Chapter 28

They're dead!

The reinforcements clutched their hearts, let out a despairing cry, and collapsed. Heart paralysis? Sudden death? Did everyone have a heart attack?

Tony Stark, who had been hovering in the air, was stunned.

"Sir, this is identical to what happened earlier—a mysterious force with no detectable energy waves caused their deaths."

"My God, what is this?" Tony was baffled. Even his normally calm demeanor showed signs of gravity and panic. This was a significant blow to someone ranked among the top three smartest individuals globally.

Even JARVIS, after scouring various esoteric sources and mutant ability databases, couldn't identify the nature of this power.

"But one thing is certain: every time this mysterious power appears, it's triggered by the boy's anger."

What kind of analysis is that! Tony couldn't help but smile bitterly. Was JARVIS suggesting he should never anger the boy?

"Should I bribe him with candy? Or maybe a nice toy set?"

"Sir, those suggestions aren't appropriate for a 13-year-old."

"Oh, right. I forgot that I was almost graduating college at that age, so my perspective might be a bit off," Tony quipped, unable to resist showing off a bit.

But the problem still needed solving.

Boom!

A sleek red-and-gold suit descended from the sky.

"Hey, kid, I mean no harm."

To show his sincerity, Iron Man spread his arms wide. His helmet retracted, revealing a slightly weathered middle-aged face with a meticulously groomed goatee.

"I know what's going on. General Stryker orchestrated all of this. You're not some dangerous mutant. That's a false accusation. You're just an innocent boy who escaped from a lab."

Faced with this mysterious and terrifying individual, Tony used the most heartfelt language of his life, trying to appeal to the boy.

Even without a heart rate monitor, Tony knew his pulse had quickened. Secretly, he had JARVIS monitor the boy's emotional fluctuations. After all, he was taking a gamble.

No matter what, the boy was only thirteen, still in his rebellious phase, with an unformed worldview.

Seeing the boy's cold, ruthless face, Tony believed there was still hope. The fault wasn't his. All the evil stemmed from General Stryker and the world's persecution of mutants.

"I can end this. With the push of a button, I can reveal the atrocities of the lab to the world. Stryker will be brought to justice."

Tony took a deep breath. A holographic screen appeared beside him, displaying the decrypted secret files. One command, and JARVIS would broadcast it to all media outlets, exposing the truth to the world.

"You're not a villain. In fact... you could be a hero. With your power, you could easily become one."

Tony swore this was the best speech of his life. Surely, it would move the boy.

"Sir, his emotional response doesn't indicate anger, but he's also not showing any signs of doubt or remorse. In other words, his conviction is strong," JARVIS reported.

Tony's heart sank into an abyss. The boy's expression remained impassive. He chuckled bitterly, recalling how he had once run away from home over a minor dispute at thirteen, taking two weeks to reconsider. How much harder would it be for someone who had suffered so much more?

Moreover, with such unfathomable power, why should he tolerate it?

"You think I need your redemption?"

After listening to Tony's impassioned speech, Su Chen sneered, his unwavering determination evident in his steady demeanor. Humanity's hypocrisy was glaring—only when suffering did they attempt to make amends. If they had known, why did they act as they did?

He needed no one's sympathy or pity. His power was already sufficient to ignore all this. If someone wronged him, he'd let his fists and strength show them the consequences.

"The fault lies not with me, but with this world."

"Leave!" Su Chen commanded expressionlessly.

Boom!

In less than a second, a massive telekinetic blast shot towards Iron Man.

"Not good!" Tony hurriedly reactivated his armor, but it was too late. The force ripped through his suit, sending him hurtling into the distant sea.

"The fault isn't mine, and I need no redemption," Su Chen said coldly.

Amidst the fallen reinforcements, about ten figures began to stir. Among them were some with healing abilities, which Su Chen could understand.

"Sorry, he's here..."

A scholarly-looking middle-aged man in glasses, resembling a university professor, apologized to Su Chen. In the next moment, his heart fully healed, and his body transformed, growing larger and green-skinned with bulging muscles, unmistakably marking him as the Hulk.

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