Li Ming sat cross-legged on the car roof, keeping a close watch on Stark's every move. There was no helping it—the guy only knew that Killian was hiding at some dock, but as for where or what it was called, Li Ming admitted he hadn't paid enough attention when watching the movie.
How else was he supposed to find Killian if he didn't follow Stark? This was the damn consequence of enjoying the movie for thrills while neglecting the details.
When Stark and his friend Colonel Rhodes finally located Killian under the cover of night, Li Ming abruptly opened his eyes and grinned wickedly. "Potts, ready? The party's about to begin."
Potts hesitated, pointing at her casual outfit. "Are you sure I don't need to change into combat gear or something before beating up Killian?"
"Of course," Li Ming jumped down from the car roof, pulling out the Loki Mask from his satchel and handing it to Potts. "But remember our deal—you can beat him up all you want, just don't secretly kill Killian. I still need him to punch me out a sailboat with his fists."
As he spoke, Li Ming donned a skull mask, hoisted a scythe, and began casting a spell to open the Teleportation Door. "Now, put on the mask and let Stark see whose fists pack more punch in this household."
Potts glanced down at the mask, took a deep breath, and placed it on her face. Instantly, she let out a scream as she spun rapidly in place. When the green whirlwind from her transformation dissipated, Potts emerged—unsurprisingly—with a green head.
Seeing this, Li Ming gave a gentlemanly bow, leaning slightly forward as he gestured for Potts to proceed, fists clenched.
Potts didn't stand on ceremony. With a cool flourish, she pulled out a Vulcan Cannon from her jacket pocket, stepped through the Teleportation Door, and immediately opened fire on the nearby lights.
Li Ming, who had just crossed the portal himself, was stunned. What's going on? Does Potts have a violent streak? Swallowing hard, he wisely transformed into black mist and floated into the air, not daring to provoke her. He then summoned Wangcai and commanded, "Seal this place tight. If even a single rat escapes, I'll starve you all for decades."
Sensing the immense fury simmering within Li Ming, Wangcai didn't hesitate. Along with the Dementors, he surrounded the dock completely, leaving no gaps—not even the air entering or exiting the area escaped their scrutiny. Satisfied, Li Ming nodded and floated to a higher vantage point, pulling out a camera to record Potts' rampage.
After a while, feeling like something was missing, Li Ming pushed the skull mask up to his forehead and shouted, "Kreacher! Bring me some beer and watermelon—what kind of spectator would I be without watermelon?"
Kreacher blinked innocently, utterly baffled by the term "spectator." With a mix of confusion and guilt, he whispered, "Master, Kreacher hasn't grown any watermelons… Kreacher is not a proper house-elf…"
"Uh—" Li Ming scratched his head and waved his hand, opening a Teleportation Door to the RV. "Then just bring some sunflower seeds and beer."
Kreacher bowed respectfully. "Yes, Master. Kreacher will prepare it at once."
Seconds later, Kreacher reappeared beside Li Ming, holding a tray laden with beer and sunflower seeds. Li Ming set the tray aside, picked up a glass, and was about to take a sip when he suddenly remembered something. "Kreacher, bring Happy here."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Kreacher had already transported Happy—who was faintly glowing red—to Li Ming's side.
Happy, who had just been tied up like a dumpling and forcibly injected with the Extremis Virus, now found himself kneeling under the night sky, disoriented and gasping for breath.
Li Ming crouched in front of him with a grin. "I know it's Christmas, but do you really have to kneel and beg for red envelopes from your elders like this?" "Austin?" Happy looked up at Li Ming, realizing he was out of danger. Rolling his eyes in relief, he quipped, "Which one of us looks like the elder here?"
As Li Ming helped Happy up, he shrugged and said, "I'm a mage. What's wrong with using magic to maintain a youthful appearance? Can you blame me?"
Seeing Happy too weak to stand and having to sit on the ground, Li Ming casually handed the camera to Kreacher, signaling him to continue filming Potts' heroic documentary. He then picked up a glass of beer and handed it to Happy, saying, "Buddy, take deep breaths and keep calm. Otherwise, this special beer will have nothing to do with you, and I'll have to trap you in a time-stopping spell."
"I'm trying," Happy gasped, glancing at Li Ming before asking with effort, "What's so special about this beer?"
It was clear Happy wanted to ease his tension through conversation. Li Ming raised an eyebrow, swirled the glass in his hand, and replied, "The wheat used as the main ingredient is quite unique, and I added plenty of magical materials during the brewing process. I'd say that makes it special enough."
Hearing Li Ming's explanation, Happy shifted his body, raising his hands like a qigong master to steady his breathing before taking the glass and gulping it down.
After downing half the glass, Happy turned to Li Ming and remarked, "Not bad."
Beer brewed from God-grade wheat—was "not bad" all he could say?
Li Ming chuckled but didn't elaborate. If Happy accidentally let something slip, Fury would probably stash his pride in his pocket and drive a wheat harvester straight into Li Ming's RV the next day to play thief.
On the ground, after Potts had extinguished all the lights at the dock, the area became her private shooting gallery. The muzzle flashes from the Vulcan Cannon in her hands were practically the brightest "spotlight" on the scene.
