Night.
Tony gazed out the window, his heart as heavy as the darkness outside.
Time ticked by, second after second, until the paralysis wore off and overwhelming weakness and suffocation spread through his body!
Was he going to die?
He had barely escaped death, only to die just as he had come to understand his responsibilities.
He refused to accept it. A fierce will to survive drove him into motion. He struggled up, collapsed to the floor, then crawled toward the basement.
Inch by inch, he reached the basement door, but by then he had no strength left to continue.
Just as despair overtook him, the glass in the distance shattered with a bang!
Then a caped figure slowly floated inside. Tony's eyes widened. "Li Ang?"
He nearly fainted from relief.
Li Ang strode over and took out the old reactor Pepper had left on the table. By now, Tony's eyes were rolling back, and he was about to check in with the underworld.
There was no time for jokes. Li Ang put the reactor back into Tony's body.
Soon, some color returned to Tony's pale face. Li Ang teased, "Did your uncle have a little heart-to-heart with you?"
"Yeah, that bastard." Tony struggled into a sitting position.
With some of his strength restored, he looked grateful. "Thanks. I owe you another life. Looks like I'll never pay you back."
If not for Li Ang, he probably would have died here today.
Li Ang had saved him three times in just over two months. He took that kindness to heart, while also wondering what he could offer in return.
Money, or shares in Stark outright?
Li Ang looked him up and down, seeing the gratitude and anger in Tony's eyes. He was curious what Tony would think if he knew Li Ang had been there all along, watching Obadiah take his core.
He also asked a question that had puzzled him while watching the movie. "Where's your JARVIS?"
"Tied up by some kind of special computer virus. That bastard clearly came prepared."
Tony grabbed Li Ang's hand and pulled himself up as he spoke. He wanted to put on his armor. His steps still faltered, but his resolve never wavered.
As they spoke, the door above opened again.
Rhodey rushed in. He froze for a moment when he saw Li Ang, then sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're here. Where's Tony?"
"Getting changed." Li Ang stood with his hands behind his back. Rhodey circled him. "Nice new suit."
It didn't have the feel of cheap spandex. One look told him it cost a fortune.
Combined with Li Ang's rugged looks and physique, it really did give him the air of Homelander from the comics.
"All right, let's go!"
Tony's voice sounded a little muffled beneath his metal faceplate. JARVIS's voice rang through the underground garage. "Everything is ready, sir."
"Good. Let's go kill that son of a bitch!" Flames blasted from beneath Tony's feet as he flew toward the exit. Li Ang turned slightly toward Rhodey. "Aren't you coming to help?"
Rhodey looked speechless. "I can't fly like you two."
"Oh, right. I forgot." Suppressing a laugh, Li Ang flew out of the garage after Tony, leaving Rhodey alone.
It would have been a lie to say he wasn't envious. He watched Li Ang and Tony leave, his gaze drifting uncontrollably toward the silver armor nearby.
In the air, Tony flew at top speed out of concern for Pepper, with Li Ang close behind.
Midflight, the phone in Li Ang's inner pocket began ringing incessantly.
Li Ang took it out and saw an unfamiliar number. At this hour, the only person who could have found his phone number and called him now was Nick Fury.
Inside S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury watched the live feed with a deeply displeased expression.
On a screen nearby, a silver figure was chasing agents and a woman along the ground.
"Things just keep getting more unsettled. It's like someone flipped some magical switch." The screen's light reflected in Nick Fury's lone eye.
Finally, the call connected.
First came the howl of wind, then a distorted voice.
"What's up, egghead?"
Several agents nearby nearly lost it when they heard that!
But when they met Nick Fury's eyes... no, his eye, they all chose to hold it in, because losing it would mean losing their jobs!
"Hey, where are you?" Nick asked, holding back his anger.
"Out for a stroll." Li Ang didn't say where he was going. He already knew why Nick Fury was calling. Unless something unexpected happened, he probably wanted to hire him.
Sure enough, Nick Fury spoke gravely on the other end. "Something big has shown up on the streets of Los Angeles. You're so close to Tony. You must know what's going on, right?"
"No idea." Li Ang sounded utterly innocent. Iron Monger? What's that? Never heard of it!
Nick Fury's mouth twitched as he watched the satellite feed. On the screen, Li Ang and Tony, clad in his Iron Man Armor, were flying rapidly toward Los Angeles.
"Have you forgotten we have satellites? We have one dedicated to watching you."
The fierce wind tore at his voice. Li Ang's mouth twitched at those words. A whole satellite just to watch me? They really spared no expense.
"Whatever the case, that mech needs to be brought under control. If you can do it, S.H.I.E.L.D. would be happy to pay you a commission."
At that, Li Ang immediately changed his tune. "No problem. Protecting ordinary people is my duty!"
He sounded so righteous, and his change in attitude was so swift that the S.H.I.E.L.D. employees listening were left dumbfounded!
Nick Fury's mouth twitched as well. This kid really did perk up at the sight of money!
After hanging up, Li Ang followed Tony toward Los Angeles at tremendous speed.
Meanwhile, Iron Monger strolled down the street. With the addition of the Mandarin's technology, he was several sizes smaller, but even so, he stood nearly two and a half meters tall!
He strolled along as the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents around him kept firing back with their weapons.
But against Iron Monger, handguns were like a little boy facing the Eight-Foot Lady-utterly helpless.
Gunshots and muzzle flashes continued as Obadiah laughed wildly inside his armor.
The street had become a sea of flames, wrecked cars and wounded passersby wailing in a scene like a depiction of hell.
Just then, a suit of red-and-gold armor descended from the sky!
Thud!
"Oh, look who it is." Obadiah's eyes brimmed with murderous intent inside his armor. Why did he keep coming back to haunt him every time?
After landing, Tony raised both hands. "Stane! Time to settle our score!"
With that, the missiles on his arms rose into position, then all launched!
A string of muffled explosions rang out. The bursting flames kindled hope in the eyes of the nearby passersby and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents!
But as the flames faded, Iron Monger rose from the smoke and dust, completely unscathed!
Flames and blasts of air erupted from his calves and back. He suddenly accelerated, reaching Tony so quickly that Tony didn't even have time to react!
Iron Monger's huge hand clamped around Tony's head and slammed him into the ground!
Cracks spread through the ground. Obadiah's voice rang out, filled with resentment. "For thirty years, I've been propping you up! I built this company from nothing. Nothing is going to stand in my way!"
Several nearby passersby and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents already wore looks of despair.
They had thought a superhero had come to save them, only for the villain to knock him flat in the blink of an eye. This was nothing like their childhoods.