Chapter 131: C122
After Anton went home, he retrieved several photos of Tony from the cyborg database.
He selected the most interesting one, uploaded it to his mailbox, and sent it to Eddie, who had just returned home.
The photo depicted Tony's Iron Man suit in disarray—his helmet missing, his damp hair plastered messily across his forehead, revealing an embarrassed expression visible to the naked eye.
The Iron Monger had him pinned to the ground, raising its iron fist high as if Tony's head would burst like a watermelon in the next moment. Tony's eyes were closed, as though he were resigned to his fate.
"Tsk tsk, this photo will definitely be one for Tony to remember," Anton chuckled.
Tonight, Anton had considered inviting Tony to join the Justice League. But as the incident unfolded, he chose not to bring it up.
There were many reasons. One of the main ones was Tony's rebellious nature. Even during the early days of the Avengers, Tony, Thor, and Captain America were constantly at odds, each refusing to back down.
In particular, Tony and Captain America seemed to irritate each other from start to finish.
At the root of their conflict was a struggle for dominance. Both had strong-willed personalities and were unwilling to yield, preferring to act independently.
It wasn't until Coulson was stabbed to death by Loki that the two began to set aside their differences and cooperate. Of course, this was only because they had a common enemy.
Even after their relationship eased, subtle disputes over dominance persisted after the Battle of New York. The conflict eventually escalated into a full-blown civil war during Captain America: Civil War when the Winter Soldier's reappearance reignited their underlying tensions.
That, however, is a story for later.
For now, Anton's thoughts had grown clearer as he prepared for the Justice League. Inviting Tony to join at this stage would only lead to conflict with Batman, whose role was already well-defined.
After all, Tony wasn't the type to follow orders or heed advice. Instead of recruiting someone as headstrong and unpredictable as Tony, it made more sense to let him develop independently.
The Avengers were still recruiting, weren't they? Let Tony go where he truly belonged.
The Justice League's first-generation lineup was almost finalized anyway, and they weren't lacking members.
Ding Dong!
The computer beeped, snapping Anton back to reality. He noticed Eddie had already opened the email and replied with three "!!!" symbols, clearly overwhelmed by the photo.
What Anton didn't know was that the star reporter on the other side of the computer was mentally cursing in frustration.
Eddie was beside computer . "I finally get off work on time, and I miss this?!" His regret was palpable.
Although he didn't recognize Iron Monger, there was no mistaking the other figure in the photo: Tony Stark.
A billion-dollar scoop, missed!
Eddie's intestines twisted with regret as he vowed never to leave work on time again. From now on, he'd be the kind of diligent worker who never missed a big story.
Ignoring April's calls from the bed, Eddie planted himself in front of the computer, frantically typing up his article. By tomorrow morning, when the office workers checked their feeds, the story—complete with this exclusive photo—would be front and center on the Daily Bugle's website.
Grabbing the hottest headlines was, after all, the Daily Bugle's specialty.
...
The Next Day
The streets of New York were bustling as usual. Office workers, unemployed individuals, and even homeless people huddled on the sidewalks—some glued to their phones, others watching TVs displayed in shop windows—all wearing expressions of shock and disbelief.
The previous night's battle between two iron-clad combatants in Manhattan had spread like wildfire across the city.
The buzz around it quickly eclipsed yesterday's headlines about Dr. Otto Octavius, also known as Doctor Octopus.
But this was Tony Stark. Compared to him, Otto was practically a nobody.
What caught people's attention even more was the identity of the silver Iron Man's massive mech—it appeared to belong to Stark Industries.
Onlookers who had been near Stark Industries the previous night described seeing the two armored figures burst out of the building and take the fight to the streets. It wasn't long before speculation ran rampant: Was this a case of infighting within Stark Industries?
Blacklisted critics of Tony—"criticisers," as they were called—used the incident as ammunition to mock him, claiming that his supposed genius was overrated. "Even in combat, he's not on the same level as the cyborg," they sneered.
Among the circulating images, one in particular went viral among curious onlookers. It showed Tony Stark, battered and trampled underfoot by the Iron Monger.
Notably, the photo came courtesy of The Daily Bugle.
Stark Industries Building
Office of the Chairman
Tony sat in his office, reading the news. When his eyes landed on the infamous photo, his teeth clenched in anger.
He wasn't sure how the photo had been leaked, but he didn't need to think too hard to figure it out. Cyborg and Batman undoubtedly had something to do with it.
Especially that Anton!
This had Anton's planning all over it. And as for Batman, he was probably just here for the amusement.
"Tony," Pepper said as she entered the office, holding a folder in her hands. "I've contacted all the major media outlets in New York. The press conference is scheduled to begin in two hours."
She hesitated, handing him a document. "This is the speech provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. They've prepared a statement. Although that photo of you is circulating online, most people at the scene didn't get a good look at your face. The photo can be dismissed as fake. With today's computer technology, it's easy to doctor something like that.
"In addition, the shareholders are requesting discretion. They're worried this news could have a negative impact on Stark Industries' stock price."
"I got it," Tony replied tersely, taking the document. He glanced at the prepared statement, his expression unreadable. His eyes, however, gleamed with something Pepper couldn't quite identify.
Two Hours Later
Tony stood at the podium, facing a sea of curious eyes. He glanced down at the speech in his hands, paused for a moment, and then—dramatically—let the pages flutter to the ground.
Pepper, watching from the sidelines, sighed and rubbed her forehead. She had seen this coming.
Coulson, standing nearby, frowned, sensing that the situation was spiraling out of control.
In the audience, Eddie raised his camera, eyes wide. He knew Tony Stark rarely played by the rules, and whatever happened next would undoubtedly be big news.
The people of America were about to get a feast of gossip and drama.
"I know what you all want to ask," Tony began calmly.
Then, with a sly grin, he spread his arms wide and said, "I am Iron Man."
...
DC Corporation
Anton turned on the TV, watching the live press conference and witnessing the now-famous scene.
In truth, Tony declaring himself Iron Man this time was far less dazzling than in the original timeline.
After all, Batman had already made his mark, and both he and Cyborg had stepped into the public eye before Tony.
Moreover, the image of the Iron Monger pressing Tony into the ground and overpowering him was still fresh in everyone's minds. Without Cyborg's timely intervention, it was unclear whether Tony could have turned the tables against the Iron Monger.
Even so, Tony's pre-existing popularity made it inevitable that he would steal the spotlight from Dr. Octopus, who had been dominating headlines just the day before. In fact, Tony's bold declaration also propelled Cyborg back into the trending topics.
The keywords "Iron Man" and "Cyborg" continued to dominate online discussions, their popularity showing no signs of waning anytime soon.
Unbeknownst to Anton, however, Tony's proclamation had earned him an immediate meeting with Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. The moment he stepped off the stage, he was "invited for tea," as they called it.
Not that Anton would have cared even if he knew.
At that moment, Anton had just received a call from Phil, who was reporting in from Brazil. The urgency in Phil's voice was enough to make even Anton pause.
"Boss!!"
On the other end of the line, Phil sounded panicked, his voice trembling as he spoke.
He had locked himself in a room, but his fear was palpable. "Something happened! A green monster showed up here—it took the last component of the teleportation device!"
Phil swallowed hard, his anxiety spilling over. "And now… we're being targeted by the military!"
…
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