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MARVEL 2000 PRESENTS... IRON-MAN # 42
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David Goetz, the young doctor stationed at the psych ward of Feldmore Hospital, watched helplessly as Misty Summers, the other doctor he was enamored with pulled the trigger of the fire arm aimed directly at his head. Everything moved in slow motion after that. He closed his eyes and felt a strong force hurl him backwards. His head slammed back against the ground with such force that he nearly passed out. The sound all around him softened, drowned out with a dull rushing sound. His
eyes opened slowly, eyelids lifting as if they were lead weights.
This certainly wasn’t what he pictured hell looking like;
artificial lighting overhead obstructed by what appeared to be a
woman made entirely of stainless steel. A ginger-haired woman off
to the side, peering around the corner with a watchful eye. And
he didn’t really expect to be in heaven. Not with everything
he had done in high school. “Remain
here,” the steel woman commanded in a single-toned voice,
like a cyborg from a Sci-Fi channel special. “What?
No ‘come with me if you want to live’?” David
protested with a groan, his senses slowing returning to optimal
capacity. He heard shouting and the sound of footsteps. He turned
his head, causing a sharp pang of pain to wrack his brain, only
to see the bottom of the refrigerator. He wasn’t dead. He
was in the pantry just off the psych ward’s main hallway.
And the woman above him… or whatever she was… had saved
him from Misty, tackling him into the safety of the pantry. Jocasta
ignored the disoriented question from the doctor and stood to her
feet while returning her attention to the hallway. Misty Summers,
now identifying herself as Calico, seemed intent on bypassing the
security codes sealing Morgan Stark’s cell. And it certainly
appeared as if she were succeeding. “We
can’t let them get Morgan,” Pepper said, never taking
her eyes off of Calico. Her body seemed tense, like a cat about
to pounce forward. Jocasta,
recognizing the danger posed by a freed Morgan Stark, lifted her
hand in the air, preparing to hit Misty with a blast of energy.
David quickly realized the intentions of the robotic woman and dove
forward, dragging down Jocasta’s arm. A column of orange energy
lanced forward at that exact moment, tearing through the wall right
beside Misty’s head. “What
are you doing!?” Pepper shouted, finally bringing her attention
away from the commotion in the hallway. “Stop!
She doesn’t know what she’s doing!” David gasped,
looking desperately into Jocasta’s metallic face. She did
not appear happy. “What
do you mean?” she asked with a slightly nastier tone to her
voice. “That’s
not Misty! I mean, it is, but it isn’t!” he said, not
sure that even he knew what he was talking about. “God
damn idiot…I told you once already, it’s Calico now,”
said the woman that used to be Misty Summers. Jocasta’s blast
had caught her attention and she was now focused on the two individuals
just inside the pantry, with a vicious looking fire-arm in each
hand aimed right for their heads. “I
need to change my taste in women,” David muttered. “I
clearly didn’t do too good of a job screening your girlfriends,”
Tony’s voice came through the speakers in Jimmy’s helmet. “I
don’t know if I’d say that,” Jimmy responded,
peering out at the floating landmass causing so much consternation
at the moment. His HUD flashed several diagnostics before his eyes,
and he paused to examine a certain portion of bedrock. The Jade
Empire just gave off strange readings, with random spikes in energy
and unknown materials embedded in the floating island. For all the
advanced technology packed into what he was wearing Jimmy’s
armor was able to tell him little more than he already knew. And
that was pretty much nothing. “Well, you managed to get caught up with my arch-nemesis’s daughter…I don’t know what your future is like, but I’m pretty sure the Mandarin and I won’t be sharing cocktails anytime soon,” Tony replied, zooming a set of unmanned green surveillance armor behind Jimmy to examine another low-hanging spike of the Jade Empire. It was a beautiful day off the coast of Japan, with only a few cloud wisps lingering in the blue sky. The
Jade Empire, a floating island the size of a large metropolis, rested
peacefully over the water, its surface-top temples eerily quiet.
