Chapitre 196: I am Iron Man
Authors Note-
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Less than a minute, they were passed before a clash echoed through the air. Two colossal metal figures, one chasing, the other fleeing, barreled towards them. The Iron Overlord, soaring mid-air, pummeled Tony into the sky. He landed hard, rolling away before finally stopping near the statue, unable to rise for a while.
Seizing the opportunity, he stepped on Tony. The armor then automatically opened, revealing Obadiah's bald head.
"For decades, I served your father and then you. What did I get?" he bellowed, his voice thick with a villain's self-righteous anger. He began to unleash the pent-up frustration of a double-crossed underling, revealing a motive steeped in bitterness.
Suddenly, shrouded in a black cloak, Ivan emerged from the shadows, his invisibility magic deactivated. With a click of his throat, he altered his voice. "Villains who monologue are doomed," he said.
"A long-winded villain like you is a classic example. Why resist the inevitable?"
Obadiah, startled by the unexpected voice, quickly dismissed the source. He was now wielding immense power; who could challenge him? He ignored Tony completely, focusing solely on eliminating this new threat.
"Whoever you are, appearing here is a fatal mistake. Go to hell," Obadiah roared—a steel arm revealing a weaponized barrel aimed at fire.
But Tony, still underfoot, offered a grim smile. "Before you fire again, take a good look behind you. A big guy is itching for a fight."
Obadiah scoffed, believing Tony's words to be a desperate ploy. Yet, a tremor from behind him sparked an instinctual glance. His eyes widened in horror. A towering, 45-meter-stone statue stood awakened, its massive fist clenched and aimed for a crushing blow.
Obadiah scrambled to activate the Iron Overlord's complete defenses, raising both steel arms to meet the attack. Though made of stone, the statue surprised him with its incredible hardness. The blow sent the Iron Overlord crashing to the ground, followed by a relentless barrage of punches and kicks that drove it deeper into the earth.
Foreseeing this battle against a powerful metal suit, Ivan had reinforced the statue with unique treatments. Its stone exterior was challenging and flexible, while its fists and feet delivered powerful shockwaves that could bypass armor and damage the occupant directly.
Obadiah was in pure agony. The shockwaves ripped through him, inducing nausea and vomiting. His entire body felt weak, incapable of controlling the armor. He could only endure the relentless assault.
Finally, the statue reached its limit. The attacks ceased after a burst of sparks, indicating a near-paralyzed control system. The statue lumbered forward, seizing his head and pulling it clean off, revealing a sparking mess of wires.
Fortunately, Iron Overlord's immense size positioned Obadiah's head on the armor's chest. Now exposed, his bald head struggled in vain to escape the confines of the armor. Ivan and Tony, who had just managed to rise, witnessed the sight – a head straining for freedom within a metal prison. Despite his predicament, Obadiah let out a chilling laugh.
"Why? How can I have failed with such power? Who are you? Why help him?" Just moments ago, Obadiah reveled in his dominance. Now, utterly defeated and facing imprisonment, the stark contrast was unbearable. His expression contorted, a hint of madness creeping in.
"You know nothing of true power," Ivan responded contemptuously.
"Your strength is built on arrogance. A frog in a well will never comprehend the world's vastness."
Obadiah's sanity teetered. He understood that capture meant a life behind bars, a fate he, who had enjoyed a life of privilege, couldn't fathom. His face contorted, revealing a flicker of madness.
"No! I won't accept this! I have yet to lose! Even in death, I won't let you win! We die together!"
In desperation, he triggered the Iron Overlord's self-destruction sequence. A blinding flash filled the air.
"Not good!"
The statue reacted instantly, crouching down to shield Ivan and Tony. Simultaneously, Ivan cast a powerful armor spell upon himself and Tony.
A thunderous explosion ripped through the air. The statue protecting them shattered, but it had served its purpose. The blast's force was significantly weakened, and Ivan's magic easily deflected the remaining energy.
