Chapter 52: Iron Man Never Backs Down

Rod said, "No, thank you, I don't smoke..."

Then, he saw Stark take out a cigarette and throw it into the air. In an instant, a thin blue and silver mecha was armed on him. Rod swallowed and said, "Give me one, thank you."

On the other side, General Johnson had just climbed back into the cockpit of a huge robot, and what appeared in his field of vision was a fist as big as a sandbag.

Iron Man was about to fight Johnson with Rod, but was stopped by the steel monster who stood up again. He heard Obadiah say: "You know what? Most of the things I told you about your father were not true."

"In fact, he smoked and drank, mixed with women, daydreamed all day, was good at sudden ideas, and after messing up a lot of things, he would just let others clean up the mess for him."

"All those heroic stories about him were made up by me. He is actually a complete bastard."

"But do you know how I stopped him when he opened his mouth to say something stupid?"

Iron Man had a bad premonition, but before he could answer, a fist as big as a sandbag appeared in his field of vision.

Looking at Iron Man flying backwards, Spider-Man rubbed his hands and said, "Okay, now the question is, who should we help?"

Captain America patted his shield and said, "I think what Obadiah said makes sense. After all, he is Stark's elder and has more reason to beat him up than me."

"But it's not good for us to just watch like this, right?"

"Then let's not watch it. Let's go. There are still injured people to be carried to the ambulance."

On the other side. Iron Man got up from a pile of steel bars with a dizzy head and said, "Wait! Uncle...Okay, Howard is a bad guy, and so am I! But I think there is a better solution than this method. I think we can sit down and talk! Or hold a board meeting or something, don't always use fists to solve problems..."

"You are even less qualified to say that."

The steel monster roared, and the huge robot jumped up and landed in front of him, with a shadow covering Iron Man's armor. Obadiah said, "You will soon understand that your iron shell is useless, even if you change its appearance."

Iron Man was helpless. Obadiah seemed to be determined to beat him up, and his anger rose. He said, "You will soon know whether it has only changed its appearance!"

As he said that, he dodged the fist of the huge steel monster as flexibly as a flying bird. Almost in an instant, he flew behind the steel monster and punched it on the back.

The steel monster swung back, and Stark dodged again. Although his current armor was thinner, the power system was faster and more flexible after being modified.

He stretched out his palm, and the steel bars in the ruins next to him began to tremble slightly, and then flew up in an instant, pointing directly at the steel monster. Jarvis said to Stark: "The magnetic control system is still being upgraded, and high-frequency operation cannot be used, and the energy is about to run out..."

Stark clenched his fist, and the steel bars flew out towards the steel monster.

Obadiah obviously did not expect this move. After all, the original style of Iron Man was a warrior. In addition to the palm cannon, he also swung fists with the enemy most of the time, but now this silver and blue mecha makes him look more like a wizard.

As Stark swung his arms, the steel bars shot quickly towards the steel monster. Obadiah only had time to control the mecha and dodge most of the steel bars on the left, but a few still hit the right arm of his armor.

But he was much more decisive. He jumped out with the force the moment he was hit, and threw an uppercut at Iron Man in the air.

Iron Man's mech emitted a series of sparks, and he was not to be outdone. He dived in the opposite direction and punched the steel monster on the neck. The steel monster shook slightly, grabbed one of Iron Man's legs, and threw him out.

Iron Man was shocked again. It happened that the place where he landed was the battlefield between Rhodes and General Johnson. Rhodes was also a little at a disadvantage. Iron Man shouted: "Come on! Switch opponents, let's start the second half!"

This was the right decision. Rhodes' mech was more powerful, but he was facing General Johnson. The huge mech had eight tentacles. If the speed was not fast enough, it would be pulled out fiercely. It was indeed better for Stark's more flexible mech to deal with it.

So, Rhodes stabilized his body, pulled up and dived directly, and flew towards Obadiah's steel monster.

After choosing the right opponent, the battle situation became clear. Stark used his high mobility to directly remove most of the tentacles on General Johnson's back. Without the tentacles to assist in movement, Johnson's mecha became a real tin can, a punching bag for Iron Man, and it started to burst into flames after a few punches.

The robots he summoned were basically quickly dealt with by Stark using his high speed.

On the other side, although Rhodes, who was fighting the steel monster head-on, was not feeling well, the steel monster's legs had already malfunctioned in the previous explosion. After a few rounds, the steel monster fell to the ground and seemed unable to stand up again.

