The Terrifying Iron Monger

"Fire! Attack it!"

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents opened fire on the Iron Monger, but their bullets couldn't even scratch the steel giant's hardened shell. Before one agent could react, he was swatted away like a fly.

The Iron Monger slammed a fist into a nearby fuel tank; in the massive explosion that followed, two other agents were sent flying by the surging heatwave.

These battle-hardened agents were no match for the Iron Monger. Coulson immediately ordered a retreat, but he noticed William standing perfectly still.

"Hey, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Coulson patted William on the shoulder. "Stop standing there like a fool, run!"

"Don't panic." William smiled faintly. "Did you forget why S.H.I.E.L.D. hired me as a consultant in the first place?"

Just then, the Iron Monger came charging toward them. Unlike the panicked Coulson, William remained calm. He took off his sunglasses and tossed them aside.

"Athena, Soldier: 76 transformation!"

In a brilliant flash of light, William transformed into the form of Soldier: 76. With graying hair, a full combat uniform, a futuristic Heavy Pulse Rifle, and a Tactical Visor glowing with a faint red light, he stood ready.

Soldier: 76 transformation time remaining: 5:00.

Coulson had already seen the transformation, so he wasn't overly surprised, but Obadiah Stane was a different story. Watching the blonde agent shift from a black suit into this armored form left him wide-eyed with shock.

He had been stunned enough to learn that Tony was building an iron suit, but what the hell was this guy?

"We meet again, you old fox," William said with a smile.

No sooner had he spoken than the Iron Monger threw a punch at him. Obadiah was confident that if this blow landed, he would crush William into a pulp.

To his surprise, William sidestepped the heavy punch with a slide.

The Iron Monger swung again, but William retreated instantly. The giant raised its arm, and the Gatling gun mounted on it began to spin. With the roar of a metal storm, a dense rain of bullets tore toward William!

Bullets whistled through the air, shattering everything in sight. Many of the instruments inside Section 16 were blown to pieces.

Obadiah had expected to finish this enemy off quickly, but he soon realized he was wrong. William was dodging his gunfire and closing the distance.

Soldier: 76 used Sprint to weave through the incoming hail of bullets. He moved like a phantom, dancing through the fire. At the same time, William pulled the trigger, his Heavy Pulse Rifle spitting blue muzzle flashes as he launched a counterattack.

"Rat-tat-tat..." The Heavy Pulse Rifle roared, unleashing a rain of azure light.

Unlike the weapons used by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, Soldier: 76's ammunition consisted of futuristic pulse rounds. These bullets were pulse-accelerated and dealt devastating damage; no ordinary person could survive being hit by them.

However, William wasn't facing an ordinary person today—he was facing the terrifying Iron Monger!

"I admit your weapon is impressive," Obadiah said in a low voice, "but you can't break my armor!"

The Iron Monger was a heavy-duty suit based on the Mark I prototype. It was massive, looking like a bear from a distance.

Because of its size, it lacked the speed and agility of a humanoid suit, but it traded those for immense defensive power and raw strength.

While Obadiah's engineers weren't as brilliant as Tony, they were top-tier at imitation. If given enough time, they might have built an even more formidable suit.

Unfortunately, time was short. Under Obadiah's relentless pressure, they could only produce this crude, rushed version of the Iron Monger.

Of course, the Iron Monger's most significant advantage was that it could take a beating!

Why? Because even under the barrage of the pulse storm, the Iron Monger sustained no real damage. The pulse bullets only left shallow marks on its hide, to say nothing of the agents' ineffective attacks.

From the start of the fight until now, it remained virtually unscathed.

The Iron Monger swung its massive fists, smashing them toward Soldier: 76. William dodged left and right as the ground beneath his feet trembled, leaving deep, terrifying craters where the giant's fists struck.

If not for the enhanced physical strength of Soldier: 76, he would have been sent flying long ago.

Soldier: 76 raised his pulse rifle and kept firing. While the pulse rounds couldn't pierce the armor, the fierce firepower suppressed the giant's attacks.

The Iron Monger raised an arm to shield itself from the assault, and at that moment, William fired three Helix Rockets!

In an instant, the rockets exploded against the Iron Monger's chest, the sheer force leaving only a small dent in the armor.

William realized then that the Iron Monger's defenses were far stronger than he had imagined. This was going to be difficult; at this rate, he might have to activate his Tactical Visor to have any hope of piercing that plating.

"You annoying pest!" While William was deep in thought, the Iron Monger hoisted a massive iron canister—two or three meters tall—high above its head and hurled it at him!

"Die!"

William frantically opened fire, trying to blow the canister up. Pulse rounds slammed into it, riddling it with holes, but the massive object continued its descent without slowing down, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, shit!"

William couldn't help but curse. Soldier: 76 dove to the side, and the massive canister crashed into the ground. To his surprise, it wasn't just an empty container—it was filled with fuel.

With a thunderous boom, the fuel tank exploded upon impact. Soldier: 76 didn't have time to dodge and was sent tumbling by the blast's heatwave!

The Iron Monger glanced at the fallen William, assuming the man couldn't possibly have survived. The steel giant strode toward the exit, smashing through the door frame as it charged outside.

Thinking of the remaining agents and the fact that Potts had already escaped, his eyes turned vicious. They all had to die. Only by eliminating them could he complete his plan and become the true master of Stark Industries!

"William! William, are you still alive?" William felt as if his head had been struck by a bell, his vision swimming with stars. When he finally regained his senses, he saw Coulson beside him.

Fortunately, Soldier: 76's physical constitution was extraordinary; he had only nearly blacked out. If not for that, it wouldn't have been so simple. As he tried to stand, his body ached intensely, so he quickly dropped a Biotic Field on the ground.

Seeing the yellow light pillar rise, Coulson's eyes widened. This guy really knew how to surprise people—the high-tech gear was one thing, but what was this yellow ring?

And why did he suddenly feel a warm sensation washing over his entire body?

"Where did that old fox go?" William didn't bother explaining, asking instead.

"He's already run outside." No sooner had Coulson answered than he realized something was wrong. "Oh no, Ms. Potts is in danger!"

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