Marvel: I am Iron Man

Former Director Pierce has been overwhelmed with problems these days and is completely unaware that his organization has unknowingly gotten into such a big mess with Wakanda.

Pierce is now beset by internal and external troubles, including S.H.I.E.L.D. and Wakanda, and the situation has become quite tense.

The unfortunate Pierce still has no idea who the real culprit is who fabricated evidence to expose his identity and pinned one huge accusation after another on him.

Throughout the entire process, Tony didn't even participate in this vortex; his name never appeared in this invisible war.

While S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra were locked in a fierce battle, on the verge of a bloody rout, Tony was leisurely continuing to build equipment and conduct research in his laboratory.

"The Mark VII armor is complete," Jarvis said.

Tony had been waiting for this notification for far too long. For the past whole day, he had been like a model kit collector waiting to pay the final payment for a limited edition figure, except that his "figure" was now much more luxurious than in his previous life, and his expectations were naturally incomparable.

Upon hearing that the shipment was about to be delivered, Tony couldn't wait any longer: "Let me see it."

So, in the center of the laboratory, a rotating platform slowly rose from the ground, and the imposing Mark VII heavy Iron Man armor stood upright on the platform.

The matte red paint has a deep, frosted texture. The helmet is slightly lowered, and the smooth, golden visor area is completely off, like closed eyes. The reactor on the chest is also temporarily not lit, making it look like a sleeping giant, solemn and majestic, exuding the imposing aura of alloy.

Tony couldn't resist running his hand lightly across the armor shell, feeling its cool, heavy texture.

New armor, a completely new upgrade. This is his first set of vibranium hybrid armor, representing a huge leap forward compared to the previous six generations.

In addition to the outer shell, the reactor is also made of vibranium, just like the Mark 45 in the original movie.

Tony's reactor is now enhanced with new elements, gamma enhancements, and vibranium components, making it a complete upgrade from the original reactor. Its armor performance, output, and endurance have all been greatly improved.

"Is the check-up complete?" Tony asked.

Jarvis said, "Yes, sir, the basic checks are complete, the system is functioning properly, and the Mark VII armor is ready for work."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Would you like to take it for a spin, sir?"

"Of course."

Tony circled the Mark 7 once, admiring his masterpiece, and then rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"We have to try out this new toy. Let's put it on, Jarvis, and find me a few unlucky guys to practice on."

As he spoke, the Iron Man armor in front of him unfolded from behind, its heavy back armor smoothly opening to both sides like the gull-wing doors of a top-of-the-line sports car. A deep blue light illuminated the intricate mechanical skeleton inside the armor, forming an entrance just large enough to accommodate a person.

Tony took a step forward, precisely stepping into the embrace of that machine.

The moment he stepped into the armor, the unfolded backplate rapidly closed as if it had a life of its own. He felt the armor close behind him, countless tiny latches and magnetic locks making a dense and crisp "click" sound, enveloping him perfectly.

The mask clicked off in front of him, and the dim eye-light area lit up with the light from the vision sensors. The display inside the dark helmet lit up, displaying the reassuring blue HUD interface and Jarvis's gentle and soothing voice.

"Mark 7 armored vehicle is now available."

Jarvis spoke, then laid out a map on his built-in display. Several red dots were marked on the map.

Jarvis said, "These are all the Ten Rings strongholds we know of so far, and I personally recommend using them to test your gear if you want to try them out."

Finding worthy opponents for real-world testing is not easy. The opponent shouldn't be too strong, nor should they be a sitting duck completely unaware of how to retaliate. They shouldn't be involved in too many political disputes, nor should they be too high-profile.

The Ten Rings gang, who had previously kidnapped Tony and implanted a shrapnel fragment in his heart that is still there, and who had a personal grudge against Tony, were undoubtedly a very good choice.

The Ten Rings is a large organization. For the original Iron Man, destroying one or two Ten Rings strongholds would be effortless, but how to completely wipe out this group was a problem that troubled Tony for a long time.

