Chapter 16: Stark Expo Showdown and a Drone Disaster
The Stark Expo was a dazzling, deafening spectacle. Lights, music, Tony Stark's booming voice, and Justin Hammer's desperate attempts to steal the spotlight. Adam, having snagged a surprisingly good spot near the main stage (courtesy of a low-cost wish that made a "VIP" sign mysteriously appear on a random folding chair), was ready.
"Alright, Hammer, show time. Let's see how badly you can screw this up. And then, let's make it worse. For comedy."
[DAILY WISH DAYS ACCUMULATION: +1]
Tony finished his grand entrance, and then it was Hammer's turn. The man strutted onto the stage, a smug grin plastered on his face, as his army of Hammer Drones rolled out. They looked… fine. Generic. But fine.
"These, ladies and gentlemen," Hammer bellowed, "are the future of peacekeeping! Fully autonomous! Unhackable! Unstoppable!"
Adam snickered. "Oh, you sweet, naive summer child. You clearly haven't met Ivan Vanko. Or my System."
Suddenly, as Hammer gestured dramatically, a group of the drones in the front row, instead of standing at attention, inexplicably broke into a perfectly synchronized Macarena. Their metallic limbs flailed awkwardly, their optical sensors blinking in time with the cheesy Latin beat. The crowd gasped, then burst into confused laughter. Hammer's face, already red, turned a shade of puce usually reserved for overripe tomatoes.
[WISH GRANTED: GROUP OF HAMMER DRONES INITIATES IMPROMPTU CHOREOGRAPHED MACARENA. COST: 100 WISH DAYS.]
"What in the…?! Stop that! Cease and desist! That's not in the programming!" Hammer shrieked, frantically mashing buttons on his remote.
Adam leaned back, a satisfied smirk on his face. "One hundred wish days well spent. Pure gold."
Then, the real show began. Ivan Vanko, having taken control, unleashed the drones. They turned on the crowd, their weapons systems whirring to life. Tony, now in his Mark VI, flew into action. Rhodey, in the War Machine armor, joined him.
A rogue drone, its optical sensor glowing menacingly, veered directly towards Adam's position. "Oh, no, you don't. Not today, murder-bot. I just had lunch."
[DANGER DETECTED FOR HOST! INITIATING RANDOMIZED LIFE-SAVING PROTOCOL.]
Before the drone could fire, Adam felt an inexplicable urge to grab the giant, inflatable hot dog from the nearby concession stand. He stumbled, arms flailing, and landed with a squishy thud directly on top of the hot dog, which promptly exploded with a shower of relish and mustard, covering the drone in sticky, yellow-green goo. The drone sputtered, its sensors obscured, then veered off course, crashing into a nearby fountain.
[HOST SAVED! CURRENT STATUS: SAFELY TRAPPED UNDER A FALLEN COTTON CANDY CART, SURROUNDED BY GIGGLING CHILDREN, UNHARMED. COST: 40 WISH DAYS.]
Adam blinked. He wasn't under a hot dog. He was under a cotton candy cart, surrounded by sticky, pink fluff and a gaggle of delighted children. He emerged, looking like a giant, sticky marshmallow. "Okay, System, you really need to work on your consistency. And your aim. And your choice of 'safe' landing zones."
He shook his head, brushing off the candy. The battle raged. Rhodey, efficient as ever, was blasting drones left and right.
"Let's make him even better. Just for a moment."
[WISH GRANTED: RHODEY'S SHOTS EXHIBIT 15% IMPROVED ACCURACY FOR 30 SECONDS. COST: 70 WISH DAYS.]
Rhodey's repulsor blasts suddenly seemed to find their marks with uncanny precision, hitting critical points on the drones that caused them to explode in satisfying bursts of sparks. He looked at his gauntlet, a flicker of surprise on his face. "Huh. Must be a new calibration."
Adam grinned. "Yeah, Rhodey. Calibration. That's it."
Hammer, meanwhile, was still trying to regain control, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated panic. He mashed buttons, shouted commands, but the drones continued their chaotic dance and destruction. Adam ensured every attempt he made resulted in a new, more embarrassing malfunction.
The Expo was a disaster, but a gloriously, comically orchestrated one. Tony and Rhodey were fighting side-by-side, a true team. And Adam, sticky and slightly bewildered, knew he had done his part.