The first shot came fast.
Too fast for a normal man.
Harry moved before the trigger fully pulled.
A slight shift.
The bullet grazed past him—
—and in the same motion, he was already inside the attacker's range.
One strike.
Down.
More flooded in.
Shouting. Firing. Chaos.
Inside the cave—
Tony slammed a final piece into place.
"Come on… come on…"
The suit sparked.
Power surged.
Outside—
Harry didn't step back.
He stepped forward.
Three men.
Different angles.
He didn't hesitate.
A grab—redirect.
A strike—disable.
A turn—counter.
Every movement clean.
Every action deliberate.
But there were too many.
Gunfire intensified.
One bullet hit his shoulder—
A dull impact.
Harry's body shifted slightly… then stabilized.
No panic.
No pause.
He kept moving.
Inside the Cave
"IT'S READY!" Tony shouted.
The Mark I powered up with a heavy mechanical roar.
Crude.
Unstable.
But alive.
Yinsen looked at him.
"You must go now."
Tony hesitated.
"…We go together."
Yinsen smiled faintly.
"There is no time."
Gunfire thundered closer.
Tony clenched his jaw.
"…Don't do this."
Yinsen's voice stayed calm.
"This is what I was meant to do."
And before Tony could stop him—
Yinsen ran.
Gunfire shifted.
Focused.
Tony stood frozen for a second.
Then anger took over.
"NO—!"
The suit closed around him.
Metal locking into place.
Power surged.
Outside the Cave
Harry felt it.
That energy spike.
That unmistakable presence.
His gaze flicked back—
Just as something massive stepped out of the cave.
The Mark I.
Tony looked at the battlefield through the visor.
Dozens of enemies.
Fire.
Chaos.
Then—
He saw him.
Harry.
Standing in the middle of it all.
Unmoving.
Unshaken.
"…Of course you're still standing," Tony muttered.
A rocket launched toward Harry.
Fast. Direct.
Harry turned—
Calculated—
Before he moved—
A metal arm intercepted it.
BOOM.
The explosion lit the desert.
Tony stepped forward.
Smoke rising off the armor.
"…Thought you could use some help."
For a brief second—
The two stood side by side.
One in iron.
One in blood.
Harry glanced at him.
"Took you long enough."
Tony scoffed. "Yeah, well, I had to build this thing from scraps while being held hostage. What's your excuse?"
No answer.
More enemies charged.
This time—
They moved together.
Tony fired.
Flames burst forward, scattering soldiers.
Harry moved through the gaps.
Fast.
Precise.
Where Tony created chaos—
Harry created order.
A man tried to flank Tony—
Harry intercepted.
Dropped him instantly.
Tony blasted a group ahead—
Harry used the opening.
Advanced.
Controlled.
It wasn't practiced.
It wasn't planned.
But it worked.
Perfectly.
Until—
Tony's system flickered.
"Uh… that's not good."
Power dropping.
Fast.
Harry noticed immediately.
"How long?"
Tony checked.
"…Not long."
Of course.
Harry scanned the area.
Exit route.
High ground.
Weak points.
Decision made.
"We're leaving."
Tony didn't argue.
For once.
More enemies closed in.
Heavier weapons now.
Tony fired everything he had left.
Missiles. Flames.
Raw destruction.
Harry grabbed his arm—
Not forcefully.
But firmly.
"Move."
They pushed forward together.
Gunfire chased them.
Explosions followed.
Behind them—
The cave erupted.
Fire swallowing everything.
And in that fire—
A man's sacrifice faded into silence.
Moments Later – Desert Ridge
Tony collapsed to one knee.
The armor shutting down.
Dead.
Silence returned.
Harry stood nearby.
Watching.
Listening.
Ensuring.
Tony forced the helmet open.
Fresh air hit his face.
For a moment—
He didn't speak.
Then—
"…You actually came."
Harry looked at him.
No hesitation.
No drama.
"Of course I did."
Tony let out a tired laugh.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
Then, quieter—
"…Thanks."
Harry didn't respond.
But he stayed.
Not as Iron Man.
Not as a hero.
Just—
A brother.