Obadiah had already quietly infiltrated the deepest part of the Stark Industries military factory. There lay his most crucial asset: the Iron Monger armor he had just completed, his only hope for a decisive counterattack.
He gently inserted the miniature Arc Reactor he had obtained from Tony into the core drive unit in the Iron Monger's chest. The powerful energy began to supply the colossal armor with unlimited power, making it gradually come alive like a living being, radiating vibrant vitality. Witnessing this, Obadiah couldn't help but burst into laughter.
It was a laugh of pure arrogance, as if he could already see himself ruling the world and controlling the course of all wars. But his laughter didn't last long before an alarm flashed before his eyes—a warning that the research lab where the Iron Monger was being studied had been breached. Obadiah glanced at the surveillance system and spotted the intruders: Pepper Potts and a group of men in black suits. He recognized these men; they came from a top-secret government organization. Their arrival meant one thing: all his secrets had been exposed.
"I won't let you take everything from me so easily! The future belongs to me!" he muttered, climbing into the Iron Monger's cockpit. He would use this most powerful weapon he had created to crush all those who threatened him.
Pepper, unaware of this, crept deeper into the factory with Terrence, shielded by the black-suited agents.
The intelligence in Pepper's hand revealed that Obadiah's greatest secret was hidden in this place. If they could seize it, Obadiah would have no chance of turning the tables. Moreover, if Obadiah was here, they could capture him and his entire operation in one fell swoop.
This was Pepper's plan, and Coulson's as well. Pepper needed Coulson's help to thwart Obadiah's scheme, while Coulson needed to assist Pepper to gain Tony Stark's favor. It was a transaction and a collaboration, mutually beneficial for both parties.
Unfortunately, they were a step too late. The empty factory held nothing. No mechs as Pepper had seen, no sign of Obadiah. For a moment, they doubted they had come to the wrong place, but Coulson quickly discovered some clues.
He spotted the first-generation armor Tony Stark had built—that hulking contraption pieced together from scrap metal. This meant Pepper was right: Obadiah was replicating Tony Stark's invention, and might have even achieved some success.
After circling the area, Coulson noticed some still-sparking cables, filling him with a sense of foreboding.
"Everyone, stay alert! Watch those dark corners! Heighten your vigilance and be ready to call for backup at a moment's notice!" he yelled, but it was already too late. Two bright lights suddenly lit up in the darkness, and a massive figure emerged from the shadows, instantly filling them with suffocating terror.
It resembled the iron armor Tony had created, but it was larger, stronger, more terrifying, and far more intimidating. It looked like a hill giant straight out of mythology; just gazing at it was enough to send a violent shock through the body. And then, in an instant, it charged at them like a rhinoceros.
"Run!" Coulson barked the order instantly. He could feel it clearly: his team stood no chance against this thing. Their only hope was to flee, to escape the creature's clutches and save their lives.
Pepper was the first to obey. As a mere civilian, the shock she experienced was far more intense than that of the battle-hardened agents.
Driven by terror, she ran as fast as she could, but the colossal armored suit behind her seemed to have singled her out, relentlessly pursuing her.
The agents fired their guns, hoping to slow the metallic giant, but it was utterly useless. Bullets splashed off its body like water, and the agents were tossed aside like rag dolls. Even the factory's heavy machinery was torn apart, leaving gaping holes in its structure.
Nothing could stop it. It rampaged like a charging rhinoceros, charging straight toward Pepper's position.
By all logic, Pepper shouldn't have been able to escape, but then a bizarre accident occurred: she vanished without a trace. Even the Iron Monger's built-in computer tracking system couldn't find her. This sent Obadiah, who was controlling the suit, into a rage.
Though he didn't know what had happened, he was certain it had something to do with Tony. In that moment, he even suspected that Pepper had been given an invisibility device by Tony Stark, allowing her to vanish before his eyes in broad daylight.
"You can't escape, Pepper! I'll find you!" Obadiah roared, swinging the massive hand of the Iron Monger and smashing through the ceiling above him. He scrambled upward, using all four limbs to climb through the hole. He was certain Pepper hadn't gone far; if he moved fast enough, she wouldn't slip from his grasp.
The powerful Iron Monger armor tore through the thick concrete with ease, erupting from the depths of the earth onto the surface. The moment he broke through, he spotted his target—and an unexpected surprise.
