[Marvel : Spoiling Spider-man] Chapter 226 - 230

Chapter 226: The Stolen Reactor

[Pepper’s expression changed when she heard this, but she quickly regained her composure and replied calmly, "Yes!"]

["Lend it to me?" Obadiah walked up to her, extending his hand.]

[“No problem!” Pepper held the USB drive in her palm while handing him the newspaper.]

[Obadiah initially thought there was some secret hidden in Pepper's newspaper, but when she handed it over without hesitation, he realized he was mistaken.]

[After Pepper left, Obadiah immediately tossed the newspaper onto the table, rushed to his computer, and turned it on. The words "Download Completed!" were clearly displayed on the desktop.]

["Damn it!!!" Seeing this, Obadiah instinctively rubbed his bald head before abruptly standing up, intent on chasing after Pepper!]

"It was really nerve-wracking! Thankfully, she stayed calm! Obadiah is such a cunning old man!"

When Obadiah entered the room, Gwen’s heart nearly leaped into her throat, fearing that Pepper's secret would be discovered. Fortunately, she managed to leave safely in the end.

"But Obadiah has already realized that Pepper downloaded the data. He won’t let this go easily! I just hope Pepper can return to Tony Stark safely and deliver the information!"

The 1st Generation Spider-Man was also worried. When Obadiah and his team easily subdued Raza and his men, he knew that this wasn’t someone to take lightly.

Rhodes looked at Tony and asked, "What were you thinking when you sent Pepper to do something so dangerous?"

Tony sighed. "I had no choice. I didn’t trust anyone at the time—she was the only one I could rely on. Besides, I couldn’t go myself; that would have definitely alerted the enemy."

"Luckily, we pulled through in the end and took care of that old man, Obadiah." Tony shrugged. The past was in the past. The process mattered, but the result was what truly counted.

[Pepper hurried down the stairs, where Coulson was already waiting on the sofa. When he saw her approaching, he immediately called out, "Ms. Potts! We had an appointment, remember?"]

["No! Come with me! We’ll start right away!" Pepper strode past him without looking back.]

[Coulson stood up in surprise. "Now?"]

["Yeah! Follow me!"]

[Coulson, confused by her urgency, hesitated for a moment before replying, "Okay!"]

[As Pepper walked away, she glanced back. Obadiah stood upstairs, staring at her coldly.]

["This meeting is extremely important for you! You can’t even begin to imagine!"]

[An agent was tailing Pepper, ensuring Obadiah couldn’t stop her from leaving Stark Tower. Frustrated, he had no choice but to rush to District 16 immediately!]

[A group of scientists in white lab coats gathered in discussion. "Yeah! We're doing our best! We absolutely—"]

[William was still mid-sentence when he spotted Obadiah approaching hurriedly. He immediately hung up the phone.]

["Mr. Obadiah! We've conducted the research as you requested, but things are proving to be rather tricky! In fact—"]

[Obadiah placed his hands on his hips, his gaze cold. "Tricky?"]

["Yes! The technology needed to power the Iron Armor just doesn’t exist! So, it’s—" William started explaining.]

["Wait! Wait! Wait! You’re talking about technology? William! The technology is right there!" Obadiah threw an arm around William’s shoulders and pointed at the large Arc Reactor.]

["I just need it miniaturized!"]

["Yes, sir! That’s exactly what we’re working on! But to be honest, it's completely impossible!"]

[This was far too difficult for William—after all, not everyone was Tony Stark.]

[Hearing this, Obadiah’s patience snapped. "Do you know what Tony Stark used to build it in that cave?!! A bunch of scrap metal!!!"]

[Overwhelmed by Obadiah’s imposing presence, William could only whisper, "I’m sorry… I’m not Tony Stark."]

"Poor William! He's actually being compared to Tony Stark!" Banner looked at William with sympathy. Of all people, he understood Tony’s genius best.

Lately, they had been working together frequently, and Tony never ceased to amaze him. The way he conceptualized ideas and brought them to life was astonishing.

"Wait! Who is this William? I don’t remember him at all! Jarvis, pull up his profile for me!" Tony frowned at the bald scientist, puzzled.

