Episode 218: "I…..am…..Iron Man"
『 Immediately following, a massive wave of energy swept across the entire battlefield, causing all sounds to temporarily cease.
At this moment, the air seemed to be solidified by this sudden silence.
However, this tranquility was soon broken—because that terrifying Infinity Gauntlet had emerged once again.
When Thanos reached out, attempting to touch the supreme weapon, Tony immediately flew forward to block him.
But in just a split second, the armored hero was knocked to the ground by his opponent's immense power.
Just then, Thor descended from the sky and joined the chaotic battle.
Captain America was not to be outdone, latching tightly onto the back, trying to control the situation.
Thor gripped both Stormbreaker and Mjolnir tightly, going all out to suppress Thanos.
Everyone held their breath, waiting to see if Thor could replicate that classic moment when he struck down the enemy's head years ago.
But Thanos was not one to sit and wait for death. He skillfully resolved the crisis at the critical moment: first, he used a heavy punch to deflect the weapon that was about to cut into his neck, and then followed up with a fierce headbutt that blasted Thor several meters away.
Subsequently, he quickly grabbed Steve Rogers, who was still clinging to his back, and effortlessly threw him far away, finally delivering a heavy blow that rendered him completely combat-ineffective.
The moment they saw Thanos successfully pick up the Infinity Gauntlet, the spectators all felt an unprecedented despair enveloping them…
This not only meant they faced an unpredictable and powerful threat, but it also implied that all the efforts made to protect the Earth might turn into bubbles and burst.
Just as Thanos was about to put on the Infinity Gauntlet, suddenly, Captain Marvel descended from the sky like a shining golden star. Her entire body emitted a brilliant radiance, like the first ray of sunlight before dawn, instantly lighting up the hope in everyone's eyes.
She rushed to Thanos in a flash and kicked hard at the back of his knee.
This seemingly simple attack contained astonishing power; even for a powerhouse like Thanos, it was difficult to bear.
He involuntarily knelt on one knee, his body swaying a few times before he barely managed to stabilize himself.
Immediately after, Captain Marvel mobilized all her energy, turning into beams of light cannons that continuously bombarded Thanos.
Although these attacks forced the evil giant to retreat again and again, regrettably, apart from consuming some of his strength, they failed to cause substantial damage.
On the contrary, after finding an opening, Thanos swung his hand back and actually threw Captain Marvel away viciously!
As the Infinity Gauntlet was successfully fitted onto Thanos' wrist, that heavy feeling seemed to press on everyone's heart, and the mood of despair reached its peak.
However, at this critical juncture, a miracle happened—Captain Marvel reappeared with incredible speed, using all her strength to stop that fatal snap of the fingers.
Her hands tightly gripped Thanos' fingers as he tried to press them together; no matter how he struggled, they would not budge.
In his anger, Thanos thought of the scene when he dealt with Thor not long ago, where he easily defeated his opponent with a powerful headbutt.
So, he wanted to do the same, smashing his head fiercely toward Captain Marvel.
He thought he could easily knock her away, but to his surprise, this time it had absolutely no effect!
Faced with such a result, Thanos' expression became very confused. In contrast, Captain Marvel, standing opposite him, revealed a mocking smile. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Nick Fury (Earth-616): "As expected of Captain Marvel. Even the powerful Thanos isn't your match." ]
[ Ryuga Banjou (Kamen Rider): "Good, now she can defeat this giant guy herself, right?" ]
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Damn it, go for it!" ]
[ Kiana (Honkai: Impact Third): "Good, just keep it up like this and teach that guy a harsh lesson!" ]
[ .....]
『 Thanos stared intently at the dazzling gems on the Infinity Gauntlet, and suddenly, a plan was born in his heart.
He quickly removed the Power Stone from the Infinity Gauntlet, and utilizing the gem's astonishing energy, he slammed a fierce punch toward Captain Marvel.
No matter how powerful Captain Marvel was, she appeared vulnerable in front of an Infinity Stone.
Under that irresistible force, she was sent flying far away. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): Huh? ]
[ Nobi Nobita (Doraemon): How did this happen? She got knocked away in an instant? ]
[ Ancient One (Earth-616): "The power of the Power Stone. It is the strongest force in the entire universe." ]
[ Nick Fury (Earth-616): "So that's it. That's why the Captain was knocked away by one punch from this man?" ]
[ Carol Danvers (Earth-616): "…." ]
[ .....]
『 Seeing the last obstacle cleared away, Thanos sneered and re-embedded the Power Stone back into the gauntlet.
"The time has come. I will use this infinite power to put an end to all of this," he said secretly in his heart.
Seeing this scene, all the Avengers felt a heaviness in their hearts.
If they couldn't stop Thanos, then the fate of the entire universe was in jeopardy.
Just at this moment, Iron Man's eyes inadvertently fell upon Doctor Strange, who was gazing at him from afar.
The two looked at each other as if their minds were connected.
Doctor Strange tremblingly raised one hand and gestured the number "One."
This gesture represented the only chance, even though the probability was so low it was almost despairing.
Tony, understanding the other's meaning, immediately rushed toward Thanos, who was already preparing to initiate the final plan.
But faced with such a disparity in strength, no matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to change the course of the battle.
In no time at all, after completely losing patience, Thanos mercilessly kicked Tony Stark.
With a loud bang, Iron Man crashed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Looking at the fallen warriors around him, a smile of a victor appeared on Thanos' face.
"I….. AM… INEVITABLE!!!" After speaking, he raised the gauntlet that held the power over life and death…
However, at this critical moment,
An accident occurred—when the crisp sound of the snap echoed throughout the battlefield, the expected massive explosion or the scene of instant disappearance did not appear… Instead, the surrounding scenery remained as usual, without the slightest change.
This result stunned Thanos, who thought victory was in his grasp, and likewise plunged the spectators on the other battlefields into deep confusion… 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Mai Sakurajima (Bunny Girl Senpai): "What happened?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Did that thing fail?" ]
[ Gabriel (Gabriel DropOut): "That's not right. I think I saw it earlier; the gems were gone." ]
[ Theresa (Honkai: Impact Third): "Wait, that sentence in the previous title…." ]
[ .....]
『 Everyone stared unblinkingly at the scene before them, their hearts skipping a beat.
Their gaze instantly concentrated on Iron Man, who had been kicked away by Thanos earlier.
They saw Iron Man slowly raising his right hand, and on that right hand, the six Infinity Stones were actually embedded!
An unimaginable energy was filling Iron Man's body.
Although this power made him feel stronger than ever before, Iron Man knew very well that he could not control such majestic energy for long.
The multicolored light emitting from each gem spread rapidly along the circuits to the core of the armor; one could almost feel the nano-armor being slowly devoured by this terrifying energy.
At this moment, Iron Man, half-kneeling on the ground, used every ounce of his strength to stabilize that trembling hand. His eyes locked dead onto Thanos, and with a voice slightly choked with emotion, he shouted that classic line that would go down in film history: "I… AM… IRON MAN!!!"
Accompanied by a snap of the fingers, a crisp "Pa" echoed over the entire battlefield.
Witnessing all this, Thanos' pupils contracted violently—he understood that he had lost this contest, completely defeated.
A blinding white light instantly illuminated the sky, forcing everyone to cover their eyes from the intense glare.
At the same time, the Infinity Stones began to take effect, realizing Iron Man's wish.
Suddenly, everything on the battlefield seemed to freeze in time for an instant. Then, whether it was living beings, cold objects, or even the undead who had long since ceased to breathe, they all vanished into ash in an instant, leaving only the dust on the ground to prove that a tragic and fierce battle had once taken place here.
Thanos, sitting on a rock, quietly watched his soldiers vanish one by one, turning into nothingness. He was powerless against such an ending and could only silently accept everything fate had given him.
At this moment, his heart was filled with complex emotions—bitterness, unwillingness, and regret.
Having traversed the universe for many years, he never expected to end up in such a state!
Countless memory fragments flashed through his mind: nearly being killed by his own mother in his childhood; being bullied by peers for his different skin color as he grew up… It wasn't until today, walking to the end of his life, that he realized he hadn't actually lived a happy life.
Finally, in the void, the once arrogant Titan gradually faded away, becoming a wisp of smoke in the long galaxy. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Tony Stark (Earth-616): "In the end, was it me who snapped the fingers?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Eh? When did he snatch them?" ]
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): "Because his armor is nanotechnology. That gauntlet, perhaps, is also a combination of this technology." ]
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): "During the struggle just now, he used nanotechnology to move all the gems over." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Although I don't understand, it sounds very impressive." ]
[ Oyama Mihari (Onimai): "To put it simply, both the armor and that gauntlet are fluid. During the contact just now, the gems flowed through this substance into Iron Man's hand." ]
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): Exactly. ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "What a miraculous technology." ]
[ .....]
『 The members of the Avengers, after witnessing Iron Man snap his fingers with the deadly six Infinity Stones, were all stunned, disbelief written all over their faces.
Everyone knew in their hearts that to complete this task, an extremely strong body was required.
Previously, although the Hulk's body was incredibly powerful, he nearly lost an arm after using the power of these stones, not to mention Iron Man, Tony Stark, who was just an ordinary man of flesh and blood.
