Marvel: Death Knight

Tony struggled to stand, grumbling to Garus, "If you hadn't distracted me earlier, I could've taken him down already."

Obadiah, enraged by their disregard, bellowed, "Tony, you're just as arrogant and self-centered as your father! For years, I've been the one keeping the company afloat. Do you really think you could afford your lavish lifestyle without me? And now you've shut down Stark Industries' weapons division? Stark Industries is mine! I should be the one in charge!"

Stomping toward Tony, Obadiah swung the massive arm of his Iron Monger suit. The impact sent Tony, who hadn't fully recovered, flying across the floor, sparks trailing as his suit skidded into a wall.

Cracks webbed across Tony's armor, and even his helmet was half-destroyed. One more hit like that, and he'd be meeting his father, Howard, on the other side.

"Sir, the armor is 90% damaged and can no longer provide adequate protection," Jarvis reported.

"Shut up, I'm aware," Tony snapped, frustrated.

Obadiah maneuvered his mech forward, step by thundering step. "Today, I'll kill you, Tony. Then Stark Industries will finally be mine. I have to say, I'm really enjoying this. You know, I almost succeeded last time."

The massive iron fist whooshed through the air, aimed straight for Tony's head. Helpless, Tony closed his eyes, bracing for the end.

Clang!

A heavy sword intercepted the blow, halting it mid-strike.

"Old man, don't forget about me," Garus growled, straining as he held the blow with his blade. Even he had to admit, the Iron Monger's strength was impressive.

Obadiah was stunned. He knew the power of his suit intimately, and the display screen confirmed his arm was exerting immense force. Yet his strike was stopped.

Staggering back a few steps, Obadiah sized up his opponent. Garus's armor was etched with strange runes, and his weapon appeared to be an ordinary longsword. How could he—?

A sudden sound above caught everyone's attention: helicopters.

"This is the U.S. military. You are surrounded. Drop your weapons immediately, or we will open fire!"

Tony glanced up to see units from a nearby military base. He knew their weapons wouldn't make a dent in either Obadiah's or Garus's armor. Worse, if he got caught in the crossfire, his damaged suit wouldn't hold up.

"Annoying flies," Obadiah grumbled. The back of his suit opened, revealing missile launchers.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In seconds, the helicopters were reduced to fiery debris, falling like grotesque fireworks.

Garus watched, startled, before asking, "Those were American military forces, weren't they? Aren't you worried about the consequences?"

Obadiah sneered. "In this country, money solves everything. Just toss some cash to those greedy generals, and this will blow over. Now, since you've chosen to stand in my way, I'll deal with you first before killing Tony."

Shoulder-mounted machine guns emerged from the Iron Monger suit, unleashing a hail of bullets at Garus. But Garus was undeterred. His deathcharger deftly dodged the barrage, spectral flames from its hooves leaving trails of ghostly fire on the ground.

Closing the distance, Garus raised his rune-etched sword, Runeblade. The Crusader runes flared faintly, flooding him with a surge of power. With precision strikes, he slashed at the suit, severing its weapons. Gun barrels clattered to the ground.

The Iron Monger suit shuddered under the relentless assault. Inside, alarms blared, reporting critical damage.

Realizing he was cornered, Obadiah shielded vital parts with the mech's arms and activated its leg thrusters. Orange flames roared as the suit slowly ascended.

In midair, Obadiah suddenly felt lightheaded, his vision swimming. He shook his head to clear it but dismissed the sensation as nothing serious.

"Hah! Kid, what can you do now?" he gloated. "Let's see how you handle a missile barrage from above!"

Unbeknownst to him, Garus had struck him earlier with a Plague Strike. The disease was now coursing through Obadiah's body, wreaking havoc. While it wouldn't affect someone like the Hulk, it was proving effective against a regular human.

Seeing Obadiah prepare another attack, Garus dismounted, planting his feet firmly. Gathering a surge of necrotic energy in both hands, he unleashed Death Grip.

A massive spectral hand shot upward, seizing the Iron Monger suit and yanking it back to earth.

"What the hell?!" Obadiah screamed, his voice filled with panic.

Disoriented and weakened, he was unable to resist as Garus hurled the suit toward the massive arc reactor at the base of Stark Tower. A flash of blinding blue light erupted as the suit collided, followed by Obadiah's agonized screams. Then silence.

[Mission complete: Obadiah Stane eliminated. Reward: 10,000 exchange points.]

Garus exhaled, relieved. His plan had worked. Spotting the arc reactor earlier, he'd calculated the move as soon as he grabbed Obadiah with Death Grip.

Nearby, Tony leaned against a wall, staring at the reactor's glow. Obadiah's suit had been consumed entirely. Though the crisis was over, Tony felt no joy. Obadiah had been his father's close friend and a caretaker after Howard's death—one of Tony's few remaining family connections.

"Tony! You're okay!"

Pepper emerged from a corner, rushing to his side. Seeing his battered state, she fussed over him immediately.

Tony groaned, "Pepper, were you here the whole time? I told you to leave! It was too dangerous."

"I was worried about you," Pepper replied firmly. "Anyway, is that bastard Obadiah dealt with?"

Slumping to the ground, Tony began removing his broken armor. "Yeah, it's done. But I need a doctor… and another arc reactor."

At that moment, a group of black-suited agents approached.

"Mr. Stark, we meet again," said the man in front.

Tony recognized him. "You're the guy from… what was it? Homeland… Strategic… Defensive… something? It's too long to remember. Oh, right, you're Coulson, right?"

"Phil Coulson," the agent corrected with a smile. "And our department is the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. But, taking your advice, we now go by a simpler name: S.H.I.E.L.D."

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