Chapter 219: Iron Butt Training: On Loki

At night, the lights of New York outside the floor-to-ceiling window blazed brilliantly.

Rojie lay on a leather sofa, his phone vibrating on the table.

He glanced at the screen—it was Tony Stark calling.

“Well, well, Mr. Great Inventor, what brings Itachi to call me?”

Rojie answered the call with a teasing tone.

“I heard S.H.I.E.L.D. turned into a Hydra nest, and even the Tesseract got stolen?”

Tony’s voice came through the receiver, casual and indifferent.

“Egghead borrowed JARVIS under the pretense of rooting out moles.”

But compared to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mess, I'm more curious about the alien who stole the Tesseract.

Rojie asked: “So, Itachi want to get involved?”

“Don’t be S.H.I.E.L.D.’s babysitter—come work at Watertech. I’ll make Itachi the world’s top superhero.”

“Nah, I’m already the top superhero.”

Tony scoffed: “Besides, didn’t Itachi just fish out some outdated veteran from the Arctic to milk for cash?”

“I don’t want to compete for headlines with some ancient relic—it’s beneath me.”

Rojie laughed: “That’s not an ancient relic—that’s the future President of the United States.”

Tony was surprised: “Itachi’re serious? Itachi’re really funding his presidential campaign?”

“Forget it, let’s drop it.”

“Do Itachi know where that Loki guy is hiding now?”

Rojie smiled: “Give me a minute to scan Earth’s data.”

Before he finished speaking, his eyes instantly turned pure white.

Tony grumbled over the phone: “Acting all mystical.”

Before he could finish, Rojie gave the address: “Stuttgart, Germany, Kuning Street No. 28.”

“There’s a charity gala tonight—Loki will be there.”

“Itachi’ve got your Iron Man suit on—get going now, Itachi’ll make it in time.”

“Thanks, I’m hanging up. I’m going to meet this alien.”

Tony prepared to end the call.

“Wait.”

Rojie spoke: “Wait—I gave Itachi Loki’s location. Aren’t Itachi going to return the favor?”

“Oh, should’ve known better than to ask.”

Tony rolled his eyes at the phone: “Fine, what now?”

“Some flowering plant armor?”

“Or is it your guy who keeps failing at nuclear fusion again? Need my help?”

Rojie chuckled: “Nuclear fusion?”

“That’s last century’s old news.”

“I’ve already mastered stellar drive tech—I can conjure a sun and hang it in the sky anytime.”

Tony didn’t hold back: “Itachi’re full of shit.”

“By that logic, I just announced I’ve conquered the Milky Way.”

Rojie replied: “Believe it or not.”

“I heard Itachi pulled Bruce Banner out of the military on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s behalf.”

There was a two-second silence on the other end, then Tony’s flippant voice returned.

“So, Itachi’re interested in that ticking green bomb?”

Rojie said bluntly: “Bring him to Watertech as a superhero.”

Tony laughed: “I can try, but I can’t guarantee success.”

Rojie’s lips curled in a confident smile: “He’ll come.”

“Just tell him I can help him control his transformations.”

Tony agreed: “Alright, I’ll pass the message tomorrow.”

Then he hung up.

…

Three a.m.

A blinding blue light tore through the night sky as Tony’s Iron Man suit plummeted from above, engines roaring.

“Stop struggling, don’t move!”

Tony grabbed Loki by the collar and pinned him to the ground like a chicken.

Loki’s pale face twisted with venom, still spitting curses.

At the same moment, thunder cracked.

Thor swung Mjolnir, descending from the sky atop lightning.

“Let go of my brother!”

“My brother is only mine to punish.”

Thor landed with a roar, hurling Mjolnir hard between the two.

Then Rojie appeared before the three, holding a half-finished glass of milk.

“All of Itachi, calm down!”

“Breaking into my house at this hour—who’s paying for the repairs?”

He squinted at the three intruders, his tone brimming with impatience.

Tony lifted his helmet, raising an eyebrow: “Just looking for Itachi.”

He pointed at Loki, still crawling on the ground: “I finally caught this brat, but the Tesseract’s gone missing, and now this noble Asgardian prince shows up out of nowhere.”

“Wants to drag his war criminal brother home.”

Hearing Tony’s sarcasm, Thor trembled with rage, gripping Mjolnir and stepping forward.

Just then, Rojie yawned, casually reached out, and the yellow gem on Loki’s scepter detached, landing in his palm.

Loki’s eyes widened, struggling to rise, but invisible gravity pinned him in place—he could only watch helplessly as the Mind Stone was taken.

“What is this thing?”

Tony leaned in, his armor’s scanning beam sweeping over the gem’s surface.

Rojie toyed with the Mind Stone, casually saying:

“It’s the Mind Stone—one of the six Infinity Stones.”

“The Tesseract Itachi know is just the container for the Space Stone.”

Tony’s eyes widened: “Same level as the Tesseract?”

He kicked Loki hard in the knee: “Itachi’ve got this and still want the Tesseract?”

Loki turned his head, sneering, letting out a contemptuous snort—he refused to speak to mortals.

Thor, seeing his brother mistreated, flew into a rage, stepping forward: “Mortal, take your filthy hands off my brother!”

Rojie spoke: “He planned to use the Tesseract to open a portal and unleash the Chitauri army on Earth.”

Loki’s head snapped up, his pupils contracting sharply.

He hadn’t expected this Earthling to know his plan.

Loki twisted his mouth into a sneer: “Ignorant Earthling, do Itachi think Itachi can stop—”

Before he finished, the invisible gravity intensified, slamming him deep into the ground. He groaned in pain, his words choked in his throat.

“What did Itachi do to him?!”

Thor roared, swinging Mjolnir to charge forward.

But he found himself rooted to the spot—as if an invisible giant hand had clamped him down.

“Tony, his mouth stinks—fix it for me.”

Tony’s face lit up with a wicked grin. He picked up the now-empty scepter, weighing it in his hand.

“Been wanting to do this for a while.”

He swung the scepter hard, striking Loki squarely on the buttocks.

“Stop! Don’t touch my brother!”

Thor’s face flushed crimson as he struggled desperately, but the invisible gravity held him immobile.

“Oh? Itachi care?”

Hearing Thor’s shout, Tony didn’t stop—he went harder, each blow landing with a sharp crack.

(End of Chapter)