As the dust settled, Tony surveyed the aftermath – scattered debris from the Iron Overlord and Obadiah's gruesome remains.
Debris littered the scene, remnants of the Iron Overlord and Obadiah's flesh and blood. Tony, shaken but resolute, murmured, "Lucky it seems." A wave of sadness washed over him. The elders, his surrogate family, were gone. He couldn't articulate the depth of his grief.
Ivan, sensing Tony's despair, offered comfort. "Don't dwell on it. This is what he wanted. You're Iron Man now. No challenge can break you! Think of Pepper, stay strong."
Tony, jolted from his thoughts, turned to Ivan. "Thanks, brother. This blow won't break me. I'll lead Stark Industries to a brighter future."
Ivan smiled in agreement. He pointed at the broken statue nearby, and a soft light emanated from his fingers.
"Restore!" he commanded.
The statue seemed to rewind in time. Shards of stone rose, reassembling, fusing. Soon, a whole statue stood restored, guided by Ivan's control, returning to its original position, motionless.
Witnessing Ivan's magic, Tony sighed. "Magic is truly incredible. No matter how often I see it, it's mind-blowing."
Ivan chuckled. "In some ways, magic is just another form of science. It seems magical because you don't understand the principles. Imagine an ancient person seeing a plane fly—pure magic! Perhaps you could study magic and understand it scientifically. There might be unexpected discoveries."
"Another science, huh? Maybe someday. But for now, I need a new reactor and some serious rest. Today's been draining."
The Arc Reactor in Tony's chest was a prototype; its energy depleted after the fight. Without a replacement to absorb the shrapnel near his heart, it was useless.
Suddenly, Pepper noticed the silence and rushed in. Ivan vanished instantly, unwilling to expose himself or his son to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s scrutiny. Pepper and Tony, their bond strengthened, returned to Skull Island.
The clash of the two steel titans in New York City caused massive destruction and civilian casualties. But with some deliberate suppression, the situation calmed quickly. Everything seemed under control. However, the next day, news broke of Tony Stark's public declaration:
"I am Iron Man."
This bombshell ignited a global firestorm.
-----
"Damn it!"
Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., slammed his fist on the table, his single eye glaring at Tony on the TV.
"This Stark! Does he have any idea what he's doing? He's no better than his father! Yes, Howard was a playboy, but at least he had business sense. Stark makes a reckless mess, and I must clean it up!"
His assistant hurriedly soothed the Director, calming him down, though inwardly sighing, "Rarely does the Director lose his cool like this."
----
In a Siberian wasteland, a dying Anton Vanko watched his son, Ivan, mourn their loss. On TV, Tony Stark's confident image sparked a fire of hatred in the older man's eyes.
"Son," he rasped, "all of this could have been yours. Stark stole everything. Remember this debt. You will get your revenge. Stark will pay."
Ivan, resolute, nodded. He tucked his father in and resumed his research.
----
Across the globe, in a high-tech lab, Aldrich Killian watched Tony with simmering animosity as Tony raised his hand, a red glow pulsing from his palm. Killian slammed a fist on the unyielding metal table, melting it with sheer rage.
"Tony Stark," he hissed, "you looked down on me, left me on that rooftop to freeze. I haven't forgotten. We'll meet again, and I'll repay all the humiliation you inflicted."
Meanwhile, Alexander Pierce pointed at Iron Man on a screen in a hidden Hydra base. "This armor technology is vital to Hydra. We must acquire it at all costs. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, sir! Hail Hydra!" his subordinate replied.
"Hail Hydra!" they echoed in unison.
Beyond these immediate threats, countless other forces stirred by Iron Man's actions – the British wizarding world, the Himalayan Kamar-Taj, the Brotherhood of Mutants, the X-Men Academy, the Inhumans – each with their agendas, some clear, others veiled, all converging on Tony Stark, a brewing storm on the horizon.
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Mad_verse
Mad_verse Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone