Rumble!
Fire and sparks erupted in the air as bullets rained down, followed by a cacophony of screams. The crowd panicked and fled in every direction.
On the stage of the Hammer Industry Exhibition, Justin Hammer, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, watched the chaos unfold with shock.
"What's happening??" he exclaimed.
Without his consent, rows of steel armors launched into the air in pursuit of Tony Stark.
"It's Ivan. He's actually using me." Justin shuddered in fear, his face paling as he rushed backstage to escape. Given the situation, it was clear that any military orders would be futile; he was likely to become a target himself.
At the edge of the crowd, Pepper Potts and Hawkeye hurried in.
Da da da!
The sound of a metal storm filled the air as sulfurous smoke was blown away by the airflow.
"Damn it, Ivan's lost it. Gali, activate all the armors in storage!" Tony shouted, dodging the steel armor attacks. He fired back occasionally, but it was a losing battle.
Tony's armor, while more refined and powerful than the Mark 9, was struggling. Ivan had ramped up the chaos, making Tony's task of saving civilians increasingly exhausting. The armor's wear and tear were becoming critical.
"Sir, the comic crowd is suggesting many evasive maneuvers," Gali reported coldly.
"I know," Tony replied, trying to lead the attacking armors away. Despite his efforts, the Iron Army continued to assault him relentlessly.
"Damn it, Ivan, damn it," Tony cursed as he fired at several steel armors.
The noise from the exhibition temporarily masked the sound of the jetting bullets until someone noticed the commotion.
In the game exhibition area, Gwen had abandoned her usual reserved demeanor and was fully immersed as a game fan. Meanwhile, Xu Mo, teamed up with others, played with his eyes closed, but was feeling frustrated.
As the air pressure around him shifted, Xu Mo glanced up at the ceiling, hearing the chaos and shouts all around. A sharp scream pierced the noise, prompting him and Gwen to step back quickly.
Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering came from above. Red armor crashed through the ceiling and landed on Xu Mo's computer table, crushing the expensive equipment.
"Tony?" Xu Mo's face twitched with disbelief.
Tony's Mark armor, inspired by the advancements of Jie Luos, was more advanced than in the movies, but now looked quite battered.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Several steel armors fell from the sky, crashing onto the ground with loud metal clatters. The exhibition area was thrown into shock.
"Run!" Gwen shouted, her voice cutting through the confusion.
Panic spread as everyone scrambled for the exits.
"Damn it, why haven't Gali's other armors arrived yet?" Tony asked, struggling with the damaged Mark 9.
"There are still three minutes until they arrive, and the armor's damage resistance is critically low," Gali's cold report came through.
Leading the attack was Colonel Roddy, in his War Machine suit, recently upgraded from Mark 4.
"Why didn't Pepper stop the terminal?" Tony shouted in frustration. Even if the terminal wasn't stopped, Roddy's control center at Hammer Industries should have been secure.
On the other end of the communication, Pepper, slightly flustered, replied, "No, Ivan secretly placed two steel armors here, and no S.H.I.E.L.D. agents have breached them."
Tony's face paled as he realized the extent of Ivan's plan.
War Machine, now under Roddy's control, saw the red dots on his display and was equally frustrated. "Tony, the system is locking onto all targets now, including everyone around."
Ivan Vanko was a shrewd adversary. Knowing the disparity between his steel armor and Tony's Mark armor, he avoided direct confrontation and instead aimed to exhaust Tony by attacking civilians. He waited in the shadows for the Mark armor to fall apart.
Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
Metal storms raged in the game exhibition area, with the large nets attacking Tony, Xu Mo, and Gwen. Meanwhile, several steel armors moved towards the exhibition hall to prepare for further attacks.
Buzzing!
Tony ejected from his nearly-destroyed armor and unleashed powerful energy beams, obliterating two steel armors attempting to escape. He fired missiles, targeting the remaining armors, exposing himself to the dense metal net.
Tony's system alarms blared, but he ignored them, focusing on taking down Ivan. "Ivan, you coward hiding in the shadows, come out and face me!"
Tony hoped to provoke Ivan into making a mistake and end the conflict.
"Hahaha, Tony, are you really so foolish? I'll repay everything your father did in forty years within forty minutes." Ivan's voice, laden with a thick Russian accent, echoed from War Machine's armor.
"For example, why don't you call Pepper now and ask her how she's doing?"
Tony hastily connected Pepper's communicator. "Pepper, get out of there, quickly…"
"I'm fine, Tony. How are you holding up?" Pepper's calm voice interrupted him, making Tony pause.
"I'm fine. It'll be over soon."
"Really? The Hero Academy folks have arrived. A girl stopped all the steel armors and crushed them," Pepper said, relieved as she saw Lorna Dane's actions from a distance.
Tony hung up and challenged Ivan again. "You can verify it now."
"What's going on!!" Ivan's panic was evident, and Colonel Roddy felt helpless as the War Machine's control was restored to him.
With a sigh of relief, Tony and Roddy prepared to tackle the remaining steel armors outside, only to find Xu Mo and Gwen still there. Tony turned to them, astonished.
"Hi, Tony," Xu Mo greeted with a smile, while Gwen waved.
Tony gasped in disbelief. He had been fighting for his life, and yet his closest friends had been watching.
However, Xu Mo had anticipated this and explained, "Tony, I believe in you. Who else but Tony Stark could handle this?"
"You're right?" Tony responded, his ego inflating. "Yes, I am Tony Stark."
He grinned proudly, though inwardly he was frustrated by the situation.
As the cries outside indicated the seriousness of the situation, Colonel Roddy led the charge, with Tony, Xu Mo, and Gwen following.
What greeted them were nearly ten steel armors suspended in mid-air, relentlessly firing at the fleeing crowd below. Manzhan security was overwhelmed, trying to direct people to safety, while some daring reporters captured every moment of the incident.
Amidst the deafening noise, Tony and Roddy engaged the attacking armors, while Gwen pulled Xu Mo to safety.
To Gwen, Xu Mo was still the ordinary yet exceptional comic artist who had previously dealt with villains. Yet, Xu Mo remained calm, pointing out, "Don't forget, there are new heroes arriving aside from Iron Man."
Gwen glanced toward the entrance and saw several oddly dressed young people rushing in, including a few minors.
"Heroes? From the Hero Academy?" Gwen wondered, noting their unique outfits that differed from the X-Men's more uniform appearance.
Xu Mo, smiling, remained silent.
All Might's reforms at the academy had shifted from painless holographic training to a more intense neural pain system, designed to build strong-willed heroes. The previous conflict between the police and the Brotherhood had highlighted the need for this approach.
The academy's mission was no longer limited to mutants, and combat uniforms were personalized for each student using Stark Industries' resources.
Nick Fury's frustration grew as the Hero Academy seemed to be aligning closely with Stark and Xu Mo's connections. The appearance of these young heroes amidst the chaos provided a powerful counterpoint to criminals and a resounding affirmation of All Might's warnings.
The age of heroes had truly arrived.