"You think you're indispensable, Tony?" Obadiah Stane's voice crackled through the speakers, dripping with condescension.
"You think the world revolves around you and your genius brain? News flash, kid: It revolves around profit."
Obadiah was pacing in the hangar, the massive hydraulic legs of the Iron Monger crushing the concrete floor with every step. He had Pepper Potts suspended in a magnetic containment field—a piece of tech stolen from Stark's own R&D department.
"I built this company on blood and steel," Obadiah continued. "While you were playing with circuit boards, I was shaking hands with dictators. I was making the hard choices."
"And you?" Obadiah scoffed. "You have principles. You have morals. 'We don't sell to the bad guys.' 'We only make weapons for peace.' It's adorable, really."
"But principles don't pay the shareholders, Tony. War pays the shareholders. Chaos pays the shareholders."
Tony Stark listened, his face hardening inside the Mark 3 helmet. He was flying at Mach 1 toward Sector 16, but every second felt like an hour.
"You want the Arc Reactor tech?" Tony asked, his voice icy. "That's what this is about? You want to sell infinite energy to the highest bidder?"
"Of course!" Obadiah laughed. "Imagine the applications. Infinite power for tanks. For drones. For cities. I could own the energy market for the next century. Rockefeller? Carnegie? They would be peasants compared to me."
"But you... you wanted to keep it for yourself. To power your little toy suit. To play hero."
"You're selfish, Tony. And you're naive."
"Naive?" Tony shot back. "I'm not the one wearing a suit built from reverse-engineered scraps. How's the icing problem, Obie? Did you solve that?"
"Icing problem?" Obadiah paused. "What are you talking about?"
"You'll see," Tony muttered, pushing the thrusters to 110%.
Meanwhile, in Queens.
Lucas Chen was putting on his shoes.
"Fury called," Lucas grumbled. "He actually called me. How did he get my number?"
He looked at the phone. The message was short:
"Stane has Potts. Sector 16. Iron Monger active. We need air support. Stark Industries stock is about to crash. - N.F."
"He knows how to motivate me," Lucas sighed. "The stock dip."
"If Stane kills Pepper, or destroys the Arc Reactor facility... the stock won't just dip. It will flatline. And my investment strategy goes up in smoke."
"Fine," Lucas opened the window. "I'll save the girl. I'll save the company. But I'm charging a consulting fee."
He tapped the glasses.
"System, activate Superman Mode."
He took off the glasses. The perception filter vanished. The powerful, chiseled features of a Kryptonian emerged.
He stepped onto the ledge.
Boom.
He launched himself into the sky, creating a sonic boom that shattered three nearby windows.
"Sorry, Mrs. Higgins!" Lucas yelled back as he streaked toward the industrial district.
Sector 16.
The roof of the hangar exploded inward.
Debris rained down as a streak of red and gold slammed onto the floor.
Iron Man stood up, repulsors glowing.
"Let her go, Obie!" Tony commanded.
"Ah, the Prodigal Son returns," Obadiah turned the massive Iron Monger suit around. It dwarfed Tony's Mark 3. It was like a tank facing a sports car.
"You brought your new toy," Obadiah sneered. "Let's see whose is bigger."
The Iron Monger raised its arm. A rotary cannon spun to life.
BRRRRRRRT!
Bullets the size of soda cans tore through the air. Tony activated his shields, dodging and weaving. The hangar was torn apart.
"Jarvis! Target the hydraulic couplings!"
"Sir, his armor plating is reinforced titanium. Repulsors are ineffective!"
"Then we go for the eyes!"
Tony fired a unibeam from his chest. It hit the Iron Monger's faceplate, scorching the metal but not penetrating.
Obadiah laughed, grabbing Tony out of the air with a massive claw.
"You see, Tony? Size matters!"
He slammed Tony into the floor, then threw him through a concrete pillar.
"I'm going to crush you like a bug," Obadiah roared, aiming a missile at the downed Iron Man.
"And then I'm going to open up your chest and take that reactor back!"
Tony struggled to rise. Systems were failing. Power was at 15%.
"Jarvis... divert power to..."
Suddenly, a blur of blue and black slammed into the Iron Monger from the side.
CRASH!
The massive suit was knocked sideways, skidding across the floor.
Lucas hovered in the air, arms crossed, wearing his new Black Suit (which he decided to wear for the 'cool factor').
"Pick on someone your own size, bald guy," Lucas quipped.
Obadiah shook his head, looking at the newcomer.
"Who the hell are you?"
"I'm the guy who's about to short-sell your funeral," Lucas smirked.
"Superman?" Tony groaned from the floor. "Took you long enough."
"Traffic was murder," Lucas shrugged. "Also, I stopped to buy a churro."
"You bought a churro?" Tony asked incredulously.
"I was hungry. Sunbathing burns calories."
Lucas turned back to Obadiah.
"Alright, Iron Monger. Let's dance."
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