The Astonishing Iron Man
Chapter 11- "Vanko" Part IV (Arc Finale)
It was a bold move. He understood that, but his hand had been forced. Time was not only of the essence, but running thin at an accelerated rate. Undoubtedly, the individuals seeking to stop him would arrive soon. If only there was more time. If only they believed in him and his mission like he did. He was fighting for freedom. He was waging a war against evil.
Just like Iron Man.
Then why did Iron Man want to turn him in? Why did Iron Man want him arrested? Because the way he was going about this was wrong? No! Not wrong! Anton was right! Whiplash was right! And no matter what it costed, whether it be his own personal freedom or life, Whiplash was going to make certain that Volstok was free by the end of the night.
Whiplash stepped upon the property line, jumping up atop the front gate, sitting perched like a stone gargoyle of some sort. Staring grimly at the residence behind his mask, he let loose a roar... A roar of intimidation... Of punishment... Of freedom.
"GULA PETROVICH!"
Dozens of lights lit up in the mansion.
"YOUR JUDGEMENT HAS ARRIVED!"
Men with weapons readied themselves at the windows.
"VOLSTOK'S FREEDOM HAS COME!"
Whiplash was ready to leap into action, ready to enter war with the remainder of the Petrovich Crime Syndicate, when out of nowhere... an energy blast struck the ground between he and them, sending chunks of dirt and earth flying into the air.
When the smoke cleared, Iron Man was standing strong between the two sides. He positioned himself sideways, as to have no blind spot toward any of them.
"Not now, Iron Man. I must finish this."
"No," Iron Man was defiant, "Gula Petrovich is worth a lot more alive than dead. He has ties to the Nefaria family, which runs an international terrorist organization called the Maggia."
"I fight for Volstok," Whiplash prepared for multiple enemies in this war, "If you hold me back, then you are my enemy."
"Killing them all isn't the answer."
"YES IT IS!" Whiplash roared from the depths of his belly as he sprang into action, leaping toward Iron Man, tackling him down to the ground. He then used Iron Man as a springboard to launch himself forward to the mansion. He quickly entered, slaying anyone he in sight.
"ANTON!" Iron Man ran into the mansion behind him.
Once inside, Iron Man found himself in a long hall, Whiplash at the other end. He didn't want to do this, but he was left with no other choice. Tony let the energy build a little and released a concussive blast, hitting Whiplash's abdomen like a thunderous punch, knocking him all the way back into a door at the other end.
Whiplash grunted in pain, but wasn't so easily defeated. With Iron Man moving closer, Whiplash extended his whips to the ceiling, cutting through it, causing it and everything on the floor above it to cave in on Iron Man.
The superhero was buried underneath a massive pile of rubble and destruction.
Whiplash kicked the door in and went about his business. Though, in a much more hurried manner. The clock was ticking. Gula Petrovich needed to die!
Iron Man pushed the layers of rubble off of himself and moved out of it. The armor had taken a little damage in the unorthodox attack, but not enough to cause problems. Iron Man headed into the room that Whiplash had, and found a staircase leading up. A staircase that was broken from the whips. He must have forgotten that Iron Man could fly.
Iron Man took flight... Only to watch a stone statue being flung at him! Impact was straight-on! The force knocked Iron Man back through a wall, down into the rubble he had just climbed out of it.
Guess he didn't forget after all.
"THAT WAS YOUR FINAL WARNING, IRON MAN! THIS IS MY WAR!'
Warning?
Tony picked himself up, now a little worse for the wear. No critical damage to the suit yet. Many more shots like that, though, and he'd be toast. Ribs were cracked but healing. Which diverted power away from the suit. He didn't have the luxury of just sitting and waiting to heal, though. Especially not when he could hear the screams of men being torn apart.
"Suck it up, Iron Man!" he urged himself to get up and rejoin the fight. He did so, flying to the upper level where Whiplash had gone.
He landed on the floor, finding himself at a corner with two hallways. Bodies littered in each, blood splattered on the walls and floor. Whiplash was merciless. Out of control, too. He had to be stopped. This mansion might as well been a corn maze, though. That's when Tony happened to catch sight of a security camera, giving him an idea.
