As Iron Monger was about to slam the car, a sudden interruption shifted the tide. A flying bike with glowing blue rims soared through the air, crashing into Iron Monger's back with a forceful impact that sent him stumbling forward, his grip on the car loosening.
As Iron Monger stumbled, the passenger in the car exclaimed, "That's not Specter, it's just some dude in wannabe armor! Get us out of here!" The driver, in a panic, hastily maneuvered to escape the chaos, inadvertently driving over Iron Monger in the process. Tony hearing someone confusing his armor as Specter's can't help but quip, "My Armor is better than that tasteless vigilante!"
With Iron Monger momentarily incapacitated, the bike did a burnout, leaving skid marks on the back of its steel carapace. Iron Monger tried to stand still, but the driver of the motorcycle raised the front of the bike's wheels and slammed it onto its back, forcefully bringing Iron Monger to the ground. With another burnout and skid marks on Iron Monger's armor, the driver seemed satisfied as it landed on the side, with its rider revealing himself.
A man wearing a yellow jacket with white accents, resembling an emergency medical personnel coat, with blue glowing lights on the collar, stepped off the bike.
Ironman wasted no time in confronting the newcomer, his voice tinged with curiosity and caution. "Who are you?"
The helmeted figure, now revealed to be Alex, removed his headgear with a smirk. "Someone who's still not selling you the 001 Rayfield Caliburn," he quipped, referencing a previous encounter where Tony sought to purchase the first line of cars that Arasaka Industries released.
Tony recognized Alex immediately, his annoyance evident in his warning. "Get out of here, it's dangerous" he urged, concern evident in his voice as he noticed Iron Monger preparing to strike once more.
But Alex remained unfazed, explaining his presence with a calm demeanor. "Don't sweat it, Tony. SHIELD called me to assist," he assured, his confidence unwavering.
With a swift motion, Alex produced a neon green device with a boxy design and a circle in the middle, fastening it around his waist. The device emitted a sound as it activated, announcing itself as "ZERO ONE DRIVER." A smirk played across Alex's lips as he addressed Tony. "You're not the only one with armor technology, Tony."
Next, Alex produced a cassette-like device of the same neon green hue, pressing a button to activate it. The device emitted the same AI voice, "AUTHORIZE" prompting authorization. With a deft movement, Alex positioned the device, in front of his futuristic belt buckle, completing its authorization process.
Meanwhile, Iron Monger, who had just gotten up, prepared to strike back at his assailant. A brilliant yellow beam of light descended from the Zea Satellite above, raining down in front of Alex. Before anyone could react, a colossal mechanical silver metallic grasshopper, adorned with intricate yellow markings, materialized, delivering a powerful kick to Iron Monger, who was in a position to strike Alex, sending him hurtling through the air.
Tony couldn't resist a jab at Alex's unconventional approach. "That's your armor? I think you missed the part about the definition of armor, Alex," he teased, his sarcasm laced with admiration for the unexpected assistance.
Disregarding Tony's remark, Alex retorted confidently, "You just haven't seen what real armor is yet." A holographic blueprint of an armor schematics materialized in front of him, forming a detailed design. With a swift motion, the cassette tape-like device in his hand transformed into a key.
Using the Progrise key like a gun, he pointed it at Tony. Alex said, "Henshin," as he inserted the key into his belt buckle. "PROGRISE," the AI voice echoed, followed by another voice proclaiming, "JUMP UP AND RISE!" A brilliant blue and yellow light engulfed Alex as the mechanical grasshopper, previously engaged in combat with Iron Monger, disassembled and merged with him. An AI voice intoned, "RISING HOPPER!", forming an intricate armor around his body.
Now fully equip in the armor, a deeper but subtle tone of a mechanical voice intoned, "A Jump to the Sky, turns into a rider kick." Now standing amidst the stunned crowd on the bustling street, Alex stood transformed, clad in black and neon green armor with silver and red highlights and an imposing red-eyed spectacles. "Ore Sanjou!" he declared. After his transformation the kids from passing vehicles clap and cheer, saying Mom! Dad! Look it's a new super hero! Others who saw Alex Arasaka thank, themselves for sticking around and recording the whole scene. They can now upload something that will surely trend online.