The Ten Commandments are active in the Middle East, a region with a complex political landscape. This gang is large, has many strongholds, and operates over a wide area. They also frequently recruit new members locally, making them incredibly resilient.

However, for Tony now, these troublesome aspects have become advantages.

Because he wasn't aiming to completely eradicate the Ten Rings Gang; he just wanted to test the new equipment on a battlefield.

Look at the Ten Commandments Gang. Their combat strength is average and they don't pose a threat to me. Their size is so large that I can't possibly kill them all in a short time. Besides, even if I finish off one wave today, in a few days when I need to find someone to practice with after crafting new equipment, they might even spawn new minion waves!

Could there be a more suitable practice subject than this?

The flight distance to the Middle East isn't short. Even with the Iron Man armor being fast, the journey still takes some time.

Tony hadn't slept for over 24 hours and needed a rest. He could finally get a good night's sleep during the armored flight. He set an alarm to wake Jarvis when they were almost there.

You can even catch up on a nap during the flight, killing two birds with one stone.

The Mark 7 armored vehicle ignited and took off from the dense forests north of New York, but vanished into thin air the instant it took off, as if melting into the night.

"Stealth mode activated, flight path confirmed."

Jarvis said softly.

Good night, sir.

Goodnight, Lao Jia.

...

...

The Middle East, a stronghold of the Ten Commandments.

This is a city that has been completely occupied by the Ten Commandments Gang.

Qasim Farouk sat in the city’s former municipal building, now the Ten Commandments’ stronghold, his neck held high like a proud swan… well, perhaps a black swan for his skin color.

But he was very proud. Not only because he had just conquered the city not long ago, but also because he would soon ascend to the pinnacle of power in his life.

All that he had gained was inextricably linked to a mysterious man sitting in front of him.

It was a white male. He was dressed in a suit and tie, sitting in the armchair opposite, with a calm confidence in his eyes that Qasim didn't quite like.

It's like the aura of high society from the developed world.

Despite disliking the man, Qasim treated him with considerable respect.

After all, everything he possesses now—the ammunition used by his troops, and some advanced weaponry—all depend on the power represented by the other side.

But Karim wasn't satisfied with this; he wanted more. That's why he was sitting here today, talking to the messenger before him.

Unfortunately, the conversation has not been very pleasant so far.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Karim Farouk," the white man in the suit said curtly, "we'll give you equipment, and you'll provide cover and hiding places—that's the initial deal. And so far, the deal has gone smoothly."

But what you want now is something outside the original agreement.

Karim grinned, giving what he thought was a friendly smile.

"Don't be so formal, my friend. You see, you won't tell me the details of your organization, I don't even know who you are. But you see, I never ask too many questions."

Karim lit a cigar and said with a smile.

"I just want to keep those annoying Americans away from my territory and let them bother other people—even other Ten Commandments strongholds, I don't care."

He took a puff of his cigar, held the smoke in his mouth for a long time before slowly exhaling. The smoke rose slowly, drifting and spreading in the lamplight.

"I don't know who your organization is, but I can see you have considerable influence among the Americans... Don't get me wrong, I didn't deliberately investigate your organization. But I've spent most of my life with a gun, you don't think I wouldn't notice something like this, do you?"

The man in the suit seemed a little annoyed. He stood up abruptly.

"If this is all you're talking about, then I guess we have nothing more to discuss," he said curtly. "We provide the weapons, you rent the facilities, and it's best for everyone to keep things as they are."

If my boss finds out you're charging exorbitant prices, believe me, it won't be good for anyone.

After he finished speaking, he seemed unwilling to talk any further, and turned to walk towards the door.

But as soon as the man stepped out the door, he glanced up at the sky and saw what looked like a line... streaking across the sky.

A thin, gray line, a trail of smoke, swept across the city buildings and swooped down toward the urban area.

In fact, because the thing itself was so small, the man only saw the conspicuous trail of smoke in the air when he looked up and caught a glimpse of it, but could not see the thing itself clearly.

That was a missile.

A missile so small it could be held in one's hand.