Marvel’s Ultimate Connector

Chapter 51: Tony – Come and Fight Me, You Noob

"Then you should also know…"

Ethan Lee, who had just been teaching Skye and the others, stretched his arms casually and said, "You've interrupted my good time."

"You were practicing self-defense with the girls?"

Tony gave him a knowing look. "That's really interesting. What's the next step?

I think you should've locked the door so I couldn't barge in and almost get kicked."

The three girls shrank behind Ethan, a little embarrassed by Tony's blunt remarks.

Even Felicia, who usually dropped her aloof demeanor around Ethan, had gone quiet, returning to her cool and distant self.

After all, they were still high school students—and Tony Stark's reputation preceded him.

This was a world-famous playboy.

Tony, however, was more interested in Ethan. "I didn't expect an artist like you to start learning how to fight."

He struck a loose boxing stance, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "I've been sparring with Happy lately. Why don't we have a quick round?"

Indeed, Tony had recently been practicing his combat skills to become a better Iron Man. But as a beginner, his technique still needed work.

Now, finding Ethan—who also seemed like a newbie—he couldn't resist the opportunity for a friendly match.

Besides, Tony Stark never missed a chance to show off—especially in front of a group of young ladies.

Tony looked confident.

Ethan looked delighted.

A human sandbag, delivered to my doorstep?

Perfect. This way, Skye and the others could clearly see the techniques he'd been teaching.

After all, things tended to get a little… close when practicing with the girls.

He wouldn't have that "problem" while working with Tony.

Ethan was confident in his control. He wasn't worried about accidentally hurting Iron Man.

"Alright then," Ethan said, stepping into the open area in the middle of the studio. "Don't worry—I'll go easy on you."

"Talk big," Tony replied, undeterred. He turned to Happy and said, "If I get carried away, pull me back."

Happy nodded seriously. "Don't worry, boss. I'll be ready!"

Satisfied, Tony stepped forward and looked Ethan up and down. "You look more muscular than before. Been training?"

Ethan gave a lazy grin. "You're not looking too bad yourself."

After exchanging these token compliments, the two began their sparring.

Happy watched closely from the sidelines, ready to intervene at any moment.

Skye and Felicia observed with interest, curious to see how the moves Ethan had shown them would hold up in real combat.

Only Cindy looked a little bored—after all, she knew Tony Stark wouldn't stand a chance against someone blessed by the Spider Totem.

Ethan, meanwhile, wasn't taking the spar seriously.

He simply used Tony as a demonstration partner, showing his moves to the girls as clearly as possible.

If he really wanted to win, he could've ended it in a single strike.

After a few rounds, Tony started to feel something was off.

Every punch he threw was either dodged or lightly deflected.

His opponent wasn't using brute force—but he was being completely outclassed in technique.

Skill? Isn't that exactly what I'm supposed to be learning?

Strength wasn't an issue for him. His suit handled that. He practiced fighting to improve his actual combat ability.

But while Tony was briefly lost in thought, Ethan noticed and decided it was time to wrap things up.

Right then, Happy rushed forward with perfect comedic timing, pulling Tony back. "Boss, your punches were getting too strong. I was worried Mr. Ethan couldn't handle it!"

Tony blinked, then gave Happy a proud nod. "Nice work, Happy. I almost hurt him. Thanks to you, we avoided a disaster."

Ethan stared at them with deadpan eyes. Does he even know what shame is?

Still, he didn't argue.

Happy's combat skills weren't great, but Tony trusted him—and they were more like friends than bodyguard and client anyway.

Tony knew he'd lost. But rather than admit it, he tried to save face.

"Hey, what kind of martial arts is that?" he asked Ethan, genuinely curious.

"Just the basics," Ethan replied. Then he turned to the girls. "Did you catch all that?"

"Crystal clear!" Skye clapped eagerly, her eyes sparkling. "You were so cool, Ethan!"

Felicia nodded, forming a proper fist with her hand. "Looks pretty solid. If I get good at this, maybe I won't have to deal with those annoying boys at school anymore."

Cindy already expected the outcome, but she still gave a sweet smile. "That was amazing~"

Seeing how impressed the girls were, Tony realized he'd just been used as a human training dummy.

Instead of getting annoyed, he became even more interested.

Grabbing Ethan's arm, he said earnestly, "Teach me that technique. I'll pay. Name your price."

Ethan yawned and answered lazily, "We'll see. I'll teach you when I've got time—you know how I am."

Tony sighed, recalling how long Ethan usually took to complete a single commissioned painting.

"Fine. If you ever find the time to show me a few moves, I'll consider it a bonus."