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*****
Revenge!
That was the only thought in Obadiah's mind.
Only he knew the torment he had suffered in prison—
the humiliation, the pain, the ridicule…
When someone of high status falls, the pain cuts deep. And for the one who caused that fall, the hatred becomes etched into their very soul.
When Obadiah saw Tony again, all he wanted was to kill him.
Unfortunately… he still had to play along with his collaborator and act out this farce of being a superhero.
Such a boring man.
Obadiah muttered to himself, resisting the urge to crush Tony's skull as he slowly clenched his massive iron fist.
"Ahhh!"
Tony let out a cry of pain.
"Hurry, Happy! Faster!"
Pepper Potts clutched a silver-and-red suitcase in the backseat, urging Happy forward.
Happy's entire body was trembling, but his eyes were firm with resolve.
Charge forward, deliver the case to his boss, complete the mission.
Boom! Boom!
The car lifted off the ground, crashing through the track barriers. Amid Pepper's scream, it barreled toward Obadiah.
But—
A figure was faster than them.
A yellow-and-black blur streaked past—another armored figure in a suit of steel.
It was much smaller than Obadiah's, but covered head to toe in weapons, looking utterly over-the-top.
BOOM!
The figure rammed into Obadiah, sending him flying.
Obadiah tumbled across the ground, and Tony slipped from his grasp and fell as well.
The sight stunned everyone. The spectators, who had been about to flee after the ambush, turned back, screaming again.
"Tony!"
Pepper Potts shouted, lifting the suitcase as Happy slammed the brakes.
Tony's eyes lit up with hope. He extended his arms and yelled, "Throw it over!"
Pepper threw with all her strength.
Smack!
The case only made it about three meters before it hit the ground.
Tony's face twitched. Staring at the suitcase ten meters away, he took off running. As he passed the steel-suited stranger who had confronted Obadiah, his eyes filled with doubt and shock.
This clunky, weapon-ridden suit—devoid of any sense of style—was also a suit of armor?
What the hell? Since when could just anyone build a suit like his?
"Tony Stark!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the yellow-and-black armor. A voice Tony didn't exactly hate… but found thoroughly disgusting.
Justin Hammer?
Are you kidding me?
Tony muttered to himself. Then he heard what Justin said next and nearly vomited.
"Run, buddy! Leave this big guy to me!"
Tony's face contorted as he stepped on the suitcase, finally letting go of the breath he'd been holding.
In the next second, the silver-and-red case unfolded. Tony bent down, grabbed two handles, and pulled them upward as he stood.
In an instant, the case transformed, locking around Tony's body.
Whirrr!
With the sound of activation, the repulsors in the palms lit up.
Clink!
The silver faceplate snapped into place, and the suit's eyes glowed—Iron Man had arrived.
At the sight, the crowd erupted in wild, frenzied cheers. The arena was once again set ablaze with excitement.
Hearing the crowd's roar, Justin Hammer sighed.
His script had apparently been altered… but it wouldn't affect the final outcome.
He smiled faintly and shouted, "Hey, Stark! Let's team up—you cover me!"
With that, he aimed his weapons at the recovering Obadiah.
Tony gave Justin a cold glance and said, "Wearing that knockoff you ordered from a comic-con booth? Get out of my way."
Justin nearly turned his weapons on Tony right then and there.
But—it wouldn't be long before Tony Stark said goodbye to this world.
Just thinking about that made him feel much better.
Tony sprinted across the ground toward Obadiah, but his mind wasn't at ease.
This was a portable suit, meaning the armor was thinner than normal, had no flight capabilities, and was equipped only with palm repulsors and a chest beam.
Guess I'll have to get in close and blast his core…
Tony muttered internally, then pushed off the ground hard with both legs. The repulsors flared beneath his palms, propelling him faster as he lunged straight at Obadiah.
Obadiah let out a cold snort and launched himself backward. The machine gun mounted on his arm spun to life, spraying a barrage of bullets toward Tony.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Sparks flew as the bullets struck Tony's armor, but barely left a scratch.
"Damn it," Tony cursed under his breath.
Just then, a missile streaked through the air, slamming into Obadiah and blowing him away in a fiery blast.
Obadiah tumbled across the ground but quickly sprang back up, roaring, "All of you—die!"
As his voice echoed, multiple figures in flaming jetstreams descended from the sky—more armored suits, hovering beside Obadiah.
Tony's eyes narrowed sharply, while Justin Hammer—off to the side—began to tremble with excitement.
They're here!
The climax of his superhero performance had finally arrived!
The villainous Obadiah, backed by his iron army, would defeat Tony Stark. But then he—Justin Hammer—would single-handedly take down the army, capture Obadiah, avenge Tony, and protect the innocent.
Tomorrow's headlines would feature him, standing tall amid the flames, triumphant.
And he would declare his new motto to the world:
"Anyone can be Iron Man!"
He would become the next superhero.
And his Hammer Industries would finally crush Stark Industries.
Perfect.
Justin was so thrilled, his entire body was shaking.
BANG! BANG!
Suddenly, explosions rang out. Bullets, glowing like orange-yellow streaks of light, rained down from above, ripping toward him and Tony.
Justin soared upward to dodge. Tony, on the other hand, charged straight at the enemies.
But then—
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A cluster of missiles locked onto Tony, racing alongside Obadiah as he charged forward.
BOOM! BOOM!
Tony was blasted backward. Obadiah surged through the flames and punched Tony square in the chest.
BANG!
Tony flew like a cannonball, smashing through a wall and hurtling toward the spectator stands.
"Ahhh!"
Several curious spectators screamed. It was the only reaction they had time for.
If Tony landed where he was headed, they'd be seriously injured—if not dead.
Then suddenly, their view was filled by a blur of deep red. Huddled and shielding their heads, the spectators froze at the figure that appeared before them.
Clad in a deep blue bodysuit that hugged a perfectly defined physique, the man stood tall. A crimson cape flowed gently in the breeze behind him like rolling clouds of fire, adding an ethereal grace to his raw strength.
The man turned his head slightly—
his handsome, chiseled features lit by sunlight, radiating an almost divine brilliance.
Is this… a god?
At that moment, a single thought echoed in all their minds.
(End of Chapter)