As soon as the Arc Reactor powered up, Tony gasped violently for air, like a drowning man pulled from the depths.
Rowan poured two glasses of water and watched Tony's disheveled state with casual interest.
"Here, drink some water. It'll help."
He nudged Tony and handed him the glass.
Tony didn't reply. His hand trembled as he downed it in one go, then collapsed onto the workbench, limbs splayed out, still panting heavily.
"So?" Rowan asked calmly. "Didn't you call me over for drinks?"
Tony's voice came out hoarse. He stared up at the ceiling, his eyes cold and distant. "Obadiah ambushed me."
Clearly, he had seen through Obadiah Stane's true nature.
Rowan nodded slightly.
According to the plot, Tony's life-or-death confrontation with Obadiah was about to unfold.
But Rowan had no intention of getting involved unless asked directly. No favors, no freebies.
"So, what's your plan?"
"Pepper took a team to arrest Obadiah. Damn it… she's in danger!"
Tony clutched his chest where the old Arc Reactor had been and sat up abruptly, alarmed.
If Obadiah had gone through all the trouble to steal Tony's old reactor, that meant the Iron Monger armor he reverse-engineered now had a functional power source.
Tony knew better than anyone once Obadiah powered up the Iron Monger suit, a few S.H.I.E.L.D. agents wouldn't stand a chance.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., suit me up!"
Tony staggered to the platform and began the suit-up sequence.
Rowan watched him prepare to leave and frowned slightly.
He had expected a relaxed evening of drinks only to run straight into plot developments.
Forget it. Might as well head home for dinner.
He pulled out his phone, intending to message Hill to save him a plate.
But before he could, he noticed a new message already read.
[Got it. I'm on duty tonight too. Something's up at Stark Industries. Fury sent me to handle it.]
Rowan's gaze sharpened as he stared at the message.
Clean up the mess at Stark Industries?
Could it be… Hill's the one leading the arrest team?
A wave of unease settled in.
Obadiah in the Iron Monger suit was no joke.
And who knew if he'd enhanced the armor with vibranium or other exotic alloys?
With the Arc Reactor installed, Obadiah's Iron Monger would be far too much for Hill and a few agents to handle.
Rowan immediately called her.
"The number you've dialed is powered off…"
The cold, automated message made his heart sink.
"Tony take me with you. I'm going too!"
Tony had just finished suiting up when he heard Rowan's request. He frowned.
"Rowan, I'm going after Obadiah. It's dangerous."
"I know." Rowan shook his head.
Stark's mansion was at least a 40-minute drive from Stark Tower. That was way too slow.
"Hill's there. She might already be fighting Obadiah." Rowan's voice was urgent.
"Hill?" Tony's expression darkened. He knew who she was. Since Coulson had been reassigned, Hill had been his main S.H.I.E.L.D. contact. He also knew she was Rowan's sister.
"But if I take you, I can't fly at full speed," Tony said anxiously.
His flight speeds exceeded Mach 1. No ordinary human could withstand that level of wind resistance or cold.
And slowing down would only increase the risk for Pepper and Hill.
"You don't have to worry about me. Fly at full speed I can handle it."
Rowan stepped forward and grabbed the shoulders of Tony's armor from behind.
Tony hesitated, but Rowan's expression was dead serious. "Trust me. I'm not joking."
Something about Rowan's tone made Tony pause.
Logically, it made no sense.
But his instincts told him Rowan could do it.
Fine. Worst case, he'd drop Rowan off midair if he couldn't keep up.
"Alright. Then hold on tight!" Tony's faceplate snapped shut.
The roof panels of the workshop opened, and in a blast of propulsion, Tony shot into the sky with Rowan gripping his back.
The deafening wind howled past.
Rowan clung to Tony's shoulders, eyes narrowed against the force.
His physique now rivaled that of a super-soldier completely capable of withstanding supersonic flight.
Tony climbed higher, sneaking a glance at the passenger on his back. To his amazement, Rowan hadn't budged an inch.
He was steady as stone.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., monitor Rowan's vitals. If he starts crashing, let me know immediately."
Tony gave the order, then turned his full focus toward Stark Industries.
The wind was merciless at this speed, each gust slamming against Rowan's body like a hammer.
The temperature plummeted at high altitude. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ ɴovelfire.net
Frost was already forming in Rowan's eyebrows and hairline.
But his face remained composed. His grip was like a bird of prey's talons tight and unyielding.
Inside the armor, Tony stared at Rowan's vitals in disbelief.
He had fully expected to drop the guy halfway through.
But aside from a slight dip in skin temperature, Rowan's readings were perfectly stable.
Not even his heart rate had increased.
What kind of monster is he?
Tony was flying at speeds rivaling an F-22 jet.
If Rowan could hang on under these conditions…
Could he barehand a fighter jet?
Tony's mind raced with questions but there were more urgent matters.
Before long, the Stark Industries campus came into view the same building housing the Arc Reactor.
Even from a distance, they could see it: seven or eight S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were desperately firing at a hulking metal giant.
Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off the armor, leaving not even a scratch.
Rowan's brow twitched.
As he suspected Obadiah had reinforced the Iron Monger with advanced alloys.
But based on the sheen and impact resistance, it was likely only second-tier vibranium.
Tony's current armor, on the other hand, used mostly third-tier vibranium his chest and helmet were reinforced with even stronger fourth-tier material.
"Pathetic gnats! Get out of my way!"
Obadiah roared from inside the Iron Monger, swinging his massive arms with terrifying force.
Two unlucky agents were instantly sent flying over ten meters, hitting the ground hard.
Hill and Pepper were both shaken.
That kind of power just one hit could kill or cripple.
Obadiah laughed wildly as he looked down at the mangled corpses. Their bodies were like broken dolls, their chests caved in.
He reveled in the rush of having life and death at his fingertips.
"You'll all die here."
With that, he raised his armored arm to crush the agents near Hill.
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