Chapter 105 – The Beauty of Technology

Tony finished suiting up in his Mark III and flexed his fingers before flipping his faceplate up.

"We'll spar over the water in the back later," he said. "But what about your chief scientist? From the way you talk, she can't exactly fly."

Smith waved dismissively."That's not a problem. Bulma can watch remotely. I'll bring her up to your rooftop — the view from there is good enough as long as we don't fly too far."

Tony nodded."Fair enough. Good spot to watch from, though you're surprisingly chill about letting a kid up there. Shame Pepper isn't around, otherwise I'd let her keep the girl company."

He shrugged."But, hey. Actually…" He snapped his fingers."Maybe Bulma can even experience it for herself. I've still got the silver Mark II in storage — no weapons or ammo, and I can have JARVIS assist the controls. Give the girl a taste of the difference between scientists."

Smith's eyes lit up."Sounds like a plan."

Hearing she'd get to wear the armor, Bulma's eyes sparkled with curiosity — this was a field she'd never tested before.

She stepped onto the platform and soon several mechanical arms fitted her into the Mark II.

Tony then pulled out a spare miniature arc reactor from a drawer — one he'd retired, with just enough juice left for a flight or two — and pressed it into place on Bulma's chest.

As the reactor powered up, the eyes of her faceplate glowed to life.

"Miss Bulma, good evening," came JARVIS's smooth voice.

"Hello, JARVIS," Bulma replied.

The HUD projected across her eyes fascinated her. An AI like this would actually make an excellent lab assistant, she thought.

Tony, already clad in the Mark III, nodded."Don't worry — JARVIS will handle the piloting for you."

He shut his own faceplate and rocketed straight up through the floor hatch.

Bulma followed him, carried by JARVIS's assistance, while Smith ascended on his own using bukūjutsu (flight).

As they climbed, Bulma received a comms request from Tony and answered it."So, little Bulma, feeling impressed by the genius of Tony Stark yet?"

"Your invention's cool and creative, Tony — but I actually like your AI butler more," Bulma teased.

"Thank you for the compliment, Miss Bulma," JARVIS interjected politely.

Tony chuckled."You've got an eye for talent. Hope you build one of your own someday."

After a few pleasantries, Tony called out to Smith, who was keeping pace effortlessly."Alright, Smith — let's spar. I want to see just how well my Mark series holds up against someone from your world."

Smith smirked."Looking forward to it myself."

JARVIS maneuvered Bulma a safe distance away to observe.

And then — the two clashed.

Clang! Clang! Clang!Metal met flesh midair as Tony's armor exchanged blows with Smith.

To Tony's credit, he held his ground despite the shockingly powerful punches. Even though Smith was holding back, Tony's close-combat skills and reflexes were better than expected.

But then Smith noticed something odd — the armor fought him with techniques he didn't expect Tony to know. Thai boxing, karate, wing chun — every kind of move flashed through.

Smith quickly realized: Hmph. That's not Tony. That's the AI.

And since Tony wanted to play like this, Smith decided to stop holding back.

He flared his ki, accelerated, and appeared behind Tony in an instant — then brought both fists down on the suit's back.

BOOM!A sonic boom rang out as Tony plummeted into the sea, kicking up a massive plume of water.

Inside the HUD, a warning flashed: "Severe damage to dorsal plating. Continued close-quarters combat risks critical failure."

Tony, emerging from the waves, gasped."So this… is how strong you really are."

Rising back into the air, he radioed over."Smith — close combat ends here. Now I'll show you the beauty of technology!"

The Mark III's shoulder pods opened, revealing rows of micro-missiles."If you're not sure you can take it, you'd better yield now."

Smith cracked his knuckles, completely unafraid."Bring it, Tony."

Tony smiled under the helmet. Good — he didn't want to hurt his friend, but it was reassuring to see Smith confident.

With JARVIS locking on, Tony fired twenty micro-missiles in quick succession.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Smith calmly raised his hand and began swatting them down one by one with ki blasts, detonating them in midair.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sky lit up with bursts of flame and shockwaves as the two continued their breathtaking duel, each showcasing the pinnacle of their respective worlds — technology and raw power.

…

(End of Chapter)

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