This Vulcan Cannon—an aircraft-mounted machine gun—had enough recoil to knock a grown man flat.
Yet Potts held it steady with one hand while casually pulling the trigger with the other, turning the Vulcan Cannon into a sniper rifle. To make things even more exciting, she summoned dark clouds to block the moonlight.
Now the dock was pitch black, but Potts, empowered by her mask, could see her enemies clearly. With the Vulcan Cannon's overwhelming firepower, she turned anyone who dared peek out into mincemeat.
Before long, Potts spotted Stark and Rhodes. Striding toward Stark, she occasionally fired the Vulcan Cannon one-handed to pick off any "mice" that popped up.
But Potts was puzzled—the closer she got to Stark, the harder he seemed to run in the opposite direction. Had Stark stopped loving her?
Clearly, she'd forgotten she was sporting a green head, and under the cover of darkness, Stark had no chance of recognizing her. Once a top weapons manufacturer, Stark immediately recognized the sound of a Vulcan Cannon at the scene. The muzzle flashes from the cannon served as a stark reminder that some 'Rambo' was advancing toward him with the weapon in hand. Why wouldn't he run? Wait to be shredded by the Vulcan Cannon?
After Stark dodged Potts several times, she became furious and fired the Vulcan Cannon around Stark and Rhodes, shouting with deep resentment in her voice, "Tony, I came to save you, and you're avoiding me? Get out here and explain yourself!"
Stark and Rhodes were so terrified by Potts' 'human outline' shooting technique with the Vulcan Cannon that they raised their hands and stood frozen in place. When they heard the voice calling out—Potts' voice—Stark turned to her in utter confusion, his lips trembling as he asked, "P-Potts?"
"It's me," Potts said, quickly running up to Stark. She casually tossed the Vulcan Cannon aside and pulled him into a tight embrace.
Rhodes glanced at Potts and Stark, then turned his gaze to the seemingly bottomless Vulcan Cannon lying on the ground. Meanwhile, Stark stared blankly at Potts' green-haired head before concluding, "Austin must have cast a spell on you."
Potts released Stark and laughed. "No, Austin just lent me a little something." She paused, flexing her biceps before adding, "I think it works better than your Armor Suit."
Stark pursed his lips. Though he disagreed internally, the memory of Potts wielding the Vulcan Cannon instantly deflated him.
Damn, she's not someone to mess with.
After all, Potts' nickname was 'Little Pepper'—a clear indicator of her fiery personality. If Stark dared to argue back now, not only was he not wearing his Armor Suit, but even if he were, what good would it do? If he so much as laid a finger on her, Potts would dismantle him into spare parts by the end of the day.
But speaking of the Armor Suit, Stark turned his head toward the fiery trails streaking across the sky and grinned. "Finally, they're here."
Beside him, Rhodes let out a sigh of relief. With the protection of the Armor Suit, not only would his safety be guaranteed, but their chances of rescuing the president would also improve.
Rhodes mimicked Stark's stance, spreading his arms wide. "Tony, get me an Armor Suit too."
"Sorry, these suits are custom-fitted to my measurements," Tony replied, raising an eyebrow without a hint of apology in his tone. Most of tonight's spotlight was stolen by Potts, and now you want to steal more by wearing a suit? Not a chance.
Rhodes froze awkwardly on the spot.
Then Potts chimed in, "Tony, I want an Armor Suit too."
"Uh—" Stark, now suited up, sighed helplessly. "This suit really isn't designed for your body type, and you've never trained to pilot one." He paused before adding in a hushed voice, "Besides, war should stay away from women and—"
Before he could finish, Potts cut him off dismissively. "I'll make the suit fit me." After a moment's hesitation, Stark thought Potts would be safer with the protection of an Armor Suit and said, "Alright, Jarvis, give Potts an Armor Suit."
"That's more like it," Potts replied as an Armor Suit approached her.
However, once Potts donned the suit, Stark and Rhodes stared in bewilderment as she spun in place a few times before soaring into the air.
Exchanging glances, Stark and Rhodes were baffled—not only had the Armor Suit inexplicably shrunk into a set of armor, but now it sprouted massive metal wings over 10 meters in diameter. What the hell was going on?
"Buddy, your girlfriend just turned into an angel," Rhodes remarked, smacking his lips. "A green-headed metal angel, no less."
"She's always been an angel," Stark retorted, ignoring Rhodes' comment about the "green head." Spreading his arms as if to fly, he added, "My angel," before soaring to Potts' side. Curious, he asked, "What exactly did Austin give you? You're acting like some kind of sorcerer now."
"A magical mask," Potts replied, clenching her fist as she glared at several enemies glowing red in the distance.
Stark glanced at Potts' green face and quipped, "That mask is seriously ugly."
Potts shot him a sidelong glance but said nothing. Instead, she blasted off with a sonic boom, charging straight at the enemies injected with the Extremis Virus.
Stark gulped nervously under Potts' glare. Only after she punched through one of the enemies did he shrug and fly off to face his own opponent.