Rod walked up to Iron Man and said, "I once heard my former boss, General Andro, mention that he knew your father when he was young, but I don't know what happened."

"Howard, that damned despicable villain! He used the orders from the military to promote old Andro! Originally, I shouldn't be a small major general in the Air Force!"

"That doesn't matter." Stark said, "Now you may not even be a major general."

"Everyone knows that only Iron Man can build these mechas. I use the technology you gave to the military. As long as..."

"No, that's not what I mean. What I mean is that although Howard is a bad guy, I think there are indeed things worth learning from him, such as finding a right partner in the military. Of course, that's not you..."

"Aren't you going to close Stark's weapons manufacturing department?"

"Where did you hear the rumor?"

Jason turned his head and looked at Obadiah's mecha.

"Did my uncle tell you?"

"Did he tell you that every Stark is like this? We are fickle. Just a few minutes ago, I changed my mind. Not only will I not close Stark's weapons manufacturing department, I also plan to cooperate with the military formally. I happen to have some ideas about individual exoskeletons and medical auxiliary support systems..."

"No! You can't do this! Damn it, I've already promised Hammer Military..."

"Idiots always go to find another idiot." Obadiah's voice came from a distance again.

Johnson's mecha burst into a series of sparks, and it was obvious that he hammered something inside.

"It seems that these mechas were made for you by Hammer Military, but if I may be frank, these things are already outdated."

"Yeah, you only gave outdated technology to Rod." Johnson still didn't forget to sow discord until now.

Rod hugged his arms and said, "He just gave me a cigarette, a very fashionable cigarette."

Stark didn't talk nonsense with Johnson anymore. He walked to the side of the collapsed steel monster, then opened the cockpit. Obadiah was lying inside. He didn't look injured, but his face was very bad, and he looked like he was going to die.

"Doctor! I need a doctor!"

Schiller appeared in response, and he spread his hands and said, "I guess you don't need a psychiatrist like me."

"Of course, but stop talking nonsense, send him to the hospital."

The symbiote said to Schiller in his mind, "His heart..."

Schiller felt Obadiah's pulse and found that his heart rate was indeed very wrong. Obadiah coughed and said, "The external energy core is not enough to drive such a behemoth..."

"Did you do something to your heart?" Schiller asked.

Stark anxiously ripped open Obadiah's shirt and found that there was indeed a scar on his chest. He said anxiously, "Hurry up! Send him back to my lab first!... Damn it, the biomechanical path is not feasible at all! That is simply overdrawing life!"

"You are as arbitrary as your father, and never listen to others' opinions..." Obadiah said, but seeing the blood flowing down Stark's forehead, he finally said nothing.

"Send him back first. I happen to know a pretty good neurosurgeon. You will meet him in Stark Tower later."

After Schiller and Stark left, only General Johnson and Rhodes were left on the battlefield. Johnson was yelling madly: "You damn lunatic! Rhodes! Don't you know that the duty of a soldier is to obey orders? I am your superior now! That old Andro retired long ago!"

"Yes, he retired gloriously as a general, got a high-paying idle position in Congress, got a lot of pension, went to Hawaii for two months last winter, and his granddaughter just got admitted to Harvard..."

Jansen's mecha exploded again.

After a while, he said, "You will regret it, Rod. Stark has never been trustworthy. You will regret being his friend."

"They are selfish, sensitive, and suspicious. Sooner or later, they will destroy everything. They have a genius brain that can save themselves, but they will not save you, not a watchdog."

Rod took off the mecha and walked out of it. He looked around.

This place has been completely turned into a ruin. Not far away, Spider-Man and Captain America are sending the wounded to the ambulance. Most people have evacuated in an orderly manner, but many were injured by the aftermath of the explosion during the escape. They have just been rescued.

New York is very large. The aftermath of this battle only affected a few nearby streets. On the roads farther away, vehicles and pedestrians are still bustling.

Soon, a purple-red glow appeared at the end of the sky, and dawn was coming.

"You're right. The Starks are a bunch of bad people. They are impulsive, willful, and never consider the consequences of their actions. They wait for others to clean up their messes. But Iron Man is different..."

Rod looked at the light at the end of the sky. He reached out and took off his epaulettes. He looked down and pinched it on his fingertips, then threw it in Johnson's face.

"…Iron Man never retreats."