Observing the elaborate transformation, Tony couldn't help but comment, "That is so flamboyantly cringy," while distancing himself from Alex, he even hastily interjected, "I do not know him. I'm not with that guy," pointing toward Alex, now transformed into Zero One.
Yet, beneath Tony's jesting and mocking, he marveled at the intricate technology involved in Alex's transformation. From nanomachines to space folding and possibly light warp speed, the seamless execution of the over engineered and elaborate process left him pondering how Alex had accomplished such a feat. "Jarvis, what the hell was that, Scan him now." The AI Jarvis always ready to serve Tony Replied, "Error sir, something is blocking my scan. The reading comes up as a sort of music video of a man in a trench coach holding a mic singing, we're no strangers to love"
Tony hearing this can't help but feel a thick in his forehead and said "God dammit we've just been rick rolled by Alex, remind me to update you when this is over.", as Never Gonna Give You Up a song by Rick Ashley plays in his coms.
And since there is no monstrous mechanical grasshopper harassing Iron Monger, he wasted no time in seizing a nearby park vehicle and hurling it at Iron Man, sending Tony crashing into the hard pavement of the streets with a deafening impact.
Approaching his fallen adversary with a smug demeanor, Iron Monger taunted, "For 30 years I've been holding you up!" Obadiah controlling his Iron Monger suit, grab Tony Starks leg and fling him around hitting him to the ground.
Watching Tony being thrown around like a ragdoll, Alex, in his armored form as Zero One, clenched his fists in excitement as a huge MCU fan he finally was able to see this scene IRL and actually joined in. Without hesitation, he activated a button on his elaborate belt, triggering the AI voice to echo, "RISING IMPACT!" Instantly, a surge of energy coursed through Alex, enhancing his speed and strength.
With newfound power coursing through him, Alex propelled himself towards Iron Monger with lightning speed. With a mighty kick, he sent the hulking figure hurtling into the air, disrupting his momentum and momentarily stunning him.
As Iron Monger descended, Alex vanished in a blur, reappearing beside him in a flash, this scene repeated a few times where Alex toyed with Iron Monger flashing one place to another, but the big bucket of bolts armor is too damn thick. So, with a precision strike, he delivered a powerful blow that shattered a piece of Iron Monger's armor that disabled his gatling gun weapon, sending sparks flying.
Witnessing Iron Monger crash to the ground, Tony seized the opportunity to strike. "Divert power to chest RT," he commanded urgently. In response, a powerful energy beam erupted from Iron Man's chest, striking Iron Monger with intense force.
As Iron Monger staggered from the impact, Tony rushed forward, determined to press the advantage. However, Iron Monger, fueled by rage and determination, proved to be a formidable opponent. In a swift counterattack, he grabbed Iron Man in a vice-like bearhug, squeezing with tremendous strength.
Seeing Tony's predicament, Alex called out, his voice tinge with sarcasm. "Are you okay, Tony? Do you need help?"
Tony, his breathing strained under the pressure of Iron Monger's grip, responded with a sense of urgency. "Cut the crap, Alex, and just help me," he urged, his determination unwavering in the face of adversity.
As Iron Monger tightened his grip on Iron Man, Alex sprang into action, his neon green armor gleaming in the city lights. With a surge of energy, he launched himself towards the towering behemoth.
Iron Monger turned his attention towards the new threat, his mechanical hulking armor snarl with rage. With a thunderous roar, he swung his massive fist at Alex, aiming to crush him like a mere insect.
But Alex was ready. With a graceful twist of his body, he dodged the blow with ease, his movements almost dancing as he evaded Iron Monger's attacks. Closing the distance between them in a blur of motion, Alex unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, pieces of metal quickly flew off Iron Mongers armor, each strike fueled by the power of his machine body and Zero One armor.
Iron Monger staggered under the onslaught, his armor groaning and creaking with each impact. But he refused to yield, retaliating with a devastating barrage of missiles that filled the night sky with fiery explosions.
Meanwhile, Iron Man struggled to break free from Iron Monger's vice-like grip, his energy level waning with each passing moment. With a defiant roar, he summoned all his remaining power and unleashed a concentrated beam of energy from his chest repulsor, aiming for Iron Monger's vulnerable joints. His AI Jarvis warning Tony about the low energy of his reactor.
