Ultimate Iron Man

Cold wind howled through the peaks of the rocky mountains. Mandarin and his Ten Rings assassin squad made their way up the steep slopes. They moved in perfect formation, their dark, shadowy figures cutting through the twilight. Each squad member knew that their mission was not one of ordinary importance. Mandarin's empire had been torn asunder by an enemy more powerful than they could have anticipated. The one behind it was Victor Von Doom.

Mandarin's anger was like a fire slowly burning inside him, fueled by years of ambition and now driven by a need for revenge. His empire, which he had spent decades carefully building, had been destroyed by one man—the mysterious Victor Von Doom. This loss hurt him more than any other defeat ever had. With every step he took up the rough, rocky cliffs of the Latverian mountains, his rage grew stronger, pushing him forward.

"Stay sharp," Mandarin ordered, his voice cold and commanding. "Victor must be close. We cannot let him escape again."

The assassins nodded in unison, their faces hidden behind steel masks and shadows, their weapons gleaming under the moonlight. They were trained to hunt, to track, and to eliminate. No one escaped the Ten Rings.

The search was meticulous, as they looked all over the mountain for signs of life. Finally, at the peak, they could see the silhouette of a gigantic structure. It was an old castle, which seemed deserted yet miraculously well-preserved.

"This is it," Mandarin whispered, his gaze narrowing as he studied the stone walls. The castle had the look of something forgotten by time like it was waiting for something or someone to bring it back to life.

With a silent signal, he and his assassins moved towards the entrance, their boots barely making a sound on the worn stone. As they entered the dimly lit hallways, the atmosphere grew heavier, thick with the scent of dust and decay. The air was unnervingly cold, and the faint hum of what could only be described as an ancient, forgotten magic hung in the corners.

"This place is cursed," one of the assassins muttered, his eyes scanning the walls, which were covered in cryptic, swirling symbols.

Mandarin ignored him. His attention was consumed by the task at hand. The castle was a maze of twisting corridors, yet no matter how far they went, there was no sign of Victor. Not a trace. The equipment, footprints, clean kitchen and bedroom, and the warm fireplace... Everything seemed to suggest someone had been here recently, but where was he?

After hours of searching the vast labyrinth of the castle, the squad regrouped in the central chamber. The massive mirror that Victor had once stood before stood at the center, its obsidian frame casting long shadows on the walls. The mirror's glass was undisturbed, yet something felt... off. The reflection seemed oddly still, almost as if mocking them. But no one noticed this eerie change; they were too focused on trying to find Victor.

"He's gone," Mandarin said, his voice a low growl. The frustration in his voice was palpable. "He's playing with us. But where?"

His fists clenched, and his eyes burned with rage. No one, no matter how powerful, could elude him for long.

"Search the mountain!" Mandarin barked. "Leave no stone unturned. He cannot have vanished into thin air."

Once more, the Ten Rings spread out, scouring the grounds beneath the castle, searching through the dense woods and across the cliffs, moving as fast as shadows in the night. The hours dragged on, but despite their best efforts, no trace of Victor was found.

As dawn approached, the assassins returned to the castle, defeated and exhausted. Their leader waited for them, his posture tense with anger. They had failed him. They were supposed to be the best of the best, but now they were nothing but a bunch of fools.

"What is this?" Mandarin hissed. "How can he not be here? Are you telling me this place has no secret tunnels or hidden passages?"

"Yes," one of the assassins replied, his voice wavering. "We searched every inch of this place. There's nothing."

Mandarin took a deep breath, his mind racing, trying to come up with a logical explanation. He couldn't believe that Victor had simply disappeared into thin air. His Ten Rings began to glow as he aimed his right hand toward the castle. A burst of purple energy shot out of his fist and struck the castle. There was no sound or explosion, but a simple sizzling sound. Within seconds, the castle began to disintegrate, layer by layer, until there was nothing left but an empty plot.

"I'll find you, Victor Von Doom," Mandarin promised. "Even if I have to tear this entire planet apart to do so."

And with that, he and his Ten Rings left the mountain.

[Meanwhile, inside the catacombs]

Victor sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, surrounded by the faint green glow emanating from The Book of Elements. The air was still, save for the occasional crackle of magical energy flickering between his fingertips as he began to harness the ancient spells written within the tome. His sharp mind, honed by years of scientific rigor, now worked tirelessly to decipher and master the arcane.

The book lay open before him, its pages filled with complex sigils, swirling diagrams, and incantations written in the strange, ancient tongue. Yet as he read, the words seemed to rearrange themselves, forming coherent thoughts and phrases in his mind.

"Control the Elements, and you control the world," his mother's voice echoed in his thoughts as he read one of her annotations.

Victor raised a hand, focusing intently. He recited the incantation etched into the page before him. The syllables were sharp and guttural, yet they felt natural in his mouth, as if they had always been there, waiting for this moment.

A spark of flame flickered to life in his palm, its heat warm but contained. He turned it over, marveling at the way the fire obeyed his will, shaping itself into a sphere, then a spiraling flame. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, the scientist in him fascinated by the interplay of magic and energy.

