Kino had an amused smile on his face.
"Let me give you some advice. When dealing with a tsundere like her, it's best to be direct. Otherwise, if you expect her to take the initiative, you might as well die once—just like you did just now."
Pepper looked at Tony, who was still rummaging through the rubble in the distance. Her eyes flickered with complex emotions—concern, anticipation, and a hint of unshakable determination. She bit her lip as if carefully considering Kino's words.
"I understand. If he dares to reject me, I'll resign and apply to be his housekeeper instead."
With that, Pepper turned and walked downstairs. The sound of her high heels echoed crisply against the floor.
The surrounding Stark employees exchanged glances before following behind her.
Natasha shook her head with a smile. This so-called demon king really enjoyed playing Cupid. Watching Kino's little family huddled together, she decided not to disturb them.
Kino sat on the rooftop's edge, hugging Pamela and Damian tightly.
"This time, Tony has to treat me to a big meal as thanks. I've done him a huge favor," Kino said smugly.
"If he finds out you were the one behind the explosion, he'll probably want to kill you," Pamela retorted, rolling her eyes at him.
"You know my body is tough," Kino grinned mischievously.
"Ugh, don't say things like that in front of kids."
Despite her words, Pamela still leaned in for a kiss.
Venom suddenly appeared, sitting on the other side of Kino, pressing against his arm.
"Who were you talking about earlier when you mentioned a tsundere?" Venom asked.
"Uh… no one in particular. Now give me a kiss." Kino playfully dodged the question.
"Hmph…" Venom didn't refuse and kissed him instead.
Sitting on Kino's lap, Damian let out a full burp. He hadn't even eaten anything, yet he somehow felt completely stuffed.
She rolled her eyes in exasperation as she watched the chaotic yet sweet scene in front of her. Deep down, she muttered to herself, "Adults are so hard to understand."
In the Ruins…
"Detecting faint life signs…"
Jarvis's voice echoed in Tony's ear.
Tony's eyes immediately lit up as if he had just caught a glimpse of hope in the darkness.
He hurried toward the location Jarvis had marked, stepping over unstable debris that creaked under his weight.
Lifting a massive steel plate, he uncovered a battered and broken suit of armor. Exposed wires sparked, and the suit was riddled with damage.
Although the model was different from the mechanical soldiers he had fought before, the design was unmistakably the work of the same person.
As Tony's gaze locked onto the suit, its shattered helmet flickered weakly before slowly opening. Inside, a man with an unkempt beard was revealed.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, speckled with bits of his internal organs. Even with the protection of the armor, the sheer force of the explosion had been too much for a mere human to endure.
"To…ny… Stark…" a weak voice rasped out.
Boom!
Tony let go of the steel plate in his hands, letting it crash onto the ground with a cloud of dust.
Whiplash—Ivan Vanko—was dead, without even a last, meaningful line.
Under different circumstances, Tony might have been interested in interrogating him about where he got his technology.
But now? The mechanical soldiers, the kidnapping, the explosion—Vanko had been involved either directly or indirectly.
Tony was filled with nothing but rage. He wanted this to end.
Falling to his knees, Tony clenched his fists and slammed them against the ground.
His usual playful, carefree demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by deep pain and despair. His eyes held nothing but helplessness.
If his nearly indestructible Iron Man armor couldn't withstand the blast, how could Pepper, with her fragile human body, possibly survive it?
At that thought, an invisible hand seemed to grip Tony's heart, suffocating him.
A low, guttural sound of grief escaped his throat. Tears welled in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.
Tony Stark, the once arrogant billionaire, looked utterly alone.
Behind him, the ruins seemed to tremble, rising unnaturally—as if guided by an unseen force.
But Tony, consumed by sorrow, failed to notice.
His advanced suit automatically switched to low-power mode, standing silently by his side.
With its sensors dulled, the suit failed to detect the looming danger.
Then, a chilling voice—hoarse, filled with hatred and fury—shattered the silence.
"Tony…!"
The sound was so eerie, so venomous, that it sent shivers down Tony's spine.
His body instinctively tensed as he turned his head.
But before he could clearly see what was coming, a massive iron hand came crashing down toward him!
Boom!
The tremendous force sent Tony flying like a cannonball.
His body traced a long arc through the air before slamming into the ground, tumbling violently.
Each impact against the hard surface sent sparks flying.
After a series of bone-rattling rolls, Tony managed to stabilize himself, kneeling on one knee.
But he didn't waste time checking his injuries.
Ignoring the pain, he raised his head and looked toward his attacker.
The sight made his blood run cold.
Obadiah Stane stood before him, piloting the massive Iron Monger suit.
The armor was tattered and wrecked, its chest cavity exposed. Yet, disturbingly, flames flickered around its damaged frame, seemingly repairing it—no, enhancing it.
Even more horrifying was Obadiah himself. Half of his body had turned into charred white bone, burning with an eerie, unnatural fire.
His grotesquely twisted face, illuminated by the ghastly flames, looked like a demon that had crawled straight out of hell.
A suffocating aura of death and destruction radiated from him.
"Obadiah… are you really still alive?"
Tony's voice was barely a whisper, laced with disbelief.
"Of course. I've never felt better, Tony. I really underestimated you."
Obadiah's voice, coming from within the Iron Monger suit, carried a mix of madness and terror.
The armor's damaged cockpit sealed itself completely, encasing Obadiah within.
He believed Tony had been the one to destroy the factory.
And for the first time, Obadiah had truly felt fear. He had nearly died.
He had no idea what had caused his current state, but it didn't matter—he felt stronger than ever.
"Now, Tony… DIE!"
Obadiah roared.
From Iron Monger's back, a massive Gatling gun rose and began to spin rapidly.
A storm of red-hot bullets burst forth, sweeping across the battlefield like a fiery whip.
"F***!"
Tony cursed, ducking behind a thick concrete wall for cover.
Bullets rained down mercilessly, tearing through the wall in mere seconds.
With no time to rest, Tony forced his battered body to keep moving.
His suit's energy warning blared repeatedly, each step feeling heavier than the last.
—End of Chapter—
Quote: "Monsters are not born in darkness; they are forged in the fire of vengeance."
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