Chương 120: Chapter 120 How Steel Is tempered

Ever since Stark Industries had gone against his will by refusing to shut down the weapons manufacturing division and had imposed a ban on him, Tony Stark had grown suspicious of Obadiah Stane.

Now, after recent events, his suspicions only deepened. However, their long-standing relationship left him with a sliver of doubt and hesitation, preventing him from being completely certain.

"Jarvis, pull up Obadiah Stane recent activity logs," Tony said after a moment of thought, his voice calm and steady.

In truth, Tony had already investigated Obadiah in the past. From Obadiah computer files and security camera footage, he found recordings of Obadiah seemingly anxious and actively searching for him.

Far from clearing Obadiah of suspicion, Tony felt it might have been deliberately fabricated evidence.

Despite his suspicions, Tony internal conflict eventually led him to set them aside temporarily. He focused his energy on building his armor and testing its capabilities in conflict zones, often targeting the Ten Rings.

In the regions he frequently operated, he had earned the nickname "Iron Man," although it had yet to catch on domestically.

Now, hearing Obadiah statements during the press conference sparked a new idea in Tony mind.

If he couldn't find direct evidence to prove his suspicions, could indirect evidence suffice?

The fact that Stark Industries had no record of the "key weapons project" Obadiah mentioned meant one of two things either Obadiah was lying, or the game-changing weapon he spoke of wasn't officially part of Stark Industries' projects—it was being developed in secret.

What could be important enough to warrant such secrecy?

Tony expression darkened as Jarvis displayed Obadiah activity logs, pinpointing a specific location: a warehouse near Stark Industries' headquarters used for storing experimental weapons.

This location was part of Obadiah daily routine.

In other words, Obadiah passed by this warehouse every day.

What could be inside the warehouse to justify such frequent visits?

"Pull up the warehouse surveillance footage," Tony instructed.

Jarvis complied, displaying footage of the warehouse exterior. Tony frowned.

"And the interior footage?" he asked.

"Sir, there are no cameras inside the warehouse," Jarvis replied.

"Figures," Tony muttered, his frown deepening as his expression grew more serious.

"So it really is you..." he whispered, taking a deep breath. "Jarvis, bring up the Mark IV suit and plot a route to New York."

"Understood," Jarvis responded.

Unlike the first three iterations of his armor, which required external mechanical assistance to assemble, the Mark IV was capable of autonomous donning. The Mark V portable design would later allow Tony to carry his armor anywhere with ease.

Tony Stark genius was, as always, undeniable.

In this world, which had been disrupted by Anton interference, Tony research on his armor had progressed even faster and further.

At his accelerated pace, it didn't take long for him to arrive in New York, landing on the rooftop of the Stark Industries building.

After a moment of contemplation, Tony removed his armor and began heading down the building.

Unexpectedly, he ran into someone he didn't expect to see.

"Tony?"

A blonde woman looked at the mustached man in front of her with surprise.

"Pepper?" Tony was momentarily stunned. "What are you doing here so late?"

"I'm your assistant. Even though you've been banned from working, you're still the chairman of the board. I'm here every day signing documents on your behalf, got it?" Pepper rolled her eyes.

"By the way, it not even that late—it just after work hours. Why are you here, and why are you coming down from the rooftop?"

"I'm here to see Obadiah," Tony replied briefly, offering no further explanation. He waved his hand dismissively. "Go back to your work; don't worry about me."

With that, he headed for Obadiah office.

"Tony?" Obadiah greeted him with a wide smile as he entered.

"Well, isn't this a surprise!" Obadiah chuckled. "Even in the old days, it was rare to see you around the company."

"This is different now, Obie." Tony gaze locked onto the older man before him. "I'm here for something, and I want an honest answer from you."

"Oh?" Obadiah raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It about my kidnapping in Afghanistan," Tony said slowly.

Obadiah narrowed his eyes slightly, closing the distance between them almost imperceptibly.

"That matter… uh!" Tony hadn't finished speaking when Obadiah suddenly attacked him. Tony collapsed to the floor, his eyes wide as he stared up at Obadiah in disbelief.

"Damn!" Tony was utterly shocked. He hadn't expected Obadiah to turn on him so brazenly in the company office.

