Catastrofe
"Hey, Tony, did you make it to New York yet?" asked Owen, holding the phone to his ear.
"Of course. Tomorrow is the fabulous Stark Expo. Sorry, I can't come back. I promised Pepper I'd show up in person," Tony replied in his usual relaxed tone.
"Mmm. Fine. Once your expo is over, come here. We might need help," Owen said seriously.
No enemy had shown up yet, but with Loki's appearance, it meant Thor's friends wouldn't be far behind.
By dawn, the town would be evacuated. For now, the official excuse was that the hammer that fell from the sky was potentially radioactive and might explode like a nuclear bomb. They claimed they were going to move it and that, for safety reasons, everyone needed to be cleared from the area. It would only be moved once the entire perimeter was empty.
Of course, this was a carefully crafted lie. The idea wasn't to create panic but to make people believe there was a risk of explosion if it was moved. That way, they could ensure the object wasn't an immediate danger and justify waiting until everyone was gone before touching it. It gave the impression that everything was being done for public safety... and it prevented any lunatic from deciding to "die with their land."
…
Meanwhile, inside a hidden workshop in one of Hammer Industries' facilities, Ivan Vanko worked among sparks and chunks of metal, while Justin Hammer watched a row of robotic prototypes with delight. They were modeled after Iron Man — larger, more imposing, more intimidating… at least at first glance. Hammer clicked his tongue arrogantly.
"You said it would take you ten years to catch up with Stark… Seems like you're underestimating yourself, Tony," he said with a grin, then turned to one of his assistants. "Where's the kid?" he asked, referring to Brian.
"We still haven't found him, sir," the assistant replied, clearly uncomfortable. "Cameras caught him leaving with a briefcase and heading toward New Mexico. Since then, he's just… vanished."
"He took an Arc Reactor… and left," Ivan Vanko interjected, never looking up from his work.
"What?!" Hammer shouted, furious. "And you just let him take it? I knew that brat couldn't be trusted. If he sells that tech to another company… we're screwed. We wouldn't just be competing with Stark, we'd be up against whoever buys it!" he shouted, growing more agitated by the second.
Vanko, for his part, seemed completely indifferent. He even seemed amused. If it hurt Tony Stark, all the better. He didn't care about the tech or the company. He just wanted revenge.
"Find him everywhere! Leave no stone unturned, got it?!" Hammer barked at his assistants. Then he paused, remembering something. "And bring this man his bird," he added, pointing at Vanko before storming off in anger.
…
Elsewhere, Brian smiled calmly, though his eyes showed no peace. In front of him stood several men and women, clearly former soldiers or military types. At the head of the group stood a well-dressed, handsome man watching him with a calm smile — even more arrogant than Brian's. Both of them looked down at the open briefcase displaying the Arc Reactor.
"So what is this? You're here to sell stolen Stark tech to A.I.M.? Why would we make a deal like that — with some stranger who shows up at our door carrying an Arc Reactor?" asked Aldrich Killian, his tone still calm, eyes locked onto Brian.
"I don't want money. I want the same thing they got," Brian replied, nodding toward the ex-soldiers standing beside Killian.
Killian raised an eyebrow, now more interested. He made a small gesture with his finger, and one of the soldiers slowly approached Brian, ready to restrain him. But Brian didn't flinch, keeping his arrogant posture.
"I was there that day when Stark rejected you. I was working as a waiter. I heard everything. Then those limbless soldiers showed up… now they're your bodyguards, stronger than ever. That proves you made it, even without Stark's help," said Brian, trying hard to stay composed.
Killian lifted a hand, stopping the soldier before he reached Brian.
"But you don't seem to be missing any limbs yourself… at least none that are visible," Killian said with a malicious grin.
"That's because I believe in your vision. And I think your project could surpass even the super-soldier serum," Brian said, lying through his teeth as Killian watched him closely, the corners of his mouth curled slightly in amusement.
"Well… it's rare for a lab rat to show up personally asking to be a test subject. But I'll accept your offer," Killian said with a smile that promised nothing good.
Brian relaxed slightly. Inside, he felt triumphant — he'd just tricked a so-called genius, someone said to rival Tony Stark.
But then Killian raised his hand again.
The soldier next to him didn't hesitate — he landed a brutal punch to Brian's face, knocking him out cold in a single blow.
"I don't like liars… but let's see why he's so eager to be a guinea pig," Killian said as the soldier effortlessly dragged Brian's limp body away.