"Vision," he tapped into his own personal communications with Vision at Stark Tower, "This is gonna earn you bonus points; I need you to hack into Gula Petrovich's personal security systems. And now."
He waited a couple moments.
"Done." Vision responded.
"Find me Whiplash and Petrovich. Then tell me where I am."
"Whiplash is in the third floor Library. Mr. Petrovich is hiding underneath a desk in his personal office. That is also on the third floor. You are in the southeast corridor. Whiplash is to your west, Mr. Petrovich is to your north. Whiplash is now on the move. He is heading north, sir."
"Only one way to do this," Tony psyched himself up, "Here goes nothin', Vis!"
Iron Man launched himself through any wall put in front of him. One by one, full speed ahead. Until he was able to tackle Whiplash through the wall of Petrovich's personal office. Iron Man and Whiplash rolled on the floor until stopping, being shot at by two guards. Iron Man quickly shot Whiplash in the abdomen, then disposed of the two guards by knocking them unconscious.
Iron Man turned his attention towards Petrovich, who was literally cowering in fear behind the desk. Behind him and the desk was a large set of windows, the moonlight shining in nicely.
"Let's go, Petrovich, before I change my mind about walking you outta here."
"NO!" Whiplash wrapped a whip around Iron Man's stomach, "HE IS MINE!"
"Arrrggghhh!" the electricity was hurting like hell and damaging Iron Man's computer systems built into the armor.
Whiplash had an idea, a move to make. All he needed to do was get rid of Iron Man long enough to take care of Petrovich. Once that happened, then he would... No... He would not willingly give himself up. He would not allow Iron Man the chance to turn him in. Iron Man was just as bad... One of them. One of the ones trying to prevent the freedom of Volstok.
In fact, that dragon never came until after Iron Man. Those shipments to Volstok were never as heavy as they were after Iron Man was born. This was Iron Man's fault. He had to pay. He had to pay for ignoring Volstok, the same going for S.H.I.E.L.D. and even the Volstok Police! They all ignored the cries of the people, their suffering, their anguish!
THEY WERE JUST AS BAD AS GULA PETROVICH!
The anger reaching a boiling point, Whiplash summoned all the strength he had and attempted to build enough momentum up to throw Iron Man as far out of the window as possible. He succeeded! Iron Man was let go, crashing through the window, shattering the glass into bits as he fell through the sky.
Tony wasn't done yet, though! Tapping into what little power the suit still had going, he stopped his descent in mid-air and roared back into the mansion, landing on his feet but with quite the thud.
"You won't go away." Whiplash stood strong, Gula Petrovich having ran out of the room during the chaos.
"No," Tony was out of breath, his bio-energy running overtime to heal him and fuel the suit, "This isn't the way to do it. Slaughtering everyone isn't the answer."
"No one cared about Volstok," Whiplash explained, "No one has ever cared! The only reason you do now, is because of the American Son Stark. You don't care at all that my people have suffered. If I wasn't using this," he patted his armor and power core, "You would not care, Iron Man."
"I never knew," Tony was able to stand up straight again, "I had no idea what was going on. If I did, I would have been here in a heartbeat. You wouldn't have had to do this."
"Then you understand why I do this?"
"Yes."
"Then you understand..." he paused before unleashing his whips to the ceiling in a repeat of the move from earlier, "... WHY I MUST DO THIS!"
"ANTON!" it all came crashing down onto Iron Man, "DAMN IT!"
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Whiplash skillfully navigated through the destruction that once was the Petrovich mansion. Every second counted in this chase. Iron Man wouldn't be down for long, but hopefully it bought him enough time to hunt down the last remaining member of the Petrovich crime syndicate. It didn't take Whiplash long to make it outside, where he spotted an injured Petrovich getting into a car.
Whiplash moved quickly, making it to the vehicle just as it was pulling off the property. Whiplash was crouched atop the speeding vehicle as it headed down the streets of Volstok. A fist raised, whip ready, the final blow was set to be unleashed...