"A neural paralysis weapon," Obadiah said coldly, watching Tony struggle on the ground. "It causes temporary nerve paralysis. Unfortunately, it never received government approval. I have to admit, it quite handy at times."

The ambition burning in Obadiah eyes was now unmistakable.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. Your cause of death will be listed as irreversible heart failure due to shrapnel fragments near your heart."

Obadiah tone was calm as he continued, "After all, you have an artificial device in your chest. You have to admit—machines are prone to malfunction, aren't they?"

With that, he yanked the arc reactor from Tony chest and walked away, locking the office door behind him.

Clearly, Obadiah had become overly confident.

He underestimated Tony will to survive—and the protective halo granted by Marvel narrative.

Tony struggled to open the door and crawled to the chairman office on the same floor.

Creak—

Pepper pushed open the door, unwittingly bumping into the prone Tony and sending him rolling.

Unfortunate as ever, Tony groaned in pain, nearly passing out.

"Tony!" Pepper exclaimed, horrified. Seeing her boss in such a dire state, she panicked. "What happened to you?"

"Pepper, listen!" Tony, barely able to breathe, gasped, "I remember… I gave you a 'heart.' I hope it here right now…"

If it not, I'm done for!

Tony didn't finish the thought, but as he looked through the open door of the chairman office, he saw the "heart"—his arc reactor—sitting on the desk where Pepper was currently working.

After Work Hours

The building Anton worked in was located in the heart of Manhattan. Driving his Mercedes home after work, he suddenly found himself stuck in traffic near the Stark Industries building.

As he sat there, two metallic figures descended from the sky.

Boom!

A deafening crash erupted nearby.

The red-armored Iron Man rescued a civilian from a car before resuming his battle against the silver-armored Iron Monger.

Anton was dumbfounded.

It seemed like his luck wasn't great—chaos and calamity always found a way to involve him. The last time, it was the Lizard incident at Oscorp, which he had walked into voluntarily. But this time, all he wanted to do was get home, only to stumble upon a showdown between Iron Man and Iron Monger.

Science fiction had never felt so real.

Upon closer inspection, Tony Stark was clearly in bad shape, being relentlessly beaten by Obadiah Stane in his Iron Monger suit. The fight was even more brutal than in the original storyline.

At this moment, Tony seemed to have exhausted all his energy reserves. Even his helmet had been ripped off, now a crumpled piece of scrap in Iron Monger hand.

"This is brutal!" Anton thought, beginning to doubt if Tony Stark would even survive the night to deliver his iconic line tomorrow. The situation had spiraled out of control.

The intensity of the fight far exceeded Anton expectations. Civilians caught in the chaos were panicking, some cursing their luck as they were too stunned to flee and ended up caught in the crossfire.

In truth, New York seemed cursed, repeatedly plagued by supervillain crises. This wasn't just bad luck—it was destiny.

Yesterday, it was Doctor Octopus. Today, it was Iron Monger.

While the public hadn't yet formed an opinion about today "iron man," one thing was clear—neither of them was a saint.

Especially the silver-armored, larger Iron Monger. Like a tyrant, he was pummeling the red-armored Iron Man into the ground.

Missiles launched from Iron Monger shoulders, flying in all directions.

Though his primary target was Tony Stark, the explosions sent shockwaves rippling through the area, flipping over cars—including a bus. Fortunately, the passengers had evacuated in time, avoiding a catastrophic death toll.

Honk! Honk!

Car horns blared incessantly as people farther down the road abandoned their vehicles, fleeing in terror.

Anton, parked at a safe distance, didn't act immediately. Instead, he watched the unfolding chaos with interest, unconcerned that Tony might meet his end so easily.

It wasn't time for him to intervene yet.

Truthfully, Anton found watching Tony Stark suffer far more entertaining than stepping in to eliminate Iron Monger.

...

Boom!

"Tony!"

Iron Monger, standing atop Iron Man chest, glared down at the exposed face of Tony Stark, his voice filled with venomous rage. "For forty years, I've supported you, Tony. Think about it—what have you ever given me in return?!"

His voice grew colder with every word. "I built this company from the ground up. I will not let anyone stand in my way."

"Not even you!"

"Now, die!"

His deep voice carried a manic intensity.

Tony gritted his teeth, struggling to endure. His helmet was gone, his missile systems had failed, and his energy reserves were nearly depleted. He had only one last chance to fire his repulsor blasts.

