Chapter 9:

Self Made Heroes

"The Devil Of humanity and the Fallen Angel, both have won their battle. Humanity and the Gods are tied in the battle to end all battles!"

The spotlights in the arena were all focused on the announcer. The man who played the crowd like a musician might tug on the strings of their instrument. Everyone and everything was watching.

"Humanity took the gods by surprise and slaughtered the Titan, but the gods are not called gods for no reason! They brought their vengeance and judgment and crushed mankind's champion mercilessly."

Yet again, both sides of the arena were sharing the same anxious look. Each and every one of them had their hearts beating faster

Zeus tapped the frame of his throne. Underneath him he saw the humans doubt the greatness of the divine. He couldn't have that. This battle had to be decisive.

The first victory of humanity was a fluke, and it would remain that way. There was simply no other way about it.

On the opposite side, standing with an ivory mask on her face, Brunhilde had the opposite thoughts.

The tricks of the gods, their divine powers, their holy weapons, it mattered none in the face of mankind's relentless pursuit of greatness. Today, she would show the gods how fragile their facade was.

"Now, let us continue to the third round of Ragnarok!" Heimdall stretched out his hand to the sky.

A roaring cheer from both sides commenced.

Heimdall exhaled as he waited for the crowd to die down. As the light in the arena dimmed, so did the silence, until he could almost cut through the stiff air around him.

"FIGHTING FOR THE GODS…" He pointed his hands to the right side of the arena. The lights turned to reveal the doors.

Slowly the doors opened. Smoke billowed out.

"The gods are known for their mighty weapons. Mjolnir, the weapon that can strike fear in the hearts of mountain giants! Aegis, the shield that makes its opponents freeze in terror, the lightning bolts of Zeus that once lit up the entire cosmos. Very few wonder where these weapons came from…"

From the smoke the sound footsteps drew forth. Heavy steps crawled out of the smoke, the footsteps were followed by the sound of metal scraping over the ground. An odd, arithmetic sound accompanied each step. The sound of metal banging against the cold stone floor of the arena.

"He is the hero behind the heroes!" Heimdall said.

Zeus grinned knowingly at Brunhilde. Göll clung to her sister's side, terrified of Zeus' leer.

"He is not the strongest god." The sound of metal continued to ring out through the arena. "He isn't the fastest, in fact, he is the opposite."

The figure of a large man could be made out through the billowing smoke. "As a child he was thrown off Mount Olympus, IT LEFT HIM CRIPPLED."

A rough hand lifted a pair of robust goggles. Curious eyes looked out into the arena. He had a handsome face, scarred by hard labor and scorched by hours spent in the divine forge. Red fiery hairy fell down past his chin.

Despite his marked body, he looked surprisingly young. He stood straight and took another step forward. His metallic leg left an echo.

The gods looked wide eyed at the man who was representing him.

"That freak?"

"Come on, I thought we were gonna get a good show."

"Who called in the repairman?"

The gods murmured amongst themselves.

"A curious choice," Hermes next to Zeus' throne.

"That's him!" Ares said, struggling for words. "H-He's the guy who always fixes my weapons."

"Haaahahaahahahahahaaaa," Loki bellowed a roaring laughter. "They send in HIM!"

The crippled god looked at the cold crowd. The crowd stared back at him relentlessly.

"BUT DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HIM," Heimdall shut up the crowd. "WHAT THIS GOD LACK HE MAKES UP FOR WITH HIS MINDS. WHAT IS BROKEN HE BUILDS. WHAT HE NEEDS HE CREATES. WHAT HE DISLIKES HE DESTROYS."

The god was well muscled though he barely wore anything of clothing. That wasn't to say he was naked. In fact, he was very well covered. Over his back hung a large looking bow, on his belt was strapped with a hammer. Multiple sheathed blades were hanging around his middle.

Strange machinery with pipes and ticking gears spilled out of the bag he was carrying.

It was as if the divine armory came to life and walked into the arena. From golden nets to enchanted daggers, there wasn't anything the god wasn't carrying and somehow, he managed to carry it all on his person.

The god smirked and stretched out his arms, as if waiting for a grandiose applause.

Fire exploded around him.

"SMITHING, CRAFTSMANSHIP, TRAPS. TODAY HE IS HERE TO SHOW THE UNIVERSE DIVINE INGENUITY! FIGHTING FOR THE GODS IS HEPHAESTUS"

Hephaestus smiled proudly at the crowd.

"Sending your son to the wolves," Hermes commented.

Zeus ignored Hermes' remark. Instead his eyes remained on the young man in the arena.

Hephaestus smiled foolishly, either unaware of the crowd's lack of enthusiasm or uncaring.

He pulled a random weapon from one of the many sheets and held it to the sky.

A flaming hammer.

"Now, fighting for humanity…"

Humanity's doors slowly opened with a loud hiss.

No one came out of it.

Heimdall looked at the door again. Sweat pearled down his face. Did humanity's fighter make a run for it?

Brunhilde chuckled.

"Wait, where did he go?" Göll's azure green eyes peered into the empty doorway.

"You don't think he'd settle for one of his introductions." Brunhilde laughed haughtily.

Just as humanity started to despair a voice rang through the arena.

"I think I'll do my own introduction." The voice that spoke those words was brimming with confidence that was bordering on the edge of arrogance, and only held back by the sheer charisma the voice carried.

"WHa?!" Heimdall cried out.

"I was called many things during my lifetime." From unseen speakers rock music began blasting through the arena. Aghast, humanity looked in all directions, trying to find their champion.

"Fought aliens, fought gods, fought a lot of things. Blew some stuff up, then blew even more stuff up," the voice sounded contemplative.

Certain faces in the crowd lit up as they recognized the voice. "How would I introduce myself in the fight for mankind's survival?"

Far above the arena a light flared up in the sky. It rapidly grew in size. The shape of a man could be seen.

"Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist."

The ground shook. With a metallic clang the armored suit landed in front of the red haired god.

Humanity's fighters rose up. The lights that vaguely resemble eyes cut through the dust clouds. The sound of engines whirring to life flared up as the repulsors on his gloves lit up.

"I am Iron Man."