"I'm going to sleep. Tony, don't forget you owe a Porsche."
I said that and left in the Mustang that Tony had been borrowing for months. As I drove off, Tony watched the Mustang with the sad eyes of soone sending off a son.
The next day, Tony contacted right away.
"Jin, Stark Industries weapons are still being sold to terrorists. I confronted Obadiah about it, and he said he'd ban from managent."
"Really? Then I'll send you a proxy for my voting rights. With your shares and mine combined, he won't be able to say anything."
"Thanks, Jin."
"And Obadiah slls fishy. I'll look into it and contact you."
In the original story, Pepper did this, but I didn't know what variables might have changed, so I decided to do it myself. I couldn't predict what would happen if Pepper died.
"Got it. And about the Mustang..."
Click.
I hung up imdiately. Tony still hadn't given up on the Mustang.
"Minerva."
[Yes][Master]
"Buy one Porsche 911, one Humr, and one comfortable Audi—each. And see if there's a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 in good condition for sale."
[Understood.]
Soone might say, 'You're that rich, why not buy supercars?' But honestly, supercars are hard to drive long distances. They break down easily. I wasn't into taking them to the track or anything. A Porsche was the limit.
"And custom-order two superyachts. Later I'll modify them to fly, so think about air resistance and build them tough with alloys. Don't recruit crews—we'll run everything with AI and robots."
[Understood.]
I'd use one superyacht for myself and one later as a mobile base for the Avengers. Superyachts take a long ti to build, so I'd order them now and modify them on my high-tech island.
The next day, I went to Stark Industries HQ, used, and hacked Obadiah's computer. I extracted all the corruption, deals with terrorists, and evidence that he orchestrated Tony's kidnapping.[Stealth]
"This should be enough for Pepper not to have to move."
A few days later, Lt. Colonel Rhodes called.
"Hey, what did you guys make? We lost a fighter jet."
"Ask Tony about that. I just helped a little."
From Rhodey's words, I could tell Tony was already active as Iron Man with the Mark 3. Probably going around destroying Stark Industries weapons that were sold to terrorists.
I called Tony right away.
"Tony, I found sothing interesting on Obadiah's computer."
"Really? Send it to ."
I sent Tony all the hacked information. After reading it, Tony cursed. Especially learning that Obadiah was behind his kidnapping must've been a shock.
"Son of a... Anyway, thanks."
Anyone would curse if a close uncle-like figure backstabbed them like Obadiah did. I understood completely.
That evening, I was already geared up for combat and lying in wait at Stark Industries. I'd modified a suit for mobility, added specially made cards that were easy to draw inside the jacket and at the waist, and held a cane-shaped sword made of vibranium.
After waiting a bit, Pepper Potts and SHIELD agents ca into the company to arrest Obadiah.
"This way."
Under Pepper's guidance, the SHIELD agents went inside. I wanted Pepper to stay out of this, but things didn't go as planned. I planned to save her with my abilities if she was in danger, so I watched inside the company with [Observation Haki].
The SHIELD agents went inside with Obadiah, and a battle broke out with the 'Iron Monger' he'd built by analyzing the Mark 1 remnants from Afghanistan. In the chaos, Pepper safely slipped out of the company.
"Tony, Tony! Are you okay? What is that..."
Pepper ca out of the company and seed to be on the phone with Tony. Then the ground shook and the Iron Monger burst through from underground, tearing up the road. Iron Monger was even bigger than the Mark 1, and the pressure from that massive chanical body was imnse.
Iron Monger blocked Pepper Potts's path and aid the minigun on its arm, speaking. She was frozen in fear and couldn't say anything.
"You could've lived well under with better treatnt. What a sha. You're fired as of this mont!"
Iron Monger's minigun started spinning with a chanical whir, and I quickly threw a card to destroy the minigun.
Boom!
Iron Monger was caught off guard by the sudden explosion, and using that opening, I grabbed Pepper and teleported her to a safe place.
"Ah... Uh? Jin!? What the hell..."
Pepper was shocked that I suddenly appeared and saved her, but the situation was urgent, so I cut her off.
"Miss Potts, it's urgent. We'll talk later."
I left Pepper in a safe place and returned to where Iron Monger was. The Iron Man Mark 3 and Iron Monger were fighting fiercely.
Obadiah was using an Arc Reactor he stole from Tony after Tony escaped Afghanistan and built a new one. Tony was forced to use the Arc Reactor he'd made with poor equipnt when he was first kidnapped, so his output was low and he was being pushed by Iron Monger.
