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Vanko's glowing gaze shifted between War Machine and Iron Man.
"So, gentlemen," he said slowly, the white whips around his armor writhing like living serpents, "are we starting… or not?"
Rhodes didn't answer with words.
Instead—
SHRRRK.
Two long blades slid out from beneath War Machine's forearms, unfolding with a heavy metallic snap. Their edges shimmered with contained energy, humming low and steady.
Tony blinked.
"Oh come on. You get swords now?"
Rhodes rolled his shoulders once, settling into a combat stance.
"You complain too much."
Vanko laughed, a harsh metallic sound.
"Blades?" He tilted his head. "Are you copying that Violet woman?"
At the same time, a calm synthetic voice echoed inside Rhodes' helmet.
HOSTILE TARGET DETECTED
ASSISTED COMBAT MODE AVAILABLE.
"Would you like to engage AI-assisted fighting?" the AI asked.
Rhodes paused for half a second.
"Nah," he said simply. "For now, let me try it myself."
ACKNOWLEDGED.
Both armors moved at the same time.
Despite their massive frames, they crossed the distance in a blink.
CLANG!
Rhodes' left blade met one of Vanko's whips head-on. The impact sent a shockwave rippling across the stage, cracking reinforced plating beneath their feet.
ZAP!
Electricity screamed as another whip lashed across War Machine's chest, white energy crawling over his armor like living lightning. Warning indicators flared—
—and then stabilized.
Tony's HUD updated instantly.
"Yep. Definitely insulated. I hate whoever designed that… just a little."
Rhodes pushed forward, brute force backed by perfect balance. His right blade carved in a wide arc, forcing Vanko to snap two whips together into a crossed guard. Sparks exploded as metal and energy collided, showering the air.
Vanko skidded back half a step, boots gouging deep grooves into the stage.
"Strength reinforcement?" Ivan looked surprised as he looked at Armore in front of him.
Rhodes didn't slow.
"Its more than just strength only."
He surged in again.
The blades blurred—one slashing low, the other high.
Vanko twisted sharply. His white energy whips coiled and snapped, deflecting the lower strike—but the second blade cut through. It tore cleanly into his shoulder plating, molten fragments spraying across the stage as metal screamed under the impact.
Tony whistled softly.
"…I should add swords too," he muttered.
His helmet turned slowly toward Justin.
"You are now in very deep shit."
Justin Hammer's face had gone completely pale.
Especially because, stamped clearly on Vanko's massive armor, was the Hammer Industries logo.
That suit had been meant for him.
A demonstration piece. A spectacle. A future headline.
Instead, it was trying to kill people on stage.
No. I can still salvage this, Justin thought desperately, panic giving way to a sudden idea.
He stepped forward, forcing confidence into his voice.
"Everyone—everyone, please don't panic!" Justin announced loudly. "This is just a demonstration fight! A controlled exhibition!"
He gestured wildly toward the stage.
"My Hammer Combat Armor versus the Iron Man armor—recently upgraded by Arasaka Corporation!"
The guests, already far from the stage, hesitated. Some cautiously leaned forward, watching the battle like spectators at a violent sporting event.
"So… it's just a demo?" someone muttered.
"I mean, I thought it was a murder attempt," another whispered.
"Still, it seems Hammer got their hands on the Whiplash suit from Monaco"
"Idiot," someone else scoffed. "Hammer probably hired the guy to build a suit for himself."
"That explains why Vanko's here…"
"But did you see that War Machine armor?" another said. "That wasn't Hammer's work."
"No wonder he kept saying Iron Man was upgraded only not Iron man upgraded by Hammer industries," someone else added quietly. "He never said who actually upgraded War Machine."
"Arasaka," a voice said with certainty.
"That fight doesn't look staged at all though…"
On stage, the truth was obvious.
Vanko snarled as several of his whips—cleanly severed—fell to the floor, their glowing ends flickering out. The remaining ones lashed violently, striking again and again.
Rhodes didn't back off.
He stepped in.
Another clean strike.
Another whip split apart with frightening ease.
"It's beyond insane," Rhodes muttered, genuinely impressed as he watched the blades shear through weapons that had once sliced an F1 car in Monaco like paper.
"The swords have a high-temperature edge, plus they're vibrating," Tony analyzed aloud as he watched the exchange. "That creates a saw-like cutting force."
He tilted his head slightly.
"…That's actually really good."
"Sir," JARVIS said calmly, "the blades are more efficient than repulsor blasters. Their output power is comparable, but their effective range is shorter. However, power consumption is less than one-tenth that of a standard repulsor blast."
Tony nodded slowly.
"So… efficient."
"Yes, sir."
"If you want," JARVIS continued, "we can easily replicate the sword technology. The mechanism itself is relatively straightforward."
Tony shook his head.
"Nah. I'd rather make something original."
"As you wish, sir."
On the stage, the fight had already ended.
Ivan Vanko was on his knees.
It wasn't surprising.
Compared to War Machine, his armor was generations behind. Not a single scratch marred War Machine's surface, while Vanko's suit was scorched, cracked, and missing several components entirely.
Rhodes stepped forward, both blades raised, their edges humming as he aimed one directly at Ivan's neck.
"Surrender," Rhodes said coldly.
Vanko laughed—harsh and broken.
"Hahaha… I am not done yet."
He slammed his palm against a device on his wrist.
Inside Rhodes' helmet, the Arasaka AI spoke instantly.
⚠ WARNING
MULTIPLE HOSTILE TARGETS DETECTED
SIGNATURE MATCH: HAMMER COMBAT DRONES
INBOUND TO CURRENT LOCATION
"How many?" Rhodes asked sharply.
Before the answer even finished processing, he acted.
A launcher deployed.
FWOOOM.
A massive amount of hardened containment foam erupted outward, encasing Ivan in seconds. The material expanded and solidified instantly, locking his body completely in place—only his head left exposed so he could breathe.
A TOTAL OF 654 HAMMER DRONES
Rhodes looked up.
Through the shattered ceiling, dark shapes were descending—dozens of them.
"Tony," Rhodes said calmly over comms, "we've got incoming."
Tony's HUD lit up with matching alerts as he looked skyward.
"Yeah," Tony replied grimly. "I see them too."
The ceiling shattered.
Panels, glass, and steel supports tore apart as dozens of humanoid drones punched through from above, landing throughout the expo hall with thunderous impacts. The structure groaned under the sudden weight as more units descended, surrounding the building from every angle.