"Fire, a manifestation of pure energy," he muttered, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Yet it responds to thought, intention. This isn't just power—this is science rewritten."

Encouraged, he turned the page. The next spell described the manipulation of water. He reached out his hand again, and a stream of water began to form in the air, drawn from the very moisture of the chamber. It swirled and danced, its movements precise and graceful under his control.

Victor's excitement grew as he continued to experiment. He summoned small gusts of wind, then shifted to command the very stones around him. Pebbles and chunks of rock lifted into the air, hovering for a moment before gently lowering back to the ground.

"Incredible! If I can merge magic and technology then... Who can even stop me?"

Here, in the depths of the earth, Victor was in his element. The knowledge of his lineage, the betrayal of Mephisto, and the imprisonment of his mother had awakened something within him. His mind, once preoccupied with the rational world, now fully embraced the impossible.

The green glow of the book brightened as he turned to a new section: Binding Rituals and Protective Wards.

...

[Back to Tony] [Malibu]

The next morning, the sunlight filtered through the windows, dragging Tony from a restless sleep. His body ached from the previous night's workout, but his mind was sharper, focused. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and rubbed his temples.

"Alright, Hermes," he said, his voice gravelly. "Tell me you've got something new for me."

"Good morning, sir. Surveillance feeds expanded to a 50-mile radius. One anomaly detected offshore, an unregistered vessel lingering at the edge of international waters. It appears stationary."

Tony's brow furrowed. "What type of vessel?"

"Small, possibly a private yacht. No visible identifying markers, but thermal imaging indicates active systems on board."

"Send a drone. I want visuals and a heat signature analysis. Let's see if we can get a clearer picture of what's going on..." A large yawn escaped his mouth as he rubbed his eyes.

"Drone dispatched. ETA: three minutes."

Tony stood and stretched. He quickly freshened up and made his way to the workshop. The holographic interface was already lit up, displaying the trajectory of the drone as it approached the mysterious yacht.

The feed flickered to life, showing a black yacht anchored just outside legal boundaries. The design was minimal, modern, and far too advanced to be an ordinary yacht.

"Zoom in," He commanded. The image adjusted, revealing faint movement on the deck—a single figure pacing, cloaked in a long coat. The heat signature analysis revealed more: at least three others were inside the vessel, their outlines faint but distinct.

"Well, this isn't suspicious at all," Tony muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Hermes, enhance audio. Let's see if they're chatty."

The audio feed crackled to life, faint but discernible. A voice—sharp, clipped, with a faint Russian accent—spoke rapidly. Another voice responded, this one deeper, its words measured.

"...preparations nearly complete...timing must be perfect...Romanoff… We need to know what Stark is hiding in that facility."

Tony's stomach twisted at the mention of Natasha's name. His instincts had been right. This wasn't a coincidence.

"Record everything," he ordered. "Cross-reference the voices with known aliases or operatives in the SHIELD database."

"Processing, sir."

As Hermes worked, Tony's mind raced. He needs to amp up the new nanites' development and create a suit. Only then he would have enough power to face the threat.

"Hermes, reroute the drone to maintain a high-altitude observation position. I don't want them noticing us yet."

"Understood, sir."

Tony leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk. "Alright, if they want to play spy games, let's give them a show."

He pulled up the plans for the restaurant, now legally his, and began designing modifications. Hidden cameras, microphones, and other surveillance tech would be installed in every corner of the building. He called the owner for the keys and hard copies of legal documents and asked him to meet at the restaurant within 30 minutes. Well, when money was involved, people did not argue.

Tony gathered his gadgets and locked the facility as usual. He went to the restaurant at the exact time of the meeting. The previous owner and his lawyer were already waiting outside. They greeted him and led him inside the building. After exchanging greetings and signing several important documents, the owner handed Tony the keys. They parted ways as quickly as they had met, and Tony was left alone in the silent restaurant.

"Well, let's see..." He took out his new customized phone and began to scan the place, hoping to find something. His intuition didn't let him down. Although he didn't find any bugs, he noticed some places under the tables and chairs had small clean spots. It was as if something had been placed there and removed recently.

He checked the props on the wall and it was the same. There were no bugs, but it looked like someone someone had come here before him and cleaned the place. Whoever it was, they were good at covering their tracks, but not good enough. Thanks to him buying the place, those agents had to work in a hurry to clean up the place.

'Oh, my. Would you look at that? How lovely...' He grinned. 'And so, the game begins.'

Tony spent the day installing hidden cameras and microphones throughout the restaurant, all linked to Hermes. Now, if anyone tried to mess with anything, he would know about it. He looked at his watch. It was 10 AM. He was supposed to meet up with Natasha at 2 PM. "Well, got enough time." He made sure everything was ready before he locked the place and decided to grab some fresh fruits and some groceries from the market. His freezer and kitchen cabinets were almost empty.

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[Read over 15 advance chapters] [No double billing]

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