Chapter 69: Iron Man (Part 6)

"SHIELD moves fast," Daniel Davis muttered as he sped towards Stark Industries. He noticed that all the online footage and livestreams of the robot battle had mysteriously disappeared. Even though it was late at night, New York's streets were far from empty. The sight of two Iron Man suits clashing was too spectacular to go unnoticed. Some onlookers had captured the fight on their phones, and a few brave souls even livestreamed it. But now, all that content had vanished from the web.

News helicopters, initially buzzing around for a scoop, were abruptly called back. Despite journalists' protests about missing out on a big story and their cries for press freedom, their bosses had issued strict orders: return or get fired. 

People often assume that the USA enjoys unbridled freedom of the press. However, when the authorities want to clamp down, no media outlet is exempt. It's not like in the movies where fearless reporters defy orders. In reality, even if they defied their bosses and captured footage, they wouldn't be able to broadcast it. 

The scandals that do make it to the news are within acceptable limits. Truly crossing the line is rare. American media might expose presidential misconduct without much trouble, but they steer clear of offending the real powerhouses—the great families like the Symons, Roosevelts, Kennedys, Adamses, and DuPonts. These figures rarely appear in the news, and even if they do, their true identities remain obscure.

The term "family" might seem ordinary, but most people have no idea that these families quietly control much of America. Compared to them, even Stark Industries pales in influence. 

Daniel had learned about these families when he briefly looked into Drake Symons, the National Security Advisor. However, he decided not to probe further. There was no need to attract their attention unless absolutely necessary. 

Even if conflicts with Drake Symons arose because of Ada Wong, it wouldn't matter much. The major corporations and families only care about profits. If the price was right, they'd sell out Drake Symons in a heartbeat. Symons' own obsession with Ada Wong had already caused his downfall; his family and the greater organization had discarded him for harming their interests without yielding any significant returns.

Suddenly, Daniel's car screeched to a halt with an emergency brake, skidding into a dramatic ninety-degree turn before stopping near the rubble that trapped Coulson and his team.

"Looks like you could use some help," Daniel quipped as he stepped out, leaning against the hood of his car with a smile, watching the stunned faces of Coulson and his agents.

"You…" Coulson started to speak but was interrupted by a loud crash. They looked up to see one side of Stark Tower crumble under the intense fight between Iron Man and Iron Monger, sending debris plummeting towards them.

"Watch out!" Coulson shouted, trying to pull Pepper Potts to safety. But it was too late. Instinctively, Pepper, Coulson, and the remaining agents crouched down, eyes squeezed shut, bracing for impact.

Crash, crash, crash.

The sound of falling rubble echoed around them, but they felt no pain. Opening their eyes, they saw a transparent, arc-shaped shield above them, blocking the falling debris. 

"What is this?" Coulson turned to see Daniel holding his wand aloft, creating the protective barrier.

"Get out of here," Daniel instructed while casting the Levitation Charm to lift the debris trapping Coulson and his team. As they moved to safety, Daniel pulled out another Nimbus 2000 broom and mounted it. While he only had one wand, he had stocked up on several brooms.

On the rooftop of Stark Tower, Iron Monger pummeled Stark's Mark 3 armor relentlessly. Stark could only shield his head with his hands, trying to endure the assault.

Stark Tower's rooftop layout mirrored Stark's beach house, albeit on a smaller scale. 

"Need some help?" Daniel called out from his broom, hovering nearby. Despite seeing Stark being beaten, Daniel didn't intervene immediately. Instead, he floated on his broom, addressing the downed Stark.

The unexpected voice startled Iron Monger, causing Obadiah Stane inside to halt his attack. He turned to see Daniel flying on his broom. Although Stane's expression was hidden by the suit, Daniel could sense the hesitation in Iron Monger's movements.

"Close your eyes," Daniel suddenly instructed Stark. With a swift motion of his wand, he cast "Lumos Maxima," producing an intensely bright light that dazzled Stane. Screaming in pain, Iron Monger staggered back.

Daniel had often pondered how magic from the Harry Potter universe could fare against advanced tech like the Iron Man suits. During Stark's captivity, Daniel had considered various scenarios. While powerful, many of the standard spells from Harry Potter wouldn't work against something like Iron Man's armor. Physical barriers could block most spells, including those from the Unforgivable Curses.

