Chapter 128: Licker 2.0
Ivan's face darkened when he saw Tony dismissing his vow of revenge. He lowered his faceplate, "Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!"
With a single command, hundreds of robots around them launched an attack.
*Zzzz... Boom... Boom...*
Tony charged forward, bullets and missiles bouncing off his armor.
The Mark VII suit had been designed specifically to deal with mutated zombies. Its outer shell was made of Adamantium alloy, while Vibranium inside absorbed shock impacts. These regular robots were no threat to him.
*Bang!*
A single punch from Tony shattered a robot into pieces.
Hulk, as always, was even more reckless. Grabbing a robot in each hand, he smashed them repeatedly into the ground.
*Bam! Bam!*
Within moments, the two had destroyed over a dozen robots. However, they'd also taken heavy hits in the process.
Hovering mid-air, Ivan sneered.
"Let's see how many you can handle."
Soon, a four-meter-tall robot appeared.
If Justin Hammer were present, he would have recognized it immediately—it was a counterfeit Sentinel robot made to compete for the Sentinel Program bid.
The counterfeit Sentinel raised an arm, revealing a cannon barrel. Its chest began to glow with blue light.
*Boom!*
One shot sent Hulk flying.
This imitation Sentinel was equipped with a basketball-sized Arc Reactor in its chest, providing it with immense energy. Its arm cannons, powered by electromagnetic propulsion, were at least ten times more destructive than traditional explosives.
But while its firepower was immense, Hulk's resilience was equally impressive. Moments later, he got back on his feet, patting his chest.
Before long, more counterfeit Sentinels appeared on the battlefield.
Thanks to Justin's Hammer Industries and Ophelia's backing, Ivan had been able to manufacture a large number of robots, including these Sentinel knockoffs.
*Boom... Boom...*
As the counterfeit Sentinels joined the fray, Tony and Hulk were forced on the defensive, unable to mount any meaningful offense.
While their defenses were nearly impenetrable, the sheer force of the explosions constantly sent them flying, preventing them from closing the distance.
Tony's repulsor blasts, while effective, lacked the power to destroy these advanced robots outright.
"This isn't going to work," Tony muttered, watching the seams of his suit begin to strain.
Even though the Adamantium alloy was strong, the screws holding it together weren't made of the same material.
After being blasted into a nearby lake, Tony decided to take a momentary reprieve underwater and made another call to Umbrella.
This time, unlike before, the line connected quickly.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"It's me, Tony. I need another favor."
"What kind of favor?"
"I need your orbital weapon systems to deal with these robots."
"Sorry, Tony. I can't use my orbital weapons without military approval."
"I understand that, but I need them now."
"Perhaps I can offer you something else instead."
"Like what?"
"Licker 2.0."
"Licker 2.0?"
"Yes, our newly developed bio-engineered warrior. Compared to the first generation, it has greater regenerative abilities and strength. Additionally—"
Before the explanation could continue, Tony cut him off impatiently, "How much?"
"Ten million USD each. And because we're friends..."
"Fine. Ten million each. I want a hundred of them."
There was a momentary silence on the line.
Just as Tony wondered if they could deliver, the voice replied, "I like doing business with straightforward people like you. I'll send you a hundred Licker 2.0 units right away. You can pay after the job's done."
Hanging up, Tony floated slightly above the water and glanced at the distant battlefield, where Hulk was still enduring the assault.
"Thanks, Hulk. Consider this payback for when you and Abomination wrecked my Stark Tower."
"Smash!"
Hulk's furious roars filled the air, prompting Tony to submerge himself again, avoiding detection by Ivan.
Ten minutes later, Hulk, battered and bruised, could no longer hold his ground and retreated.
With Hulk gone, the robots began searching for Tony.
At that moment, several helicopters bearing the Umbrella logo appeared in the sky, each carrying a large container.
The helicopters dropped the containers from about five hundred meters away before retreating.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Ten containers hit the ground.
"What's this?" Ivan muttered, instructing his robots to target the containers.
*Zzzz...*
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Gunfire and explosions tore through the containers, sending debris flying everywhere.
Inside the containers were ten frozen creatures. Each was about three meters long, with exposed brain tissue and no skin.
"What are these?" Ivan sneered, dismissing the threat. "Umbrella thinks these flesh-and-blood creatures can challenge my iron army?"
Watching the frozen monsters get blasted to bits, Ivan chuckled coldly.
"After I deal with Tony, I'll pay Umbrella a visit."
Even Tony, hiding underwater, shook his head in disappointment, "Is this it? Ten million each for this junk? What a rip-off!"
But then something unexpected happened.
The shattered pieces of the creatures began to regenerate, reassembling themselves in moments.
*Roar!*
With a deafening howl, the Licker 2.0 units turned toward Ivan and his robots before charging like arrows.
*Bang!* *Boom...* *Crunch...*
.......
Back at Umbrella's headquarters, Adam observed the battle through a satellite feed, his interest piqued.
The Lickers had always been sidelined since their creation. In a world like this, full of extraordinary beings, their capabilities seemed insufficient.
But a turning point came last year when William had successfully deployed them during a conflict in the Middle East...
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