The Prototype of the Anti-Hulk Armor
"But I guess you won't have much free time over the next few days," Xu Mo teased, glancing at the unconscious Hulk—now reverted to Dr. Banner—while S.H.I.E.L.D. agents swarmed the area.
Hill sighed, rubbing her forehead as she looked at the wreckage.
"Well, you guessed right. I'll probably be stuck working overtime every night for the next week."
The distant thrum of helicopter blades filled the air. Xu Mo looked up.
"Your S.H.I.E.L.D. backup is here. I've got something else to take care of, so I'll be heading out."
He turned and started toward Tony.
"Wait for my call!" Hill shouted after him, her eyes lingering until he and Tony disappeared into Stark Tower.
"What are you staring at?" a voice asked suddenly.
Hill jumped at the sound of Coulson beside her.
"When did you get here?"
"Just now."
"Could you walk a little more quietly next time?" she snapped, still clutching her chest. Then, shaking it off, she began directing the agents to clean up the scene, leaving Coulson standing there with a bewildered look.
---
Inside Stark Tower, Xu Mo and Tony rode the elevator together. Stark Industries employees stared curiously at Tony in his armor. Xu Mo shifted a step to the side, pretending not to know him—but it was pointless. Everyone here recognized them.
When they reached the top floor and were finally alone, Tony grumbled.
"I told you we should've just flown up from outside. Instead, you had me paraded around in the elevator like I was on display."
Xu Mo smirked.
"What's the problem? It's not like they saw your face anyway."
Tony thought about it, then let it go. But his curiosity got the better of him.
"That armor of yours—what's the deal? You've got tech that advanced and powerful, and yet you asked me to design a suit for your wife. Don't tell me you're worried she'll beat you up if she wears it."
In Tony's mind, Xu Mo's strength came entirely from the armor. Who would believe raw human strength could create a crater ten meters deep with a single punch?
Tony's armor topped out around fifty tons of force. Xu Mo had casually demonstrated something at least two hundred times greater. His speed had been just as outrageous.
Tony leaned forward, eyes shining.
"Come on, let's make a deal."
"No," Xu Mo cut him off flatly. He knew Tony wanted the blueprints.
"I'll trade you every share of Stark Industries!" Tony blurted.
Xu Mo sighed. "My armor only has a defensive function. The reason I knocked Hulk out was my own physical strength. You understand—muscle."
Tony flopped onto the sofa.
"Really? That's the excuse you're going with? Do I look like an idiot, Xu?"
Without another word, Xu Mo peeled the metal mask from Tony's helmet and kneaded it in his hands like clay. Finally, he shaped it into a fist—with the middle finger raised.
"Do you believe me now?"
Tony stared, dumbfounded. He reached out and touched the warped metal—it was definitely titanium alloy.
"Holy hell. Are you some kind of humanoid Tyrannosaurus?" he muttered. Suddenly, a thought struck him—and he couldn't help but wonder: how on earth had those girls survived being with Xu Mo? The idea was terrifying.
---
A few minutes later, Tony handed Xu Mo a chip.
"After thinking it over, this is the best way to thank you. Nothing else seems useful to someone like you."
Xu Mo frowned. "What is this?"
Tony smirked proudly. "Watch."
He tapped a tablet, and a holographic projection lit up on the table—a massive device in satellite orbit.
"I call it Veronica."
On-screen, the satellite received a signal, broke from orbit, and plunged toward Earth. Mid-descent, it deployed dozens of modular components. The pieces shifted and snapped together around an armored figure on the ground.
When the process was complete, the figure stood clad in a suit twice the size of the original, over two meters tall and bristling with heavy weapons.
Tony explained, "For mobility, my armor can't carry many weapons. So I designed this—an orbital weapons supply pack. Don't be fooled by the satellite's size; it carries enough firepower to start a small war."
Xu Mo raised an eyebrow. The prototype of the Hulkbuster… he realized immediately. Tony hadn't yet fought Hulk, so he hadn't conceived it for that purpose. Instead, he had envisioned it as a weapons platform—though Xu Mo knew this would eventually evolve into the Hulkbuster.
Tony pointed at the chip.
"Plug this into your wife's armor, and she'll have full control of one of these supply packs."
Xu Mo nodded. Wanda probably wouldn't use it, but since it was a thank-you gift, he wouldn't refuse. Still, something caught his attention.
"A supply pack? How many of these did you launch?"
Tony smiled sheepishly. "Not many—just a few hundred."
Then his expression grew thoughtful.
"But after fighting that big green guy today, I've got a new idea. What if I built a giant external armor? Next time, it'll be a lot easier to deal with monsters like that."
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters