Urgent news blared from the television.
Tony Stark had just been attacked on the streets of New York by an unknown assailant.
The attacker was a middle-aged man wearing custom-built tech armor and wielding two electrified metal whips. He had intercepted Tony Stark's car and, with a single strike, cleaved Stark's luxury vehicle clean in half.
The attacker was none other than Ivan Vanko, also known as Whiplash—the same villain who first appeared in Iron Man 2. His father had once worked alongside Howard Stark, but their relationship deteriorated due to ideological conflicts. Howard Stark eventually had Vanko's father deported.
Now, with his father dead, Ivan had returned to settle the score.
Armed with a compact high-voltage energy system on his back and twin whip-like weapons coursing with blue electricity, Vanko was devastatingly powerful. Each strike of his whips could tear apart reinforced steel like paper.
Tony Stark, caught off-guard, quickly activated a compact Mark V armor—a suitcase-based suit designed for emergencies. Though stylish and mobile, it lacked the firepower and endurance of his more advanced models.
The battle between Stark and Vanko erupted right in the heart of New York City.
Watching the report on television, Zenkichi stood up without a word.
Seeing his movement, Natasha Romanoff, who was nearby, turned to him and asked, "Are you heading out to help Tony Stark?"
Zenkichi responded plainly, "Exactly."
A golden flash lit up the sky.
In the blink of an eye, Zenkichi appeared at the scene of the battle.
"Zen? What are you doing here?" Tony Stark called out, startled but visibly relieved. He had been struggling to fend off Whiplash's relentless attacks.
"I saw you were in trouble," Zenkichi replied calmly. "So I came to assist."
Tony gave a weak grin. "Perfect timing."
"But honestly, you don't need to fight him. I think I've got this under control."
He glanced toward Pepper Potts, who had remained dangerously close to the fight. "If you could just get Pepper out of here, that would help. She's the only distraction I can't ignore."
Zenkichi shrugged slightly. "Confident, aren't you? Very well, I'll take her."
With a subtle gesture, he summoned telekinetic force. Pepper floated gently toward him, and Zenkichi guided her out of the immediate danger zone.
"Mind your own business!" Ivan Vanko growled, lashing one of his electrified whips toward Zenkichi.
Zenkichi raised his arm nonchalantly. The whip struck his palm and stopped cold, sparks flying. The blow had no effect.
"Tony, you might want to reconsider your odds here," Zenkichi said, glancing at him. "He's not going to go down easily."
"I'll be fine," Tony insisted. "This is personal."
"That's your illusion," Zenkichi muttered. "But fine. I'll leave him to you—unless he annoys me."
His gaze drifted toward Vanko, unimpressed.
"Why are you helping Tony Stark? Just because he's a billionaire?" Vanko barked, his expression twisted with rage. "You're more of a villain than he is!"
"You've caused mass panic across New York City. Your actions aren't about justice—they're terroristic," Zenkichi replied coldly. "You should stop."
Vanko snarled, "And who gave you the right to order me around?"
"I don't need permission," Zenkichi said.
He sighed and extended a hand. A golden laser beam fired from his fingertip, piercing Ivan's shoulder. The attacker collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain, no longer able to fight.
"If the U.S. military wasn't so worried about collateral damage, this wouldn't have made breaking news," Zenkichi muttered.
He turned to Tony with a slight smile. "I'll leave the rest to you."
And just like that, Zenkichi vanished, his body flickering away in a golden shimmer.
"What a shame," Tony murmured, staring at the spot where Zenkichi disappeared. "The guy shows up for five seconds and takes all the spotlight."
He looked around as law enforcement finally arrived on the scene.
"Alright," Tony said to himself, brushing dust off his suit. "Time to clean up."
Back at Zenkichi's home, Natasha watched him return with a curious expression.
"You and Tony seem to have a solid relationship," she said with a sly grin. "As soon as you saw he was in trouble, you went to help. I saw the whole thing on TV. So… what exactly is the deal between you two?"
Zenkichi shook his head. "It wasn't just about him."
"I stepped in because Whiplash's attack was causing widespread panic. I intervened to minimize the damage, that's all."
Natasha tilted her head thoughtfully. "So, you're someone with a strong sense of justice?"
She smirked. "Funny, the U.S. military doesn't seem to think so."
"They provoked a fight they couldn't win," Zenkichi replied evenly. "They got what they deserved."
"I tried to help them solve the Hulk situation. And in return, they came after me. That's not justice. That's betrayal. I protected myself."
Natasha paused for a moment, then asked, "So why do you really do these things?"
Zenkichi smiled faintly. "Because I want to be a hero."
"That's it. Nothing deeper. I do what I do because I'm a hero… motivated by personal interest."
Natasha blinked. "A hero driven by interest? That's… surprisingly honest."
She thought for a moment. Somehow, it made sense.
If Zenkichi wanted to be a hero, then his actions—stopping Whiplash, helping Stark, fighting the Hulk—all fit perfectly.
Unconventional, yes.
But definitely not random.
_
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