Standing before the gates of a Stark Industries subsidiary factory, Pepper stared in terror at the Iron Monger breaking through the ground. Beside her stood Zhou Yi, dressed in casual clothes, his gaze fixed on the armored behemoth. The look in his eyes was peculiar, and Obadiah was certain it wasn't fear.
He had no time to decipher Zhou Yi's expression. Overwhelmed by a surge of arrogant triumph, he laughed maniacally at the pair.
"Pepper, I've finally found you. And who do we have here? Isn't that Zhou Yi? Wonderful! I'm so glad to see you. I think all our past issues can be settled today, don't you agree?"
"Honestly, Obadiah, have you lost your mind? Or do you really think that pile of scrap metal you're wearing can do anything?"
Zhou Yi couldn't help but mock Obadiah's arrogance. If he hadn't promised Tony that he would handle Obadiah himself, he would have turned him into a giant piece of scrap metal by now.
"You're as arrogant and ignorant as ever, Zhou Yi! Before you stands the greatest weapon in the world, yet you naively treat it like some special toy. Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you? How utterly ridiculous! But fine, go to hell with your foolishness! Consider it my parting gift."
With that, Obadiah maneuvered the Iron Monger forward, its massive metallic arm swinging wildly. He wanted to crush this man who had humiliated him countless times and repeatedly thwarted his plans. He had absolute confidence in the Iron Monger's 20-ton grip, which could pulverize any human body. He didn't believe this playboy, just like Tony, would be any different.
But the truth was, he was precisely that special exception.
As the Iron Monger swung its massive steel fist, Zhou Yi extended his palm to meet it. The collision of flesh and metal produced an outcome beyond Obadiah's wildest imagination.
The Iron Monger's ferocious, lightning-fast attack came to an instant halt. No matter how Obadiah manipulated the controls, the colossal body could not advance even a single step. The massive hand, frozen mid-grasp, seemed to be locked in place.
Of course, it wasn't frozen. The Main Control Computer before Obadiah clearly displayed the problem: a powerful external force had been applied to the metallic arm, completely immobilizing the Iron Monger and even causing mechanical malfunctions in the limb.
Watching the constant red alerts flashing on the Main Control Computer and the white steam rising from the arm, Obadiah's eyes widened as he demanded in disbelief:
"How is this possible?!"
He had seen everything clearly, and it was precisely because of what he had witnessed that he found it so incredible. Human strength was overpowering the mechanical might of the Iron Monger, and even gaining the upper hand. This was a reality he had never imagined possible.
"Why is it impossible, Obadiah? Your vision is too narrow; you can't truly see the real power in this world. Your greatest reliance is nothing more than a toy to me. If I hadn't promised Tony, I would have crushed you into a ball by now."
As he spoke, Zhou Yi reversed his grip on the Iron Monger's hand and began to apply force. Due to the size difference, his hand only managed to grasp a single finger of the suit. Yet it was from that single finger that Obadiah's mindset began to completely shift.
The hardened alloy metal started to twist and deform, the damage spreading from the finger to the entire hand armor. This forced counter-force against the machinery caused violent steam to erupt from the hand, signaling expanding malfunctions and escalating damage. It also meant that the very thing Obadiah relied on most was being systematically destroyed and dismantled.
A sense of terror began to spread through Obadiah's heart. In his eyes, Zhou Yi had transformed from a defenseless lamb into a demon eager to devour its prey. This drastic change left him utterly unable to control the turmoil within him. He began desperately trying to break free from Zhou Yi's grip, but with the Iron Monger's metallic strength, it was impossible.
At this point, Obadiah had abandoned all restraint and resorted to the most drastic measures. At point-blank range, he fired a rocket from his arm armor, hoping the massive explosion would either break Zhou Yi's hold or, even better, destroy the demon he saw before him.
The rocket fired as he'd intended, but Zhou Yi caught it with ease. The projectile erupted in bright flames in his palm, but that was all. Though the fire blazed fiercely, it was confined within his hand. The explosion's force was limited to a tiny area, rendering it utterly useless beyond providing a brief illumination.
Watching this unfold, Obadiah was overcome with despair. He suddenly realized how truly terrifying the world had become—terrifying to the point of being incomprehensible and utterly unacceptable. This wasn't the world he knew; this was a world belonging to monsters.
-----------------------
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