"Oh my God! Isn't that Tony Stark's bank? That clown actually blew it up?!"
"No way! Doesn't he know Stark is Iron Man? Is he insane or just looking to die?"
"This is crazy!"
As the explosion echoed and the screen blacked out, panic gripped the crowd.
Screams tore through the streets, especially near Stark Bank. People scattered like ants, fleeing from the flames and smoke rising into the night sky.
Farther away, pedestrians froze in disbelief. Phones were out. Social media exploded.
The city wasn't just in shock—New York was paralyzed.
No one knew what to think.
No one knew why this was happening.
All they could see was that the Joker—this madman in clown paint—had just turned a symbol of power and wealth into a pile of burning rubble.
Sirens wailed.
Red and blue lights lit up every corner of the city.
Police scrambled to control the chaos. Entire avenues shut down as fire trucks raced through traffic, horns blaring. Officers waved frantically at confused drivers, trying to keep emergency lanes open.
It was mayhem.
Unfiltered.
Uncontainable.
New Yorkers had seen their share of threats—aliens, supervillains, gods from other realms. But this... this felt different.
This was a man.
Just a man.
And that made it worse.
People whispered on street corners and shouted from rooftops.
"Is this guy crazy?"
"He blew up the bank on live broadcast!"
"Is he grandstanding or—no, this has to be a direct challenge to Tony Stark!"
And deep inside SHIELD's monitoring room, Black Widow stood frozen.
The screens had returned to normal, but the flaming wreckage still burned in her eyes.
Her hand trembled slightly as she processed what had just happened.
"This guy…" she hissed, voice rising, "Is this Joker completely out of his mind?! He's not just playing games—he's provoking Stark. On purpose."
She didn't wait. She grabbed her jacket, slung a gun belt over her shoulder, and bolted for the exit.
She didn't even glance back at Benson, who stared silently, too stunned to speak.
She had only one thought:
Catch that clown.
---
10880 Malibu Point, California
In the sleek, high-tech basement of his cliffside mansion, Tony Stark sat in front of a glowing screen.
Expression blank. Eyes fixed.
His fingers lay still beside a half-drunk glass of scotch.
The Joker's face had just faded from his display.
The smoke was still rising.
"Oh my God, Tony! Did you hear? Your bank! It's—"
Pepper Potts' voice echoed from the top of the stairs as she rushed into the room, breathless.
She stopped in the doorway, eyes wide.
Tony didn't answer.
Didn't move.
He just stared.
"Tony?" Pepper walked over slowly. "Are you listening to me? Stark Bank's gone. It's burning."
"I know," he said finally, voice flat. "A clown blew it up."
Pepper paused. "What do we do now? The NYPD's already on site. Should we—"
"Rely on the police?" Tony scoffed, turning to look at her. "I might as well pray to God."
"Tony, don't be reckless! That man is dangerous!"
"I know."
Pepper's concern deepened. She'd worked beside Tony long enough to recognize this expression.
It wasn't fear.
It was rage.
And it wasn't the kind that came from financial loss. Tony Stark could lose billions and still sleep like a baby.
But this wasn't about money.
It was about pride.
That clown hadn't just blown up a building—he'd gone live. Public. Worldwide.
He'd looked straight into the camera and said, I'm not afraid of you.
And Tony had felt the weight of that message.
People had doubted him from the start. They said a man in a metal suit couldn't protect the world.
But Tony had proved them wrong.
He built Iron Man from the ground up. He fought off aliens, AI uprisings, gods. He bled to earn the world's trust.
And now—some lunatic had spit on all of it.
"I don't care if he's dangerous," Tony said quietly. "He just made it personal."
He stood up, eyes burning.
"Is he declaring war on me?" He cracked his knuckles. "Good. I'll give him one."
He turned toward the ceiling.
"Jarvis. Lock on to that clown's signal. Find him. Now."
"Right away, sir," Jarvis responded.
Tony's eyes never left the screen.
"I want his face on my monitor next time.".