Off a bit in the distance the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, a hovering
fortress almost half the size of the Empire, kept a watchful eye
on the still island. Inside the fortress was where Tony Stark sat
alone while controlling the armor that accompanied Jimmy via remote
control. “It’s
not that simple…” Jimmy replied in a depressed tone.
He wanted to tell Tony how Lin, the daughter of the Mandarin from
his timeline, really made him feel. But the sensation defied logic
and he found himself unable to explain it. It was a passion that
burned intensely, but without a reason he could define for others. “Don’t
worry about it kid. I’ve spent my fair share of time with
the fairer sex, and still can’t explain a thing about them,”
Tony said, understanding Jimmy’s inability to communicate.
“You’re a lot smarter than I was at your age, and if
dating the daughter of some ancient megalomaniac wizard struck your
fancy, I’m sure there was something redeeming about her.” “Well,
when you put it that way.” “It’s
that ‘way’ that landed me in bed with eight of the last
ten Playmate of the Year winners,” Tony replied smugly. “Eight?”
“Last
year I was dating Rumiko and three years ago Hef begged me not to
sleep with her.” “So
you owed him one?” “Nope.
But now he owes me one. So let me know if you want to swing by the
mansion any time.” “Thanks,
but I think I’ll be steering clear of the ladies for a bit
now. My feelings for Lin nearly screwed us all,” Jimmy said
with a note of depression. “Sheesh,
are you sure you’re my son? You sound like Spider-Man without
the annoying quips. Listen, you’re going to make mistakes
in our line of work. And trust me; those mistakes are going to involve
women too. But that can’t stop you from living your life outside
the suit. Otherwise, why the hell would you ever take it off?”
Tony asked. Jimmy offered only silence in response. “Besides,
that Britannia girl isn’t too hard on the eyes.” “Aw
come on…” “What’s
the deal with her anyways? I should really sit down and talk with
Bill before he goes ahead and offers employment opportunities to
women named after second-rate nations.” “I
think he felt bad after what happened to her here and offered to
help her out for a bit. You know, get settled into the whole hero
gig. Not everyone has an Avenger for a father.” “Or
a megalomaniac wizard.” “Are
your sensors having any luck?” Jimmy sighed, ignoring his
father’s last comment. “Unfortunately
not. I’m still trying to catalog all of the upgrades to my
armor since our encounter with the Justice League, which is how
I built this prototype, but I prefer to do that in a controlled
setting. And that’s when I know where to look. To be honest,
it’s a bit disconcerting to be flying around in something
I don’t know every circuit of. That, and we can’t have
any S.H.I.E.L.D. grunts getting suspicious. The only reason I sent
this suit out with you was in the hope that I’d be able to
better read the energy emanating from the island.” “You
know my theory. If you can’t categorize it, that means it’s
some sort of mystical mumbo jumbo,” Bill Foster’s voice
cut in. “That’s
a very scientific observation Bill. I knew I kept you around for
something,” Tony ribbed to his friend and current CEO of Stark
Enterprises. “Are the databases on the Helicarrier registering
anything?” “It’s
running the energy readings you’re feeding it against an array
of known energy signatures. Not surprisingly, the closest frequency
is associated with the Mandarin’s rings. Other than that,
nothing so far.” “And
just how long have you been listening in?” Tony asked with
a smirk on his face. “Long
enough to hear you criticize my hiring tendencies. I don’t
mind, although Britannia’s standing right beside me,”
Bill said with a chuckle. “Sheesh…”
Jimmy groaned. “Haha,
don’t worry Jimmy. She doesn’t have a headset on,”
Bill said with more outright laughter this time. “Hold on
for a second,” Bill interrupted, his voice taking on a grave
tone. “I’m getting an emergency transmission from Jocasta.