"FOR VOLSTOK!"
"NO!" Iron Man blasted Whiplash, knocking him off the car and rolling into the street. The car itself skidded before hitting a traffic light and stalling out.
Iron Man landed, hearing the S.H.I.. helicopter coming in hot from behind. Jesus, he had just made it out of there in the nick of time. A second sooner and all would have been lost.
"You are just as bad," Whiplash spoke through pain as he picked himself up, "Evil has many forms."
"It's over," Iron Man said, the helicopter blades whirring above, "Give yourself up, Anton."
"No," Whiplash coughed behind the mask, "Not over... He has to pay. You have to pay, Iron Man. Everyone responsible for Volstok's downfall will pay with their lives!"
Whiplash extended a whip around Iron Man's torso, pulling him in close. Tony had to think fast, but was able to land a punch right to the chest. Right into the power core, destroying it beyond recognition or repair. It caused a jolt to Whiplash's body, knocking him back and unconscious.
"Trust me," Iron Man said as he stood up over the fallen Anton Vanko, "It's all over."
Iron Man gestured for S.H.I.E.L.D. to take care of Vanko. Then he walked over to the car. The driver had a nasty bump on his head and was unconscious in the airbag. The back door was locked, so Tony took the liberty of ripping it off. Inside, he found Gula Petrovich. Terrified. Shaking like a leaf, pissing his pants. Perhaps, scared straight.
A vehicle pulled up to the scene. Nick Fury and Agent Barton emerged from it.
Iron Man pulled Petrovich out of the car by his collar and tossed him to the street in a heap, "Gula Petrovich."
"Anton Vanko?" Fury pointed to the fallen Whiplash, "How do we know he won't try anything?"
Iron Man took flight, "'Cause his battery died."
:::Stark Tower:::
The next morning.
An emergency Press-Conference had been called by Tony Stark. It was to be held in front of his home. All the typical media personnel were there, ready and waiting. Rhodey had attended as well. By Tony's side was Pepper Potts.
"This is going to be quick," he started, "I mean, really quick. I don't have the time and I don't have the patience to keep constantly defending myself. And, it seems like no matter what I tell you people, you never believe a word I say. From the higher-ups all the way down to the common man. But, nevertheless, here I am. Once again defending myself. Look, I have no good god damn clue how my Tech ended up in a warehouse in Russia. I just don't. There's no explanation here. The cut-off date was three months ago. I have it in writing, in print, check out the official records anywhere. Legally speaking, no weapon produced by me before my change of heart has been distributed, designed or manufactured."
"I have it on good authority that my good friends in S.H.I.E.L.D. are currently investigating the matter for me. I want to thank them right now. But, I won't. I'm not in the mood to thank people, I'm not in the mood to be a nice guy. So, as far as whether or not I am truly out of the weapons business goes... If you don't believe me, I couldn't possibly care any less. I am not in the weapons business. That's Stane and Hammer now. That's their gig, not mine."
"If ya don't believe me?" he paused for dramatic effect, "Guess what? ::Bleep:: you!"
Everyone went crazy as Stark flipped off the television camera and went back inside with his assistant right in tow behind. Once they were on the elevator and going up, Pepper felt inclinced to comment...
"Bold statements, Mr. Stark." somewhat sarcastic.
"I don't have time," the ride ended, but only Pepper exited, "Iron Man has a thing with S.H.I.E.L.D. in ten minutes."
:::The Triskelion:::
Director Nick Fury was having a bad morning. Just after returning to the United States, he received word that the Russians wanted Anton Vanko back on their soil. Fury fought like hell, raised a real damn stink, but it didn't do an ounce of good. Vanko was transported back to Russia. Not six hours later... Anto Vanko had escaped the prison he was placed in. And he was only in the god damn thing less than an hour!
Nick Fury stood atop the Triskelion. A catwalk had been installed on the roof by the architect. It had unofficially been designated as Fury's office away from his main office. He was waiting on Iron Man, wondering if he was actually going to show or not. Felt like a 50/50 chance. Then again, it's not like Fury had dealt with any superheroes before.