The blast struck true, sending sparks flying as Iron Monger stumbled backwards, momentarily stunned. Sensing an opportunity, Alex seized the moment, his eyes blazing with determination.
With a flare Alex said, "Rider Kick." With a mighty leap, he soared into the air, his neon green armor creating after images trailing behind him like a comet's tail. As he reached the apex of his ascent, he twisted his body, red lighting surge into his feet, channeling all his power into a devastating powerful kick.
The air crackled with energy as Alex hurtled towards Iron Monger, his foot glowing with raw power. With a deafening roar, he crashed into his opponent with bone-shattering force into the Arc Reactor, the impact sending shockwaves rippling through the ground below and the explosion from the reactor created a huge electrical blast.
Iron Monger's armor buckled and groaned under the force of the blow, the metal warping and twisting with each successive strike. With a final, thunderous crash, Iron Monger's armor shattered into a million pieces, leaving nothing but wreckage in its wake.
As the dust settled, Alex made sure to run a scan to Iron Monger making sure he had dealt with him permanently. "No life signs detected." With a prompt from his scanners, he stood triumphant, his breathing calm as if it was a simple walk in a park. He could have ended this quicky but he wanted to show everything his armor is capable off to Tony, hoping that with the Zero One armor he will be inspired to create a more powerful armor. Something that will even surpass the armor he used to fight with Thanos, Alex could feel the troubles that lies ahead and he needed more powerful allies in order to face them.
Beside him, Iron Man rose to his feet, his armor battered but unbroken. With a weary smile, he extended a hand to Alex, a silent gesture of gratitude for his timely assistance. But deep inside, witnessing someone who has created an armor more powerful than him ignited something inside him, he has this deep urge of wanting to go back immediately to his lab and create a more powerful armor than the one his currently using.
The Next Day at Stark Industries, the atmosphere was tense as Tony Stark prepared to address the press in a highly anticipated conference. Colonel James Rhodes stood at the podium, his authoritative voice resonating through the room as he began to address the gathered reporters.
"You've all received the official statement regarding the events at Stark Industries last night," Rhodes began, his tone grave as he acknowledged the gravity of the situation. "There have been unconfirmed reports that a robotic prototype malfunctioned and caused damage to the arc reactor."
Meanwhile, Tony was undergoing some last-minute touch-ups by Pepper Potts, who expertly concealed any signs of fatigue or injury. As Tony glanced at a newspaper headline, he couldn't resist making a quip. "Iron Man... that's kind of catchy," he remarked with a wry smile. "It's got a nice ring to it."
Coulson, ever the stoic presence, cut in and handed Tony some cue cards outlining the official alibi. "You were on a yacht, and here's the signature of 50 of your guests who can testify for this," Coulson explained in a clear manner.
Tony, always one for a bit of banter, suggested an alternative scenario with Pepper. "See, I was thinking maybe we should say it was just me and Pepper... alone on an island," he teased, flashing Pepper a playful smile.
But Coulson remained stern, insisting that Tony stick to the official story. "That's what happened, just read it word for word," he instructed firmly.
As Tony reviewed the cue cards, he couldn't help but express his concerns about the omission of Stane from the cover story. "There's nothing about Stane here," he noted with a furrowed brow.
Coulson assured him that it was being handled, but Tony pressed on, questioning the validity of the bodyguard cover story. "That's kind of flimsy, don't you think?" he remarked skeptically.
Coulson, drawing on his experience, reminded Tony to trust the process. "Just stick to the official statement, and soon this will all be behind you," he advised calmly. "You have 90 seconds."
Before Coulson could leave the briefing room and join the conference, Pepper called out to him, expressing her gratitude. "I just want to thank you," she said earnestly.
Coulson nodded in acknowledgment. "That's what we do," he replied simply.
Pepper smiled at Coulson's response, adding her own touch of humor. "From the Strategic Homeland," she quipped.
Coulson couldn't help but chuckle at Pepper's remark. "Just call us S.H.I.E.L.D." he replied with a hint of pride.
Pepper turned to Tony, a sense of camaraderie between them. With the stage set for the conference, Tony prepared to face the press, knowing that he would need to navigate the challenges ahead.
