I Always Learn From My Mistakes

Tony Stark hovered above the city streets, his HUD locked onto the Mandarin's silhouette below.

The air crackled with tension as Tony's mind raced, effortlessly managing data streams pouring in from MARVEL.

He was well aware that this fight was inevitable—Mandarin had made himself known in every timeline Tony remembered, from comics to movies. And Tony had made sure he was more than prepared.

Tony's thoughts trailed back to when he first assumed this new identity and began operating as Ultron. It was no surprise that his enemies, like Mandarin, had figured it out, but Tony didn't care anymore. If they wanted to know who was behind the suit, so be it. But he still hadn't settled on a hero name. 'Iron Man' was the one the public would remember from his comics, but did he want that legacy?

Before he could dwell, Mandarin's voice echoed through the streets, challenging him. "I knew it was you, Stark! The charade ends here. The power you wield—it should never have been yours."

Tony smirked under his helmet, responding with calculated bravado. "You know, I was hoping for a quiet night. But here we are, so let's skip the monologue."

Mandarin sneered, his rings radiating ominous light, as his allies stepped forward. Behind him, from the shadows, appeared other notorious faces who once joined Mandarin against Iron Man in the comics: the lethal assassin Ghost, with her ability to phase through walls; and the cold-blooded Blizzard, ice forming around his fists.

Each of these villains was lethal in their own right, but Tony had studied them all, preparing for this encounter like it was a final exam.

As Mandarin raised his hand, ready to unleash a devastating wave of energy, Tony activated a protocol he had designed precisely for such an attack: Phoenix Protocol.

Instantly, an army of Iron Man suits surged forth from his Infinity Chamber, each suit uniquely tailored for combat scenarios Tony had anticipated from the villains he knew he'd eventually face.

Mandarin looked around, his eyes widening with frustration as the Iron Legion spread across the scene. "Hiding behind illusions, Stark?"

"Oh, these aren't illusions," Tony quipped. "But good luck finding the real me."

With a flick of his wrist, he activated cloaking technology on the primary suit, effectively blending himself into the background.

As Mandarin fired a blinding blast, the energy tore through a dozen of Tony's decoys, vaporizing them. But the real Tony remained out of sight, watching, analyzing.

"MARVEL, coordinate our suits' flight patterns," Tony commanded in a low tone, assessing the battlefield. "I want them unpredictable—randomized evasion tactics."

One by one, the decoy suits launched counter-attacks. They'd fire quick blasts, change positioning, and redirect Mandarin's attention. As Ghost attempted to phase through one suit, it exploded on contact, delivering a stunning shock that sent her reeling. Blizzard aimed his freezing powers at another, but the suit evaded with perfect timing, distracting him long enough for MARVEL to compute his movements.

In a flurry of motion, Tony activated his Spectre Protocol, sending his suits into a high-speed evasive pattern that made it impossible for Mandarin's forces to track his real location. Mandarin's frustration was palpable, his attacks becoming less coordinated with each failed attempt to land a blow.

Tony moved in closer, careful not to reveal himself too soon. Each calculation had been meticulously planned; he had backup strategies ready in case the villains attempted to regroup. As MARVEL relayed positioning updates, Tony activated a cloaked suit behind Blizzard, firing a micro-repulsor beam that sent the villain sprawling to the ground.

Mandarin seethed. "Is this all you have, Stark? Toys and shadows?"

"Oh, Mandarin, if only you knew." He sent a command to his Infinity Chamber, and a secondary Iron Legion unit broke off, gliding into the night in pursuit of Pepper's captors. MARVEL would track their path, updating Tony on their progress. Even in the midst of this showdown, he wasn't losing sight of his ultimate objective.

Returning his attention to Mandarin, Tony switched tactics. "MARVEL, initiate Hydra Override," he whispered. His suit's repulsors surged with power, sending focused energy beams into Mandarin's rings. The energy beams disrupted their resonance frequency, momentarily dampening their powers. Mandarin staggered, visibly thrown off balance as his rings failed to respond.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Tony unleashed a storm of attacks, disabling Mandarin's allies one by one. Ghost was neutralized by an electromagnetic pulse designed to destabilize her phasing. Blizzard was detained, frozen within his own suit by a cryogenic charge. Mandarin alone remained, snarling as he attempted to regain control of his rings.

Tony deactivated his cloaking and landed, facing Mandarin head-on. "You never had a chance," he said, his tone cool, each word calculated. "But feel free to keep trying."

With a final command, Tony activated his Containment Protocol. Dozens of repulsor blasts struck Mandarin from all directions, immobilizing him.

"Ah! How is this possible! How can I lose so easily?!"

"Hehe, well, that's cause I always learn from my mistakes."

"Huh?"

Tony said no more and with a swift gesture, he activated a portal to his Infinity Chamber's containment cell, sending Mandarin and his defeated allies directly into a secure prison—an isolated dimension within the Infinity Chamber, reinforced and inescapable.

The battlefield quieted, the Iron Legion suits falling into formation around Tony as MARVEL's voice spoke up. "Mandarin and associates detained, containment secure."

Tony exhaled, glad to have one more threat out of his way. "Good. MARVEL, give me an update on Pepper's location."

"Tracking unit confirms pursuit—target is heading north, resistance detected. Iron Legion dispatched for immediate interception."

Tony powered up, launching into the sky with a final glance at the secured containment portal. "I'll be there soon," he muttered, accelerating to full speed as he tore through the night sky toward Pepper's last known location.

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