During this time, under Chino's reminder, Tony had been constantly gathering evidence to send Obadiah to prison.
However, just a while ago, Obadiah suddenly handed over all his authority and pleaded for nothing more than a peaceful retirement.
Tony's heart softened in the end. After all, Obadiah had played the role of a father figure for so many years.
So, Tony took back control and gave Obadiah a comfortable position, allowing him to truly retire.
But little did he know that the moment he let his guard down, the employees of Stark Industries—including Pepper—had all been kidnapped.
Upon receiving this news, he immediately donned his armor and flew over, only to find himself ambushed by a large number of combat robots.
Each of these robots was equipped with weapons and reactors. No matter how many he destroyed, the factory below kept producing more in an endless stream.
Tony wanted to destroy the factory entirely, but there were many innocent people inside, leaving him in a dilemma.
Sweat dripped down his forehead as his eyes filled with anxiety and rage. Yet, he had no choice but to endure and continue fighting these robots while searching for a way to resolve the crisis without harming innocent lives.
Meanwhile, within the factory, a red-haired woman in a black combat suit silently infiltrated through the ventilation ducts.
She was none other than the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent—Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff.
Natasha's gaze was locked onto the robotic components being manufactured below, her expression grave.
"I've infiltrated the factory, Fury. This place has become a weapons plant. It can produce a robotic soldier every ten minutes," she whispered into her earpiece.
From the other end of the transmission, Nick Fury's irritated voice came through, "Motherf—! Is Obadiah planning a war? Find the hostages first. If that's not possible, blow up the base."
"Understood."
Natasha responded and cautiously climbed out of the ventilation duct, finding a concealed position.
"Fury, are you sure that call I made was even useful? We don't even know if that demon lord has returned from hell."
As she moved through the factory, remaining alert to her surroundings, she whispered her doubts.
"A few days ago, flowers and plants began growing around that demon lord's manor. That should be Poison Ivy's work, protecting the estate. But just recently, all of them vanished. That demon lord has returned. Given his relationship with Stark, he'll definitely come."
Nick Fury's tone was firm.
Ever since Chino appeared, S.H.I.E.L.D. had been collecting intelligence on him. His abilities and attire matched the Superman from comics almost perfectly.
Combined with Pamela's abilities, name, and her completely blank history, intelligence agents speculated that this "demon lord" could travel through comic worlds and even bring people out of them.
"I hope so. My gadgets are useless against these hunks of metal," Natasha muttered helplessly. Originally, her mission was to infiltrate Tony Stark's inner circle, but before she could even start, it had turned into a hostage rescue operation.
Fortunately, she only needed to find the hostages—the special forces team would handle the rescue.
Navigating through the dark and complex factory corridors, Natasha eventually located the hostages.
"Fury, I found the hostages. We can move now," she whispered, pressing her earpiece.
But all she heard in response was static and the faint sound of interference.
"Nat...sha, quick—"
The sudden disruption in communication sent chills down Natasha's spine. Years of combat experience immediately alerted her to danger. She didn't hesitate—she swiftly leaped away from her position.
A split second later, an electric whip crackled through the air, lashing against the spot where she had just stood. The ground sizzled, leaving a deep burn mark with a lingering scorched scent.
"Well, well, what do we have here? A little lost kitten."
A mocking voice rang out.
A battle suit, entirely different from the mass-produced mechanical soldiers, appeared before Natasha.
This suit was clearly superior in material, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. Two whips, crackling with electricity, extended from its arms, emitting a terrifying glow as if ready to deliver a fatal strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Without hesitation, Natasha drew her handgun and fired several rounds at the suit's chest reactor.
The bullets struck, producing sparks, but they did little to damage the armor.
Once her gun was empty, the figure inside the suit chuckled coldly.
"Out of bullets? Then it's my turn."
With a mechanical whirr, the suit's shoulder compartment opened, revealing a mini-missile.
"Damn it."
Natasha cursed under her breath and turned to flee at full speed. But no matter how fast she was, she couldn't outrun a missile.
In an instant, she was engulfed in a fiery explosion.
"Ivan Vanko! What the hell are you doing?! Using missiles inside the factory?! Do you want to blow us all to hell?!"
A furious roar came from another battle suit—Obadiah Stane's voice.
"Just dealing with a little stray cat," Ivan Vanko replied nonchalantly.
"Stop with your stupidity! If you don't want your father to die, then get back to work!"
Obadiah's words were laced with a clear threat.
"...Understood," Ivan Vanko muttered, his eyes filled with cold resentment. But he had no choice but to obey.
With that, he turned and left.
Ever since learning that Tony had successfully miniaturized the arc reactor and built his own Iron Man suit, Obadiah had been plotting to take it for himself.
However, Tony had grown cautious, even digging into his crimes, leaving him with no opportunity to strike. This deepened his hatred.
Then one day, Obadiah recalled that someone else had also worked on arc reactor technology.
He scoured the world until he finally found that person.
But by then, the man was already dying. Fortunately, his son was highly talented and, like Tony, had successfully miniaturized the reactor.
And so, Obadiah's scheme began.
First, he feigned repentance, surrendering his authority and pretending to turn over a new leaf. Secretly, however, he took full control of Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing.
Next, he blackmailed Ivan Vanko into building him a fleet of armored suits, kidnapped hostages, and lured Tony in—planning to use this moment to display his military might to the world.
Inside the command room, Ivan Vanko entered to find Obadiah staring intently at the screen.
On it, countless robots were locked in battle.
"Yes, just like that... Exhaust his energy, then I will crush him! The whole world will witness the power of my mechanical soldiers! I will become this nation's new arms king! Hahahaha!"
Obadiah's laughter was sharp and frenzied, echoing through the command room like a sinister wail.
His eyes were pitch-black—an abyss devoid of light.
Beside him stood a massive, three-meter-tall battle suit, radiating an oppressive aura.
Ivan Vanko stood behind him, watching Obadiah's crazed expression with a shiver of unease creeping up his spine.
Quote of the Chapter:
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." – Lord Acton
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