"Door's open. Let's move."
Skye didn't rush in right away. She gestured for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to take point instead. Her powers were strong, yes—but dangerous to her as well. The less she had to use them, the better.
Coulson led the team forward, gun raised, every step careful and deliberate. Natasha was right behind him, while the agents flanked them in formation, keeping Pepper securely in the center.
The warehouse was pitch black, utterly silent. Their flashlights cut thin cones through the darkness, doing little to dispel it. The narrow beams only made the place feel colder, emptier—haunted.
"What on earth was Obadiah doing here?" Pepper whispered, frowning.
She knew Stark Industries inside and out. As Tony's assistant, nothing in the company escaped her. But this warehouse? It didn't even exist in the archives. That could mean only one thing—it was Obadiah's private project. And that made it dangerous.
"Stay sharp," Natasha murmured. Her instincts screamed that something was wrong. The silence wasn't peace—it was the kind that came right before gunfire.
Then—
Vrrrrmmm…
A single red light flared to life behind Pepper, followed by the grinding roar of machinery.
"Down! Everyone out—NOW!"
Natasha spun around, firing instantly toward the glow. The other agents reacted fast, unleashing a volley of gunfire. Skye grabbed Pepper by the wrist and bolted for the exit, Coulson covering them and firing over his shoulder.
RATATATAT!
Bullets filled the air—then men began to fall. One by one, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents dropped like wheat before the scythe, cut down by a wall of lead. Only Natasha's reflexes saved her from being shredded.
And then she saw it.
The red glow wasn't just a light—it was eyes.
Through the faint flash of muzzle fire, she finally saw the monster rising from the dark.
"Holy—crab cakes…" she breathed.
The thing was huge—over three meters tall, a steel titan with glowing eyes and thick armor plating. Massive cannons and rotary guns gleamed under the flashlights.
The Iron Monger. Obadiah Stane's twisted imitation of Tony's design.
Natasha didn't hesitate. She turned and ran.
> "Since you've come this far…"
Obadiah's voice boomed through the armor's speakers, dripping with arrogance.
> "Don't bother leaving!"
A shoulder panel snapped open. A missile launched with a scream.
BOOM!
The explosion tore through the warehouse roof, sending debris raining down as fire filled the space. Natasha dove through the blast, tumbling across the concrete. When she emerged, her suit was scorched, one arm blackened and useless.
"Natasha!" Skye sprinted to her, dropping to her knees.
She checked the wounds—mostly burns and shrapnel cuts. The arm was broken, but she was alive.
Coulson barked orders, rallying what was left of the agents. "Fall back! Get Pepper and Romanoff out of here!"
But the Iron Monger wasn't about to let anyone escape. Its cannons roared again, spraying bullets and micro-missiles. The air filled with fire and metal.
Coulson's men didn't stand a chance. Their pistols barely scratched the armor. Each hit made a faint plink—and that was it.
> "Hahaha! You see now? Against real power, all you can do is DIE!"
Obadiah's laughter was pure madness. He was drunk on it—the destruction, the domination, the feeling of being untouchable.
Within seconds, nearly every agent was down. Only Coulson was left, empty gun trembling in his hand. S.H.I.E.L.D. reinforcements were miles away.
Then came the whine of a rocket.
Obadiah fired straight at Pepper.
"NO! GET DOWN!" Coulson shouted, sprinting forward—
Too late.
BOOOOOOM!
Flames erupted, throwing him backward. The blast lit up the night sky, swallowing Pepper, Skye, and Natasha whole.
Coulson hit the ground hard, pounding his fist against the dirt. "Damn it!"
But as the smoke cleared—his eyes widened.
Pepper was still there. So was Natasha.
Skye stood in front of them, arms outstretched. Invisible ripples of force pulsed from her palms, bending the air itself. Not a single fragment of shrapnel had reached them.
The rocket had detonated early—disintegrated midair under the crushing waves of her vibration field.
When the last echo faded, Skye's arms dropped limply to her sides. Pain shot through her bones—both arms shattered from the strain.
Still, she'd saved them.
Before anyone could react, the ground shook. The Iron Monger landed with a thunderous crash, raising one massive metal fist—
—and sent Skye flying.
She slammed into a wall and went limp.
Obadiah's faceplate hissed open, revealing his sweating, twisted grin.
> "Well, Miss Potts," he sneered. "Curiosity really does kill the cat. You think being Stark's little secretary makes you untouchable? Let me show you who really runs Stark Industries!"
He raised his right arm; the rotary cannon spun up with a whine.
And then—
SHOOM!
A beam of golden light streaked down from the sky, slamming into him like a meteor.
The Iron Monger was ripped off his feet and hurled across the street, tearing a deep trench into the asphalt.
> "Now you know who's really in charge, you greedy bastard!"
The voice was sharp, furious—and unmistakable.
Tony Stark, clad in the red-and-gold Mark III armor, landed in a burst of sparks.
The real Iron Man had arrived.
"Tony?!" Pepper gasped, tears streaking her soot-covered cheeks.
Tony flipped up his faceplate. "I'm sorry, Pepper. You got dragged into this because of me. Go. Get to safety. I'll explain everything once this is over."
The rare steadiness in his voice silenced her. He wasn't joking now.
Pepper nodded through her tears. She tightened her grip around Natasha—still unconscious—and with Coulson's help, started retreating from the battlefield.
Behind them, sparks flared again.
The battle between Iron Man and the Iron Monger had begun.
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