…
The next day, at the Stark Expo, Tony dazzled the crowd with a spectacular entrance, flying through the sky in his suit while his eloquent voice filled the venue with promises of a bright future. He spoke about how Stark Industries would lead the energy revolution, surpassing all current world powers. His charisma and confidence held everyone's attention… at least until it was Hammer's turn.
Justin Hammer's presentation began with a row of armored robots lined up behind him, imposing in appearance. It was his attempt to compete in the field of modern weaponry. But as soon as he began to speak, everything spiraled out of control.
The robots lost control. One by one, they began moving erratically, activating their attack systems without orders. Panic took over the audience, and Tony had no choice but to intervene immediately to prevent a massacre.
"Damn… this is one of those moments when having a Hulk around would really help," Tony muttered as he dodged missiles flying through the sky after him.
"Sir, you have a call from General Nathaniel," announced Jarvis in his calm voice, as Tony twisted mid-air to avoid a nearby explosion.
"Not exactly the best time, Jarvis!" Tony shouted, constantly dodging the relentless gunfire.
"It seems… he's sent help, sir," added Jarvis with a hint of surprise.
"Fine… patch him through," Tony finally said.
A young voice, younger than expected, spoke from the other end of the line. "You Stark? I'll make this quick: if I shoot the core in the chest of those robots, what happens?"
Tony frowned at the absurdity of the question, but still answered. "They explode like missiles. They're made with palladium."
"Perfect… then fly a little higher."
"You want to shoot them while they're moving… and you want me to go higher?" Tony asked, surprised.
At that moment, atop the tallest nearby building, a young blond man lay on the ground, bracing a high-caliber sniper rifle with a precision scope. His gaze was focused, his smile arrogant. It was Nicolás. With the phone pressed to his shoulder, he replied with disdain:
"Don't worry. I've got this."
Without further delay, Tony shot straight up, nearly breaking the sound barrier. A dozen robots followed him immediately, all locked on to destroy him.
Suddenly, one of the robots exploded mid-air, taking two more with it in the blast.
"Did someone actually shoot that thing?" Tony asked, incredulous.
"Yes, sir. And it looks like it hit the palladium core dead-on," Jarvis replied.
As more robots were blown to pieces behind him, all Tony had to do was keep moving. Nearly half of them were destroyed by precise shots, giving Tony enough maneuverability to go on the offensive.
He twisted mid-air and started counterattacking. His newly upgraded reactor provided more energy than ever, and his repulsor blasts were stronger. Some robots were easily sliced apart, others exploded before even getting close.
Within minutes, only one remained: bigger than the others, with two electric whips on its arms. It was Vanko's combat armor.
"Hey, I probably shouldn't say this right now… but his suit is way cooler than yours," said the voice on the other end of the line just as Tony hovered in front of Vanko, ready to fight.
"But mine's better," Tony said calmly.
The whips crackled to life, filling the air with electricity. Tony raised his hand and charged a focused energy shot. Vanko, not wanting to take the hit, lashed forward. Surprisingly, Tony didn't dodge.
Vanko grinned. He thought he had him.
But just before impact, Tony fired. The blast struck the whip, deflecting it, and at that exact moment, another shot —from afar— hit Vanko's Arc Reactor.
Tony had only been a distraction.
He quickly pulled back as Vanko's armor began to overload… and finally exploded.
"You're a good shot… you remind me of Owen," Tony said calmly, watching the smoldering remains of Vanko crash to the ground.
"Hmph. Owen's good, but he specializes in martial arts. I don't like pain… that's why I'm a better marksman. Who do you think taught him to shoot?" Nicolás replied with a smug tone.
"You?" Tony asked.
"Of course not. My father. He taught both of us. Before Owen injected that serum, we were tied 500 to 500. He could only beat me in hand-to-hand combat," Nicolás said proudly.
"So you're the General's son…" Tony finally realized.
"Yeah. And it looks like Owen needs help. That's why he sent me to speed you up," Nicolás replied seriously.
"What happened?" Tony asked, concerned.
"See for yourself. I'll head to the jet — clearly, I'm not getting out of this," said Nicolás before hanging up.
"Jarvis, what's happening in New Mexico?" Tony asked urgently.
"Sir, one hour ago the military was deployed to the area. Apparently, entities from another planet arrived in a beam of light. They call themselves Frost Giants… and they demand that a man named Thor be handed over. They have also declared their intention to conquer Earth. They've given a deadline of two days," Jarvis responded, processing the reports.
"Great. I leave them alone for five minutes… and now we've got an alien invasion!" Tony exclaimed, exasperated.