Marvel: Ned the Master of Mystic Arts

"Got it."

Huang Xiwen was still admiring her suitcase armor with great excitement, examining it from every angle. Without even looking up, she casually responded to Ned.

After a while, Huang Xiwen suddenly looked up and asked, "How do I use this?"

"Little AI," Ned replied, snapping his fingers.

"Yes, sir."

The vibranium phone floated into the air, projecting a holographic video of Tony Stark's iconic moment donning the Mark 5 suitcase armor.

"Wow! Who's that? One of your friends?" Huang Xiwen exclaimed in awe, noticing Stark's battle-worn face in the video.

"Yes, the greatest superhero in the world—a genius."

Ned hesitated, initially tempted to badmouth Stark, but he quickly changed his tune. After all, Stark had been nothing but generous in supporting him.

"Really? Then why have I never heard of him?" Huang Xiwen asked, her face full of confusion.

At that moment, Ned realized he had never explained to Huang Xiwen that he came from another universe.

"Uh... let's skip the details for now. Try the armor out first," Ned said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Alright," Huang Xiwen replied, equally eager. She placed the armor on the ground, mimicking the actions she saw in the video. Moments later, she successfully donned the Mark 5 armor.

"This feels so cool!" Huang Xiwen turned to Ned, her voice brimming with excitement.

The suit Ned crafted for her was an exact replica of Stark's Mark 5, adjusted only for size.

"There's more cool stuff to come," Ned said with a sly grin.

"Miss Xiwen, I am Saturday, your AI assistant for operating this armor," said an elegant female voice from within the suit.

Ned had programmed a custom AI for Huang Xiwen, albeit one that was far simpler than JARVIS, Friday, or Little AI. It was solely designed to assist her in controlling the armor.

"This is amazing!"

Huang Xiwen, fresh out of high school, was ecstatic to have her own personal AI.

...

After a brief trial run, Huang Xiwen removed the armor, which transformed back into its suitcase form.

"By the way, this suit doesn't always need manual assembly," Ned said suddenly. "In case of emergencies, you can control it using this high-tech wristband."

Ned handed her a sleek black wristband that came with the armor. "This wristband also contains Saturday. You can use voice commands or manual controls. The suit even has an auto-donning function. Give it a try."

"It also contains all the armor's data and instructions, though... those are pretty much useless."

"..." Huang Xiwen silently took the wristband, then asked, "Why didn't you say this earlier? Don't you realize that transformation pose is super embarrassing for a girl?"

"Uh..." Ned had no response.

"Saturday?"

"I'm here, Miss Xiwen."

...

As night fell, Ned and Huang Xiwen sat across from each other at a small table, sharing a cozy dinner.

They occasionally stole glances at each other, only to quickly look away and focus on their food when their eyes met. Ned found this atmosphere so comforting that he felt he could eat forever—if it weren't for that annoying phone call.

"You'd better have a serious problem, Peter, or I'm going to make sure you have one," Ned growled into the phone.

Across from him, Huang Xiwen giggled behind her hand, amused by his tone.

"Whoa!"

Boom!

On the other end, Peter's startled shout was followed by an explosion, chaotic screams, and desperate cries for help.

"Peter?"

Hearing the unsettling background noise, Ned called out, but Peter didn't respond. Either he was too busy fighting or his phone had been knocked out of his hands.

"Little AI, locate Peter's phone."

"Understood, sir. Mr. Parker is near the plaza by Oscorp Tower," Little AI responded promptly.

"Alright, let's go."

Ned quickly set down his bowl and stood up.

"I'm coming with you," Huang Xiwen said, standing up as well.

"Uh... I meant Little AI and me," Ned said, exasperated. "Your armor's defenses are too weak for a high-risk battle. Judging by the sounds from Peter's call, this fight will be anything but simple."

Boom!

Just then, a missile exploded in the distance, startling both of them. On instinct, Ned tackled Huang Xiwen to the ground, only to realize moments later that the explosion was far away—it was just really loud.

"The explosion came from Oscorp Tower. Something's definitely wrong. Stay home, suit up if anything happens, and don't play hero. This isn't a game. Stay alive."

Ned helped Huang Xiwen to her feet, firmly warning her before opening a portal and stepping through it.

Having been to Oscorp Tower before, Ned could teleport there directly. Emerging from the portal, he was fully geared up in his sorcerer's robe, levitation cloak, and mask. Little AI, transformed into her battle suit mode, stood beside him.

As they stepped out of the shadows, the scene before them was pure chaos. The entire area was ablaze, with car wreckage scattered everywhere. Explosions echoed constantly, accompanied by the agonized screams and pleas of bystanders.

Police cars were being blasted into the air by incoming missiles, adding to the carnage.

The entire block looked like a war zone. Everywhere he turned, there was destruction, fire, and despair. The sight reminded Ned of the recent Battle of New York, and he couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine.

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