Jarvis quickly retrieved William’s information, and Tony discovered that after Obadiah's downfall, he had laid off a significant number of employees—including William.

As for what happened to him afterward, Tony investigated further and found that William had been unemployed since his dismissal and had yet to find a new job.

Tony scratched his head but felt no sympathy. After all, William was one of Obadiah’s men. Removing his influence from Stark Industries was necessary.

That was the closest Tony had ever come to death since escaping the cave, and he had no desire to relive that experience.

[Later that night, Tony went upstairs when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID—Pepper.]

[He answered casually. "Tony! Tony! Are you there?" Pepper’s anxious voice came through.]

[The next second, an infrasound wave blasted into Tony’s ear, and he instantly lost all ability to move.]

[Obadiah took the phone from Tony’s hand, hung up the call, and gently cradled Tony’s head as he lay paralyzed on the sofa.]

["Breathe… Relax… Relax… Remember this?" Obadiah placed a device in front of Tony’s face and turned it off.]

["It’s a shame this model was never approved by the government—causes short-term paralysis. But I must say, it's very useful at times."]

[Obadiah paced around the sofa, then leaned in, pinching Tony’s face to force eye contact. "Tony, when I ordered them to get rid of you… I actually hesitated."]

[Obadiah removed his headset and pulled out a device designed to extract the Arc Reactor from his bag.]

["You’re a goose that lays golden eggs! But look at you—fate let you escape!" He sneered, pointing the device at Tony’s chest.]

[As he rotated the mechanism, the life-saving reactor was forcefully extracted. "This is your last golden egg!"]

["Do you really think your ideas are your own? Your father helped me build the atomic bomb! What would the world be like if he had been as selfish as you?"]

[With those words, he yanked the reactor free, severing the wire connected to the socket. Tony’s eyes widened in horror, but he still couldn’t speak.]

[Obadiah stared at the glowing white reactor in his hand, admiration gleaming in his eyes. "How beautiful! Tony, this… this is your Ninth Symphony!"]

Chapter 227: Iron Monger

[Obadiah sat on the sofa, unable to take his eyes off the glowing reactor. He held it in front of Tony and smirked. "A true masterpiece! Take a look!"]

["This is your final legacy! Now, we can call it... the core of a new generation of weapons!"]

["With this, we can seize control of the entire world! No doubt about it!"]

[Placing the reactor inside a protective box, Obadiah continued, "I really wish you could witness my prototype! But don't worry, unlike you, it’s not as stingy!"]

["It’s a shame you dragged Pepper into this. I had planned to give her a chance to live!" Obadiah sighed before standing up and walking away.]

George frowned as he gazed at the sky. "Tony Stark is in serious trouble! He never expected that the mastermind behind all this would be Obadiah. He had no defenses against him at all!"

"If it were anyone else, unless they were extremely paranoid, they wouldn’t suspect the person who had watched them grow up would try to kill them, right?"

The 2nd Generation Spider-Man sighed. "It's not that he was careless—it's just human nature. A person is more likely to suspect outsiders, not those closest to them. The last thing you'd expect is betrayal from someone you trust."

"Yeah, that’s true. Tony Stark should be fine, but Pepper might not be so lucky. I just hope she stays safe."

George nodded, feeling helpless. This was exactly why he had prevented the 2nd Gen Spider-Man and Gwen from being together—he feared situations like this.

"Tony’s reactor was stolen, but don’t forget, there's a backup reactor in the villa! Thankfully, Pepper never destroyed it. Now, Tony’s survival depends on that!"

Gwen agreed with her father and explained Tony’s slim chance of survival.

[That night, Rhodey was driving when his phone rang. Answering the call, he frowned, "What do you mean, someone hired to kill Tony? Slow down, Pepper!"]

[The sudden information confused Rhodes. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. "Why would Obadiah do this?"]

["I’m serious! This is urgent! I can’t explain everything over the phone!"]

["Okay! Where’s Tony?" Seeing that Pepper couldn’t explain it clearly, Rhodes decided to find Tony himself for answers.]

["I don’t know! He’s not answering my calls! Go check on him—quick! I hope nothing’s happened! Thanks, Rhodey!"]

