The sudden turn of events left Tony momentarily bewildered, but instead of immediately resisting, he decided to see who his captor was.
At this moment, the sheriff, who had been drinking at the bar, stood up and asked, "What's going on here? What's the situation?"
Ellen Brandt replied, "I'm apprehending someone."
"Sheriff, right?"
The sheriff looked at her and said, "Yes, ma'am. And you are?"
Ellen Brandt held up her Homeland Security badge and said, "Homeland Security. Is that good enough?"
The sheriff shook his head, "There are still issues."
"I need more information."
Ellen Brandt retorted, "I'm saying this is none of your business, Sheriff."
While the two were talking, Tony signaled Mrs. Davis with his eyes. She quickly understood and threw the files under the bar counter.
The sheriff countered, "Oh really?"
"Why don't you get the state government to promote me?"
Ellen Brandt walked toward him, saying, "Well, I was hoping to handle this smoothly."
"But I guess a little fun wouldn't hurt."
As she spoke, Ellen Brandt's right hand, which held the Homeland Security badge, turned red-hot. Tony's eyes widened at this sight, realizing she was someone extraordinary.
The sheriff turned to his deputy and said, "Deputy, arrest this woman."
In an instant, Ellen Brandt pressed the red-hot badge against the sheriff's face.
"Ah!"
The sheriff screamed in pain. The deputy reached for his gun, but Ellen Brandt swiftly thrust her burning hand through the sheriff, snatching the deputy's gun.
Seeing this, Tony realized she definitely wasn't Homeland Security. He mustered his strength and snapped the handcuffs.
As Ellen Brandt aimed to fire, Tony somersaulted and kicked her, sending her crashing through several tables, though she still clutched the gun.
Chaos erupted in the bar, and patrons rushed out in a panic.
Ellen Brandt, still on the ground, raised her arm and fired several bullets at Tony.
Bang, bang, bang!
Tony dodged the bullets with a roll and took cover behind the bar, grabbing the files and stuffing them into his jacket.
Ellen Brandt stood up, holding the gun and looking for Tony. She said, "I didn't expect Tony Stark to be this strong."
When they bumped into each other at the bar's entrance, Ellen Brandt didn't initially recognize Tony but found him familiar. After returning to her car and checking, she discovered he was their previous target, Tony Stark.
She planned to complete the unfinished task of eliminating Tony Stark.
After all, Tony was without his Iron Man suit, making it the perfect opportunity to take him out.
Tony grabbed a chair from behind the bar and hurled it at Ellen Brandt. Ellen Brandt did not dodge the chair Tony threw at her. Instead, she turned her left hand red-hot and chopped the incoming chair in half, while her other hand fired the gun at Tony.
"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"
Four bullets struck the bar where Tony was hiding, sending wood splinters flying everywhere.
Luckily, Tony had ducked in time, and none of the bullets hit him.
With the seven bullets in the police handgun expended, Ellen Brandt tossed the gun away and jumped onto the bar.
However, as soon as she landed on the bar, she was met with an attack from Tony.
Tony suddenly stood up and swung a powerful punch at Ellen Brandt's leg, sending her flying and breaking her bone.
Seeing his opponent fly away, Tony blew on his fist and joked, "Even without the suit, I'm still a super soldier."
Thinking he had dealt with his opponent, Tony jumped out from behind the bar to investigate the files and uncover the mastermind.
What Tony didn't realize was that Ellen Brandt, who had been sent flying, was already healing. Her leg glowed red, quickly mending the broken bone. Her hands turned red-hot again as she lunged at Tony.
Ellen Brandt tackled Tony to the ground and straddled him, her scorching hands reaching for his throat.
"Sizzle!"
The smell of burning flesh filled the air as Tony screamed in pain, then used his arm to sweep her off him.
As Ellen Brandt was knocked away, her chest glowed red, and her broken ribs healed swiftly.
Tony, seeing this, asked, "A ninja? Or a superhuman?"
Ellen Brandt didn't respond to Tony's question. She stood up and attacked again, her body glowing red and her arms turning crimson.
As she lunged, Tony executed a sidekick, sending her flying back faster than she came.
In the instant he retracted his leg, Tony extinguished the flames on his shoe, shouting, "It's melting!"
His kick had struck Ellen Brandt but had also melted his shoe sole due to her high temperature.
Tony quickly took off his shoes, frowning. If she maintained this state, it would be a situation where both parties suffer significant damage.
Meanwhile, Ellen Brandt, now entirely red, was furious. She couldn't accept that she, a veteran of countless battles, was being bested by a playboy like Tony Stark.
"Ah!"
She screamed in rage and charged at Tony again.
Tony grabbed a nearby table and threw it at her.
"Boom!"
The table shattered upon impact, and the fragments ignited from the heat radiating from her body.
At that moment, Ellen Brandt had one thought: to get close to Tony Stark. She was even willing to self-destruct if it meant killing him.
Seeing her charging at him, Tony noticed something was off. The red glow on her body seemed to be surging.
He immediately turned and ran, his speed much greater than hers.
"Don't run!" Ellen Brandt shouted as she lost control of her emotions and body. The next second, she exploded, sending a massive burst of flames through the bar.
"Boom!"
Tony had barely taken three steps when the explosion's heatwave hit him, blasting him out of the bar.
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