Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Cigarette

“Shit! This unkillable monster!” Tony cursed.

“Found you. Hiding here, huh?” Jason’s voice was icy as he landed.

“My God! It’s Jason!” The crowd screamed, abandoning cars and sprinting away.

One Audi was trapped between vehicles, its driver unable to open the door despite frantic efforts.

Jason glanced over and approached. “Need help, sir?”

The driver stared, frozen, face like he’d seen a ghost. He shook his head, then nodded, brain seemingly offline.

Jason smirked, squatted, and lifted the Audi with both arms, floating into the air.

Tony watched, assuming a fighting stance. “Jarvis, I’ve got an idea.”

“My God! Help! Help!” The driver wailed, unheard.

Jason reached a good height. “Tony! You love Audis, right? Here’s one for you!”

He hurled the car at Tony.

“Jarvis, now!” Tony thrust out his chest, firing a full-power electromagnetic pulse.

The Audi blocked Jason’s view, hiding Tony’s move.

As Jason crossed his arms to watch, the pulse pierced the car like paper, racing toward him.

His grin froze.

Too close to react.

BOOM!

Unprotected, Jason took the full hit, chest searing as he was blasted hundreds of meters into a restaurant.

Tony dove aside, dodging the Audi. It crashed, half-destroyed, the driver reduced to a pulp.

“Haha, Jarvis, not bad, huh?” Tony laughed, sprawled on the ground.

Even the death of a man he could’ve saved couldn’t dampen his smugness.

“Sir, that was impressive, but Jason’s likely still alive,” Jarvis said.

Tony pushed himself up. “I know, but he’s hurt bad. Time for the kill shot.”

He took off toward the restaurant.

*

In the wrecked restaurant corner, Jason lay gasping.

Every muscle screamed, his chest sporting a gaping hole from the pulse.

“Shit! Got careless. Gotta keep the shield up,” He muttered, touching the wound, regret gnawing.

The pulse’s heat cauterized it, or he’d be fleeing to a hospital.

Hearing pulses outside, he scrambled to hide.

Tony landed, cautiously entering the dark restaurant.

“Jarvis, why’s it so dark?”

“Likely Jason’s crash damaged the electricals, sir.”

“Activate thermal imaging!”

“Sir, thermal imaging was damaged earlier.”

Tony shook his head, using a weak pulse from his left arm as a flashlight.

Following the trail of destruction, he reached the kitchen where Jason landed. Empty.

He escaped?

No, that lunatic wouldn’t run unless he had to.

Then it hit him.

“Argh!” A roar came from behind.

Tony spun, but Jason tackled him to the ground.

“Jarvis!”

“On it!”

Boot pulses flared, Tony trying to break free.

Jason’s left hand pinned him, his right fist, brimming with energy, slamming into the suit’s chest reactor.

Bang!

The armor cracked.

Another blow sent black smoke billowing from the reactor, lights flickering, sparking.

“Sir, the reactor’s critical! It’s going to blow!” Jarvis warned.

“Jarvis, dump all the energy!” Tony shouted.

“Sir—”

“Now!”

Jason raised his fist to finish the reactor.

A pulse, thicker than ever, erupted.

BOOM!

Jason was blasted through the restaurant wall, streaking hundreds of meters into the sky like a meteor.

The reactor’s energy drained, shutting down.

Tony lay there, eyes wide, heart pounding.

He’d cheated death again.

No time to waste, he scrambled up and staggered out.

Without the reactor, the suit was useless. Without it, he was just a guy with a six-pack.

If Jason came back, he was dead.

On the street, cars clogged the four lanes, but no one was around.

Jason’s reputation was that terrifying.

Tony, clutching his wound, slid into a sedan.

He didn’t get far before hearing chopper blades.

Looking up, he saw a Stark Industries armed helicopter, decked out with his custom paint job.

“Hahaha!” Tony laughed, manic.

Like a parched man finding an oasis.

He slammed the horn, leapt out, and waved wildly. “Hey! Pepper!”

The chopper swooped in, hovering low.

Pepper leaned out. “Tony! You okay?”

Seeing his blood-soaked state, she gasped, covering her mouth. “My God! You’re hurt!”

“I’m fine! Get me the portable suit!” Tony urged, reaching out.

“Okay! Catch!”

The chopper dropped to ten meters. Pepper tossed a red-and-gold suitcase.

Tony shed the wrecked suit and donned the portable one.

With armor back on, his confidence returned.

BOOM!

An explosion echoed hundreds of meters away.

Tony’s face hardened. He flew to the chopper. “Pepper, time to go!”

“Where? Hospital?”

Tony didn’t answer, scooping her up.

“Tony, what are you doing?” She asked, clinging to his neck.

“What? Running!” He snapped, speeding off with her.

The portable suit was weaker than the Mark III—its weapons and reactor inferior.

Another fight with Jason now, and he’d be dismantled in minutes.

Reluctant but prioritizing survival, Tony chose to fight another day.

*

Minutes earlier.

Jason crashed onto a moving police car, flattening it and the two officers inside.

His preemptive shield softened Tony’s strongest hit, sparing him serious injury.

But it drained every bit of his energy.

Aching, exhausted, and empty, he just wanted to lie there and rest.

The police convoy stopped, dozens of L.A. cops approaching with shotguns.

Seeing Jason, they froze, terrified.

“My God!”

A cop screamed and bolted.

Since Jason’s rampage, L.A.P.D. had an unwritten rule: if you see Jason or the Joker Organization’s core members, don’t engage—just run.

Discipline be damned. Life trumped job.

One fled, and hesitant cops followed, pride be damned.

Seconds later, only three bold ones remained.

“Look, Jason’s done for,” One whispered.

“Yeah, that hole in his chest—he’s a goner.”

“This is our shot at glory.”

They murmured, barely containing their excitement.

Without hesitation, they fired their shotguns.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Shotguns with slugs packed a punch.

But for Jason, bone-dry on energy, it was a drop in the bucket. He didn’t even blink.

Twenty-odd rounds later, his breathing stayed steady.

“Shit!”

“Why isn’t he dead?”

“Let’s get out of here!”

They tossed their guns and ran.

Jason opened his eyes, shaking his head.

Not enough energy.

He slid off the car, grabbing a cigarette and lighter from another vehicle.

Leaning against the trunk, he lit it, then casually unscrewed the gas cap.

A cigarette won’t ignite liquid gasoline—it might even go out.

But in a confined tank, vaporized gas in the air can catch, igniting the liquid.

Taking two drags, Jason flicked the cigarette into the tank.

BOOM!

A fireball erupted.

Jason closed his eyes, soaking up the flames’ energy.

Charged, he reached the street, but Tony was gone.

Estimating Tony’s head start and touching his chest wound, Jason gave up the chase.

Done for tonight. Mission’s complete.

Let Tony cling to life a bit longer.

Just a bit.

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