I’ll patch her through to you guys.” “What’s
the problem Jo?” Tony asked as soon as he heard the communications
line open. A deafening explosion crashed across the line, and the
heroes waited with bated breath for their friend and ally to respond. “Tony,
there has been a security breach at Feldmore Hospital. Individuals
identified as members of the mercenary group known as the Stockpile
attacked the psych ward approximately thirteen minutes ago. Their
objective appears to be to free your cousin Morgan.” “Are
you in position to stop them?” Bill asked. “Affirmative,
but I am guarding two civilians as well,” Jocasta replied
matter-of-factly. “I
am not a civilian!” Pepper protested in the background. “Jocasta,
protect those with you. Morgan is a secondary priority, you need
to protect Pepper,” Tony replied without hesitation. Morgan
Stark had ruined his life, and the thought of him free-of custody,
regardless of mental condition, was a frightening concept. But Pepper
was one of the people most important to Tony…one of his friends
he had let down one too many times. In a choice between Morgan’s
freedom and Pepper’s safety, the decision was never in question. “Affirmative,
although Stockpile members have adjusted their objectives and are
currently moving in on our position,” Jocasta replied in that
perfectly measured tone. “Bill,
contact the Avengers and any Stark security personnel within flying
distance, maximum priority. See if S.H.I.E.L.D. has any additional
agents in the area. Jocasta, hold tight as long as you can, we’ll
get help there ASAP,” Tony replied, his calm rivaling that
of the woman on the other side of the line. And she had the advantage
of being programmed that way. “We
need to do something,” Jimmy muttered. There was a hint of
despair in his voice that went unnoticed by his friends. “We’re
doing everything we can Jimmy. Even at top speed it would take us
hours to reach the hospital. They might not have that much time,”
Tony responded. Jimmy’s
mind began to panic. He hadn’t told anyone from this time
period just yet but Pepper…she was his mother. He knew her
as Pepper Stark, not Pepper Potts, and certainly not as Pepper Hogan.
It was something that had concerned him greatly upon returning to
this timeline. It was something no one at home had prepared him
for. Surely Pepper couldn’t remain married to Happy; how else
would Jimmy be born? It was a thought that had kept him up late
several nights since his arrival in this time, but the frequency
of such sessions had been steadily declining. All of that came rushing
back now with the fear that his mother…or his future mother,
would die before she could give birth to him. Or the future him.
It was enough to make his head explode. If Pepper died, what would
happen to him? The world grew very small around Jimmy, and he began to feel terribly confined within his suit. He had to do something, but what? His stomach was turning in knots but he knew that Tony was right. Neither Tony’s suit, modified and enhanced by various alien technologies, nor his own, designed with technology from well into the future could get them to Pepper in time. He wanted to tell Tony that Pepper was Jimmy’s mother, in the hopes that there was something, ANYTHING that Tony could do. An ace up his sleeve, or some transportation technology he was keeping hidden. But…what if he was over reacting? What
if this had all happened in his time as well? Perhaps Jocasta managed
to defeat the Stockpile on her own, allowing Pepper to live? Then
telling Tony could screw things up just as much, tainting all of
his thoughts and actions towards Pepper with the burden that he
would someday produce a child with her. “Come
on Jimmy, you better get back to the Helicarrier”, Tony said,
the slightest hint of worry detectable in his voice. “I’m
still not sure I like the idea of you wandering around that island
in a business suit,” Bill’s voice said, trying to change
the subject. Jimmy
turned and began to propel himself after Tony’s surveillance
armor, his mind still spinning when a vortex of swirling lights
exploded into existence right in front of him. His HUD went berserk,
temporarily shutting off before returning with an array of flashing
warning signals. He tried to change direction, to steer himself
away from the swirling chasm of blue and red light. But it seemed
as if the tear was growing at a faster rate and before he knew it
he had entered the vortex, his suit shutting off around him. And
just like that Iron Lad and the vortex he had entered disappeared
into thin air. “Jimmy!”
Tony yelled while watching as his future son disappeared into the
miniature wormhole. His sensors had flared just as Jimmy’s
had, but once the vortex was gone all readings returned to normal.
Ignoring the normal readings from all of his sensors, Tony’s
drone armor zoomed over to the spot where Jimmy had just vanished,
half expecting the vortex to reopen and swallow that as well. “Bill?
Give me something here Bill, preferably good news,” Tony implored. “We’ve
got nothing on the that rift Tony,” Bill’s voice crackled
across the intercom. Just when Tony was about to speak again Bill
cut back in. “Get behind me,” Jocasta commanded, stepping forward to confront the quickly approaching Calico. Misty’s body slowly began to morph into Calico’s costume, a tight white body suit with thin electronic circuits interspersed along the length of her form. The fingered gloves of her armor slowly extended outwards, shifting into pointed talons. Jocasta didn’t wait, going on the offensive as soon as David and Pepper were behind her and safely stowed away inside the pantry. She flew forward, propelled by the propulsion system in her boots. Calico took a vicious swipe with her talons causing the claws to rake across Jocasta’s upper body. Sparks exploded, splashing upon the ground even as Jocasta proceeded to plant both hands firmly underneath Calico’s shoulders, moving her in turn. Calico’s
swipes became more frantic and she clawed desperately at Jocasta’s
face. Sparks continued to jump from the woman’s metallic hide
but little more than surface-level scratch marks remained after
each assault. The opposing wall came up before Calico could free
herself from Jocasta’s grasp, and Misty’s body hit the
surface with a dull “THUD”. Her head followed, snapping
back and cracking the wall behind it into a small crater. When the
woman’s head came forward again she was unconscious, sliding
down along the wall a moment later. “Misty!”
David shouted, breaking away from Pepper and stumbling across the
floor, landing beside the unconscious Calico. He cradled the woman’s
head in his arms, prying open her eyelids and taking a long look
into her pupils. He was a doctor after all. That didn’t make
him intelligent though, as he made an easy target for Sunstreak
and Unicorn, two other members of the Stockpile that had finished
disposing of the security detail Tony Stark had placed on the floor
to protect his cousin. Sunstreak’s form was that of a female
with a red spandex outfit covering the portions of her body not
consumed by flames. A roar of flames concealed her head, dipping
down into her upper body to create a v-neck of fire, while both
legs below her knees were covered in a similar coating of inferno.
Unicorn stood beside her, a large man with a green mask that featured
a foot-long horn protruding from his forehead. The two saw the pre-occupied
David and instantly recognized him as an easy target. A lance of
flame formed in Sunstreak’s extended hand while a sphere of
energy quickly expanded on the tip of Unicorn’s horn. The
villains fired without mercy and only the selfless action of Jocasta,
placing herself in front of the attack saved David from becoming
melted to a crisp. But Jocasta’s sacrifice was not without
consequences; Unicorn’s energy blast short-circuited her armor
and Sunstreak’s lance piled on the damage, crippling Jocasta
to the point where she simply dropped to her knees. “Well
look wot we’ve got here,” Unicorn said, his voice branded
with a heavy Australian accent. The two Stockpile members stalked
forward towards the helpless Jocasta and David. “Shit,”
Pepper muttered, reaching for something, anything. She found a toaster
and grabbed it firmly by the feet. With one tug she had the plug
out of the socket, and a moment later the kitchen appliance was
cocked back behind her head like a baseball. “Well,
only Calico knew the codes. So it looks like we’ll have to
kill some time,” Sunstreak said with the shadow of a wicked
smirk on her fiery face. Another lance of flames materialized into
her hand but a moment later she heard something whizzing towards
her head. The flaming woman turned just in time to see the gleaming
metal of the toaster careening right for her head. And just as quickly
the appliance melted to slag. “Really?”
Sunstreak exclaimed cockily, turning her lance to face the now exposed
Pepper Potts. “Just for that, I’m gonna skewer you first,”
she said as she hoisted her lance into a throwing position. But
before she could strike this time the air in front of her distorted,
the light twisting and bending. A loud sound similar to a clap of
thunder filled the hall and vortex of light exploded from nothingness.
Unicorn and Sunstreak watched the display in amazement. That is,
until Iron Lad came exploding out from the spatial disturbance,
slamming into both Stockpile members and driving them backwards.
The two costumed crooks slid across the floor until finally slamming
against the far end wall. Iron Lad used the retrorockets in his
boots to keep himself from sharing their fate, landing safely and
examining his handiwork before looking back to his friends. “So…uhm…what’d
I miss?”
“Loosen
up Bill. You’re starting to sound like Rhodey. And look where
he is now. Babysitting a bunch of thugs down at the Vault,”
Tony said. He stood looking stoically out the floor-to-ceiling windows
that lined that particular office of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.
While Bill’s suit was very simple, Tony’s was extravagant
while remaining tasteful. Spun of the finest silk with thin white
pinstripes, it was clear he was ready to put on a show. His tie
was a light lavender hue, and it matched perfectly with the handkerchief
meticulously folded and placed in his jacket pocket. “You’re
going down there as Tony Stark…if things get heavy, what are
you going to do? Can’t just put the armor on in front of an
entire S.H.I.E.L.D. detail, and that’s ignoring half the major
Asian media conglomerates that’ll be present. They just had
to go and let the Japanese get involved,” Bill griped, shaking
his head. “The
island is right off the coast of their country. And they’re
the entire reason I’m going down in THIS suit as opposed to
my other one,” Tony replied, casually straightening the cuffs
of his dress shirt. “I
don’t follow you,” Bill said, now giving his full attention
to Tony. Tony was still gazing out the window of the office. “There’re
times when people need Iron Man. Now’s not one of those times.
The public needs to see Tony Stark. After everything that’s
happened with Morgan, after having the Stark name dragged through
the mud, something needs to be done. Iron Man saving the world is
all well and good, but at the end of the day I’m still Tony
Stark. There’re still thousands of people employed under my
name, and I’d rather give up my armor than see those people
suffer because of what my deranged cousin did.” “You
won’t be doing those folks any good if you’re dead,”
Bill retorted. “True.
But that would get me off the hook and put the company in fantastic
position to make an end of year comeback after overcoming the death
of its founder,” Tony responded dryly. “I
knew there was a reason I worked for you,” Bill said with
a quiet laugh. “The
women?” Tony quipped before finally turning away from the
window. “I had planned to have Jimmy come along in the Iron
Man suit, but that idea disappeared about as quickly as Jimmy did.” “You
could take Britannia,” Bill offered. “You
know we’re going to sit down and have a chat after this is
all over. I understand that you and her were locked up together
in the Jade Empire, but that doesn’t mean you just hire her
as soon as we’re off the island. And if you’re just
trying to sleep with her then there are better ways to go about
it…” “Tony!”
“Sorry.
Just wanted to make sure. Anyways, if you vouch for her then I’ll
give ‘er a shot. Just make sure she doesn’t stand too
close to me. I don’t need the tabloid covers splashed with
allegations that I’m cheating on Rumiko with some British
girl running around in spandex. Not good for my image.” “You’re
really something,” Bill commented. “That’s
what she said,” Tony responded with a snarky grin before glancing
back out the window. “Now let’s get moving. Make sure
you’ve got a safe line of communication to Britannia and I
if anything gets dicey. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed
that you don’t have to use it.”
“You’re
one sick son of a bitch, you know that Stark?” George Washington
Bridge, more affectionately known as GW, commented. Bridge was one
of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s top officers, a hulking man with dark skin
and a stark white crop cut of hair. He stood to his feet as the
shuttle came to a complete stop, offering a hand down to the seated
Stark. “Just
because you dress up in spandex for your business ventures doesn’t
mean you have to be angry,” Tony took GW’s hand and
stood to his feet. He swept his hands over his suit a few times,
straightening out the jacket and removing any dirt that might have
accumulated on the fine fabric. He looked incredibly out of place
amongst all the S.H.I.E.L.D. troopers, clad in his three-piece business
suit. But the truth was that he was wearing the S.H.I.E.L.D. mandated
uniform beneath his suit just as a precaution. “You’re
putting yourself at unnecessary risk by coming here. More importantly,
you’re putting some of my men at risk” GW growled, ignoring
Tony’s quip. “No
risk, no reward GW. Besides, I’ve brought my own protection,”
Tony replied, nodding his head towards the seated Britannia. She
too wore a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, her blonde hair drawn up in a ponytail.
Her blonde eyes held a passive glimmer as she watched all of the
S.H.I.E.L.D. troops file out the back of the shuttle. “Her?
Where’s your iron body guard? Listen, if things get hot, just
move back to the shuttles. Otherwise, stay out of our way,”
GW said before stalking off down the ramp and out of the shuttle. “I
think he needs to switch to decaf,” Tony said with a chuckle.
Britannia continued to sit there quietly. “Come on, part of
the job description is to laugh at my jokes. It’s in the contract.” “Contract?”
Britannia replied with a confused look on her face. There was a
tone of uncertainty in her voice and the expression on her face
was one of muddled confusion…and possibly anger. “Listen,
are you going to be ok out there? All joking aside, GW has a point.
They’ve lost some men in here, and it’s not like I can
just put on my armor if something comes up. I’m sure this
place isn’t necessarily bringing back the fuzziest of memories,
but I need you on your game. Bill vouches for you. Don’t let
him down,” Tony instructed sternly. He too left the shuttle,
leaving Britannia there alone.
<<”This
is a foolish thing Tony does,”>>* Kenjiro Fujikawa admonished,
leaning back in his leather office chair. His harsh gaze, accentuated
by the sharp slant of his eyes, was focused on a large plasma television
mounted at the far end of his office opposite the magnificent desk
he sat behind. He was as intimidating as a Japanese CEO could hope
to be, looking like the commander of an entire nation from behind
his sprawling command center. There were subtle decorations that
spoke of his more wise and cultured nature though; a finely cultivated
bonsai tree beside him and a gently babbling fountain off to the
side of his office. (*translated
from Japanese) <<”Father,
that isn’t fair,>>” Rumiko attempted to defend
Tony. <<”Do not attempt to defend him Rumiko. He risks his life simply to appear on television. We could have provided the anti-gravity propulsion system needed to move the Jade Empire without any interference from Anthony,”>> Kenjiro said, now turning his gaze to his daughter. She was a beautiful young woman, one that blossomed right before his eyes. At first he had been concerned; she had taken up the antics of a wild-child and began dating Tony Stark only to upset her parents. But she had slowly matured into a competent and intelligent businesswoman, a position that brought him both criticism and respect. Unfortunately
her romance with Tony Stark continued as well, placing the elderly
Japanese man in a terrible conflict. “<<But
then no one would know of the aid we offered. Now Japan and all
of the world will know of our aid in this matter. See how Tony is
already being interviewed by the media brought along by the Japanese
forces. He does this not for his own gratification, but for the
company,>>” Rumiko responded confidently, turning her
gaze to the television. A contingent of S.H.I.E.L.D. troops were
speaking with their Japanese counterparts while GW and the Japanese
general spoke off to the side. The media that had accompanied the
Japanese troops quickly flocked to the biggest celebrity on the
island, and that was Tony. He fielded questions like a professional,
responding in crisp Japanese. The interviewers ate it up and a knowing
grin crept onto Tony’s face. “<<He
is brash and standoffish. This sort of grandstanding is not appropriate
for a man in his position. And as much as I dislike the man, he
is the object of your affections. It would pain me to see you upset
should anything happen to him.>>” “<<I
appreciate your concern father, but Tony is a capable man. He will
do what’s necessary for himself, and for the company. Now
hush, I can’t hear the interview…>>”
“You’re
something else…” Bill’s voice came through loud
and clear across the earpieces Tony and Britannia were wearing. “You
know it. I think we’re going to set up base topside so that
we can observe and communicate with the squads as they search through
these temples. Be sure to feed us anymore updates you get from Feldmore.” “Sure
thing Tony, I –brrzzzzkkkkk-“ Tony
tapped the earpiece as the signal from Bill was cut off. The static
continued, and Tony shot a concerned glance over at Britannia. She
too was having issues with her earpiece. A quick survey of the S.H.I.E.L.D.
troops revealed the same issues with their communication devices.
