章 15: S.H.I.E.L.D. Takes Action

Obadiah regretted once again that the Iron Monger had been built too hastily—it didn't even have an infrared sensor, making it impossible to locate his target.

Meanwhile, Tony finally demonstrated some of the ingenuity he was known for.

Seizing the opportunity, Tony leapt out from behind Obadiah and yanked out the cables at the back of the Iron Monger's head.

This immediately disabled the Iron Monger's external video feed and targeting systems. Frustrated, Obadiah reached behind, grabbed Iron Man by the head, and hurled him forward.

The immense force caused Iron Man's helmet to come off, revealing Tony beneath.

Without the video feed, Obadiah had no choice but to open the Iron Monger's cockpit. At this moment, he wore a smug expression, his eyes filled with mockery and arrogance.

"Honestly, I never liked this iron contraption, Tony. But I must admit, this suit is impressive."

Crushing Iron Man's helmet in his hand, he tossed the mangled remains at Tony's feet.

As a typical villain, Obadiah activated his passive ability: the need to monologue before defeating the hero, giving the hero a chance to turn the tables.

"You've finally surpassed yourself, Tony. Your father would be proud."

Inside the factory, Pepper had already activated all the power circuits and disabled the safety mechanisms.

"Everything's ready, Tony! Get off the roof now!"

The Arc Reactor began to emit a blue glow, with electric currents sparking out as the massive amount of generated power couldn't be released, and the disabled safety systems meant it wouldn't automatically shut down.

At this point, it resembled a massive bomb, continuously charging up.

However, the reactor's construction had anticipated this scenario, so a large portion of the electrical energy was being grounded.

On the roof, Obadiah raised his right hand, and the Iron Monger's Gatling gun began to spin.

"Zzzz…"

A barrage of bullets was unleashed.

But with the targeting system down, and given Obadiah's lack of professional combat training, the shots were wildly inaccurate.

Hearing the commotion, Pepper called out to Tony from below, her voice filled with concern.

On the roof, Obadiah retracted his right hand.

"Isn't it ironic, Tony? You wanted to rid the world of weapons, yet you created the most powerful one. And now, I'm going to use your own creation to kill you!"

A victorious smile played on his lips as he raised his left hand, revealing a small rocket launcher.

"Whoosh… Boom!"

But after firing two shots, the rockets missed their mark.

Frustrated, Obadiah moved closer to Tony.

"You might've damaged my targeting system, but what about this!"

As Obadiah approached, Tony shouted, "Pepper, cut the grounding!"

Pepper immediately hit the button, severing the last protection of the Arc Reactor—the grounding line.

"Zzz… BOOM!"

The enormous energy, now without an outlet, erupted into a massive energy surge shooting skyward.

Obadiah and Tony, both on the roof, were struck by the powerful blast of energy.

However, their suits protected them from being turned into charred remains, though the jolt left them completely paralyzed, unable to move.

After a moment, the Arc Reactor's energy was depleted, triggering an emergency shutdown, ceasing all functions.

Tony, now unconscious, began to fall from the roof.

But in a twist from the usual plot, Obadiah, still conscious due to his T-virus enhancements, didn't fall.

"Oh, Tony, it seems your plan failed."

He managed a slight smile and raised his left hand, aiming the small rocket launcher downward.

At this moment, Pepper rushed to Tony's side, her heart filled with panic as she saw he was unconscious.

"Tony, are you okay…?"

"Pepper, why don't you join Tony in death as lovers?" Obadiah sneered, preparing to fire the rocket.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed through the air, striking the joint in the Iron Monger's left arm.

With a sharp "Crack," the Iron Monger's left arm was instantly jammed, unable to move.

Obadiah turned in surprise to see a man with a bow standing about thirty meters away on his left.

"Who are you?" Obadiah demanded.

The archer didn't respond, simply holding his bow steady, aiming directly at Obadiah.

With his cockpit open, Obadiah realized that if the archer were ordered to shoot, he could easily take him out with a single arrow.

This was Clint Barton, code-named Hawkeye, a Level 7 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

And he wasn't alone.

Soon, Agent Coulson, limping slightly, arrived with seven or eight other agents to stand beside Barton.

"Man, you showed up just in time. I almost bought it up here," Coulson said, still somewhat dazed from being thrown by Obadiah earlier. Though he was tough, he wasn't unscathed.

"I think you should take some men down there. Tony doesn't look so good," Barton suggested, glancing at Obadiah warily.

Coulson nodded, acknowledging the situation.

"This area's yours," he said to Barton, preparing to head down to Tony.

Seeing this, Obadiah raised his right hand, his Gatling gun spinning up once more.

But before he could fire, another arrow flew towards him.

"Whoosh… Clang…"

The arrowhead lodged perfectly in the Gatling gun, causing it to jam.

Seeing this, Obadiah was furious.

"Damn you! You…"

Just as he was about to launch a small missile from his back, Barton loosed another arrow, this time embedding it right next to Obadiah's ear.

"Clang…"

"I suggest you don't move, or I can't guarantee where the next arrow will land," Barton warned.

The cold sweat that immediately broke out on Obadiah's forehead extinguished his rage. He might have been a businessman, but he wasn't a warrior. Had the arrow been just a bit off, he'd be dead.

Watching Coulson descend to help Tony, Obadiah was filled with bitter resentment.

If things continued like this, once Tony recovered, he'd be finished. He'd lose his seat on the board, likely end up in prison, and his current life would be over.

If Tony were particularly vindictive, he might not even make it to prison alive.

What was he supposed to do?

As Obadiah wrestled with his fears, six heavily armed men arrived on the roof, "Mr. Obadiah, Miss Luna has a proposal she'd like to discuss with you."

At the mention of Luna, a glimmer of hope flickered in Obadiah's eyes.

"Whatever the deal is, as long as you kill Tony, I'm all ears!"

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