[Meanwhile, Pepper, Coulson, and a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rushed to the underground garage, ready to drive to Stark Tower. After hanging up, she turned to Coulson.]

["I know a shortcut!"]

[Rhodes, gripping the steering wheel tightly, made a sharp turn and sped toward Tony’s Malibu villa.]

[At the villa, Tony struggled into the elevator. Without the reactor, his body was rapidly deteriorating. The shrapnel in his chest could pierce his heart at any moment.]

[Pale and drenched in sweat, he staggered out of the elevator. The lingering effects of the sonic weapon left him weak and barely able to stand.]

[He pushed the door open with great effort. His eyes locked onto the old-model reactor resting on the table, but before he could reach it, he collapsed onto the ground.]

[Tony crawled forward, inching toward the table. He reached up, desperately trying to grab the glass container housing the reactor, but his strength failed him, and he fell back down, gasping for breath.]

[Just as Tony was about to lose hope, his robot, Dum-E, rolled over and extended the reactor to him.]

[Tony exhaled in relief, looking at the little robot that had always been more trouble than help. He managed a weak smile and praised, "Good boy!"]

[Then, with the last of his strength, he smashed the glass cover...]

"Phew... That was close! Thank god for that robot!"

"That little troublemaker actually came through! I love this thing!"

"If it were me, I’d upgrade it and put it on display!"

"In an emergency, the least reliable thing somehow became the most helpful! Dum-E might be a handful, but at least it knows when to step up!"

The spectators all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Ever since Tony's reactor was stolen, they had been on edge.

[Meanwhile, Obadiah stood in front of the Iron Monger suit, holding the miniature Arc Reactor he had stolen from Tony. Slowly, he stepped forward and plugged it into the suit’s power socket.]

[The moment the installation was complete, the Iron Monger suit powered up successfully. Watching the suit come to life, Obadiah grinned in satisfaction.]

["Tony! Tony!!!" Rhodes arrived at the Malibu villa, finding the entire place in darkness. He called out multiple times, but there was no response, prompting him to rush inside.]

[Climbing in through the broken glass, he spotted Tony lying motionless on the ground. "Oh my God! Tony!!!"]

[Rhodes sprinted over and helped him up. "Are you okay?"]

[Tony, now fitted with the old-model reactor, was gradually regaining his strength. He nodded and immediately asked the most pressing question on his mind. "I’m fine! Where’s Pepper?"]

["She’s safe! She’s with five S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—they’re on their way to arrest Obadiah!" Rhodes quickly updated him.]

[Hearing that Obadiah had already completed a prototype, Tony’s expression darkened. "Five agents aren’t enough!"]

[Rhodes’ face tensed. He grabbed Tony’s arm and helped him stand. "Then get up!"]

[At that moment, Pepper and her team arrived at Stark Tower. Moving swiftly, she led them inside. "It’s in Area 16!"]

[Coulson followed close behind. Soon, they found the entrance to Area 16. Pepper pulled out her access card and tried to unlock the door—only to find her credentials denied.]

[Coulson, unfazed, extended his hand. An agent immediately handed him a small explosive device, which Coulson affixed to the door handle.]

[Pepper, unaware of what it was, curiously asked, "What is that? Does it open the door like a magnetic card?"]

["Please step back a few steps." Coulson remained expressionless as he activated the device. A red light began flashing, and Pepper quickly realized it was a bomb.]

[She immediately retreated behind the agents and covered her ears. With a controlled explosion, the door handle was blown apart, rendering the lock useless.]

[The sudden noise alerted Obadiah inside. Without hesitation, he activated the Iron Monger suit and charged toward them.]

"Hahaha! Rose, look at her! She’s so adorable!" Otto laughed, seeing Pepper’s confusion over the explosive.

"Theoretically speaking, it did open the door! Just not in the way she expected! Hahaha!" Rose covered her mouth, giggling.

"Oh no, this is bad!" Pepper’s face turned red as she realized her mistake. After working with Tony for so long, she had assumed all agents carried sophisticated high-tech gadgets—only to learn their solution was simple brute force.

Tony couldn’t help but laugh. "Finally! She always teases me with my embarrassing stories—now I’ve got one on her!"

Chapter 228: Coulson

[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!!!"]

