Outside a laboratory in the Stark Industries building, a deafening explosion shattered the calm.
The ground trembled violently as debris scattered, sending dust and fragments flying into the air. The sudden shockwave forced nearby personnel to scramble for cover, panic spreading almost instantly through the area.
Moments later, Pepper rushed out of the building, her expression tense and filled with urgency. She fumbled with her phone as she moved, desperately trying to reach Tony, but no matter how many times she called, there was no response.
Her anxiety only grew stronger.
Then the ground shook again.
With a heavy metallic crash, a massive armored figure burst upward from below, tearing through the surface as if it were nothing. The steel suit loomed over the scene, its design bulkier and more brutal than Tony's, radiating raw aggression.
"Where do you think you're going?" Obadiah's voice echoed from within the armor, distorted and mechanical.
Pepper froze.
A scream escaped her before she could stop it, fear gripping her as the towering machine locked onto her position.
At that exact moment—
Two figures appeared out of nowhere nearby.
The armored giant, which had been seconds away from attacking, abruptly halted.
Obadiah turned his head.
"Tony?" he said, disbelief evident even through the metallic distortion. "Didn't expect you to still be alive."
"Tony!" Pepper's voice broke as she saw him, relief flooding her as she ran toward him without hesitation.
Obadiah didn't give them time to reunite.
The weapons on his arm shifted instantly, locking onto their position. Without warning, he opened fire.
Gunfire roared.
A barrage of bullets tore through the air, closing in on the three of them at lethal speed.
Tony's instincts kicked in.
"Weiss!" he shouted.
Just before the bullets could reach them—less than a meter away—
Everything stopped.
Every single round froze midair, suspended as if time itself had been halted.
Locke stood there calmly, arms crossed, a faint smile on his face. "Relax," he said casually. "It's just a walking tin can."
Tony's lips twitched, half in relief and half in irritation. "You couldn't have done that a little earlier?"
Locke shrugged with a grin. "I'll try next time."
Obadiah watched the scene unfold, shock flickering across his expression. But he didn't hesitate for long.
He immediately activated the tracking missile system mounted on his back, initiating the firing sequence.
Nothing happened.
The system didn't respond.
"What's going on?" he muttered, confusion creeping into his voice.
Locke didn't even look at him directly. "Save your effort," he said dismissively. "That thing's not working."
Then he raised his hand slightly.
He didn't even need to make a dramatic motion.
With a simple grasp through the air—
The armor began to fall apart.
Piece by piece.
Bolts, plates, internal components—all of it separated as if pulled apart by an invisible force. The massive structure that had seemed so imposing moments ago was dismantled in seconds.
"No!" Obadiah roared, panic breaking through his composure as he felt the suit collapse around him.
Without the armor, he was nothing more than an aging man.
But no matter how he struggled, it didn't matter.
Within moments, the entire suit was reduced to scattered fragments, falling to the ground in a lifeless heap.
Obadiah himself tumbled out, disoriented and powerless.
Locke glanced at him briefly, then shifted his gaze toward Tony with a bored expression. "He's all yours."
Before Tony could respond, another figure stepped forward.
Phil Coulson.
"No," Coulson said, his tone firm as he approached. "I'll handle this."
There was clear anger in his eyes as he stopped in front of Obadiah. "Obadiah Stane, you're under arrest for illegal arms trafficking and the murder of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents."
Without waiting, Coulson drove a punch straight into Obadiah's face.
The impact sent him to the ground.
Inside the lab earlier, several agents had been killed. If not for the situation, Coulson would have ended it with a bullet. But this—this was still justice.
Obadiah lay there, dazed.
He didn't resist.
He couldn't.
His mind was still stuck on one thing—the armor he had spent so long building had been destroyed effortlessly.
That reality was harder to accept than the arrest.
As the situation settled, Tony turned toward Locke.
"You saved me again," he said, his tone serious. "One billion should cover it."
Locke raised an eyebrow. "Do I look that greedy to you?"
"This is different," Tony insisted. "You saved Pepper."
Locke shook his head, arms folding casually. "No need. Your money's already mine anyway."
Tony blinked, clearly confused.
Pepper, however, understood almost immediately.
"Tony," she said, turning toward him, "while you were gone, Stark Industries' stock dropped sharply. A few days ago, someone started buying up large amounts of shares. That person is now the second-largest shareholder."
Tony paused, then let out a short laugh as the realization clicked.
He gave Locke a thumbs-up. "Smart move."
Locke rolled his eyes slightly at the reaction, clearly unimpressed. Then his expression shifted as he moved on to the real reason he had come.
"Actually, I came to ask about someone," he said. "Dr. Ethan. I need him."
Tony's expression changed.
"He's already gone."
Locke frowned slightly. "Gone?"
"Back to his hometown," Tony replied. "The Gulmira region."
Locke's brows knit together.
That place was still unstable, filled with armed groups and constant conflict. Going back there now…
"Why didn't you stop him?" Locke asked.
Tony exhaled, frustration evident. "I tried. He wouldn't listen. He was set on going back."
There was nothing else to say.
Locke understood immediately.
Ethan had made his choice.
Knowing the risks and going anyway… that wasn't ignorance. That was resolve.
Locke let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright," he said after a moment. "I'll head out, then."
Tony nodded. "Next time, I'll make it up to you. Drinks are on me."
"Looking forward to it," Locke replied lightly.
"Thank you, Mr. Weiss," Pepper added sincerely.
Locke gave a small wave.
Then he disappeared.
....
Can't wait to read ahead. Then Join my P@treon and get 60+ chapters.
Even Free members can enjoy 2+ advanced chapters FOR FREE.
Link: [email protected]/Divine_Quill
Join Right Now