"Tony, now!"

Seeing that Hill was in danger, Rowan's face turned grim as he gave the command.

Even without the order, Tony had already dived into action.

Bang! Bang!

As he plummeted from the sky, Tony fired two blasts from his palm cannons, forcing Obadiah back.

Meanwhile, Rowan released his grip about ten meters from the ground, landing in a tight roll before springing to his feet.

Boom!

Tony tackled Obadiah, sending the bulky Iron Monger suit crashing into the pavement, carving a trench several meters long in the asphalt.

Even with shock absorption systems, Obadiah felt the violent impact churn his insides.

"Tony!" he roared, recognizing the familiar red and gold suit with gritted teeth.

He had truly thought Tony was dead. If he'd known, he would've made sure of it earlier.

But Tony wasn't in the mood for talking.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

He pinned Obadiah to the ground and began hammering his helmet with a flurry of punches, left and right, relentless.

Obadiah's head rattled from the barrage, but the Iron Monger's reinforced helmet held firm scratched, but not deformed.

Half a month ago, Obadiah had sourced a batch of second-tier Kroluminum to reinforce his suit. A decision that now saved him from a potential concussion.

Clang!

Tony threw another punch but this time, Obadiah caught it with his massive palm.

In one swift motion, Obadiah flipped them both, using his weight advantage to pin Tony beneath him.

"Ha!"

A manic grin spread across Obadiah's face as he pressed one armored hand to Tony's chest and pushed himself up.

Then, grabbing Tony by the arm, he began slamming him back and forth against the ground.

"Die!"

The Iron Monger roared, his brute force at maximum output.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Sparks flew. Debris exploded in all directions. Fragments of stone shot out like shrapnel, carrying terrifying kinetic energy.

"Watch out!"

Pepper, who had only just snapped out of her shock from Tony's dramatic entrance, screamed in horror.

She was far enough away to be safe, but Hill and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents nearby were in the danger zone.

A direct hit from the debris could be lethal.

Hill's pupils contracted. She and the others had no time to react.

Just as disaster loomed, a heavy metal door suddenly slid into place in front of her.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Stone fragments pelted the makeshift shield like machine gun fire, each impact a dull, terrifying thud.

Thanks to that door, Hill and the two agents beside her were unharmed.

But the four agents standing further away weren't so lucky.

Debris of all shapes and sizes pierced their bodies.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Some were hurled several meters back by the sheer force.

Blood sprayed. Screams rang out.

Hill froze in place, pale and shaken. A second later and she would've been among them.

After a brief daze, she quickly turned to see who had saved her.

"Rowan?"

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Standing beside her, holding the metal door like a shield, was none other than her younger brother.

Hill stared in shock. The door looked like a heavy-duty security panel from Stark Industries easily five to six hundred pounds.

"Are you hurt?"

Rowan's eyes swept over Hill, checking her for injuries. Only after confirming she was unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"You… Rowan, how are you even here?"

She was stunned not only by his sudden appearance, but by the ease with which he wielded the massive door.

"There's no time to explain. Take Pepper and get out of here. It's too dangerous."

Rowan tossed the steel door aside with a thunderous clang.

The impact made Hill flinch, snapping her fully back to reality.

She hesitated briefly, but Obadiah had already hurled Tony through the wall of the building and was now turning toward them.

"Go. Now."

Rowan's tone was firm, his expression steely.

Though he had always been gentle and warm toward her, Hill knew that when he looked like this, he wouldn't take no for an answer.

She exchanged glances with the two agents beside her, then sprinted toward Pepper, ushering her to safety.

Meanwhile, Obadiah, having dealt with Tony for the moment, now strode toward Rowan.

Thud. Thud.

Each step of the towering Iron Monger suit was heavy and menacing.

"You've got guts. Standing your ground like that," Obadiah sneered. "I'll reward you by flattening you."

Drunk on power, he picked up speed and lunged, reaching for Rowan with his massive hand.

Rowan's eyes narrowed, tracking every movement.

To be honest, even with his enhanced strength comparable to a pre-warrior-level martial artist he was still no match for a suit that weighed several tons and came equipped with high-caliber weaponry.

But something about Obadiah's movements made him relax.

He was too slow.

The Iron Monger's bulk was its weakness. Oversized, heavy, and lacking in finesse, it couldn't match the agility of Tony's sleeker design.

And Obadiah himself? Just an aging corporate tyrant with poor reflexes.

His arrogance would be his downfall.

"You'll pay for underestimating me," Rowan murmured, cold-eyed.

He reached into the inner lining of his boot and drew a short blade.

The tactical A5 combat knife was barely six inches long, but forged with elite materials sharp enough to pierce the armor of mid-tier beast-class monsters.

It had cost him three million credits. Worth every cent.

Short as it was, the knife could breach Obadiah's defenses.

Without it, Rowan wouldn't have dared face him head-on.

"Rowan, get out of there!"

From the safety of cover, Hill shouted desperately, watching the monstrous Iron Monger reach for her brother.

Obadiah heard her and smirked.

"Rowan? The guy from Krolon Industries?"

"Interesting. But you're still going to die."

He made no effort to hold back. In fact, discovering Rowan's identity only made him more eager to kill him.

His clawed hand lunged for Rowan's upper body.

But just before contact

"Huh?"

Obadiah's expression froze.

Rowan had shifted sideways by just a fraction barely a hairsbreadth and slipped past his grasp.

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