However, support spells could be incredibly effective. The enhanced "Lumos" was a perfect example, blinding Stane through the gaps in his suit.

"You're dead!" Enraged but still blinded, Stane deployed Iron Monger's built-in Gatling gun, spraying bullets wildly.

"Get out of here, I'll handle this," Daniel told Stark as they both dodged the gunfire. Stark, barely able to fly with his damaged armor, looked worried.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Stark asked, concerned. His Mark 3 suit was in tatters, its right leg propulsion and repulsor weapon damaged. The Mark 3 outclassed Iron Monger in pure performance, but with its energy depleted and weapons failing, Stark was being overwhelmed.

Iron Monger's thick armor shrugged off Mark 3's repulsor blasts. With no other weapons, Stark was at a severe disadvantage.

"Don't worry, I'll show you what magic can do today," Daniel replied confidently. With a wave of his wand, he engulfed Iron Monger in flames. The suit's vulnerabilities became apparent as fire seeped through its joints.

Defeating Iron Monger was easy for Daniel. He could use Fiendfyre to incinerate Stane or trap him in a mirror dimension using Kamar-Taj's spells. Alternatively, his surgical fruit power could switch places with Stane or even slice through the suit. 

But revealing such powers would be unwise. Fire alone, penetrating through Iron Monger's gaps and causing unbearable heat inside, would suffice. Stane's crude design, based on Stark's Mark 1, lacked proper insulation against such attacks.

Seeing Iron Monger trying to escape the flames using his flight system, Daniel quickly transformed the fire into a dragon that chased him.

In terms of speed, Iron Monger lagged behind Mark 3. Had Stane not attacked Pepper and Coulson earlier, forcing Stark into a melee, he would never have caught up to the Mark 3.

"Whatever Stark is paying you, I'll double it!" Stane shouted, dehydrated and desperate as the fire threatened to consume him. Iron Monger's weapons couldn't target Daniel's agile broom.

"No deal. Stark's my friend, and you're going down."

"Damn you!" Realizing he couldn't shake the fire, Stane aimed Iron Monger towards the ground, intending to crash into Stark, Pepper, and Coulson.

"Can't you guys move further away?" Daniel muttered as he saw Stark, mask open, talking to Pepper. With a sigh, he vanished from his broom, reappearing atop Iron Monger. In a split second, both he and the suit disappeared just before they could hit the ground.

When Daniel reappeared in the lobby of Stark Industries, Iron Monger was split in two, with Stane's lifeless body falling apart from the suit.

During the Apparition, Daniel had switched places with Iron Monger, severing Stane's body with the spatial force. Apparition could be a deadly technique when used skillfully.

As Stark arrived in the lobby and saw Stane's remains, he sighed deeply and walked away.

"You're hurt," Daniel observed as he saw Coulson's bleeding arm. He walked over to the agent, who looked at him in surprise.

"It's just a graze," Coulson explained. The wound came from a ricocheted bullet during the battle with Iron Monger.

"A bullet wound?" Daniel asked, extending his left hand to Coulson's shoulder. Ignoring Coulson's shocked expression, he pulled out the bullet effortlessly.

"All better now." Daniel then produced a small vial and applied some ointment to Coulson's wound. The injury healed instantly without leaving a scar.

"Completely healed now."

The ointment, made from dittany, had excellent healing properties, ensuring no scars remained.

"We'll take care of things here. You should go rest," Coulson, now fully recovered, suggested, though he looked weary at the extensive damage to Stark Industries. Covering up this mess, even for SHIELD, would be a monumental task.

"I'll handle it." Given that he had already revealed his Apparition, Daniel saw no need for further secrecy. Walking to the entrance of Stark Industries, he waved his wand, and the building began to repair itself. In mere moments, it looked as if nothing had happened.

"Magic is truly amazing," Coulson marveled as he watched the building restore itself.

"I am Iron Man," Stark declared on live television, tossing aside the carefully crafted script SHIELD had prepared for him. Facing a sea of reporters, Stark confirmed his identity. With that, Daniel knew the Marvel universe's grand saga was beginning. All manner of powerful beings would soon emerge.

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