A Single Change

Queens

The grand event had gathered a crowd of eager spectators, all assembled within the main pavilion, their eyes fixed on the stage. The announcer's voice resonated through the air, building anticipation. "...Justin Hammer. His presentation will begin shortly in the main pavilion." As the announcer's words hung in the air, the audience's collective attention turned to the stage, where the Egomaniac Justin Hammer made his grand entrance, dancing on the platform.

Justin's charisma was as bad as he began his speach. "Yeah. That's what I’m talking about. Thanks for coming. Ladies and gentlemen, for far too long, this country has had to place its brave men and women in harm's way, but then Iron Man arrived, and we thought the days of losing lives were behind us. Sadly, that technology was kept out of reach. That's not fair. That's not right. And it's just too bad."

A sense of cringe spread throughout the audience, and Pepper Potts couldn't help but mutter, "Oh, Lord." She thought about how sad and pathetic this man was trying to be like Tony.

Undeterred, Justin continued, acknowledging the impressive innovation that was Iron Man. "Regardless, it was an impressive innovation, one that grabbed headlines the world over. Well, today, my friends, the press is faced with quite a difficult problem. They are about to run out of ink."

With a theatrical gesture, Justin had the podium removed from the stage. The audience watched in bewilderment as he unveiled his grand reveal. "Get that out of here. Ladies and gentlemen, today I present to you the new face of the United States military: the Hammer drone."

Drones emerged from the stage, representing each branch of the military. The room erupted into cheers as Justin called out the names: "Army! Navy! Air Force! Marines! Yeah! Yeah! Woo! That’s a hell of a lot better than some cheerleaders, let me tell you."

However, amidst the excitement, Justin acknowledged the necessity of human presence in warfare. "But as revolutionary as this technology is, there will always be a need for man to be present in the theater of war." His statement hung in the air as he signaled the introduction of something even more groundbreaking.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today I am proud to present to you the very first prototype in the Variable Threat Response Battle Suit and its pilot, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes."

Pepper was taken aback, feeling betrayed that Rhodey, a Stark Industries liaison, would let Hammer modify the Iron Man tech. "What?" she muttered to herself.

She rose from her seat and was about to go on stage and talk some sense in to Rhodey, but the room's attention was abruptly diverted as a familiar face appeared in the sky.

Tony Stark, the original Iron Man, descended from above, landing with a thunderous impact. He looked grim, uttering just two words, "We got trouble."

Rhodey, the Air Force pilot, attempted to defuse the situation. "Tony, there are civilians present. I’m here on orders. Let’s not do this right now."

"Give them a wave," Tony angrily insisted, seeing one of his suits that he saw like his own kids be massacred in such a way. 'I can't believe Rhodey let Hammer modify the suit,' he thought, feeling betrayed.

Justin Hammer joined in the exchange, his excitement momentarily blinding him to the impending danger. "Hey, all right. Yeah," he said.

But Tony knew that danger loomed. "All these people are in danger. We gotta get them out of here. You gotta trust me for the next five minutes," Tony said.

Rhodey hesitated, recalling their past encounters. "Yeah, I tried that. I got tossed around your house, remember?" Rhodey said.

Desperation fueled Tony's plea as he revealed a shocking truth. "Listen, I think he’s working with Vanko," Tony warned.

Rhodey's eyes widened at the mention of Vanko. "Vanko’s alive?" Rhodey asked, confused.

'Yeah, how else would an idiot like Hammer, who can't even make anything good to save his life, make these drones?' Tony thought.

Justin Hammer, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, chimed in, "Yeah."

Tony wasted no time in demanding answers. "Where is he?"

Confusion marred Justin's face. "What?"

Tony's voice grew more intense. "Where’s Vanko?" he pressed.

A tense silence hung in the air as the crowd watched the confrontation unfold.

Justin stammered, "Who?"

Tony was losing patience. "Tell me."

Pepper, now deeply concerned, watched the exchange with bated breath. "What are you doing here, Tony?" she asked worriedly.

Rhodey attempted to mediate, "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

But the escalating tension was interrupted by a chilling sight. A massive gun took aim, its target clear.

Tony's voice was laced with urgency. "Is that you?"

Rhodey, struggling to maintain control, denied any involvement. "No, I’m not doing that. That’s not me. I can’t move. I’m locked up. I’m locked up!" As he said that, the Hammer Drones in the audience began to take aim, and panic rippled through the crowd.

Tony knew they had to get everyone out of the dangerous situation. "Get out of here. Go! His whole system’s been compromised."

Rhodey took to the skies, and Tony followed suit. "Shit, I can't control it."

The air was electric with anticipation as Tony was excited suited in his new Iron Man armor, hovered above the Stark Expo. Below him, the crowd panicked but had their eyes glued to the spectacle unfolding.

"Looks like it's showtime, JARVIS," Tony said, his voice laced with a mix of determination and exhilaration. "Let's give them something they'll never forget."

"Indeed, Sir. Remember, the Stark Particles are highly responsive. Your imagination is the limit," JARVIS replied.

The Hammer Drones, now in full assault mode, began their relentless attack. Tony knew he had to act fast. His first move was subtle yet powerful. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating. The ground beneath the drones began to tremble, then erupted into spires of solid rock, knocking several drones off balance.

"What the fuck, did you see that?" a spectator exclaimed. "How's he doing that?"

Tony then focused on the weather. With a flick of his hand, he summoned a powerful gust of wind, strong enough to push back the drones but gentle enough to leave the civilians unharmed. The wind swirled around the drones, creating a vortex that disoriented them.

"Is he controlling the weather now?" another spectator gasped in disbelief.

Amidst the chaos, Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko watched in horror as their drones struggled against Tony's newfound abilities. "What is Stark doing? This is impossible!" Hammer exclaimed.