This was not good. Not good at all. Tony’s eyes raced around
the surrounding area, trying to peer into some of the open temples.
Something was messing with everyone’s equipment where it hadn’t
been just a moment earlier. “Hasn’t
anyone taught you that it’s poor manners to trespass on another’s
land? Ancient rulers considered the crime so egregious that it was
thought to be an act of war,” a hollow voice boomed from one
of the nearby temples. The voice echoed outward from the arched
entrance beyond which there was only darkness. The voice created
a hard pit in the center of Tony’s stomach and the strong
inclination to curse profusely. “This
is bad. Britannia, stay close,” Tony muttered, holding his
ground and watching the temple closely, just as everyone else. “Isn’t
it fortunate for all of you then that Doom is a far more understanding
ruler.” A period of silence ensued before being broken by
the sounds of metal stomping upon cobblestones. The echoes grew
louder before culminating in the appearance of Victor Von Doom within
the archway. Doom’s was a calculated and imposing figure,
a cold and menacing steel-like armor with that deep green cloak
wrapped around it, the hood rising above his helmet-covered head.
His appearance was not pristine though as his cloak seemed a bit
more battered and worn than usual. This didn’t diminish the
intimidating atmosphere Doom exuded though, standing tall and upright
with his expressionless facemask forcing his audience to imagine
the scarred and disfigured visage underneath. Both
the Japanese and S.H.I.E.L.D. troops shifted nervously, several
of them letting their finger dance along the trigger of their weapon.
The skin of some of the Japanese men even shifted to a light shade
of green that matched the color of their combat fatigues. GW quickly
motioned everyone to stand down although the Japanese general, a
broad, elderly man with salt and pepper hair, wasn’t so quick
to settle his troops. “What
do you want here Doom? Are you responsible for the men I’ve
lost,” GW barked, not afraid of the Latverian dictator. He
took several steps so that he was at the forefront of his forces,
hoping it would encourage them to fall into rank and soothe their
nerves. “What
I want, is here,” Doom waved his arms around, gesturing to
his surroundings. “Land, General Bridge. It’s quite
simple. Long before men fought for their Democratic rights or the
safety of third world indigenous peoples, they fought for land.
Simply stated, land is power. But long has the majority of worthwhile
land on this planet been occupied by those unwilling to yield. This
island is a source of untapped potential. Potential that I intend
to claim for Latveria.” “You’re
a long ways off from Latveria,” Tony said, taking bold steps
forward. Britannia inexplicably found the courage that led her to
defy the Mandarin and was close behind Tony with an oddly determined
look on her face. “Ah,
Mr. Stark. What a pleasure that you could join me in my newest acquisition.
While I do appreciate the anti-gravity thrusters your iron employee
placed on this island Doom is afraid he has no need for them. You
see, this island is a wellspring of great mystical energy. Energy
that Doom commands. Now, it is not my desire to begin a conflict
here. I am offering you and your military friends here the ability
to simply walk away and leave me to my prize,” Doom said,
strolling casually from the temple and out into the mid-afternoon
sun. “This
island is in Japanese airspace. It is no more yours to command than
it is ours,” the Japanese general spouted in surprisingly
good English. “If
you will not leave of your own accord than Doom’s servants
will help you,” Doom said, waving both hands through the air
in an elaborate gesture. Over four dozen plumes of smoke erupted
from the grounds surrounding the armed forces. As the vapors blew
into the wind they left behind a cadre of homogenous ninjas clad
in deep emerald gis. Each was equipped with a decidedly wicked looking
katana. “How
far do you think you’d get with this island Doom? The Helicarrier’s
right there and you know the Japanese have some of their fastest
missiles trained on your floating paradise. Save yourself the trouble
and call your pajama boys off,” GW shouted. He knew the situation
was about to explode. He could already tell his Japanese counterpart
was the trigger happy type. But GW never could have predicted what
happened next…
When
Britannia was within five feet Doom raised his hand, directing his
palm outwards. A sphere of mystical energy shielded his body even
as Britannia brought her fist as far back as it would go. The ruler
of Latveria returned his arms to that smug position across his chest,
waiting for the inevitable damage the woman would only deal to herself,
tossed back by his mystical shield. That moment never came. Britannia’s
fist came down and shattered the mystical field like a pane of glass.