Chapter 229: Soaring to the Sky

"Damn Obadiah! He’s treating people’s lives like a joke!" The First Generation Uncle Ben cursed in anger.

"Oh my God! He should go to hell!" Aunt May gasped, drawing a cross and praying that the people in the car would be safe.

"Fuck! That damn old bastard! I hope Tony Stark takes him down soon—he doesn’t deserve to live!"

"Yeah! That man is a real devil!"

People from all over the world watching the scene were outraged, cursing Obadiah as they saw him lifting the car.

The mother in the vehicle, recalling the terrifying moment, was still shaken. Her face flushed in embarrassment when she remembered that in her panic, she had accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

[Iron Monger gripped the car tightly and advanced toward Tony. Tony ordered, "JARVIS, divert all power to the chest reactor—maximum output!"]

[The energy in Mark III’s chest began to surge, the glow intensifying until, with a powerful blast, a concentrated beam shot out.]

[The force sent Obadiah stumbling backward, releasing his grip on the car. Tony rushed forward, catching the falling vehicle. The immense weight bore down on him, his knees nearly buckling.]

[Coupled with the energy drain from the earlier attack, his power level plummeted to 19%.]

[Struggling, Tony carefully lowered the car to the ground. But in her panic, the mother inside accidentally slammed on the accelerator again. The moment the wheels touched the ground, the car lurched forward—straight at Tony.]

["Wait!!! NO NO NO NO NO!!!" Tony shouted as he desperately tried to hold onto the hood.]

[Within seconds, he lost his grip and was dragged underneath the vehicle.]

["Oh no! I’m so sorry, Mr. Stark!" the mother gasped, covering her face in shame.]

[Unfortunately, Tony couldn't hear her apology. He lay there, groaning, having just risked his life to save her—only to get run over for his trouble. Who else could understand this kind of frustration?]

Rhodes gave him a deadpan look. "Why didn’t you just jump?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Because I didn’t think of it at the time, okay? Who knew she’d step on the damn accelerator?!"

[Quickly regaining his composure, Tony lifted the rear of the car, using the momentum to roll out from underneath it. Just as he stood up, Iron Monger lunged at him from above.]

[Obadiah landed heavily in front of Tony. At the same moment, an unfortunate passerby rode past on a motorcycle—only for Obadiah to snatch it out of mid-air with one hand.]

[The rider was flung off, crashing hard onto the pavement, his fate unknown. Without hesitation, Obadiah swung the motorcycle like a weapon, smashing it straight into Tony.]

[Tony was sent flying, slamming into a parked car before collapsing onto the pavement.]

[Nearby, a bus full of civilians erupted into chaos as people scrambled to escape in panic.]

[Before Tony could fully regain his footing, Obadiah charged again. This time, he kicked Tony down, then grabbed him by the collar and slammed him onto the pavement.]

["Forty years! I have always supported you!!!" Obadiah roared.]

[He stepped on Tony’s chest, glaring down at him. "I built this company from the ground up!"]

[Tony struggled to move, but Obadiah grabbed him by the collar again and sneered, "I won’t let anyone stand in my way!"]

[With that, he hurled Tony into the side of the bus, splitting it in half on impact.]

[Taking several steps back, Obadiah aimed his shoulder-mounted missile launcher at Tony. "And that includes you!!!"]

[A missile fired, striking the bus head-on. The explosion obliterated the entire vehicle, sending Tony hurtling out of the inferno.]

[As he plummeted toward the ground, he activated his thrusters just in time, stabilizing himself mid-air.]

"Whoa! That armor is insane! He just took a direct missile hit and is still fine!" The 1st Generation Spider-Man gawked at the sight of Tony emerging from the flames.

"Yeah! It’s truly remarkable!" Connors nodded, explaining to the students. "His suit is made from gold-titanium alloy—highly durable, resistant to extreme temperatures, and capable of withstanding bullets and explosions!"

"Too bad I can’t wear something like that," 1st Gen Spider-Man muttered, a little envious. His special suit, a gift from Harry, was impressive, but it couldn’t compare to Stark’s armor.

Just the ability to fly alone made all the difference.

