Surrounded by a dozen Iron Man suits, Baron Strucker remained unfazed. One hand was hidden behind his back, where an orange mist coalesced into a glowing sphere in his palm.
"Tony Stark, you will soon be my prisoner," Strucker declared, a sinister smile curling on his lips. "That way, Garus won't dare act recklessly."
"You—" Tony barely had time to react before a blazing orange energy sphere shot up toward him. "Damn, you're attacking me mid-sentence?!"
A sharp sizzling sound cut through the air.
Tony couldn't dodge in time. The high-temperature sphere struck his armor, instantly turning the alloy red-hot.
"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. warned, "his attacks can melt through your armor. You must evade."
"No kidding!" Tony muttered, rapidly ascending to gain distance. "Damn it, is he a mutant too?"
As he gave the command, the remaining Iron Man suits surged forward to probe Strucker's abilities. The Baron smirked and let out a roar, leaping high into the air. He grabbed one of the armored suits mid-flight and slammed it to the ground. His glowing hands plunged into the suit's chassis, effortlessly tearing it in half.
He just ripped an Iron Man suit apart?
Tony broke into a cold sweat. That's insane!
Missiles streaked toward Strucker, leaving long trails of white smoke in their wake. He caught several in his hands, their casings melting into liquid metal before they could detonate.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A relentless barrage of explosions consumed the area, sending dust and smoke billowing into the air, temporarily obscuring Strucker's figure.
HYDRA soldiers, seeing their leader under attack, raised their weapons and fired at Tony. But their bullets barely scratched the surface of his suits. The Iron Legion swept through them like a steel storm, leaving bodies scattered in their wake.
As the dust cleared, Baron Strucker emerged—his clothes slightly singed, but his body completely unscathed.
"You can't hide forever!" He leapt dozens of meters into the air, snatching another Iron Man suit and ripping it apart with ease. "How long do you think you can keep running, Tony? I will catch you."
Tony's mind raced as he watched another suit fall in pieces. Damn it, my armor isn't strong enough. His heat-based attacks are destroying them too easily.
He made a mental note—there were two types of metal ideal for improving his next-generation armor. He needed to get his hands on them.
In a cave deep in the mountains, a pair of siblings slowly regained consciousness. As they took in their surroundings, realization dawned on them.
"Lauren, we need to find Father," Andy said, helping his sister sit up. "He's being hunted by Iron Man and the headmaster of that mutant school. We have to help him."
The siblings, both mutants, shared the codename "Pulse." Their eyes could emit disruptive energy pulses that nullified mutant abilities and disabled electronic systems—a perfect counter to both Iron Man and their mutant foes.
Strucker had always kept them hidden, shielding them from HYDRA's affairs. Truthfully, even he held little loyalty to the organization.
Lauren stepped out of the cave, scanning the dense forest around them. "But he's already gone. We don't know where he is."
"Check this out." Andy held up a phone, grinning. A digital map glowed on the screen. "I placed a tracker on Father's truck."
Right at that moment, Strucker was battling Tony, and the truck's signal-jamming device had been deactivated—allowing them to pick up the location.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Lauren grabbed Andy's hand, and they sprinted toward the signal.
They ran tirelessly, the sound of distant explosions guiding them. Before long, they reached the battlefield.
"It's already started!" They saw their father, his body radiating an eerie red glow, while Iron Man suits swarmed above like mechanical wasps.
"Andy!"
Both siblings' eyes flashed gold as they unleashed a powerful pulse. A wave of interference spread through the battlefield, frying the systems of Tony's armor.
Mid-flight, Tony's suit went dead. His HUD blacked out, and every function shut down.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.? J.A.R.V.I.S.?!"
The AI did not respond.
Tony plummeted from the sky.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Every remotely controlled Iron Man suit crashed to the ground, motionless.
"What the hell just happened?!" Tony tumbled across the battlefield, barely dodging Strucker's next attack. He yanked off his helmet, frustration etched on his face.
Strucker followed Tony's gaze and spotted his children hiding nearby. He frowned.
"What are you two doing here? Do you realize how dangerous this is?!"
Andy shrugged. "We just wanted to help. Looks easy enough, doesn't it? Iron Man isn't so tough after all."
Tony groaned. "Oh, great. Another pair of mutant brats with attitude."
He still had no idea what had hit him, but the cocky tone of these kids was seriously pissing him off.
Strucker's expression darkened. "You don't know what you're dealing with." But time was running out. "Get in the truck. Now."
Tony, regaining some control, started rebooting his systems. Strucker noticed and turned back to him.
"What now?" Tony asked warily.
Strucker's palm heated up again, glowing red-hot. "I'm going to pull you out of your shell."
Tony felt a burning sensation as Strucker's finger pressed against his armor. The metal warped and melted, splitting down the middle. With no choice, Tony stepped out, raising his hands.
"Alright, alright, you got me!" he said. "But where exactly are we going? Care to share?"
"Shut up and get in."
Back at Tony's mansion, Garus returned—only to find the place eerily empty.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., where the hell is Tony?"
"Mr. Garus, Mr. Stark is in danger."
Garus' expression hardened. "Where is he?"
Satellites had been tracking Strucker's movements. A holographic projection flared to life, displaying a convoy. In the footage, Tony was being forced into a truck, the ground littered with Iron Man armor wreckage.
"Strucker is this powerful?!" Garus muttered in disbelief.
As he watched, the truck suddenly cloaked itself—vanishing from the screen.
"It can go invisible?! Damn it! I need to find Tony, now!"
Tony being captured was a big deal—one Garus had no intention of letting slide.
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