Chapter 61 - 61: Die in Agony

Fire and explosions erupted across the Stark Expo, lighting up the night as Hammer's war machines relentlessly pursued Tony Stark. Like a swarm of angry hornets, they flew in formation, firing without mercy. Tony was fast, weaving through the air and using every trick in the book to outmaneuver them. But the sheer number of robots was overwhelming. James Rhodes, his longtime friend and ally, had joined the fight. But now, both of them found themselves surrounded, their armor rattling under a hailstorm of bullets. Suddenly— BAM! Rhodey's fist slammed into Tony's suit, his War Machine armor locking into an aggressive stance. A shoulder-mounted minigun extended from his back, the barrels spinning wildly before unleashing a deadly spray of bullets—aimed directly at Stark! "Tony! I… I can't control myself!" Rhodey shouted, his voice filled with panic as his body moved against his will. A web shot suddenly interrupted the attack, wrapping around one of the war machines. "Hey, are you two playing a game? Count me in!" A familiar voice chimed in, filled with energy. Spider-Man swung onto the battlefield, landing between Tony and Rhodey. "Hey, —I'm Spider-Man! You guys are—" Even now, the kid couldn't stop talking. But as annoying as he was, his help was invaluable. Together, the three fought off the attacking war machines, dodging and countering every strike. After a grueling battle, Rhodey finally regained control of his suit, and the last of the rogue machines crumbled to the ground. The three heroes barely had a moment to breathe before— THUD! A massive armored figure dropped from the sky, landing with a force that cracked the pavement. As the faceplate of the bulky suit slid open, a smirking Ivan Vanko was revealed. "Tony Stark." His Russian-accented voice dripped with venom as he glared at Stark. "Tonight, I complete my revenge. And the thought fills my heart with joy." The faceplate snapped shut, and the cold, crimson glow of his visor locked onto them. Two massive electrified whips snapped out from his hands, crackling with energy. "Now… DIE!" __ Meanwhile, across the city, inside Mason Industries, Gene Mason watched the battle unfold on a high-resolution display. The satellite feed provided a crystal-clear view of the chaos. Iron Man, War Machine, and Spider-Man were in dire straits. Vanko had the upper hand. "Sir, should we intervene?" SkyNet's voice echoed within Gene's neural interface. "Our second experiment is currently on the battlefield." The second experiment—Spider-Man. Gene pondered for a moment, then smirked. "Yeah, let's step in. That Vanko guy? I don't like him." __ Back at the battlefield, the fight had reached a fever pitch. Stark's armor was covered in scorch marks, the sleek plating dented and broken in places. Rhodey's War Machine suit fared no better, the heavy-duty armor barely holding together. Spider-Man was worse off. His suit had been shredded by the electrified whips, his exposed skin burnt and charred. Every breath he took was labored, every movement sluggish. And Vanko? Despite the damage to his armor, he stood tall, unfazed. The sheer brutality of Russian engineering kept him going. "Is that all you've got?" He sneered, taking a slow step forward. His whip lashed out— Straight at Spider-Man. Peter tried to move, tried to leap away, but exhaustion had drained him. The electrified cable shot toward him like a viper— And then— A silver blur streaked across the battlefield, intercepting the blow. CLANG! The whip struck something metallic—but instead of cutting through, the damage healed instantly. Standing in front of Spider-Man was a liquid-metal humanoid. Its surface shimmered like flowing mercury, reflecting the fire and chaos around it. The design was sleek yet utterly alien, like a perfect fusion of technology and nightmare. This was SkyNet's combat body. Modeled after the T-1000, constructed from liquid metal, it possessed insane regenerative capabilities. "Tony…" Rhodey muttered, swallowing hard. "Is that… yours?" Tony's eyes were locked onto the robotic figure, his mind racing. The way it moved, the way it healed—it was beyond anything Stark Industries had developed. "Not mine," Tony admitted. "And that worries me." Before anyone could process what was happening, the machine spoke. "The Creator dislikes you, Ivan Vanko." Its voice was cold, emotionless. "You insulted Him. So now… you will die." __ Vanko laughed. "Are you joking? Who is this 'Creator' you speak of? Some ghost in the machine?" His voice dripped with scorn. But then— His laughter stopped. Suddenly, his armor locked up. His confident smirk disappeared as a sense of dread crept up his spine. "What—what is this?! My suit—it's not responding!" SkyNet's voice remained chillingly calm. "Shame. You chose to wear armor." At that moment, Vanko lost all control. His suit's waist began to twist. S~eaʀᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Slowly at first… then faster. The servos groaned as they exceeded their mechanical limits. Metal bent, bones cracked. Vanko screamed. Pain flooded his body as his spine twisted unnaturally, his organs pressing against one another. Cold sweat drenched him as his mind barely comprehended what was happening. The armored suit strained under the motion, its wiring snapping, sparks flying. But it did not stop. CRACK! Vanko's spine shattered. His screams turned to choked gasps as blood dribbled from his mouth. SkyNet stepped forward, placing a hand on the dying man's armor. From its fingertips, streams of silver liquid metal flowed inside—crawling through every gap, every crevice. The liquid metal infiltrated his body. Vanko's eyes widened in horror as he felt it crawling inside him. Through his veins. His nerves. His brain. "Ghh—gghhh!" His body convulsed. In his final moments, his flesh began melding with the liquid metal, twisting into something grotesque. His entire form blossomed like a horrific metal flower, silver petals blooming from his broken body. It was… beautiful. It was… terrifying. __ Tony, Rhodey, and Peter watched in horror. The battlefield had fallen silent. The liquid-metal entity turned, its featureless face gleaming under the dim light. For the first time in his life, Tony Stark felt true fear. -------------- T/N: Access Advance Chapters on my P@treon: [email protected]/MPHFics