The two plasma blasts struck Iron Monger's mask, making him stagger, but they failed to pierce his armor.
"It seems your hand cannons still aren't strong enough!" Steve Rogers said dryly.
Without wasting another second, he dashed forward. While Iron Monger was distracted dodging, Steve circled behind him, grabbed the two energy support rods near his neck, and pulled hard.
Szzzt!
The metal rods snapped, cutting off the power to Iron Monger's arms. His massive hands immediately went limp. Without the hydraulic and energy support, even Obadiah Stane couldn't move the suit's arms by brute strength alone.
Still, when he saw Tony Stark approaching, his rage flared. All his old grudges came rushing back.
Gritting his teeth, Obadiah raised one arm and fired a missile. The explosion sent Iron Man flying into a nearby bus. Another shell followed, blowing the bus into the air!
Even though the exertion nearly drained the suit, Obadiah still wanted Tony dead. His hatred for him had clearly been festering for a long time.
"Captain," Edith's calm voice echoed in Steve's tactical earpiece, "Iron Monger's design is simple. There's a targeting chip on its back. Destroying it will disable the system."
A red marker appeared in Steve's display. Without hesitation, he charged forward, clenched his fist, and slammed it down on the marked spot.
His super-soldier strength, combined with his combat mastery, sent a shockwave through the armor, making Iron Monger stumble.
Steve deliberately held back. He didn't want to draw too much attention with cameras rolling. Hiding his full power was part of the strategy. Besides, today wasn't his turn to steal the spotlight—this was Tony's show.
And the brighter Tony shone, the more distractions it created. Perfect for a man who preferred to "slack off strategically."
Obadiah realized too late that the targeting system was fried, and the arm conduits were gone. He was now a toothless tiger.
"Oh no! I need to retreat!"
Forget revenge—at this point, survival was all that mattered.
He ignited the thrusters, redirecting power to his feet. Twin flames burst downward, and Iron Monger shot into the sky.
"Trying to run?"
Tony wasn't having it. He rocketed upward, easily catching up to the bulky machine.
Their struggle climbed higher and higher until they vanished into the clouds, out of camera range.
Steve exhaled and straightened, the smoke and dust swirling around him. He looked every bit the battle-worn hero.
Nearby, reporter Roxanne Simpson (Ghost Rider's ex-girlfriend) raised her camera. Since she couldn't catch footage of the two Iron Men anymore, she turned her lens toward Captain America instead.
Her heartbeat quickened as she zoomed in.
"So handsome… I have to seize this chance!" she murmured.
When men see beautiful women, they think about spending the night together. Women, when faced with a tall, broad-shouldered man like Steve Rogers, aren't much different.
It had been ten years since she broke up with Johnny Blaze, and that spark of attraction reignited the moment she saw Steve standing there with his shield.
Her heels clicked rapidly against the pavement as she approached, her excitement impossible to hide.
"What a man… that build, those eyes… he's perfect," she whispered to herself.
Steve noticed her coming closer—and before he could say anything, his system chimed.
"Ding! New mission triggered: Public Opinion Reputation."
Mission: Roxanne Simpson, former girlfriend of the second Ghost Rider, has developed feelings for you.
Acquire the Daily Bugle and appoint her as its editor-in-chief to increase your public reputation.
Reward: Information Scan — grants insight into all people and objects.
At first, Steve wasn't impressed. But then his eyes widened.
Wait… Information Scan?
This wasn't just a random perk—it was a full-on cheat code.
Every previous system reward had been valuable. Maybe this one would be just as overpowered.
"Not bad," he thought. "Owning the Daily Bugle could also help me connect with Spider-Man later."
He glanced at Roxanne again. She wore a sleek dress and elegant high heels—exactly his type.
"Mr. Rogers," she said nervously, "I'm Roxanne, a reporter from the Daily Bugle. May I interview you?"
"Of course," Steve replied politely. "But this is still a danger zone. Please step back—it might not be safe."
No sooner had he spoken than a massive shadow fell from above.
Iron Monger's frozen body came crashing down from the sky!
Because the armor lacked antifreeze protection, the upper-atmosphere cold had frozen its systems solid. The thrusters shut off, and the suit turned into a block of steel, plummeting to earth.
"Watch out!" Steve shouted, grabbing Roxanne and diving aside.
BOOM!
Iron Monger smashed into the street, leaving a huge crater. Debris flew everywhere.
Roxanne's face went pale. If Steve hadn't reacted instantly, she would've been crushed.
She was still trembling when she realized his arm was still around her waist—strong, protective… and a little too low for comfort.
Tony descended moments later, landing beside the crater. He opened his helmet and looked down at the motionless Iron Monger.
"Let's see if you survive this time, old man," he muttered.
He ripped open the helmet of the armor, revealing Obadiah Stane's lifeless face—eyes wide open in shock. The internal damage from the fall had killed him instantly.
The reporters swarmed forward, snapping pictures wildly.
No one expected the man inside the massive armor to be Tony Stark himself!
Agent Phil Coulson arrived with a S.H.I.E.L.D. team to secure the scene, frowning deeply.
"This isn't good," he muttered. "There's no way we can cover this up now."
Steve helped Roxanne to her feet, then turned to Coulson.
"Coulson, handle cleanup. Tony and I will head out—we'll probably be on every newsfeed by this afternoon."
Then he smiled at Roxanne. "Ms. Simpson, how about that private interview now? Tony, care to join us?"
Tony grinned. "Sure. Let's go grab a drink—I could use one after all this."
He was in a surprisingly good mood, his anger finally spent.
After all, the worst part of his fury came from learning the truth—
that the man who betrayed him in Afghanistan was none other than Obadiah Stane—his father's old friend, business partner, and confidant for over twenty years.
Being stabbed in the back by someone you trusted most—
that was the kind of wound that never truly healed.
...
📢 Author's Note
The full completed version of Marvel: This Captain America Is Different (Part 1) is now available on Patreon!
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✅ Part 1 Complete — 117 Chapters
Join the journey of a wildly unpredictable Captain America as absurd system missions, unexpected rewards, and chaotic adventures turn the Marvel Universe upside down.
🔥 I also have additional **18+ fanfics** available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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