Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

"Kids shouldn't play with explosives, it's dangerous!"

Duke gently tapped Vi's head with his hammer, then turned to the glowing, blue-hued mutant before him. "Ugh, so ugly. Of all the things to drink, why'd you pick some unregulated back-alley formula?"

"RAAARGHH!!"

A mutant roared, abandoning Powder, and lunged straight for Duke.

Duke hefted his brass hammer and casually flung it over his shoulder. "Yell at your grandma, not me!"

Thunk!

The hammer struck the mutant right in the forehead, the force snapping its head back.

"Janna, I need support here!"

Loosening up his limbs, Duke planted a heavy foot on the ground and launched forward. To Vi's astonishment, Duke was sent flying back even faster, slamming hard against the wall.

BANG!

Sliding down the wall with a groan, Duke coughed and shouted, "Janna! Where the hell are you!?"

"I'm busy! Stall them a bit!"

Duke noticed the sky-blue bird circling overhead, releasing gentle breezes that washed over the wounded. Wherever the wind touched, gaping wounds closed and life was drawn back from the brink.

"She's a scatterbrained wind goddess, but I guess she's not completely useless."

Duke slapped a hand against the wall behind him, letting out a grumble, but deep down, he agreed. Stabilizing the wounded was the priority. Still, that left him surrounded by these overpowered thugs.

"No items, no support, level one... man, this is a rough start."

He took a deep breath, grinning wryly, and charged again, slower this time, but with better awareness.

Thanks to the Super Soldier Serum, Duke's physique had surpassed normal humans. But without proper combat training, he had to rely entirely on instinct and observation.

Luckily, these mutants powered by Shimmer weren't exactly tacticians. They fought like wild beasts. As long as Duke could read their movements and react in time, he had a chance.

Back in his old life, Duke had heard something from a brawling buddy: "Street fights aren't about rage, they're about grit and reflexes."

Digging deep for scraps of that wisdom, Duke rushed the mutant, eyes locked on its limbs.

SWOOSH!

A massive arm swept in from the side. Duke ducked low, stepping in with explosive force. His right fist shot upward just as he leapt.

BAM!!

The uppercut smashed into the mutant's jaw, distorting its face and sending it flying backward through the air.

Huff... huff...

Duke stared at his trembling fist, a grin spreading across his face. "Okay... not bad!"

And then a table slammed into him from the side, sending him flying again.

The mutant who threw it growled, clearly warning the others, this guy was no ordinary human.

"Duke! Can't you fight properly?"

"I can swing a hammer at a nail. People? Not so much."

Spitting out blood, Duke wiped his mouth and snorted. "Not all of us had brawling mentors growing up, okay?"

He panted, glancing up. "Janna, are you ready yet?"

"Almost! Just hold on!"

"You're killing me here..."

Reaching into his coat, Duke pulled out a red orb, eyeing it with regret. With a flick of his wrist, he pressed the center and hurled it like a baseball toward a group of nearby mutants.

The orb spun in the air, flashing with urgent red lights. The moment it landed, BOOM!, it exploded, releasing a downpour of sticky white webbing like a thunderstorm of silk.

Splurt!

Several mutants were immediately glued to the floor, thrashing as the webs tightened.

"Damn... was hoping I could reproduce that formula. Guess that was the last one."

"What was that thing?" Vi asked, watching the trapped mutants struggle like flies in a web.

"Just a little toy. Only had the one."

ROAR!

A snarling mutant lunged at him. Duke sighed, pulled out a small box, pressed a button, and chucked it at the beast, then rolled away.

A moment later, the box popped open with a PANG, revealing a grinning clown head.

Heeheehee!

BOOM!!

The fiery blast ignited anything it touched. The mutant at the center of the blast was incinerated on the spot.

"Don't ask, I only had one of those, too."

Duke rolled his eyes, scooped up Vi, and tossed her toward Powder. "Take care of your sister!"

"Is Janna still not ready!?" Duke shouted at the bird circling above. "I'm running out of gadgets!"

"All set, all set! You impatient brat!"

The bird, Janna's avatar, landed on Duke, who immediately felt the pain in his body ease. A gentle wind wrapped around him, forming a translucent shield of air.

"Finally!"

This time, when Duke kicked off the ground, he shot forward like a cannonball. He grabbed a mutant by the throat and slammed it into the wall.

With Janna, an actual god, backing him up, what was there to fear?

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Duke bashed the mutant against the wall like a ragdoll. Its attacks bounced off him like punches against rubber, recoiling with zero effect.

Janna's E: Eye of the Storm.

ROAR!!

A mutant leapt high, hands clasped into a sledgehammer punch aimed at Duke.

Behind Duke, wind spiraled into a mini tornado and shot upward.

Janna's Q: Howling Gale.

The leaping mutant was swept into the cyclone and flung through the roof of the factory, vanishing into the distance.

As the final mutants approached, Duke stomped the ground and vaulted into the air, kicking one in the face and spinning midair like a helicopter blade, sending two more flying.

THUMP!

He landed in a full split, wincing. "Ow, damn that hurts!"

"But I'm okay!"

Janna rolled her eyes. The guy was just brute-forcing everything with her buffs and his absurd body. He fought like a street thug with no technique.

"Duke, you really need to train properly."

"Yeah, yeah, but we've got bigger problems right now!"

He stood up, shook out his legs, and scanned the area, no more threats in sight.

"Duke! They took Vander!"

Vi checked on Mylo and Claggor, then turned to Duke. "You have to save him!"

"I know, I know!"

With a running leap, and Janna's help, Duke landed on the high bridge. He dashed across the steel grating, using her guidance to track Silco's hideout.

Moments later, he descended the elevator shaft and entered the underground lab. There, strapped to a surgical table, was Vander, already injected.

Singed turned in surprise.

"Well, I guess I walked in at a bad time."

Singed calmly put down his syringe and stepped back. Silco turned to face Duke, who stood shrouded in swirling wind.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"Just a last-minute substitute dragged out of bed."

Duke casually strolled toward the workbench, eyeing the vials of Shimmer. He picked one up.

"So this is the stuff?"

"You know about it?" Singed's eyes widened.

"Enough to recognize it." Duke slipped the vials into his inventory, one by one. This was a treasure trove of alchemical science, he had to analyze it later.

"You're Singed, right?"

"Didn't think anyone still remembered my name," Singed said, pulling out a glowing green vial and tapping it with a finger. "Are you a scientist too?"

"Engineering and mechanical systems. Chemistry's not my thing."

With the final vial pocketed, Duke turned, but Singed hurled the green vial, retreating. Silco gestured, and Sevika stepped forward.

"You've got plans, I see. Too bad the wind's on my side."

The vial should've shattered, but wind caught it midair and floated it gently into Duke's hand.

"You've already lost."

"Was that... magic?" Singed asked, stunned.

"Legend says Zaun was once protected by a goddess. You must be her chosen," Silco murmured.

Duke raised an eyebrow. "You know about Janna?"

"My parents were devout believers, right up until they were poisoned by runoff and died begging her for salvation."

"But humans shouldn't pin their hopes on gods."

Silco moved toward a lever.

"Janna, stop him!" Duke yelled.

"Too late."

Silco yanked the handle, cracks splintered across the glass wall. He snapped on a diving mask, tossing another to Singed.

"Let's continue this another time, kid."

CRACK!!

The wall gave way. River water burst in, flooding the lab. Sevika grabbed Singed and Silco, and swam out through the breach.

"Damn it!!"

With Janna's help, Duke hoisted Vander and fled.

End of Act 1–3 Arc.