Vanko, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe, remained silent, realizing the depth of Tony's power.

Back in the fray, Tony's imagination ran wild. He extended his arms, and from his palms emerged miniature suns, small orbs of intense heat and light. With precise aim, he hurled them at the drones. Upon impact, the orbs exploded in a dazzling display, destroying the drones but leaving everything else untouched.

"How did he...?" Hammer stammered, watching his drones fall from the sky.

Tony's next move was even more spectacular. He raised his arms to the sky, and dark clouds gathered above. With a dramatic clap of his hands, he summoned a bolt of lightning, striking a group of drones, frying their circuits.

"Looks like a storm's brewing, just for you guys," Tony quipped, his voice echoing over the sound of thunder.

Rhodey, struggling against the hacked War Machine suit, managed to say, "Tony, whatever you're doing, keep doing it!"

"Working on it, buddy," Tony replied.

The crowd was in awe, their cheers growing louder with each display of Tony's power. He was no longer just a man in a suit; he was a force of nature, bending reality to his will.

Next, Tony focused on the Hammer Drones surrounding him. With a thought, he materialized a field of energy around each drone, compressing them until they imploded, disappearing in a flash of light.

"Sorry, Hammer. Your drones just couldn't handle the pressure," Tony said, a smirk in his voice.

Vanko, now terrified, muttered, "This is not just technology. He's playing god."

Meanwhile, Justin Hammer was at a loss for words, his dreams of military glory crumbling before his eyes.

Tony then turned his attention to the hacked War Machine suit. "JARVIS, let's get Rhodey back."

"Attempting to override the external control, Sir," JARVIS responded.

As Tony bought time, he continued his dance of destruction. He envisioned a whip made of pure energy and lashed it out, slicing through the drones with ease. Then, with a sweep of his hand, he created a massive hammer of light, smashing the drones into oblivion.

"Hammer time!" he joked, delighting the crowd.

Finally, JARVIS broke through the hack. "Sir, Colonel Rhodes is back online."

"About time," Rhodey said, regaining control. "Let's clean up the rest of this mess."

Together, Tony and Rhodey made quick work of the remaining drones. Tony, with his Stark Particles, and Rhodey, with his regained firepower, were an unstoppable duo.

As the last of the drones fell, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and applause. Tony landed gracefully, the Stark Particles dissipating from his face, revealing the face of the man beneath the suit.

Pepper rushed over, relief and pride evident on her face. "Tony, that was... I have no words."

"Just another day at the office, Pep," Tony replied with a wink.

As the cheers of the crowd reached Tony, a new challenge emerged. Ivan Vanko, clad in his own formidable suit, stepped onto the scene. His eyes burned with a mix of rage and humiliation, focused solely on Tony.

"Stark, you've made a mockery of me. Now, I will destroy you," Vanko growled, his suit whirring menacingly into action.

Tony, undeterred and confident, replied, "You know, Vanko, I thought you were all about making God bleed. Looks like I might have to upgrade myself to an Iron God."

With a thought, Tony's Stark Stark Particle suit transformed. The metal around him shimmered, turning into a hypothetical, adaptive alloy imagined by Tony. It was indestructible, capable of manipulating its own density and weight.

"Let's dance, Vanko," Tony said, his voice filled with a mocking confidence.

As Vanko lunged forward, Tony effortlessly dodged, moving faster than the eye could follow. "Slow down, buddy. You're missing all the fun," Tony taunted.

Vanko swung with rage, but Tony, in his new suit, was always two steps ahead. He manipulated the weight of his suit, becoming as light as a feather, darting around Vanko's attacks with ease.

"You're not fighting a man, Vanko. You're fighting a concept," Tony said, darting around another of Vanko's strikes.

Frustrated, Vanko unleashed a barrage of energy whips, trying to catch Tony off guard. But Tony, anticipating this, shifted the density of his suit, making it so heavy that when he punched, it was with the force of a meteor.

Each blow Tony landed on Vanko was like a hammer striking an anvil. "Feels like you're hitting a wall, doesn't it, Vanko? Welcome to the world of Iron God," Tony mocked.

Vanko, now realizing the futility of his efforts, grew increasingly desperate. He launched a flurry of missiles, but Tony, shifting the density of his suit again, became as light as air, dodging the missiles which exploded harmlessly behind him.

As Tony swooped down, he delivered a powerful punch that sent Vanko reeling. "You wanted to make me bleed, remember? But maybe it's you who's bleeding now."

Vanko, struggling to get up, snarled, "You can't win, Stark. I won't let you."

Tony hovered above Vanko, his suit gleaming under the Expo lights. "You've already lost, Vanko. You just don't know it yet."

With a final burst of speed, Tony closed in on Vanko, delivering a series of rapid, heavy blows. Vanko's suit began to falter under the relentless assault, pieces of it starting to fall apart.

"This is the end, Vanko. Your vendetta ends here," Tony declared, his voice resounding through the suit.

With one last, heavy punch, Tony struck Vanko's core reactor. There was a blinding flash of light, and then Vanko's suit Exploaded into nothing.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and applause. Tony stood victorious, his suit shimmering back to its normal state.

Pepper ran over, relief and pride evident on her face. "Tony, you did it!"

Tony, with a grin, replied, "What can I say? Iron Man doesn't just save the day. He redefines it."

As the authorities took Hammer away, Tony Stark looked out at the crowd, their cheers still ringing in his ears. He knew that this was more than just a victory over a foe. It was a demonstration of his will, his imagination, and the limitless potential of the Stark Particles.

"And JARVIS, make a note," Tony said as he began to walk away. "Let's keep refining this suit. The Iron God concept has a nice ring to it."

"Understood, Sir. I'll begin the analysis immediately," JARVIS replied.