Eventually, he spotted it. The red and yellow blur shooting through the sky. Not seconds later, Iron Man was hovering above him.
"No easy way to say it," Fury dove right into the shit, "We're able to hold Petrovich for the time being because he's been linked to International crimes, but Vanko's loose."
"He escaped?" Iron Man was at a loss, "What are your walls made out of? Paper?"
"It wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fault," Fury explained, "Russia wanted him back. Our hands were tied because it all went down over there. As soon as he got there, he escaped. No one knows how it happened."
That wasn't good.
"The warehouse has been cleaned out by S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fury said, "The Vanko household, too. He's loose, but he doesn't have his armor or that thing in his chest. Which, by the way, looks a lot like yours."
Tony knew where this was going.
"Under command of the United States President, S.H.I.E.L.D. is hereby ordering you to either work for us by joining our organization. Or, hand over the blueprints for that armor."
"And if I don't?"
"That would be a mistake," Fury answered, "You will then be viewed as a terrorist and placed at the top of every Most Wanted list this world has to offer."
"Screw you, Fury!" Iron Man exclaimed, "I'm not handing over the recipe so S.H.I.E.L.D. can have their very own army of Iron Men."
"You'd be doing this country - and the world - a great service."
"No, I wouldn't."
"Don't be stupid!" Fury shouted angrily, "Think about it. Every bird in the sky is gonna be gunning for you. It's going to be non-stop. It's never going to end until you co-operate."
"I'll help," Tony threw the boss a bone, "But, I won't hand over the blueprints and I won't join S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Then you are willingly becoming a fugitive."
"By your logic, anyway."
"Fine, I don't agree with it, but I can see why you wouldn't want to hand over the blueprints. Why not join us, though? You'd have access to everything that S.H.I.E.L.D. has to offer. We might be able to use you, too. We have a prisoner who's been silent ever since we locked him up. We have a feeling he knows something about you, too."
"Mandarin." Iron Man concluded, "He's dangerous. Don't under-estimate him."
"So, this is it, huh? We're gonna be enemies?"
"I work alone, Fury," Iron Man started moving away, "Like I said, I'll help. But, I'm not joining anything."
Fury tapped his collar as he watched Iron Man fly away in the distance, "Fury here. Tell the President that Iron Man is not complying with orders. Project Avenger will have to wait. Fury out."
:::Volstok, Russia:::
Igor Vanko sat alone in his tragically empty house with tears in his eyes. Hatred burned bright and hot in his heart for his son, but there was still love. An inkling, a fraction, a small morsel remained. Also regret and remorse. Was it Igor's fault? Should he have done something different? Was there a flaw in the way he raised his son? No need in dwelling on the past, but it hurt so much. Once the chaos had ended and the dust settled, Igor's soul was in turmoil over this.
Rather abruptly, he heard a door open and close. The next thing Igor knew, there was his son. No long green hair, no fancy armor and whips. Not Whiplash. Anton had returned home.
Anton stood like a statue, staring at his father, searching internally for the right words to say. Were there any, though? Maybe, "I want to apologize," he spoke in Russian, "And say, this not your fault. I could have never asked for a better father. I love you, and I'm sorry."
Igor approached his son, "What will you do now? They are searching for you. You have no weapons now, either."
"For now," Anton sighed, holding his arms out toward his father, "I just want to say goodbye."
"You have disgraced me, my son," Igor walked closer, "Our family, our name. Our honor is gone. Our lives are over."
"One last hug?" tears threatened to spill from Anton's eyes, "Please?"
Igor took a deep breath and did as his son had asked, "Deep down, I will miss you."
After a moment or two, Igor went to pull away, but was stopped by his son refusing to let go. What was going on?
"I need to ask you something," Anton whispered eerily, "The night I came home and told you of the boy that was robbed. You said you wished I didn't do anything. Why did you say that?"
"Anton..."
"WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?"
