"Wow, I never thought I'd hear an apology from you," Hermione said, feigning surprise. "That's something new."
Tony was anxious, "If you like, I can say it ten times a day from now on, but there's no time now!"
Hermione waved him off, "Relax, I'm more concerned about Pepper than you are. She's got S.H.I.E.L.D. agents watching her, so she's safe."
She continued after a pause:
"Pepper figured out Obadiah's scheme and was worried about you. She asked me to check on you. Didn't expect to find you in such a state! I should've recorded it, hahaha!"
This cheeky kid... Tony's face froze, but he felt relieved.
As long as Pepper was alright.
"In that case, I'm going to settle the score with Obadiah!" Tony's eyes gleamed coldly.
In the basement, with Jarvis's help, Tony quickly suited up in his battle armor.
Hermione nodded, admiring the sleek gold and red suit.
"You sure you don't need help?"
Seeing Tony with only his face exposed, Hermione asked.
"Don't worry, kid, this is an adult's fight. Go back to Pepper and help keep her safe."
In his suit, Tony's eyes shone with confidence.
Hermione smirked.
The sun's out, rain's stopped, and you're feeling good again.
Wasn't it you who looked so pitiful just a moment ago?
"Alright, take care of yourself. Don't come crying for help when you're in trouble."
With a leap, Hermione was off on her broom.
This brat...
Watching her leave, Tony's eye twitched.
Every conversation with her left him half-exasperated.
Why was she so sweet to Pepper but so sharp with him?
If Hermione knew his thoughts, she'd probably roll her eyes.
Pepper's a lovely sister; of course, I'm nice to her. Why would I be nice to you, you weird uncle?
---
Late night, New York's sky echoed with explosions.
Amidst the glow of fire and clashing steel, citizens watched two humanoid mechs, one large and one small, battling fiercely in the streets.
From a distance, Pepper, Coulson, and others watched the rising flames with concern.
They knew of Obadiah's plot and his creation of a massive steel suit, larger than Tony's.
Being too far to see clearly, they could only gauge the battle's intensity by the sounds.
"Tony, please be safe..." Pepper murmured.
Coulson was equally worried. S.H.I.E.L.D. lacked the means to tackle such a behemoth, especially in a city teeming with civilians. Some methods were off the table. They could only hope for Tony's success.
"Pepper, I'm back!"
Hermione's voice called from behind.
Pepper brightened, rushing to Hermione in a few strides.
Coulson approached, smiling, "Miss Wizard, we meet again."
"I remember you, your name is Cou... Cou..."
Hermione pondered.
"Coulson."
"Yes, Coulson!" Hermione clapped her hands.
Coulson smiled, pleased Hermione remembered him.
"How's Tony? Is he alright?"
Pepper asked the pressing question.
"I don't know. His pride won't let me help. He insists on handling it himself, so I came back," Hermione shrugged, leaning on her broom.
Everyone fell silent.
Eventually, Pepper spoke, "I'm worried about Tony. Can we get closer? I want to see how he's doing."
Coulson looked troubled.
It wasn't unwillingness; the risk was simply too high. No matter how elite, agents were still human, no match for the Iron Monger. Approaching was dangerous.
It wasn't fear of death; it was the inability to protect Pepper.
Pepper's gaze turned to Hermione for help.
Hermione nodded, "No problem, but I'm not very skilled at Apparition. There's a risk of accidents if I jump with someone else. You'll have to ride the broom."
She patted the broom.
Coulson's eyes widened, mentally noting "Apparition" and "space jump."
The information load was overwhelming.
Pepper, less concerned, nodded and sat on the broom.
She expected it to be tricky but found herself secured by a special force, as if in a car seat.
"Wait, Miss Wizard!"
Coulson called out, realizing belatedly.
Though Miss Wizard's abilities were magical, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s data suggested they weren't combat-oriented.
"Cutting" spells seemed unlikely to damage steel.
He worried Hermione might get caught up in the battle, risking her life. Losing her would be a blow to S.H.I.E.L.D. and could provoke retaliation from the wizarding world.
But Hermione didn't heed him. In seconds, the broom whisked them away.
Seeing this, Coulson hurried to the battlefield with his agents.
"Wahoo—!"
Experiencing such a thrilling flight for the first time, Pepper screamed, adjusting to the excitement.
"Hermione, look, there's Tony!"
After a brief thrill, Pepper focused on locating the battlefield, quickly spotting Tony.
Hermione maneuvered closer until she saw the two combatants.
A massive mech, two or three stories tall, was locked in hand-to-hand combat with Tony in his suit.
Iron Monger, Obadiah's rough, oversized imitation of Tony's suit, driven by the reactor taken from Tony's chest.
Without it, the Iron Monger couldn't function.
The two clashed on the street, exchanging blows. One swung a motorcycle, the other smashed a car. The chaos was palpable.
Despite the prolonged fight, neither had gained an advantage. Only bystanders suffered.
"For thirty years, I've propped you up!"
Obadiah yelled, swinging at Tony, "I built this company from nothing! No one will stand in my way!"
"Especially you!"
As he spoke, a missile launched from the Iron Monger, targeting Tony.
"Boom!"
Tony, though unharmed in his suit, was sent spinning mid-air, regaining control to fly again.