Cherreads

Chapter 37 - Chapter 37

The moment the communication cut off, there was a heart-wrenching scream, followed by a dead, silent dial tone.

"BOOM—!!!"

The Iron Monger's massive fist, carrying the force to pulverize anything in its path, came crashing down!

However, the anticipated screech of crushed metal never came.

A streak of pink light appeared as if from nowhere, precisely positioning itself between the fist and Tony's helmet.

"CLANG—!"

The deafening sound of metal on metal rang out, sending sparks flying.

The Iron Monger's thunderous punch was stopped cold, held steady by a pair of slender, pink mechanical arms.

Obadiah froze. Through the cockpit screen, he saw the pink robot—the very "Iron Barbie" he had mocked earlier.

"What the hell is this thing?!" he roared, increasing the power output.

The hydraulic systems groaned in protest, but the Iron Monger's fist didn't budge an inch.

The next second, Nini's electronic eyes flashed red.

"Threat level: Critical. Elimination mode: Engaged."

As the cold, robotic voice faded, two plasma blades, each over a meter long, shot out from the sides of Nini's arms with a sharp *hiss*. The scorching energy made the surrounding air distort.

Obadiah's pupils contracted. A fear unlike any he had ever known gripped his heart.

Before he could react, the pink figure moved.

Fast.

Impossibly fast.

A blur of pink light flashed past, and Tony suddenly felt a weight lift from his body.

He struggled to turn his helmet, and the sight before him made his brain short-circuit.

The Iron Monger's massive metal arm had been cleanly severed at the shoulder. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, its edges still glowing a molten red.

Then, the other arm.

And then the legs.

Nini's movements were flawless, each swing of her blades precise and lethal. She was like the most efficient butcher, dismembering a steel behemoth.

The shriek of plasma blades cutting through the air and the sizzle of sliced metal composed a symphony of death.

Inside the cockpit, Obadiah screamed hysterically, mashing every button in a futile panic.

"No... No! This is impossible!"

The final strike. A plasma blade plunged precisely through the Iron Monger's chest, piercing the imitation Arc Reactor within.

The blue light flickered violently, then went out completely.

The massive torso of the Iron Monger crashed to the ground, reduced to a pile of scrap metal.

The entire factory fell into a dead silence.

Nini retracted her plasma blades and hovered silently in mid-air. Her pink paint job reflected a strange, cold gleam under the broken lights.

Tony lay on the cold floor, staring blankly at the pink figure through his suit's shattered faceplate.

The inhuman code he'd seen in the Iron Monger's system flashed through his mind.

Cold, efficient, and utterly aggressive.

A sudden chill ran down his spine.

This was no personal health assistant... This was the Grim Reaper, cloaked in a cute shell.

*Paul... my son... what kind of monster did you create?*

"Tony!"

Pepper and Paul's figures finally rushed in.

When Pepper saw Tony, safe and sound next to the pile of scrap metal, her legs went weak. She nearly collapsed, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

Paul, on the other hand, ran to Tony's side, glanced at the hovering Nini, then back at Tony on the ground, and smirked.

"Tsk, old man, your Mark III wasn't cutting it. Good thing my Nini was here to save the day."

Tony was in no mood for banter. He struggled to have J.A.R.V.I.S. disengage the armor, crawling out of the metal heap covered in scrapes and bruises.

He leaned against a wall, took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number.

"Rhodey, it's me... Yeah, I'm not dead. Stark Industries, top floor. Bring your people, the more the better... There's some... trash that needs to be cleaned up."

Hanging up, Tony looked at Paul, his expression incredibly complex.

"That... Nini of yours. I want her. Name your price."

"Not for sale," Paul replied bluntly.

"I'll build you your own private AI lab. You'll have access to all of Stark Industries' resources."

"Not interested." Paul crossed his arms, wearing an expression that screamed *'you old fossil'*. "Even if I gave her to you, you wouldn't know how to use her. Her core algorithms and drive logic aren't even in the same dimension as your J.A.R.V.I.S. You probably couldn't even understand her standby protocols."

Tony's mouth twitched.

He wanted to argue, but the image of Nini's clean dismemberment of the Iron Monger, followed by the memory of his own humiliating defeat, made him swallow his words.

The kid was telling the truth.

"If only I had an assistant like that..." Tony muttered to himself.

"Get real," Paul shot back mercilessly. "You're just drooling over her combat power. You want to turn her into your weapon."

Tony was at a loss for words.

Just as the father and son were locked in their verbal sparring, neither willing to back down, a man in a well-tailored suit walked in with several subordinates.

It was Coulson.

"Mr. Stark, Miss Potts, and... young Mr. Stark." Coulson's expression was as calm as ever, as if the war-torn scene before him were just another office.

He handed over a file.

"This is your alibi. Tonight, Mr. Stark felt unwell after the charity gala and was taken home by Miss Potts and his son to rest. He never went out. As for this..."

Coulson glanced at the remains of the Iron Monger. "An unfortunate gas explosion. Mr. Obadiah Stane was tragically killed. Our organization, S.H.I.E.L.D., will handle everything from here on out."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Catchy name. My son came up with it."

Coulson smiled and nodded, his gaze shifting to Paul. "It seems this young man's talents far exceed our assessment."

"I'm not a kid!" Paul protested immediately.

Tony waved a hand at Paul. "Take Nini and go home. Check her for any damage, and while you're at it, call Baymax over to take a look at me."

Paul glanced at Pepper, then back at Tony, a knowing smile spreading across his face. Taking the hint, he whistled and left with Nini.

On the massive top floor, only Tony, Pepper, and a field of debris remained.

The atmosphere instantly became a bit... delicate.

"Tony, you..." Pepper began, her eyes already turning red.

She rushed forward, wanting to check his injuries but afraid to touch him.

When she'd heard that loud bang over the phone, she felt like her whole world had collapsed.

"I'm fine," Tony said, his voice hoarse. He looked at Pepper's reddened eyes, and his heart stirred.

He wanted to say something—thank you, don't worry, he even wanted to pull her into his arms.

But the words that came out were: "That... thing with the reactor, did you..."

Pepper froze. She took the old reactor out of her pocket, the one she had wiped clean. On it were the words "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart."

She looked at him, her eyes filled with worry, lingering fear, and a hint of barely perceptible hope.

"I... I thought you were..."

They stood less than a meter apart. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, machine oil, and the faint scent of her perfume.

Tony gazed at her face, so close to his, and watched her eyelashes tremble slightly. He felt his own heart skip a beat.

Almost subconsciously, he started to reach out a hand.

But just as his fingertips were about to touch her cheek, he snatched his hand back as if he'd received an electric shock.

He saw his reflection in her eyes: battered, weak, even a little pathetic.

In this state, he couldn't face the emotions that had perhaps grown beyond their professional relationship.

"I... I should get these wounds looked at."

Tony practically fled, turning toward the elevator without daring to look at Pepper again.

The elevator doors slid shut, sealing off two different worlds.

Pepper stood alone, clutching the cold reactor tightly in her hand. The hope in her eyes gave way to confusion, and finally, to a shadow of disappointment.

*What is he thinking?*

More Chapters