Chapter 17: Giant Slayer - Part 1
Iron Man soared above Malibu with Ben clinging to his back, the city lights below a blur of color and motion. The night air was cold against Ben's face, but adrenaline kept him warm as the impossible reality crashed over him—he was flying on Iron Man's back, about to fight a giant robot piloted by a murderous corporate executive.
Behind them, the Iron Monger launched with brutal force, its stolen arc reactor blazing blue against the darkness. Obadiah's rage-filled voice crackled through comms he'd somehow hacked.
"You think you can escape, Tony? I built this empire! You're just the face I used!"
Tony flew evasively, trying to distance them from the mansion where Pepper, Happy, and the agents remained, but Iron Monger was faster than expected. The stolen design had raw power that Tony's sleeker Mark III couldn't match in pure speed.
"Ben, analysis—what do you see?"
Tony was treating him like a real partner, trusting his observations despite his age. Ben's Tactical Analysis at Level 5 combined with his Arc Reactor Technology knowledge, painting a clear picture of their opponent's strengths and weaknesses.
"His suit's bigger, more powerful, but less efficient! He'll overheat before you do!"
"Good eye. JARVIS, plot a course toward maximum altitude. We're going to ice this guy."
But Obadiah wasn't playing by tactical rules. A missile bay opened in Iron Monger's shoulder, and a projectile screamed toward them with deadly intent.
Tony barely dodged, the explosion buffeting them with concussive force that nearly tore Ben loose from his grip. His Enhanced Reflexes were the only thing keeping him attached as the shockwave tried to peel him away from Tony's armor.
His web-shooter fired instinctively, webbing sticking to Tony's armor for extra grip.
"Sorry! Reflex!"
Tony's voice carried surprise and approval. "Actually, that's smart. JARVIS, can we integrate the kid's webbing into tactical options?"
"Analyzing compound... remarkable tensile strength for crude construction. Possible applications: enemy entanglement, enhanced grip, rapid descent lines."
Ben realized with sudden clarity that his abilities weren't just personal power-ups—they were tools Tony could use. Resources in their shared fight for survival.
"We're actually a team now. Not just Tony protecting me, but working together."
Unable to out-fly Iron Monger indefinitely, Tony changed tactics. "We need to drain his power faster than mine. Ben, see that power station?"
Below, the Arc Reactor-powered Stark Industries facility hummed with energy, its lights creating geometric patterns across the landscape.
"I'm going to lead him there. When I give the signal, you hit him with everything you've got—web his joints, use that EMP, whatever slows him down."
They dove toward the facility, Iron Monger following like a freight train. They landed in the facility's central plaza, and Ben dropped from Tony's back, rolling with Parkour training to absorb the impact.
Obadiah landed with earth-shaking force, concrete cracking under Iron Monger's weight.
"Clever, using your own facility. But it won't save you!"
The Iron Monger suit charged, and Tony fired repulsors that barely dented the armor. Ben analyzed frantically—joints, power couplings, sensory inputs. He fired webs at Obadiah's knee joints, and while they didn't stop the massive suit, they gummed up actuators.
Iron Monger's movement hitched for a crucial second—enough for Tony to blast the stuck leg, damaging it further.
"KID, YOU'RE A GENIUS!"
But Obadiah adapted, crushing the webbing with contemptuous ease.
"You brought a CHILD to our fight, Tony? How desperate!"
Then Iron Monger stopped attacking Tony and focused on Ben with predatory intent.
"If you care about this kid, you'll surrender the Arc Reactor technology."
The massive suit lunged at Ben with terrifying speed. Ben's Enhanced Reflexes screamed warnings, his body diving aside, but the shockwave from Iron Monger's fist hitting the ground sent him tumbling across concrete.
His small body slammed into a support pillar, ballistic vest absorbing some impact but not enough. Pain spiked through his left arm—definitely sprained, possibly broken. His System flashed red warnings.
[WARNING: HEALTH AT 45%]
[MAJOR INJURY SUSTAINED]
But worse was Tony's voice, raw with panic: "BEN!"
Iron Man tackle-slammed into Iron Monger with the full force of his repulsors, driving them away from Ben. The fury in Tony's attacks was primal—Ben realized with shock that Tony was fighting like a father protecting his child.
The Mark III's combat efficiency dropped as emotion overrode tactics, and Obadiah capitalized, grappling Tony's suit and crushing components with mechanical precision.
Ben forced himself up, cradling his injured arm. He had to help. His EMP device was ready, but he needed to get close to Iron Monger's power core. His Hawkeye's Aim calculated trajectories—he'd need point-blank range, which meant getting within Obadiah's reach.
His adult mind screamed it was suicide. His child heart saw Tony losing.
The choice was clear.
[ENHANCED REFLEXES: MAX PERFORMANCE]
[PARKOUR: LEVEL 40]
[WEB-SLINGING: LEVEL 10 - RAPID IMPROVEMENT]
[HAWKEYE'S AIM: LEVEL 44]
[TACTICAL ANALYSIS: LEVEL 8]
[INJURY SUSTAINED: LEFT ARM SPRAINED, MULTIPLE CONTUSIONS]
[EMP DEVICE: READY]
[WEB-SHOOTERS: 8 SHOTS REMAINING]
[QUEST PROGRESS: SURVIVE IRON MONGER ENCOUNTER (50% COMPLETE)]
Ben ran toward the grappling suits, his injured arm useless, his working hand holding the EMP device. His Enhanced Hearing picked up Pepper's voice through comms, screaming for them to retreat. Happy was shouting coordinates to approaching SHIELD agents. Coulson's calm voice ordered containment.
But all Ben heard was Tony's grunts of pain as Iron Monger crushed the Mark III's chest plate, getting closer to the Arc Reactor.
"Not again. I won't lose Tony to Obadiah twice in one night. I won't lose my father."
His System displayed a new notification that made his heart race:
[DESPERATION MECHANIC ACTIVATED]
[RISK MAXIMUM INJURY FOR CRITICAL STRIKE? Y/N]
Ben didn't hesitate. YES.
The battle was about to reach its climax, and everything depended on a ten-year-old boy with impossible knowledge and a hero's heart.
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