Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1062, Part 1058: The Second Battle of New York (Second Update)

This was a highly aggressive declaration, devoid of any inclusive language; the atmosphere of war permeated every word. For those unwilling to accept reality and indulging in pleasure, this was terrifying totalitarianism, whether for Americans who fully embraced Anglo-Protestant thought or for Western and Eastern Europeans who embraced neoliberalism. Yet, it was also a humiliating treaty. The state of war between Latvia and the United States was not over; only nominally, the US would withdraw its dwindling fleet and troops from Southern Europe, completely relinquishing control of the Mediterranean and surrounding countries. This meant that Latvian forces could advance unimpeded in Southern Europe and the Middle East, using war to spread the "Truth of Unity" and complete the second phase of their campaign: conquering Jerusalem and Constantinople.

Salomon knew perfectly well that the agreement could be torn up at any moment. He knew that in the coming period, the United States would exaggerate the Latvian threat, drastically increase military spending while attempting to control the surrounding regions. Even the CIA might organize opposition groups to incite war, using its usual tactics of propaganda and cognitive warfare. Therefore, he told everyone that Latvian would accept humanitarian aid from some countries to conflict zones, but any country or organization attempting to subvert the "United Truth" would face the most direct retaliation. Latvian was even willing to risk nuclear war, replacing ideological elimination with physical extermination. For example, individuals from the Syrian Civil Defense and the National Endowment for Democracy would be executed on the spot if discovered.

This was a stern warning, and everyone knew he had the ability and decisiveness to carry it out.

All the information was broadcast to televisions, computers, and cell phones in every household through North American communication systems. Some devout believers in New York who firmly believed that America was God's blessed (in fact, white right-wingers) completely ignored the towering war machine and attempted to storm the United Nations headquarters to oppose "those who do not believe in God." Seeing the situation was turning against them, the New York police on the perimeter pretended to hold them off for a while, but as the number of people grew, they secretly opened a gap, allowing civilians to rush in. Because Tony Stark had already signed the Sokovia Accords, New York Police Commissioner George Stacy chose to call him under these circumstances. Having just arrived at the hospital to take Peter Parker to his ward, Tony Stark had to drag his exhausted body back to the United Nations headquarters. His appearance immediately drew cheers, with some shouting for him to "kick the ass of those blasphemers inside." However, he chose to stand in front of the surging crowd, trying to maintain order with a relaxed tone and cheerful atmosphere—Tony Stark had no intention of fighting the Immortal City, because he knew he had no chance of winning; those massive war robots were not something ordinary people could handle.

"If you can't do it, then don't wear that armor!" someone shouted from the crowd. "Fuck you, Avengers!" The already agitated crowd immediately erupted into a riot. These people had somehow produced cardboard signs with slogans written on them, seemingly preparing for a protest march. Tony Stark knew that this method would not only be ineffective against those cold-blooded killing machines, but could even backfire. However, no matter how much he appealed to the public to calm down through the megaphone, the hot-blooded crowd remained fervent in their desire to "kill the heretics" and "kill the atheists."

The group included many criminals who had come to join the fun, so the situation quickly spiraled out of control, and Tony Stark was no match for the sheer number of people. The team led by the captain of the 3rd Tactical Squad of the 20th Company of the First Legion of genetically modified warriors, the "Fire Knights," launched a fierce counterattack against the armed American civilians. They used explosives and plasma weapons to blow up the fools trying to rush in, along with their vehicles. This horrific outcome slightly calmed the overzealous Protestants. When the "Fire Knights" drew their melee weapons to carry out a "complete cleansing," the police and believers who had rushed from the nearby church scattered in panic. Even the SWAT team, which had been maintaining order on the perimeter, withdrew immediately after firing two symbolic shots.

Tony Stark was forced to extend his hand and fire a laser pulse cannon at one of the "Infernal Knights." However, this attack was blocked by a genetically modified warrior using a shield equipped with an ion shield. Tony Stark immediately activated the micro-missile pods on the back of his shoulder, and a dozen unexploded micro-missiles whistled towards the genetically modified warriors. The Infernal Knights' response was unexpected; in the blink of an eye, they raised their shields to form a shield wall, while simultaneously firing a volley at him from the gaps in the shields. Before Tony Stark could use the more powerful plasma weapon on his chest armor, a dense barrage of bullets immediately swarmed towards him. The sharpshooting team, adorned with marksman badges, simultaneously aimed at his joints and the glowing reactor on his chest. The high-explosive armor-piercing warhead, after penetrating the armor, used the nuclear fission-like heat and the explosion of the high-density metal warhead to destroy the seams of the Iron Man suit and the intricate mechanical structure beneath, blowing off the outer armor, thrusters, and energy wires, paralyzing part of the functionality of his power armor.

