Chapter 179: This Is Far From Over

Words : 908 Updated : Oct 4th, 2025

Tony Stark stared at the four Iron Man suits that had suddenly appeared in the room. His expression was frozen in disbelief. "This… this can Tony Stark stared at the four Iron Man suits that had suddenly appeared in the room. His expression was frozen in disbelief. "This… this can't be happening… Ultron was destroyed. I destroyed everything." BOOM! Another wall exploded outward. More suits poured into the room like an unstoppable tide. Seven Iron Man suits now surrounded them—MK4, MK6, MK9, MK17 (Heartbreaker), MK25 (Striker), MK33 (Silver Centurion), and MK43. After the Kree's last assault on Earth, Stark had realized that in a true crisis, he couldn't even find a backup suit in his own damn tower. So he had assembled an emergency armory at Avengers Tower—an Iron Legion, ready to deploy. Many of these suits—MK9 to MK33—were originally destroyed by Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3. But in this altered timeline, Gene had neutralized Killian long before that ever happened. As a result, these suits had quietly sat dormant in storage—until now. "J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Stark's voice was tight with tension. These suits had activated without a single command from him. That was not normal. But there was no reply. The very machines he had once trusted most… were now staring him down. Gene took a step forward, his black armor gleaming. "Seems like your story doesn't quite match the facts, Mr. Stark," he said coldly. "Ultron exists." He raised his hand slightly, signaling the others to step back. The suits immediately shifted their attention, sensors locking onto Gene's signature. "Designation: Black Devil… Initiating identity scan… Identity scan failed… Threat assessment in progress… Threat level undetermined… Engaging TERMINATION protocol." MK4 ignited its thrusters and launched like a missile toward Gene, palm cannon glowing red-hot with energy. Gene didn't move. In his hand, a golden magical circle materialized—deflecting the incoming blast effortlessly. Then he raised his other palm, a brilliant blue glow swirling into existence. A single beam of pure energy punched directly through MK4's arc reactor. One shot. Total shutdown. Then, from three different angles, MK6, MK9, and MK25 attacked in perfect sync, unleashing a barrage of firepower. MK33, meanwhile, leapt across the red leather couch and engaged Reed Richards in close combat. Sparks flew as Reed's elastic body met the armored might of the Silver Centurion. Stark grabbed Dr. Banner and dragged him to cover, diving behind debris as explosions rocked the tower. Gene activated his own thrusters and zipped between incoming blasts. In a blink, he appeared behind MK6, unleashed a palm cannon from point-blank range, and tore straight through its chestplate. The armor sparked violently before collapsing to the floor. MK25, wielding two massive jackhammer-like arms, slammed the ground hard—sending shockwaves through the foundation. MK9 launched dozens of micro-missiles into the air, surrounding Gene like a lethal halo. Hiding in what little cover remained, Stark frantically tried to connect to the Avengers Tower systems through his portable terminal. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The explosions drew closer. "Damn it!" Stark slammed his laptop down. For the first time, his own system—his creation—was locking him out. No matter how he tried, every line of code denied him. The man who had built this system… now stood helpless, shut out by his own work. Meanwhile, as the firelight flickered and the smoke cleared—Gene stepped forward, untouched. Golden magical discs glowed on both of his arms, shielding him from the earlier missile barrage. A crackling blue current ran from his arms into his palms, pulsing with raw power. Then, something new appeared—a blade of condensed energy, long and luminous. The repulsor in his palm stabilized the sword's form. MK9 raised its arm to fire—too slow. With a single strike, Gene's energy blade sliced straight through the armor, detonating its internal systems in a flash of blue-white light. He turned instantly. MK25 didn't even get a chance to respond before it was split cleanly down the middle. One slash. Two halves. Total destruction. Off to the side, Reed Richards and MK33 were still trading blows. The fight had reached a deadlock—until a black gauntlet suddenly burst from behind the Silver Centurion, plunging through its back and shattering its arc reactor. Power down. Armor dead. "Watch out!" Stark shouted suddenly. MK17 (Heartbreaker) had completed a full charge. From its chest, a bright light surged—an intense, focused beam aimed directly at Gene. Gene didn't flinch. With a graceful sweep of his hand, a glowing arcane seal appeared mid-air. The blinding beam struck it head-on—then disappeared, absorbed completely into the swirling rune. A heartbeat later, Gene moved his fingers in a subtle motion. The same beam re-emerged—reversed—and slammed straight back into MK17, annihilating it from the front. From his hiding spot, Stark crawled out. He stared at the broken pieces of what had once been his pride—his suits, now nothing more than scrap metal. His heart ached… but so did something deeper. A growing fear. This man—this Black Devil—had taken down seven Iron Man suits in under a minute. Alone. What if, one day… He wasn't on their side? Stark shivered at the thought. Just as he exhaled and began to believe it was all finally over… the ground shook violently beneath their feet. No. This wasn't over. Not even close. -------------- T/N: Access Advance Chapters on my P@treon: [email protected]/MPHFics

Chapter 179: This Is Far From Over

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