Doom had no time to react before Britannia connected with the side
of his helmet, catapulting him back into the temple with a deafening
boom, part of the roof collapsing inwards. Tony marveled at the
woman’s handiwork but was quickly swept towards the shuttles
by two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. “FOOLS!
YOU HAVE EXHAUSTED DOOM’S PATIENCE…NOW EXPERIENCE HIS
WRATH!” Doom’s voice thundered from the rubble. The
remainder of the small temple exploded outwards with ribbons of
green lightening. The demonstration was only truly noticed by Britannia
as the S.H.I.E.L.D. and Japanese forces had entered combat with
Doom’s ninjas. One of the lightening bolts caught Britannia
square in the stomach, throwing her back through the air so far
that she landed directly in the path of Tony and his escorts. The
agents rushed to Britannia’s side, offering Tony the chance
to look back towards Doom. “I
offered you the chance to leave peacefully. Now you will be prisoners
of war,” Doom commanded, his voice returning to a calm and
composed level. He clenched his fists and drew his body inwards
before flourishing outwards. A green sphere of energy burgeoned
around Doom and exploded outwards engulfing everyone a less than
a second. The barrier continued to expand outwards until it reached
the edges of the island where it then ceased to grow. The island
rumbled angrily beneath them and then began to shift, floating out
to sea. Tony watched through the translucent green barrier as three
Japanese jet fighters approached in tight formation. A spray of
bullets splattered against the barrier harmlessly, and a missile
fired by the lead fighter exploded in a similarly harmless flourish
of fire and smoke against the green perimeter. By
the time he returned his attention to Britannia the S.H.I.E.L.D.
officers were engaged in battle with a pair of ninjas, leaving the
unconscious woman unguarded. Tony silently cursed Bill before running
forward, dust kicking up onto his top-of-the-line suit as he scooped
Britannia up and carried her to the relative safety of the S.H.I.E.L.D.
transports. He laid the young British woman down against one of
the benches in the cargo area before ripping his suit away, quite
literally when the jacket proved to be a bit stubborn in coming
off. And he didn’t stop there, continuing to peel away the
light Kevlar S.H.I.E.L.D. had provided him. Everything was removed
until Tony was clothed only in a golden under sheath, a second skin
that was laced with circuits and glimmered like gold. He leant over
and opened the latches on a packing crate he had insisted contained
very important sensor arrays. It certainly appeared that way on
the surface. But what Tony was most interested lay in the hidden
compartment beneath the array, a compartment that had gone undetected
with some help from his inside contacts at S.H.I.E.L.D. “Tony
Stark had his chance…” Tony said, pulling a crimson
and gold helmet from the crate and placing it around his head before
closing it around his skull. He held his arms straight out to the
side of his body. Like paper clips to a magnet the components of
his armor flew out of the packing crate, affixing themselves against
his body. Each component settled down firmly before releasing a
soft “hiss”ing noise as it pressure sealed itself against
his body. The final piece to attach itself was the shining crimson
chest plate, which came to rest snugly against his chest before
connecting to all the other components of the armor. The circular
uni-beam projector in the center of his chest began to glow as the
last sound of armor locking died down. “…now
it’s Iron Man’s turn.” TO BE CONTINUED... |
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