated. He had missed Indra with three arc reactor blasts, which annoyed him. Although he hadn't set the power too high, the blasts were still fast. Despite Indra's enhanced abilities, he wasn't particularly quick. Missing three times made Iron Man wonder if the blasts were too weak or too slow.

Hearing JARVIS suggest firing the unibeam, Tony hesitated. He knew its power. If unleashed at full force, it wouldn't just take down Indra; it could harm the crowd below. Thinking quickly, Tony flew into the air and instructed JARVIS, "Set unibeam to 20% power."

At 20%, the unibeam was still formidable, comparable to a tank-piercing round and faster than the arc reactor blasts. Indra wouldn't be able to dodge it.

As the reactor on Iron Man's chest began to glow, a beam of energy shot towards Indra's position.

Boom!

The laser struck the helipad, penetrating the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust. The spectators couldn't see the fight, but they saw Iron Man hovering and firing a laser.

Iron Man looked at the scorched ground with a sense of pride. He was certain that while Indra might not be dead, he was certainly gravely injured. This was his moment to show everyone in America that Iron Man and his suit could defeat any enemy!

Just as he was ready to bask in the crowd's adulation and deliver a victory speech, a figure emerged from the dust—a man engulfed in flames, walking unscathed.

"Motherfucker?How you're unharmed?!" Iron Man exclaimed in disbelief.

Seeing Indra standing there without a scratch was shocking. How could someone take a hit like that and be fine? At the very least, he should have been injured. Otherwise, it made Tony's attacks seem like a joke.

Indra sneered, "Are you done? Because it's my turn now."

Indra's energy quickly amassed, and a massive flame burst from his mouth. The speed and intensity of the flame weren't much less than Iron Man's unibeam. Seeing this, Iron Man turned and flew skyward as fast as he could.

Despite his quick escape, the extreme heat from the flames still damaged his suit. The Mk42 armor wasn't equipped with powerful fire-resistant features, and the intense heat from Indra's flames made Iron Man feel like he was sitting on a furnace.

"Sir, the suit's temperature is excessively high, and some components are already damaged," JARVIS warned.

The crowd, who had just begun cheering Iron Man's presumed victory, fell silent in shock as they saw the massive flame erupt. Their excitement turned to fear, and they hurriedly sought cover, some even fleeing the scene to avoid getting hurt. They had never anticipated that Indra would be so formidable.

Iron Man himself hadn't expected this either. He frowned and asked JARVIS, "Check the suit for malfunctions…"

Before he could finish, JARVIS alerted, "Sir, the flight system has malfunctioned. Immediate descent is advised to prevent a high-altitude fall."

Cursing under his breath, Iron Man was forced to land on the rooftop. As soon as he touched down, Indra's fist came at him. Iron Man quickly raised his left arm to block the attack and struck out with his right. Indra leaned back, dodging Iron Man's blow, then leaped behind him, grabbing Iron Man by the neck and slamming him into the ground.

The combined damage from the unibeam and the intense heat had weakened the rooftop's structure. Adding the weight of Iron Man's armor, the surface caved in.

Boom!

The crash resounded as Iron Man hit the ground. Indra didn't hesitate, delivering a punch straight to Iron Man's face. Though Iron Man's armor was incredibly tough, it was no match for the strength of Indra's assault. The punch shook the virtual display inside the helmet.

"Warning: Severe suit damage detected…" JARVIS alerted.

Just as Indra was about to throw another punch, Iron Man grabbed his hand and hurled him away.

Indra knew that Iron Man hadn't used his full power with those earlier blasts. Even if he had, Indra doubted it would have been effective. The constant probing and suspicion from S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers had ignited his anger.

"Since you're so eager to know my strength, I don't mind showing you," Indra thought as he got back on his feet and launched himself at Iron Man once more.

With his flight capability disabled, Iron Man had no choice but to engage in hand-to-hand combat. On the rooftop, man and machine clashed fiercely, the sounds of metal and flesh colliding echoing all around. The hotel's helipad was nearly destroyed, and the guests had long since fled.

Despite his armor, Iron Man struggled against Indra's relentless attacks. In contrast, Indra, bolstered by the Extremis virus's rapid healing, showed hardly any signs of injury, even when hit by Iron Man's steel fists.

As both fighters exchanged powerful blows, the impact sent Indra stumbling backward while Iron Man was knocked to the ground.

"Sir, the suit is severely damaged. Continued combat is not advised," JARVIS warned.

Iron Man, seeing the red alerts flashing across his HUD, muttered, "The damage is extensive."

Indra's strength had clearly exceeded Iron Man's expectations. More troubling was the realization that using repulsor blasts was futile against Indra; only close combat had a chance of hitting him. Yet, the Mk42's power seemed insignificant against him.

"Who is this guy?" Iron Man wondered, his frustration evident.

Despite the severity of the situation, he couldn't help but question his initial suspicions. His suit's flight capabilities were disabled, and if Indra chose to unleash his flames again, the outcome could be fatal. But Indra hadn't taken that opportunity, which made Iron Man hesitate.

"Did I suspect the wrong person?"

Lying on the ground, Iron Man asked, "Why were you at that bank?"

His suit was critically damaged. While he could summon more suits, it seemed unnecessary now. He hadn't pegged Indra as a ruthless villain bent on world destruction; he simply needed answers.

"I reviewed the surveillance footage from around the bank explosion. You were there. The bank exploded, no one survived, but you did. How are these things unrelated to you?" Iron Man pressed.

Indra scoffed, "If I were the mastermind, I wouldn't waste my time talking to you."

Iron Man frowned, realizing Indra had a point. If he were truly an arch-villain, he would have despised heroes like Iron Man and shown no mercy.

"My name is Indra," he said, his voice echoing with a resonance that hinted at an underlying power.

Iron Man, still processing the immense strength and resilience of his opponent, struggled to rise. The suit's servos whirred in protest, but Tony's determination pushed through the pain. He needed to understand this formidable figure standing before him.

"Indra," Tony repeated, tasting the name on his tongue. "You need to understand—"

But Indra interrupted, his eyes blazing with an intensity that spoke of untold stories. "I have no intention of causing harm to innocent people. The explosion, the accusations—they are all part of something much larger. You and your Avengers are just pawns in this game."

Tony's mind raced. The implications of Indra's words were staggering. Was there a deeper conspiracy at play? One that even the Avengers were unaware of?

"You have to tell me," Tony urged, "Who are you really fighting against?"

Indra's face softened, if only for a moment. "The ones who manipulate from the shadows, who pull the strings behind every major conflict and disaster. They are the true enemies. And if you truly want to make a difference, Stark, you'll need to look beyond the surface."

Before Tony could respond, Indra turned, his body beginning to emit a strange, otherworldly glow. "This isn't over, Iron Man. Not by a long shot. But for now, I have other battles to fight."

With a final, searing look, Indra leaped into the sky, disappearing from sight in a burst of radiant energy. Tony was left on the ruined rooftop, his suit barely holding together, and his mind awash with new questions.

JARVIS's voice brought him back to the present. "Sir, we need to get you back to the lab for immediate repairs. The suit's structural integrity is compromised."

Tony nodded, still staring at the sky where Indra had vanished. "Yeah, JARVIS. Let's go. But keep all sensors on alert. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of him."

As Iron Man flew back to his base, the crowd below, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events, watched in silence. The once-clear lines between hero and villain had blurred, and they were left to wonder about the true nature of the threats that loomed over their world.

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