Gotta Pay More!

The night wind of Manhattan carried a trace of the Hudson River's fishy scent.

Su Ming stood quietly atop a streetlamp at the corner, a stark contrast to the chaos below.

The unending horns, cars speeding away, crowds screaming as they fled for their lives, and drivers struggling to crawl out of overturned vehicles...

Iron Monger and Iron Man had already exchanged several blows, yet the police arrived late, their piercing sirens sounding in the distance.

Just as Tony shook his head and slowly rose to his feet, flames blasted from beneath Iron Monger's feet, carrying it over the vehicles blocking its path.

"Taste this punch!"

Its waist twisted, power gathered—then it punched. Flames simultaneously erupted from behind the oversized mechanical arm's elbow, instantly enhancing an already devastating blow.

"Clang!"

The unprepared Iron Man was struck head-on, smashing into a car like a cannonball and crushing it before hitting the ground.

As Tony struggled to get back up, Iron Monger grabbed him from the ground, lifted him high over its head, and slammed him back down.

"Thirty years... I've been carrying you..."

Heavy feet stomped on Tony's chest again and again.

"I built this company from nothing. I won't allow anyone to stand in my way..."

As if that still was not enough, it grabbed Tony again, turned, and hurled him toward a bus.

The bus's flimsy metal body was instantly punched through by Tony's tremendous momentum. The large passenger vehicle swayed in place as if it were made of paper.

"Especially not you!"

Obadiah continued his unfinished speech as a missile rose from his left shoulder and fired at the bus from close range, guided by a red targeting laser.

"Boom!"

Massive flames engulfed the vehicle's wreckage and the spinning Iron Man in midair, lighting up half the street.

From the streetlamp, Su Ming watched his wallet get completely overwhelmed by Obadiah's Iron Monger, having been crushed one-sidedly from the start. He realized this was a good opportunity to drum up business.

He called out loudly.

"Hey, Tony, need help? You can still get a one-percent discount if you place your order now..."

Tony was blasted dozens of meters into the air by the missile. Just before hitting the ground, he performed an agile flip, flames bursting from his hands and feet as he barely stabilized himself.

The thunderous explosion drowned out Su Ming's shout, but faithful JARVIS automatically replayed the recording.

Tony's eyes lit up when he heard Su Ming's words.

Oh? The Crimson Silver Baron had actually followed him here.

Hmm...

Obie's armor did have some impressive features, but... if his own suit had not been low on energy—

Taking him down would have been a matter of minutes...

In any case, if money could solve the problem, there was no reason to keep getting beaten up here—no, fighting bitterly.

Tony seemed to have forgotten what he had just told Su Ming—"No! I'll do it myself."

"With pleasure, Mr. Bounty Hunter! Same old rules—fifty million. Deal with him for me!"

Thinking of Su Ming's absurd abilities, Tony named the price, figuring this round was in the bag...

Hearing Tony's offer, Su Ming curled his lip disdainfully.

Tch~

Your brother here was now a bounty hunter worth over a hundred million. A mere fifty million—was Tony trying to fob him off like a beggar?

He was no longer that rookie who could not move when he saw fifty million.

Looking back, the price he had quoted the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. might have been a little low, but it had still started at one hundred million.

Tony Stark was not short on cash, yet the price he offered—there was no sincerity in it at all~!

Su Ming shook his head slightly and said solemnly.

"Tony, Mr. Obadiah was my first employer, the guide who led me into this profession, and even my beloved friend and family..."

Tony's eyes widened in surprise.

"Since when did you have that kind of relationship with Obie?"

Of course Tony did not know, because the target Obadiah had hired Su Ming to kill had been him—Tony Stark.

Before his words had even faded, Su Ming said earnestly.

"Gotta pay more!!"

Tony: "!#%#%&...￥%@#%"

Obadiah: "..."*￥&...#￥..."

While Su Ming and Tony negotiated, the screen inside Iron Monger's helmet zoomed in on the figure atop the streetlamp.

