"Shit, shit! Get down, Pepper!!!"
Tony shouted frantically at his girlfriend, and without waiting for Pepper to react, he flew toward her, trying to push her to the ground.
As for Maya Hansen—whoever she is—she'd have to fend for herself.
Don't even think about it. You have to save your future wife first.
But before Tony could reach Pepper, a powerful missile slammed into Tony's house.
This wasn't just any house—it was Tony's private villa.
Rich people usually have plenty of homes.
Although this was his oceanfront villa, it was more accurately his laboratory and studio. The upper three floors contained the living and entertainment areas, but the true heart of the place was hidden in the basement.
That was where all of Tony's experiments were stored. The Mark I through Mark XLII armors were collected there, along with countless other high-tech prototypes.
It was clear Tony considered this place his real home—maybe even the one he imagined sharing with Pepper someday.
But in the moment of the explosion, all of it vanished.
The deafening roar made the world seem silent.
It wasn't that the world had stopped, but that all three of them were temporarily deafened for nearly half a minute.
The blast was close, and the noise was overwhelming.
With the explosion, Tony and Pepper were thrown into the air instantly.
Maya Hansen, ever resourceful, managed to dive for cover at the last second, clutching the large plush rabbit Pepper had been given as a Christmas gift.
Tony, Pepper, and Maya were still in better shape than most would have been in such a blast.
"Come..."
"Receiving."
Fortunately, Pepper commanded J.A.R.V.I.S. in time. At critical moments, Tony's AI butler was far more reliable than any human bodyguard.
Before Pepper even finished speaking, J.A.R.V.I.S. maneuvered the Mark 42 to shield Tony.
"Honey, I saved your life too... Hehe..."
Even in the middle of disaster, Pepper—after spending so much time around Tony—couldn't resist throwing a playful remark.
"Pepper... go! Save her and get out... quick..."
"And you...?"
"Don't worry."
The two exchanged a look of understanding. Pepper ran out in the armor and pulled Maya with her. But the helicopters outside weren't going to let them escape so easily. A few more missiles were fired, each one targeting the structural supports of the villa with surgical precision, as if the intent was to bring the entire place down.
"Sir, Miss Potts has escaped to a safe location," J.A.R.V.I.S. reported.
"Okay..."
Tony extended his arms. The Mark 42 pieces disengaged from Pepper and flew back toward the collapsing ruins.
The attack helicopter unleashed heat-seeking Gatling fire, honing in on Tony's position.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., I'm fighting back!"
"Sir, this armor is still in prototype testing—"
Before J.A.R.V.I.S. could finish, another missile struck. The remaining supports gave way, and the villa tilted toward the sea.
"Shit!" Tony cursed, but he didn't panic. With calm precision, he fired a repulsor blast, catching one of the helicopters off guard.
"Got one—"
But the house could no longer hold. The entire structure collapsed, dragging Tony with it into the ocean. The once-impenetrable villa, sprawling across a space the size of a football field, crumbled into ruins.
What had been a symbol of luxury and power was obliterated in an instant. Even the waters offshore were churned up by the massive explosion.
As the ruins sank, the remaining helicopter hovered. Watching the Stark residence reduced to rubble, the pilots exchanged satisfied looks before turning back out to sea.
Their mission hadn't been to kill Tony Stark outright—it was a demonstration.
You gave the world your home address? You dared to provoke us?
Then we'll blow your house off the map. Let the world see that Iron Man, the man once admired as untouchable, could be struck down. That Stark Industries, Tony Stark, and Iron Man himself were not invincible.
That was the message.
Meanwhile, the world watched in shock through live broadcasts.
Tony's villa had been bombed.
Tony Stark was dead?
Iron Man was dead?
A superhero was dead?
Headlines blared across the United States, claiming Iron Man's death. But the truth was different.
When the smoke finally cleared, a faint trail of exhaust slipped through the ruins, hidden from the departing helicopters. Dust still filled the sky.
And somewhere in the wreckage, Tony Stark was already planning his next move.
That was why his thermal scans across the city showed anomalous readings above 3,000 degrees Celsius. Originally, Tony had planned to head to Tennessee after Christmas—and he had even asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to put it on the itinerary.
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