This wasn't the chaotic lone-wolf battle of the Battle of New York, nor was it the attack by untrained militia that Tony Stark encountered in Afghanistan. Instead, it was a targeted operation by professional soldiers with tactical thinking. Iron Man had always been one of the hypothetical enemies, and the Hellfire Knights had conducted several drills with him. Although the genetically modified soldiers suffered varying degrees of injury from the exploding micro-missiles, they still managed to retaliate in an organized manner, leaving no opening for the enemy to counterattack. This was one of the many combat skills they should have mastered after undergoing training and surviving.

This was the first time Tony Stark had experienced being hit by a bombshell. The very first bomb nearly pierced his chest armor, damaging the energy pipes connecting the Iron Man suit's reactor to other parts, causing a significant drop in reactor output. Tony Stark, who had just taken off and reached a height of twenty meters, immediately plummeted, forced to kneel on the ground and rely on emergency batteries to power his energy shield against the barrage of bombs, watching helplessly as his energy rapidly depleted. "Sir, should we activate the emergency escape plan?" Friday asked in a broken, crackling voice. "Should we call the Iron Legion?"

"No..." Stark noticed the oncoming bombs suddenly stop. He initially thought the enemy had received a ceasefire order, but when he looked up, he saw a warhammer crackling with electricity smashing towards him at a speed invisible to ordinary people. The deafening shockwave penetrated his power armor, destroying many electronic components and cushioning devices, and blasting him back more than ten meters.

His mind went blank; he had no idea what he was saying. "Yes! Yes! All of them! Call Veronica now!"

The Iron Man suit's visor was dented, and the holographic HUD was completely destroyed. Tony Stark screamed in the darkness, feeling several broken ribs, his mouth filled with the taste of blood, his entire body wracked with pain, and he was dizzy and disoriented. The assault soldier of the 3rd Tactical Squad, 20th Company, First Legion "Fire Knights," under the cover of his comrades' fire, charged towards the sparking Iron Man like an enraged bull. He stomped Tony Stark under his boots, then swung his warhammer, aiming fiercely at Tony Stark's chest and abdominal armor, and brought it down viciously. This seasoned assault soldier immediately recognized that this power armor, in order to ensure mobility, had made many compromises in its chest and abdominal protection; the flashy but impractical armor was something that genetically modified warriors would scoff at.

With another swing, the Iron Man suit had lost most of its functionality, and even the thrusters were nearly damaged.

As the assault team leader abruptly lowered his warhammer and drew his plasma pistol, intending to ceremonially execute this "annoying idiot," several massive alloy plates descended from the sky, separating him from the rest of the team. Tony Stark, who had been motionless, suddenly activated several of his leg thrusters, barely managing to pull himself out of the cratered concrete—actually, he rolled out flailing his limbs wildly, completely unable to control his direction. The seven alloy plates that followed, using electromagnetic fields to create a prison, completely surrounded the assault team leader. Simultaneously, over a dozen Iron Man suits, trailing plumes of flame, rushed in from the sky, simultaneously launching micro-missiles to intercept the swarm of drones, engaging in a firefight.

Upon detecting the anomaly, the aircraft hovering above the UN headquarters immediately launched air-to-air missiles downwards. Several missiles accurately hit their targets, blasting the Iron Man suits into a shower of sparks. The gigantic bipedal war machines also emitted thunderous sirens, activating their weapon systems and shields. New Yorkers witnessed a thirty-second fireworks display, with some even believing that "Battle of New York II" had begun. Finally, some nearby idiots, eager for a spectacle, noticed the anomaly. Faced with the "Fire Knights" launching a full-scale counterattack, they ran as fast as they could, their survival instincts honed during the First Battle of New York proving invaluable once again.

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(End of this chapter)