As Tony Stark stood before the press, his charismatic demeanor on full display as he addressed the gathered reporters. "Thank you. Been a while since I was in front of you. I figure I'll stick to the cards this time. " garnering a few laughs from the people, he then continued. "There's been speculation that I was involved in the events that occurred on the freeway and the rooftop..."
But before Tony could continue, Christine Everhart interjected, her tone skeptical. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but do you honestly expect us to believe that that was a bodyguard in a suit that conveniently appeared, despite the fact that you..."
Tony, unfazed by Christine's interruption, maintained his composure. "I know that it's confusing," he responded smoothly. "It is one thing to question the official story, and another thing entirely to make wild accusations, or insinuate that I'm a superhero."
However, the persistent reporter persisted. "I never said you were a superhero," she retorted, continuing to cut Tony off.
Tony chuckled at her persistence. "Didn't? Well, good, because that would be outlandish and fantastic," he quipped, his trademark smirk playing on his lips. "I'm just not the hero type. Clearly. With this laundry list of character defects, all the mistakes I've made, largely public."
As questions continued to flood the conference room, a reporter attempted to steer the conversation in a provocative direction. "Mr. Stark, your robot got out of control. Does this mean your robotics technology specifically the AI fell short of Arasaka Industries?" the reporter probed, seeking to instigate a dramatic exchange.
Tony intervened swiftly, his voice unwavering. "We are no longer in the weapons business, and I would prefer if we just focus on the main point," he asserted firmly, redirecting the discussion toward the heart of the matter—the identity behind the Iron Man suit. Although he must admit the movements of those Militech Robots are incredibly human like, but they are sorely lacking compared to his Ironman Suit. Even his Mark 2 armor is better than those Robots made by Arasaka, if there is something he can praise it would be the AI built onto them and that flamboyant Zero One armor of his.
Undeterred, another reporter seized the opportunity to probe further. "The red and gold hotrod-colored Armored Suit as you said, seems to be mimicking Specter. Do you have anything to say about that?"
Tony sighed, his patience wearing thin. "It's not really mimicking Specter or whoever this vigilante Batman wannabe is," he retorted. "And the ones I made surely had a better energy source and better weapon system than that vigilante."
James Rhodes, standing nearby, leaned in to offer some advice to his best friend. "Just stick to the cards, man," he whispered, signaling Tony to stay on track.
Tony nodded in acknowledgment, then turned back to the press with a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Yeah," he conceded before dropping the bombshell. "The truth is... I am Iron Man," he declared boldly, his smirk widening as he delivered the iconic line.
Meanwhile, across town, Alex Arasaka was facing his own press conference, surrounded by a throng of reporters and journalists eager to hear his side of the story.
"We have seen the videos, Mr. Arasaka. You can't deny the fact that you are the one who stopped the out-of-control robot, working together with the other gold and red one," April stated, her tone firm and direct.
Alex couldn't suppress a hint of awkwardness as he smiled in response. It was surreal to find himself thrust into the spotlight in a manner so reminiscent of Tony Stark's press conference. "You are right, Ms. O'Neil," he acknowledged, his voice steady despite the unexpected turn of events. "In the first place, I never said it wasn't me."
Hearing this, the SHIELD agents can't help but facepalmed themselves as Alex Arasaka is going off script.
"Before we continue," Alex interjected, his tone resolute, "I would like to clarify that I never intended to be a hero or engage in vigilantism. As I have stated previously, those who hide behind a mask cannot be trusted."
The reaction from the news reporters was immediate. April, the lead journalist, stood up in a frenzy, her camera flashing as she captured the pivotal moment on film. The other journalists followed suit, their pens scribbling furiously as they recorded Alex's admission.
With a confident smile, Alex addressed the crowd once more, his words commanding attention. "I am the Mask Rider, Zero One," he declared, his voice ringing out with certainty. The reporters erupted into another frenzy, bombarding him with a flurry of questions and requests for further information.
However, Alex, sensing the need to maintain control of the situation, chose to leave on a high note. He turned on his heel, his posture radiating self-assurance, and made his exit, refusing to entertain any additional inquiries. As he departed, the reporters continued to buzz with excitement, their cameras capturing every moment of this historic revelation.