The Decoy Machine charged.
Tony met it head-on.
The two suits of metal armor collided, the sound carrying far.
Tony's armor was knocked into a souvenir shop, toppling an entire row of Statue of Liberty keychains.
He climbed out of the shelves and saw a little boy hiding beneath the counter, still clutching an unopened Iron Man toy.
Tony caught his breath.
"Official merchandise?"
The little boy nodded through his tears.
"Good kid."
Tony raised his hand, charging his repulsor.
"Close your eyes."
The next second, he blasted through the wall and charged back into the street.
Three minutes later, he knocked the Decoy Machine out of the air and into the pavement.
Five minutes later, a reactor pulse severed the remote-control link.
Seven minutes later, Iron Man tore off the green metal mask with his bare hands and tossed it in front of a police car.
The attack was over.
At first, the crowd was silent.
Then someone started clapping.
The applause grew louder.
Someone shouted his name.
"Iron Man!"
"Thank you!"
"We need you!"
"Tony Stark, I love you! My wife loves you too!"
Tony stood in the middle of the street, heat rising from his armor's shell.
Media cameras crowded around him.
Flashes lit up all around.
Reporters thrust microphones in front of him.
"Mr. Stark, was tonight's attack connected to the detention center breakout?"
"Do you think superheroes need to be reauthorized to operate?"
"What are your thoughts on Spider-Man's suspected involvement in the breakout?"
"Should Captain America be held responsible for this?"
Tony didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the people around him.
He had seen the expressions on those faces many times over the past few days.
Anger.
Fear.
Blame.
Despair.
Now there seemed to be a little something else.
Dependence.
It made his