Even so, Tony was using his wits to barely hold on.
Iron Monger eventually landed a powerful blow and Iron Man rolled across the road.
Thud!
Crash bang~!
"I've been cleaning up after you for 30 years!"
Iron Monger walked over to the downed Iron Man and stepped on him, venting his pent-up feelings.
"You've been a reckless brat, and I built this company with my bare hands!"
At that mont I fired energy-charged cards at Iron Monger in succession.
Boom! Boom!
"Ghk!"
The impact pushed Iron Monger back slowly. Iron Man used the gap to get up.
"Tony, you okay? I sent Pepper to a safe place."
"No, how is this possible? Did you put bombs on those cards?"
Tony was shocked as the cards I threw exploded one after another.
"Let's deal with this first! We'll talk later!"
"Right, make sure you tell later."
My card explosions made Iron Monger's arm creak and hang limp. It seed that arm wouldn't function anymore.
"You too, huh? I'll send you and your friend to the afterlife together!"
Iron Monger charged straight at us with a body slam. But I dodged easily with Teleport and threw a card at the back of Iron Monger's head.
Boom!
"Ghk"
Not missing the opening, Iron Man hit Iron Monger in the chest with a repulsor beam.
PABOOM!
"Kraagh"
Iron Monger flew back and slamd into a bus. Luckily, everyone nearby had already fled.
Despite taking consecutive hits, Iron Monger moved the half-destroyed bus aside and slowly walked out. Still, the damage showed—one arm was completely torn off and his head was half crushed.
"You bastards, both of you!!!"
Iron Monger's left shoulder opened and small missiles appeared.
"Whoa! Watch out, Jin!"
Tony was in the Mark 3, so missiles wouldn't do much damage to him, but I was in my bare body, so he shouted urgently, worried.
"Don't worry!"
As soon as I spoke, Iron Monger fired the missiles. But I used a Mystic Arts portal to send the missiles right back at Iron Monger.
Seeing that, Iron Monger tried to dodge in a panic, but it was already too late.
KABOOM~!
A huge explosion and red flas erupted. As the flas gradually faded, Iron Monger's head was nowhere to be seen. The chest section of Iron Monger slowly opened, revealing a severely burned Obadiah. The repeated impacts must've been too much—the armor couldn't block all the flas.
"Khhk, I can't end it like this!"
"It's over, Obadiah! Just give up!"
Obadiah's clothes were burning and sticking to his flesh in patches. He must've been in imnse pain, but he wouldn't let go of his ambition. Tony shouted at him, urging surrender.
"Shut up!"
Flas suddenly burst from Iron Monger's feet and it slowly lifted off.
"Obadiah!"
Tony shouted urgently, but Iron Monger began rising into the sky. As it climbed higher, sothing went wrong with Iron Monger—the leg that was providing thrust failed and it flew unstably, then finally both legs failed and it plumted. Co to think of it, an Iron Monger that damaged couldn't possibly fly normally. That was Obadiah's end. It was an even more miserable end than the original.
Firefighters and police sward in, but SHIELD agents blocked them, claiming to be an international security agency, and handled the cleanup. Tony had already fled, and only Pepper and I were left to explain what happened to the agents and wrap things up. We went ho cursing Tony for bailing first.
Obadiah was dead and there was a huge incident at Stark Industries HQ—no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't cover it up. And the Mark 3 had been fild sowhere and was on the news, so it beca a big deal. Inevitably, Tony had to hold a press conference to explain. First, Lt. Colonel Rhodes spoke to reporters.
"Obadiah committed various corruptions and sold weapons to terrorists—"
We were preparing in the waiting room for the press conference. Tony was reading a newspaper with the headline 'Iron Man, Who Is He?' next to him, Pepper was covering so bruises on Tony's face from rolling around fighting Iron Monger with makeup.
"Iron Man? That na's not bad."
I said that while looking at the article beside him. Then Tony nitpicked.
"But it's not accurate. It's gold-titanium alloy."
"That's why people hate science types."
"Ahem… Right. But you're science too, aren't you?"
"I'm economics, that's liberal arts."
At that mont SHIELD agent Phil Coulson approached and handed Tony the prepared alibi.
"Here's your alibi."
Tony was reading the alibi Coulson handed him. Then a staffer said it was ti to go, so we went outside and waited.
"Now Mr. Stark will make a statent."
Tony went up to the podium and spoke to reporters.
"So to tell the truth..."
Tony looked at the alibi, thought for a mont, then just put it down and spoke.
"I am Iron Man."
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