Chapter 28: A Hero Descends From Heaven

Inside the dark cave, gunshots echoed from outside.

Tony Stark remained inside, his heart pounding.

According to his plan, he was supposed to go first, fight the terrorists, and let Yinsen escape after him. But things didn't go as planned.

The terrorists had given him a computer so outdated that it might as well have been a relic from the last century. Its slow processing speed turned what should have been minutes into hours, forcing Yinsen to buy time for him.

Tony clenched his fists.

Yinsen wasn't a soldier—just a doctor. How long could he possibly last?

Minutes crawled by as the loading bar inched forward. The bulky iron suit hummed with energy, finally ready.

But by then, it was too late.

The terrorists had breached the entrance.

Several armed men stormed into the cave, their weapons raised. Tony, already inside the suit, moved with purpose.

The first terrorist didn't even have time to react before Tony's mechanical arm shot out, snapping his neck with a sickening crunch.

The remaining men opened fire, but the bullets pinged harmlessly off the armor's thick plating. Sparks danced in the dim light as rounds ricocheted in all directions.

Driven by the suit's massive mechanical strength, Tony smashed his way through the attackers. The iron fists caved in chests and shattered bones with terrifying ease.

One by one, the terrorists fell.

Breaking through the steel gate that blocked the cave's entrance, Tony stepped outside for the first time in weeks.

The desert sun blinded him for a moment before his focus sharpened on the chaos ahead.

Armed men scattered, some screaming, others too stunned to move.

Tony unleashed the flamethrowers on both arms, sending sheets of fire roaring across the sand. The heatwaves forced the terrorists into retreat, but they quickly regrouped.

A mounted heavy machine gun opened fire from halfway up the cliff, tearing into the suit.

The armor groaned under the onslaught, sparks flying as the rounds hammered its joints.

Tony stumbled backward, struggling to keep his balance. The armor's exterior was tough, but the internal mechanisms weren't designed to withstand that level of punishment.

Worse, the exposed wiring along the legs took several hits, cutting power to his joints.

His movements slowed to a crawl as he staggered toward the edge of the camp.

"Shit!" Tony cursed, slamming his fist against the controls.

His last option—the makeshift rocket boosters strapped to his back—refused to ignite.

The fuel lines were damaged.

Trapped and surrounded, Tony's heart pounded in his chest. Smoke and gunfire filled the air, and the terrorists closed in.

Was this it? Was this where the great Tony Stark died?

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden explosion.

A massive shockwave rippled through the camp, throwing sand and debris into the air.

The terrorists froze, eyes widening as a shadow descended from the sky.

Tony looked up, blinking against the glare of the sun.

A sleek, black-and-white armored figure landed with a thunderous impact, cracking the earth beneath its feet.

"What the hell?" Tony muttered, his jaw dropping.

The figure straightened, and a voice crackled through the helmet's speakers.

"Looks like I made it just in time, Mr. Stark."

Tony's eyes went wide.

"Adam Wayne?"

"Good to see you're still breathing," Adam said, raising his right hand.

The repulsor cannon fired, cutting down the nearest group of terrorists in an instant.

"Let's deal with these assholes first. We can catch up later."

Tony barely had time to process what he was seeing before Adam's armor surged forward.

Jets roared to life as he closed the distance in seconds, plasma beams and mini-missiles tearing through the enemy ranks.

The terrorists never stood a chance.

Adam moved with precision, targeting their vehicles and heavy weapons first. Explosions lit up the camp as ammo caches ignited, sending fireballs into the sky.

Tony watched in disbelief as the black-and-white suit tore through the opposition.

This wasn't some crude prototype like his.

Adam's armor was sleek, agile, and deadly—far beyond anything Tony had ever built.

The battlefield cleared in minutes.

Adam turned back toward Tony, his armor gleaming in the desert sun.

"You okay in there?"

Tony staggered out of his damaged suit, his face drenched in sweat.

"Yeah… but what the hell was that? Where did you get that armor?"

Adam smirked behind his helmet.

"Let's just say you're not the only genius around here."

Tony opened his mouth to reply, but Adam raised a hand to stop him.

"We need to move. Reinforcements could be here any minute."

Tony nodded, still shaken but determined to make it out alive.

He cast one last look at Yinsen's lifeless body in the cave and clenched his fists.

"Let's go."

Adam grabbed Tony's arm and activated his thrusters.

The two rocketed into the sky, leaving the burning camp and shattered terrorists behind.

For the first time in weeks, Tony Stark felt hope.

But as he glanced at Adam's suit again, a single thought gnawed at him.

What else was this kid hiding?

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