"But it comes at a cost—his life!" Dr. Connors pointed out. "Do you remember the green liquid Tony Stark drank before? That was most likely chlorophyll."

"Chlorophyll?" Peter frowned.

"It helps neutralize the heavy metal poisoning caused by the palladium core in his Arc Reactor. Without a solution, Stark is slowly being poisoned!"

"Trust me, Peter—dying from metal poisoning is a painful way to go. If he doesn’t find a cure, his fate will be grim."

"Oh no… that’s horrible!" Gwen gasped.

"Isn’t there another way?" 1st Gen Spider-Man’s face darkened.

"There are two options," Connors continued. "One—surgery to remove the shrapnel and discard the Arc Reactor altogether. That way, his condition wouldn’t worsen."

"But that would limit his power, right?" Peter asked.

"Exactly," Connors confirmed. "His second option? Find a new element to replace palladium in his reactor. That could keep him alive and allow him to keep using the suit."

"I just wonder—which solution did he choose?" Connors mused, watching Tony closely.

["This is incredible! You upgraded your design! Well guess what? I upgraded mine too!!!"]

[Obadiah, seeing Tony soaring through the air, let out a maniacal roar.]

[Iron Monger’s legs began shifting, thrusters igniting as exhaust vents roared to life.]

["Sir! It appears the Iron Monger suit has flight capabilities as well!"] Jarvis immediately reported.

[Tony, eyes narrowing, gave a simple command. "Fly to maximum altitude!"]

["Sir, energy levels are only at 19%! The probability of sustaina—"]

["I CAN DO THE MATH! JUST GO!"Tony snapped, cutting Jarvis off.]

[As Iron Monger rapidly closed the distance, Tony suddenly accelerated, putting distance between them.]

[Pepper, watching from below, could only stare as the two suits soared higher and higher into the night sky.]

[At the Air Force Base, military radars detected the high-speed flight. A supervisor barked, "Get Major Allen! Scramble fighter jets to intercept!"]

[A soldier began typing the command when a hand suddenly pressed down on his keyboard, stopping him.]

[Rhodey stood there, calm and composed. "No need, gentlemen. This is just a training exercise."]

[Because his military rank was higher than everyone in the room, no one dared to question his authority. Seeing the soldiers comply, Rhodes smirked in satisfaction.]

Chapter 230: Tony’s Idea

"Hehe! Without me, you’d be getting chased by fighter jets again!" Rhodey grinned smugly at Tony.

"Yeah, yeah! Thanks, man!" Tony raised his glass in a toast.

"You’re welcome!" Rhodey responded with satisfaction, downing his drink in one gulp.

"Tony, weren’t you even a little afraid you’d fall to your death?" Banner asked curiously.

Tony shrugged. "Didn’t have much of a choice, did I? It was a gamble—but trust me, I did calculate it!"

[Tony and Obadiah ascended higher and higher into the sky. Jarvis’s voice reported, "Energy levels at 13%." Still, Tony continued climbing.]

[As they climbed, Iron Monger’s armor was already coated in frost, though Obadiah hadn’t noticed yet.]

["Energy levels at 7%!" The warning became more frequent, even causing the old reactor to flicker.]

["Display status on screen—mute voice alerts!" Tony commanded, prioritizing power conservation.]

[As energy dwindled and Tony’s flight slowed, Iron Monger caught up and grabbed onto his leg.]

[Obadiah clamped his fingers around Tony’s neck, sneering, "You had a good idea, Tony! But my suit is superior in every way!"]

[But Tony remained calm. "Tell me something—how’d you solve the freezing problem?"]

[Obadiah’s grin faltered. "Freezing… problem?" His eyes darted to his suit’s HUD, only to find the screens had gone dark. His entire system was unresponsive.]

["Here, let me help you check it out!" Tony quipped, freeing one arm and punching Obadiah’s helmet hard.]

[Iron Monger spiraled downward like a kite with a snapped string.]

[Tony watched him plummet when suddenly, Jarvis’s voice warned: "2% energy remaining."]

[Then Tony’s own suit lost power, and he too began free-falling.]

["Engage emergency backup power!"]