The subsequent result was simply unimaginable.
At this moment, Tony slumped against a wall, his face terribly pale. The nano-armor on his body, once shining brightly, was now tattered and broken, obviously unable to withstand the massive erosion from the cosmic energy….
Due to the excessive consumption of physical strength and energy, he gasped for large mouthfuls of air; every breath seemed to slightly alleviate the pain in his body.
As one of his closest friends, War Machine, Rhodey, was the first to rush to Tony's side.
Opening his helmet, Rhodey saw the partner who was once so high-spirited now in such a state, and his heart received a powerful shock.
He approached Tony step by step, his eyes filled with worry and unbearable pain.
Tears swirled in his eyes, but Rhodey knew he had to be strong.
"Tony..." He called out gently, reaching out to stroke the other's cheek.
There were a thousand words in his heart he wanted to say, but when he truly tried to speak, he found he couldn't say a single word.
Then Peter—Spidey, ran over, almost stumbling. When he saw the mentor he respected like a father in such a weak and powerless state, shock and grief that could not be concealed flashed in his eyes.
"Mr. Stark..." He called out in a low voice and quickly stepped forward to check Tony's condition, "Mr. Stark, can you still hear me? It's Peter."
Spidey, with tears almost bursting from his eyes, tried to remain calm, striving to sound like he was truly celebrating victory: "We won! Mr. Stark, it's all over!"
Although his voice was choked and indistinct, he continued to speak words of encouragement, even though his heart was already filled with despair.
However, for Tony, who was near collapse at this time, speech had become exceptionally difficult.
Looking at the young man before him, whom he regarded almost as his own, his heart was full of reluctance to part, but he could barely manage to give comfort with his eyes.
Immediately following was Tony's wife, "Pepper."
Seeing her lover covered in cuts and bruises from saving the world broke Pepper's heart, but she forced herself not to show too much emotion because she understood she needed to play a tougher role.
"Tony." She crouched down gently and spoke softly, her voice still trembling despite her best efforts to suppress her emotions.
Realizing his wife had arrived, even though his whole body was in excruciating pain, Tony still tried his best to squeeze out a trace of a smile: "Hi, honey."
In order not to waste a single second of time that might save his life, Pepper hurriedly issued a command through the AI Friday: "Friday, please tell me Tony's physical condition immediately!"
Her voice contained urgency and a last shred of hope—no matter what, she couldn't lose this person, neither as a husband nor as a father. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "What is this person saying?" ]
[ The Herta (Honkai: Star Rail): "It's the artificial intelligence inside the armor, I suppose. Checking the other person's physical condition through it." ]
[ Kafka (Honkai: Star Rail): "Oh? After enduring such immense power, can this person really survive?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "He definitely can, right? Otherwise, is the hero who saved the world going to die just like this?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "You must survive." ]
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Bless him." ]
[ Tony Stark (Earth-616): "Friday, huh….." ]
[ .....]
〜Marvel Cinematic Universe〜
Stark Industries—
Tony Stark silently watched his future self.
Doing such a thing.
And…
Why did his artificial intelligence turn into the backup, Friday?
Shouldn't it be J.A.R.V.I.S., who he was using now?
.....
『 Before long, the artificial intelligence transmitted the heart-wrenching news: "Life functions critical."
As if he had long anticipated this, Tony only faced it all with a faint smile.
Pepper held back her tears and said gently to Iron Man: "Tony, look at me. We're going to be okay. You can rest now."
She used these words both to encourage herself and to give Tony a bit of comfort.
Iron Man managed to squeeze out a smile, but he didn't speak.
His gaze gradually lost focus, his body began to turn cold, and finally, the energy light in the center of the nano-suit extinguished as well.
The hand that had been resting on Pepper's shoulder slowly fell down weakly.
Tears were already swirling in Pepper's eyes, but she still tried hard to keep herself strong.
She leaned down and left a deep kiss on Iron Man's cheek.
However, this persistence didn't last long before it was broken by grief. She ultimately could no longer control her emotions and broke down crying on Iron Man's chest.
At this moment, all the surrounding heroes were silent, and tears welled up in many of their eyes.
For them, this was not as simple as losing a comrade-in-arms;
The passing of this great hero, who stopped a cosmic-level disaster and did not hesitate to sacrifice himself to protect his home and peace, made everyone feel incredibly heavy and regretful.
Tony Stark, that man who was once proud and stubborn, but always harbored a kind heart and constantly used his intelligence to bring change to this world—he was not only a symbol of technology but also a superhero in the hearts of countless people.
And now, the name "Tony Stark" was called out over and over again with respect by the people, as if entrusting their endless longing for him through this method. 』
『 .....』