Being suddenly overtaken was already hard enough to accept, but what was happening now suggested the opponent’s aircraft could even cloak itself.
Just a moment ago, Tony Stark had assumed the aircraft’s disappearance from his radar meant he had left it far behind.
Now it was clear that wasn’t the case at all.
The other pilot had simply turned on stealth mode to evade radar scans.
“Damn it, where did this freak of a machine come from?
What kind of fighter jet is this?
Why is the design so bizarre?” While secretly astonished, Tony Stark accelerated, trying to shake off the Batwing.
But to his utter disbelief, no matter how hard he pushed, the Batwing remained hovering right above him like a dark, inescapable cloud.
He couldn’t shake it no matter what he did.
“What is our current speed?” Tony Stark asked the armor’s built-in operating system, his expression grim.
“Reporting, Mr.
Stark.
We are at Mach 2.5.” “Mach 2.5 and I still can’t shake it?
How fast can this thing actually fly?
Fine, then.
Time to push the thrusters.” “Mr.
Stark, if you continue to increase power, the flight speed of the Iron Man armor will reach Mach 2.8,” Jarvis warned, having just successfully rebooted.
“This will push the current structural materials of the armor to their physical limits.
The armor’s stability will be compromised, risking structural damage.
Furthermore, the G-force on your body will increase significantly.
I do not recommend this course of action.” Hearing this, Tony Stark’s face hardened with determination.
“Every experiment carries risk.
If we don’t have the courage to take them, we’ll never make progress.” “But…” Jarvis tried to argue, but Tony cut him off.
“Save it, Jarvis.
Do as I say.
Push the engine output to ninety-seven percent.
Now!” “Very well, Mr.
Stark.” With Tony’s command, Jarvis took over the controls.
Instantly, the thruster output of the Iron Man armor surged to ninety-seven percent.
In the blink of an eye, the armor’s flight speed climbed to a staggering Mach 2.8.
To put that in perspective, the maximum speed of the US military’s F-22 Raptor was only Mach 2.25.
And even at that speed, the F-22 was considered one of the most elite fighter jets in the world.
This showed just how incredible it was for Iron Man to reach Mach 2.8.
In terms of both maneuverability and speed, the Iron Man armor represented a paradigm shift in aerial technology.
It stood at the absolute pinnacle of aviation—or at least, it had until Loren’s Batwing entered the picture.
That was exactly why Tony Stark found this so hard to swallow.
As the world’s most celebrated technological genius, how could he tolerate someone else surpassing him in engineering?
He was no longer just trying to shake off the Batwing; he was fighting for his pride and reputation.
As the armor hit Mach 2.8, the wind resistance multiplied exponentially.
The extreme velocity generated intense kinetic heating across the armor’s surface.
While the temperature wasn’t high enough to ignite the suit, it was more than enough to threaten its structural integrity.
Tony was currently wearing the Mark II, one of his earliest prototype models.
At this stage, its performance and materials couldn’t compare to his future iterations.
The Mark II’s safe limit was actually Mach 2.5; Mach 2.8 was pushing it deep into the red line.
Flying at this speed was a severe test for both the chassis and the propulsion system.
One wrong move, and he could easily suffer a mid-air flameout or structural disintegration.
To his credit, Tony Stark had courage; he was essentially gambling with his life.
“Did we lose that damn Batwing?” Tony Stark asked grimly.
“Negative, Mr.
Stark.
The target remains directly above us.” “What?!
How is that possible?
Are you sure the thrusters are at ninety-seven percent?
What’s our current speed?” “Confirmed.
We are at Mach 2.8, which exceeds the safe threshold.” “Damn it!
What kind of black magic is this?
How can it fly so fast?
This defies physics!
Jarvis, run a scan on its fuselage.
I want to know exactly how it’s doing this.” “Understood.
Initiating scan…” “Scan complete.
The aircraft’s aerodynamic design closely mimics a bat.
However, the airframe structure itself is not particularly remarkable.
Its extreme speed is almost certainly due to its propulsion system.
According to the scan, its engine does not match any known signature.
It is an entirely new form of propulsion.” “Just as I thought.
A bat’s anatomy isn’t particularly efficient in terms of aerodynamics.
Biomimicry alone couldn’t achieve this kind of speed.
It all comes down to a powerhouse of a propulsion system.
But who could have built such a high-performance craft?
If someone had this level of technology, there is no way I wouldn’t have heard of them!” “Mr.
Stark, this is not the time for analysis.
The target is accelerating.
It is beginning to pull ahead of us.” “What?!
Where does this thing top out?
This is a blatant provocation!
Jarvis, override the safety limit.
Give me one hundred percent thruster output!” “Mr.
Stark, at one hundred percent power, our speed will reach Mach 3.
This is far beyond the safe threshold.
The risk of structural failure and disintegration will rise exponentially.
I strongly advise terminating this contest.” “No, this isn’t some pointless game.
This is a battle of technology, of courage, and of pride!
In all my years, I, Tony Stark, have never backed down from anyone in engineering.
Max out the power, Jarvis.
Do it!” “Acknowledged.
Thruster output is climbing…
Ninety-eight…
Ninety-nine…
One hundred percent.
Speed is now Mach 3.1.” “Excellent.
Did we lose him?” “Negative, Mr.
Stark.
The target has bypassed us and is pulling ahead.
Its velocity is still climbing rapidly…
Mach 3.2…
Mach 3.5…
Mach 4.0…
Mach 4.3…
Mr.
Stark, the target has pulled out of sensor range.
I can no longer track its signature.
It has vanished.” Tony Stark was left utterly speechless.