[For several agonizing seconds, Tony plunged uncontrollably. Finally, he reignited his thrusters, stabilizing himself just enough to slow his descent. With calculated boosts and free-falls, he managed to land on the roof of Stark Tower.]

[As soon as he touched down, he contacted Pepper.]

[Hearing his voice, she immediately shouted, "Tony! Oh my god! Are you okay?!"]

["I’m almost out of power! I need to take this thing off—I’ll be down in a minute!"]

[Before Tony could finish speaking, Iron Monger suddenly appeared behind him.]

[He had survived the fall.]

[Tony barely had time to react as Obadiah smirked, "Well done, Tony."]

[Quickly, Tony snapped his helmet shut just as Obadiah swung a punch. He dodged, raising his arm to fire a repulsor blast, but—nothing happened.]

[He had just removed the armor plating from his left hand. His palm was completely exposed.]

[Before he could react, Obadiah’s fist connected. Tony spun mid-air, crashing dangerously close to the edge of Stark Tower.]

[Tony barely regained his footing before launching a desperate counterattack. He struck Obadiah with full force—but the blow barely dented the Iron Monger suit.]

[Instead, Obadiah seized him by the waist and began to crush him in a bone-crushing grip. One by one, Tony’s weapons systems failed under the immense pressure.]

["Flares!!!" Tony shouted.]

[Instantly, his suit deployed high-heat flares. The intense burst of heat momentarily disoriented Obadiah, forcing him to release his grip.]

[Obadiah staggered back, screaming in pain, as Iron Monger’s systems flickered from the interference.]

[By the time he recovered, Tony had vanished. "Smart move, Tony!"]

[Tony crouched behind a pillar, breathing heavily as he whispered to Pepper through the comms. "This isn’t working. We have to overload the reactor and blow the roof off!"]

[Pepper’s voice crackled in response. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"]

["You’re going to do it. Head to the central control console and activate all circuits! Once I’m off the roof, hit the main circuit button. That’ll cause a power surge, frying everything!"]

"Wow! That’s kinda similar to how I defeated Max shown in the screen!" 2nd Gen Spider-Man said, thinking back to his battle with Electro.

"There’s a slight difference," Gwen noted. "Tony is using an explosion to take out Obadiah. You just channeled all the energy into Max. The execution is different, but the concept is similar."

"Yeah, yeah—I know! I’m just saying the method is kinda close!" 2nd Gen Spider-Man nodded.

[Pepper cautiously stepped into the Arc Reactor control room. The glass doors were shattered beyond recognition.]

["Alright, I’m here!"]

["Good. Don’t press anything until I’m clear of the roof! I need to hold him off a little longer."]

[Tony lunged at Iron Monger from behind, scanning for a weak point in his armor.]

["Go to hell!!!"]

[He grabbed a critical power cable at the neck of the Iron Monger suit and yanked it out with all his strength.]

[Obadiah’s vision systems instantly failed. His screens went completely black.]

[Blinded, he thrashed wildly, trying to locate Tony, but his movements became erratic.]

[Still, Obadiah managed to grab him and hurled him onto the glass roof of the control room.]

[Emerging from the Iron Monger cockpit, Obadiah glared at Tony and chuckled. "I’ve never been a fan of this tech stuff—but I have to admit…"]

["I love your armor."]

[He reached down and ripped Tony’s helmet off.]

[Then, with crushing force, he crushed the mask into scrap metal.]

[Tony, gasping for breath, barely lifted his head to see Obadiah sneering down at him.]

["You’ve finally surpassed yourself, Tony! Your father would be proud."]

[Tony struggled to one knee, while below, Pepper finished setting up the overload sequence.]

["Tony! It’s ready! Get off the roof!"]

[Obadiah leveled the machine gun on his arm at Tony.]

[Tony instinctively deployed a small energy shield to block the incoming rounds. But the coverage was too small—bullets tore through the air, grazing his suit.]

[Realizing the shield was too risky, Tony later upgraded it to a larger defense mechanism.]

[Suddenly, the glass beneath Tony cracked under the pressure.]

[With a deafening shatter, Tony began plummeting through the collapsing structure—barely grabbing onto the railing in time.]

[Pepper, watching from below, let out a terrified scream, covering her head as shards of glass rained down.]