Without hesitation, Tony raised both hands, unleashing a powerful repulsor blast that forced Iron Monger to stumble backward.

Using his agility and powered enhancements, Tony maneuvered to Iron Monger rear, targeting the vulnerable neck joint to dismantle the suit.

But he miscalculated.

Iron Monger caught him mid-action, delivering a devastating punch like a sledgehammer.

Tony closed his eyes in despair, his life flashing before him.

He didn't regret his choices.

Boom!

A massive impact echoed, and Tony felt a powerful gust of wind whip past, stinging his face.

Sensing something was off, he opened his eyes to find another silver figure—similar in size to him but sleeker and more streamlined—standing between him and Iron Monger.

This figure intercepted Iron Monger punch.

Having met him before, Tony Stark was no stranger to this individual.

"Cyborg!" Tony exclaimed in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"This is New York," Cyborg replied, turning his head to reveal his half-metal, half-human face. His mechanical eye glowed red, a sight that oddly reassured Tony.

Tony hadn't expected to see Cyborg again so soon—just a day after the Doctor Octopus incident and the artificial sun fiasco. Technically, this was the second time Cyborg had saved his life.

Without Cyborg intervention yesterday, Tony figured his fate might have been just as grim, if not worse, than it was today.

"If you're fighting in New York, did it not occur to you to estimate how long it would take for a superhero to show up?" Cyborg spoke calmly, his tone brimming with unparalleled confidence.

He continued, "We're not like the NYPD or S.H.I.E.L.D., who are good at cleaning up messes. We excel at eliminating enemies."

"We?" Tony caught the key word.

Tap, tap, tap. Footsteps approached from behind.

Tony turned and widened his eyes at the sight of someone famous, someone universally known—but someone he didn't particularly like for reasons he couldn't quite articulate.

"Tony Stark," the man clad in black armor with a billowing cape greeted him with a nod, his expression cold and stern.

For some reason, Tony couldn't shake the feeling that this guy faintly upturned lips carried a mocking edge.

"Batman," Tony muttered, his tone complicated as he exhaled deeply.

The appearance of both Batman and Cyborg signaled that tonight chaos was finally under control.

Instinctively, Tony turned his head slightly. He didn't want others to see him in such a battered state—it was a matter of pride.

"Tony!"

Pepper Potts, who had been anxiously observing the fight from a distance, sprinted over the moment Batman and Cyborg appeared.

She threw her arms around Tony.

"Leave this to Batman and Cyborg—you need medical attention now!" she urged.

Tony took a deep breath, feeling underestimated.

If it weren't for his arc reactor being replaced with an older model, severely limiting his energy reserves and preventing him from firing more than a few repulsor blasts, and if his missile systems hadn't been damaged, he wouldn't have ended up in this humiliating state.

"Tony, you nearly died!"

Pepper helped him over to the curb, her face pale with fear and worry.

"Pepper, there won't be a 'next time.'"

Tony tried to reassure her, watching the standoff between Cyborg and Iron Monger. He clenched his fists tightly.

This battle had been humiliating—a severe blow to his ego.

When he got back, he was determined to overhaul his armor entirely, creating something stronger and more awe-inspiring.

Something that wouldn't make people think he was imitating Cyborg or Batman.

"Cyborg."

Obadiah Stane eyed the man before him, his expression shifting slightly.

As someone who controlled half of a weapons manufacturing company, Obadiah wasn't a technical expert, but he could recognize the excellence of Cyborg mechanical body.

Compared to the Iron Monger suit he operated, it was clear Cyborg technology was leagues ahead.

"Let see whose design is better!"

Despite this, Obadiah laughed heartily, showing no fear or hesitation.

At this point, retreat wasn't an option. Besides, having just crushed Tony Stark, his confidence was through the roof.

Wearing the Iron Monger suit made him feel invincible.

To this, Anton could only think: Obadiah was overconfident.

It was time for Obadiah to learn the meaning of "there always someone better."

While the events had taken an unexpected turn, since Tony was currently out of options, it was only natural for Anton to have Cyborg deliver a lesson.

Tony needed to understand how steel was tempered and how "iron men" fought.

Of course, in this context, the "iron man" was Cyborg.

As a half-mechanical cyborg, it was only fitting for him to join the ranks of "iron man."