"It's him! That bounty hunter who cheated me out of my money—Destiny!!"

Su Ming was not wearing a mask at the moment, nor had he changed into the Crimson Suit.

That allowed Obadiah to recognize the shameless bastard who had gone back on his word at a glance.

He had forgotten that he had eagerly handed that money to Su Ming in the first place, all so Su Ming would stay loyal to the mission and kill Tony.

He had never expected this detestable man to have no regard for contracts at all. Whoever offered more got his loyalty; he could abandon a mission whenever he pleased.

"This guy actually has the nerve to call me his guide, even his beloved friend and family!?

He has no shame at all~ Pah!"

In short, bounty hunter Destiny had been added to Obadiah's kill-on-sight list.

"Once I take care of Tony, I'll deal with you properly! Just wait, you damned bounty hunter!"

Ignoring Su Ming, Obadiah watched Tony successfully avert the danger of falling from the sky.

Unwilling to concede, Obadiah said.

"You improved your design, and I upgraded mine too~!"

With mechanical sounds, Iron Monger's foot components transformed into gigantic thrusters. Driven powerfully by flames, it shook as it lifted off the ground and charged toward Tony...

Tony had not expected that although he had agreed to the commission, there would be an issue with the price.

"No, wait. My own life only cost fifty million back then, and now you're telling me I have to pay more to deal with Obie?"

Tony was somewhat angry, not because Su Ming was asking an outrageous price. A few tens of millions made no difference to him.

Rather, he could not accept that, in Su Ming's eyes, his own life was somehow worth less than Obadiah.

The small spark of resentment in his chest instantly vanished when he saw Iron Monger flying toward him.

Tony Stark said, "Regrettably, bounty hunter, I don't need your help anymore~!"

His genius mind immediately came up with an idea—make it freeze and malfunction at high altitude.

At that moment, JARVIS gave a voice prompt.

"Sir, his suit appears to be capable of flight..."

Tony stared steadily at Obadiah's approaching figure and gave the order.

"I noticed! Take me to the highest altitude!"

JARVIS mechanically analyzed Tony's command.

"With only fifteen percent power remaining, the likelihood of reaching that altitude..."

Tony looked at Iron Monger, now nearly upon him, and roared.

"I can count! Fly, now!!"

Iron Man deftly turned and shot upward, with Iron Monger close behind.

The flames beneath the two suits formed a spectacle above nighttime New York—two meteors flying in reverse.

The moment they broke through the clouds, they were detected by Air Force radar.

"Sir, that thing is back again."

The radar operator reported truthfully.

"Get me Major Allen. Dispatch fighters to intercept..."

The officer on duty gave the order decisively.

The instant the phone was picked up, a dark-skinned hand pressed down the hang-up button—it was Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes.

"No need, gentlemen. It's just an exercise."

This was all he could do for his brother... Tony.

"Yes, sir!"

Having raced back to Air Force command, Colonel Rhodes stopped the Air Force from interfering just in time...

Tony continued climbing, while Iron Monger's powerful propulsion kept it close behind.

As the altitude continued to rise, JARVIS faithfully carried out its duty of reminding him.

Remaining power: 14%...

Remaining power: 11%...

Remaining power: 7%...

"Stop saying it! Just put it on the screen." Tony could no longer take the interruptions.

Then flames erupted beneath Iron Monger's feet once more, and it finally grabbed Tony's right foot.

It did not realize that, as the altitude rose, a thick layer of ice had already formed over its armor's outer shell.

Pulling Tony before it, it clamped both hands tightly around the neck of Tony's armor.

"Your idea is good, but my suit is more advanced in every way!"

Tony's voice came through the armor, heavily mechanical.

"Then... how did you solve the icing problem?"

Obadiah looked utterly confused.

"What icing problem?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Iron Monger's system shut down due to the ice, and the glow in its helmet's eyes instantly went dark.

"You should probably look into that!"

Tony casually hammered Iron Monger's helmet, smashing off a large chunk of ice.

Obadiah fell from the sky...