[Meanwhile, Tony suited up in the Mark III. Rhodey's eyes widened in amazement. "This is seriously the coolest thing in the world!"]
[Tony smirked. "Not bad, huh? Let's get started!"]
[Rhodey shouted, "Do you need anything else from me?"]
["Ensure I have safe flight clearance!" With that, Tony blasted through the ceiling and took off.]
["Damn it!" Rhodey cursed under his breath. Turning around, he spotted the Mark II suit—still missing its core. "Baby, I'll take you with me next time!" He then jumped into a sports car and sped toward the Air Force base.]
"It looks like you finally got your wish!" Banner grinned at Rhodey after watching the scene.
Rhodey laughed. "Haha! Yeah! Tell me this isn't the coolest thing ever!"
"Tony! Can I have one too?" Banner suddenly perked up, his interest piqued.
"Uh... are you sure the Hulk won't just rip the armor apart?" Tony hesitated for a moment before asking a very valid question.
Banner paused, finally realizing the issue. His face fell in disappointment. "Oh… yeah. Damn. What a shame! I really wanted one!"
"It's fine! I can set aside a suit for you. If you ever need to move quickly, you can use it." Tony thought of a compromise. Once their research was complete, remote summoning wouldn't be an issue.
"Oh! Tony! Thanks, man!" Banner grinned in gratitude.
Tony waved dismissively. "No need to thank me. You've helped me plenty. It's just a shame we haven't found a way to control that big guy yet."
Banner sighed and shrugged. "I can't do much about that. I try not to get angry. If the Hulk comes out and I can't control him, it's a disaster waiting to happen."
Without reliable data, Tony didn't dare test his Mark Destroyer No. 1 against the Hulk. Even if it managed to subdue him, the armor would likely be destroyed in the process.
Thankfully, Spider-Man was still alive in this timeline and only nine years old. This meant that, at the very least, the war wouldn't break out until he reached high school—assuming the hidden enemy behind all this didn't strike sooner because of the revelations from the sky curtain.
For now, Tony and his team remained completely in the dark about their true enemy.
[Coulson led his team into Area 16. The room was pitch black, and the agents instinctively drew their pistols. Coulson took point, cautiously stepping forward.]
[Then, in the dim light, they spotted a massive assembled suit in the corner. "Looks like you were right! He is building armor!"]
[Pepper's gaze fell on the Mark I. Recalling the specifications of the Iron Monger project, she added, "And it's even bigger!"]
[Just then, she sensed something. Turning around, she noticed two loose cables sparking violently.]
[Coulson vaulted over the railing, venturing deeper into the room to investigate.]
[One of the agents approached a nearby computer, where Iron Monger's schematics were displayed on the screen.]
[Pepper cautiously moved under the dangling cables. Suddenly, the heavy chains behind her rattled despite the still air. Her breath hitched. She turned slowly.]
[From the darkness, two eerie lights flickered on. A chill ran down Pepper's spine. She gasped as Iron Monger's massive frame emerged from the shadows.]
[With a scream, Pepper turned and bolted.]
[The agents immediately spotted the towering figure behind her. "Open fire!!!"]
[Unfazed, Obadiah swung his massive elbow, sending one agent flying across the room. The impact crashed him into the Mark I, setting off a violent explosion that engulfed the remaining agents in a fiery blast.]
[Pepper ran as fast as she could, never daring to look back. Behind her, Obadiah barreled forward, tearing through everything in his path.]
[Fortunately, she managed to escape Area 16 just in time. Iron Monger's enormous body slammed into the metal doors, bending the frame with an ear-splitting screech.]
"Good thing I was downstairs at the time! Otherwise, you wouldn't be seeing me here today!" Coulson exhaled in relief.
Natasha glanced at him and smirked. "Yeah! Seems like you have a knack for dodging disaster—just like the time with the Destroyer Armor."
"That's right. Luck was on my side. If you hadn't arrived when you did, I might've died right then and there!"
"And Tony—thankfully, I got in touch with him in time. If I hadn't, we would've suffered major losses."
Coulson recalled the intense battle with the Destroyer Armor. That thing was far beyond anyone's expectations. After the fight, Tony had taken it for research.
According to Tony, they had uncovered some interesting results, though he hadn't shared them yet.
[Tony soared toward Stark Industries at full speed. "JARVIS, do you think the Mark I's core can handle the strain?"]
[Jarvis responded immediately.]
["Sir! Its energy levels are already below 48%! This core was never designed for prolonged flight!"]
[Hearing this, Tony remained composed. "Keep me updated on its status."]
[As soon as Pepper exited Stark Tower, her phone rang. The moment she heard Tony's voice, she panicked. "Tony! Tony! Are you okay?!"]
["I'm fine! It's just—"]
["Obadiah! He's lost his mind! He—" Pepper panted, struggling to explain the situation.]
[But Tony cut her off. "I know! Listen to me—you need to leave right now! Get out of there, immediately! Do you hear me?"]
[As they spoke, the ground beneath her suddenly bulged upward. A deafening crash followed. Then, with a terrifying groan of metal, Iron Monger burst through the pavement.]
[Obadiah's cold eyes locked onto Pepper. "Where do you think you're going?"]
[He took a heavy step forward, making Pepper instinctively recoil in fear.]
[A Gatling gun unfolded from his arm. He smirked, "I don't need you anymore, dear."]
[Just as Obadiah prepared to fire, Tony arrived in the nick of time. "STOP!!!"]
[Immediately, Obadiah shifted his aim toward Tony. But before he could fire a single round, Tony lunged forward, tackling him at full speed.]
[The two crashed through the wall, landing violently onto the street. The impact sent a passing car skidding off course.]
[Chaos erupted. Vehicles swerved and slammed into one another, causing a chain-reaction pileup. Amid the panic, a mother carrying her child shrieked as she slammed the brakes.]
[The car screeched to a halt—just inches from colliding with Obadiah.]
[Slowly, Iron Monger stood up. Without hesitation, he reached down and lifted the entire car into the air.]
[With a twisted grin, he turned toward Tony. "I love this armor! And now, Tony—you're finished!!!"]
[Seeing this, Tony roared, "PUT THEM DOWN!!!"]
...
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