Chapter 172: Helping Iron Man on the Way

"Don't worry about your father; he can just get a dentist to saw off those overgrown teeth," George said casually, noticing Betty's faint concern as they flew toward the school.

Just as he finished speaking, a figure moving at high speed appeared ahead. George squinted—wasn't that Iron Man, someone he hadn't seen in a while?

At the same time, Tony Stark received a prompt from J.A.R.V.I.S.:

"Sir, a large biological energy signature has been detected ahead. Recommend evasive maneuvers."

"Large biological energy?" Tony immediately decelerated, hovering mid-air as he scanned the area. But all he could see was empty sky.

"Initiate scan."

His helmet's special detection system activated, and four figures became visible, one notably massive.

'Spotted, huh?' George thought, realizing his Disillusionment Charm had been seen through.

The spell, which relied on refracting light to achieve invisibility, was ineffective against heat-detecting devices. Dispelling the charm, George waved at Tony.

"Hey, Tony! Long time no see. Busy saving the world again?"

"George? Wait, what is that thing behind you? It's hideous!" Tony exclaimed, noticing the massive humanoid creature George was towing.

"Military experiment gone rogue," George replied nonchalantly. "It caused havoc on Broadway, so I dealt with it."

Tony's expression shifted, and he suddenly asked, "Since you're here, mind giving me a hand? I'm heading to Queens to save some civilians."

After parting ways with George last time, Tony had faced a dire situation—palladium poisoning from his arc reactor. Convinced his days were numbered, he had spiraled into recklessness and debauchery. Fortunately, clues left by his father led him to synthesize a new element that replaced palladium, curing his condition.

Now, however, he faced a new crisis: Ivan Vanko was planning a terrorist attack at Hammer Industries' robotics expo in Queens. With hundreds of attendees—including Pepper Potts—and numerous onlookers outside, Tony feared he couldn't handle it alone.

"Queens? The robotics expo by Hammer Industries?" George immediately guessed the situation.
"Sure, I'll help. Just give me a moment."

Reaching into his storage space, George retrieved a small box and turned to Bruce and Betty.
"I need to help Tony rescue people. Could you two stay in here for a bit?"

Ivan Vanko's robots, made of metal, posed no threat to George. Helping Tony was just a convenient detour. Besides, he had plans to meet Tony soon anyway—having obtained Hulk's hair, George wanted to craft a new batch of alloy wands.

"Not a problem," Bruce and Betty agreed, though they eyed the tiny box skeptically.

"But... this box looks way too small, Principal," Betty added.

George chuckled. "It looks small, but it's got a house-sized interior. Plenty of space for you both."

He carefully stored Bruce, Betty, and the Abomination inside the box before placing it back into his storage.

Tony, watching this display, couldn't help but comment, "Your powers keep evolving. When did you start doing that?"

"They evolve over time," George replied, flapping his wings as he flew alongside Tony. "Speaking of which, what have you been up to? I caught bits of news about you recently."

As they flew toward the Queens robotics expo, Tony recounted recent events. Most were as expected, but George learned that S.H.I.E.L.D. had assigned Coulson to watch over Tony during his palladium poisoning ordeal. Coulson administered temporary antidotes and kept an eye on Tony at his mansion—until S.H.I.E.L.D. became embroiled in its battle with Hydra. With Coulson recalled to headquarters, Tony had seized the chance to slip away, find Pepper, and synthesize the new element that saved his life.

Before long, the duo arrived at the Hammer Industries Expo.

Tony flew directly into the venue, while George activated his Disillusionment Charm and stayed hidden.

Inside, Hammer Industries' CEO, Justin Hammer, was strutting onto the stage to thunderous applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced flamboyantly, "for too long, brave soldiers have borne the risks of combat. Then Iron Man came along, and we thought those days were over.

"But he refuses to share his advanced technology. That's unfair and unacceptable.

"So, we at Hammer Industries have developed something better. Tonight, newspapers everywhere are going to run out of ink!"

With a dramatic flourish, he gestured to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the new face of the U.S. military: the Sea, Land, and Air Tactical Combat Drones!"

Spotlights illuminated rows of sleek, humanoid robotic soldiers rising from the floor.

"And finally, the ultimate in command versatility, the Threat Response Combat Armor, piloted by Air Force Colonel James Rhodes!"

On stage stood the heavily modified War Machine armor, originally gifted to Rhodes by Tony. Shamelessly, Hammer claimed it as a product of his company.

The audience gasped in awe at the spectacle, but the applause was interrupted by a new arrival—Iron Man. Tony landed center stage, and Justin Hammer's smug demeanor crumbled into nervousness.

The crowd, however, erupted into cheers. To them, the drones and War Machine were unproven novelties, while Iron Man was a hero with a proven track record—and a charismatic genius billionaire to boot.

Elsewhere, Ivan Vanko smirked as he watched the proceedings through his monitors. With a few keystrokes, he began remotely activating the drones and War Machine.

"Tony, something's wrong! My system's been hacked!" Rhodes' voice crackled through the comms as War Machine's weapons trained on Iron Man.

Behind him, rows of drones lit up, their weapons locking onto Tony as well.