Igor swallowed hard, now fearing for his life, "I was afraid of what would happen to you."
"Doing nothing to help," Anton realized, "Is the same as doing something to hurt."
Igor suddenly gasped, his eyes going wide, voice unable to be heard as his mouth gaped open. He took slow steps backward, holding onto his side, blood seeping between his fingers. He looked down, finding a knife in his son's hand. Then he looked and saw the eyes not of Anton Vanko, but a devil he didn't recognize. Igor dropped to a knee, then another, before finally collapsing to the floorboards in a bleeding lifeless heap.
Silent, Anton watched his own father die. No remorse, no guilt nor regret. It had to happen. The guilty had to pay the price. There was no room for leniency of any kind. No room for love in this war. And yes, Anton loved his father greatly, even as he plunged the blade into his side, feeling the blood and life ooze out. But, it was a war. There was no middle ground.
Igor Vanko had worked at that Warehouse for years knowing what was happening. And he had lived in Volstok all his life, not lifting a finger to help the problems that plagued it.
Anton tossed the knife away and left the house, stepping onto the sidewalk and going on his way.
While doing so, he looked around at various dead bodies littering the street. All people who watched their homeland rot with disease. All people who sat on their hands, hiding in their closets, doing nothing. All people who willingly gave control to Petrovich. All people who were just as guilty as he.
All people that deserved to die.
Volstok had been cleansed.
Now it was time to go global.
:::Stark Tower:::
With drink in hand, Tony sat in his lab, alone. Vision wasn't even turned on. He looked at the Iron Man suit that he had worn during his encounter with Whiplash. It wasn't beyond repair, but he wasn't sure if he would fix it up or just use it for scraps toward whatever his next armor design would be. Luckily he had a spare for now, which was what he used to meet with Fury.
Fury was a man of his word. As of about thirty minutes ago, it was on every news station there was. The Iron Man had become public enemy number one. He was wanted for not complying with orders given to him by the United States Government, as well as the United Nations. He was labeled not a threat to the general public as of this time, but that could change.
How dare they say that?
It reminded him a bit of Anton Vanko, though. Anton saw himself as a hero, much like Tony saw Iron Man. But, not everyone saw it that way. Whether it made him a hypocrite or not, didn't matter, there was no way in hell that Tony was going to let Whiplash run amuck in Russia. It just couldn't happen. Killing person after person, regardless of what they did, wasn't the answer. Not to mention, the bad example that it displayed to everyone else.
He took a sip of his drink.
Stark technology helped Anton create Whiplash. Helped him annihilate all those men. Tony had trouble with that fact. How much more of his old weapons were still out there? Still in circulation? They could have been anywhere. Literally, anywhere on the map. And the power core that Anton had created. It was working, it was powerful, it fueled those whips of his well. He seemed weaker by the end, but all the same.
Would Anton had ever created it if the idea wasn't unintentionally supplied to him by Tony Stark?
Of course not.
The legacy of Tony Stark as a war-monger lived on.
"This just in; The murders have not stopped in Volstok. Incredibly, reports are coming in as we speak claiming that over sixty percent of the entire population has been slain. This all coming after last night when S.H.I.E.L.D. and Iron Man were both seen taking care of what officials are calling a supervillain. A young man of twenty-five years, Anton Vanko, known now as Whiplash, had been taken into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody. However, he was sent back to Russia, and it seems as though he has escaped his imprisonment. More on this breaking story as it comes to us."
THE ASTONISHING IRON MAN
The opposite from last time, I liked this chapter. Whiplash was taken care of in a big battle (i'll never use a mansion as a fight setting again) only to have him escape. And now Iron Man is public enemy number one because he refuses to sign up with S.H.I.E.L.D.. I'm not sure how Anton killing his father and over half of Volstok's entire population will be received by you guys. But, I needed him to be solidified as a villain by the end of the arc. So, he's gone a bit goofy and now has a warped sense of justice that he'll be carrying out in the near future.
Three cheers for recurring supervillains!
"Public Enemy Number One" is the arc coming up next.
