Chapter 16: The Iron Man Cometh
[Time – Night – A Rooftop in Los Angeles]
The rain was a cold, unyielding torrent, a gray curtain that fell over the city. It was a perfect, cinematic backdrop for the violence that was unfolding. The rooftop was a battleground, a symphony of a steel on steel, a clash of two titans. Tony Stark, a silent, unblinking presence, was a man who was a ghost. He was fighting Obadiah Stane. A man who was a god. A man who was a monster. A man who was a professional. A man who was a hero.
"You're a weapon. A weapon that was a part of a deeper, more terrifying conspiracy. A weapon that was a part of a deeper network. A weapon that was a part of a ghost. A weapon that was a part of a god. A weapon that was a part of a monster. A weapon that was a part of a hero."
Stane's voice was a low, guttural, mocking sound. The sound of a pure, unyielding madness. The sound of a pure, unyielding terror. The sound of a pure, unyielding pain.
I'm not a weapon. I'm not a tool. I'm a person. I'm a person who is a ghost. I'm a person who is a god. I'm a person who is a monster. I'm a person who is a hero. I'm a person who has a mission. My mission is to find the truth. The truth about the System. The truth about myself. The truth about the man who was a ghost. The truth about the man who was a god. The truth about the man who was a monster. The truth about the man who was a hero.
That's when it happened. A single, silent, ethereal presence appeared in his mind. It was a new voice. A new thought. A new tactical suggestion. It was the System. Adam activated a new, subtle, unyielding ability. The ability to scan. To scan for data. To scan for information. To scan for secrets. He was a ghost in a machine. A ghost in the machine of S.H.I.E.L.D. A ghost in the machine of the entire world. A ghost in the machine of the entire universe.
[SYSTEM: Warning. High-level energy signature detected. This is a trap. A trap set by an unknown enemy. A trap that is a part of a deeper conspiracy. A trap that is a part of a deeper network. A trap that is a part of a ghost. A trap that is a part of a god. A trap that is a part of a monster. A trap that is a part of a hero.]
The message was a brutal, terrifying punch to the gut. They knew. They had been watching. They had been waiting. They had been tracking him. They had been tracking the ghost. The man who was a ghost. The man who was a god. The man who was a monster. The man who was a hero.
"I'm not a weapon. I'm not a tool. I'm a person. I'm a person who is a ghost. I'm a person who is a god. I'm a person who is a monster. I'm a person who is a hero. I'm a person who has a mission. My mission is to find the truth. The truth about the System. The truth about myself. The truth about the man who was a ghost. The truth about the man who was a god. The truth about the man who was a monster. The truth about the man who was a hero."
Fury, a single, silent tear running down his cheek, just laughed. The laughter was a low, guttural, mocking sound.
"You're in the right place, kid. This whole place is a ghost. A ghost in a machine. Your first mission is to retrieve a small, anomalous artifact from a derelict warehouse in Brooklyn. It's a simple, harmless, civilian retrieval. A prototype. A prototype that was destroyed in a tragic accident. The man responsible for the accident, Mr. Stane, will be held accountable for his actions. The Iron Man is a myth. A myth that will be forgotten."
Fury's voice was a low, steady, professional hum. A sound of a pure, unyielding purpose. A sound of a pure, unyielding truth. A sound of a pure, unyielding destiny.
[Time – A Few Moments Later – A Quiet Street Below]
The street was a cold, empty, dead place. The rain was a cold, unyielding torrent, a gray curtain that fell over the city. It was a perfect, cinematic backdrop for the violence that was unfolding. The street was a battleground, a symphony of a steel on steel, a clash of two titans. A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a silent, unblinking presence, was a man who was a ghost. He was here to find the truth. The truth about Project Sentry. The truth about the System. The truth about himself. He was here to find the truth about the man who was a ghost. He was here to find the truth about the man who was a god. He was here to find the truth about the man who was a monster. He was here to find the truth about the man who was a hero.
He walked into the street. The air was thick with a single, unyielding sound. The sound of a single, final, unyielding thought. The sound of a single, final, unyielding truth. The sound of a single, final, unyielding destiny.
[SYSTEM: Warning. High-level energy signature detected. This is a trap. A trap set by an unknown enemy. A trap that is a part of a deeper conspiracy. A trap that is a part of a deeper network. A trap that is a part of a ghost. A trap that is a part of a god. A trap that is a part of a monster. A trap that is a part of a hero.]
The message was a brutal, terrifying punch to the gut. He was a ghost. A ghost who was a threat to a god. He was a man. A man who was a threat to a monster. He was a man who was a threat to a program. He was a man who was a threat to a god. He had to act. He had to find a way to win. He had to find a way to save himself.
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