Stark, you're finished!

A few kilometers away from the Stark Expo stood a hemispherical ecological park, its exterior adorned with the word “Oracle”—the unmistakable logo of the Oracle Corporation. In the Iron Man movies, the name Oracle appeared everywhere. Some interpreted this as a nod to Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, being the inspiration for Tony Stark, though Iron Man had first appeared in 1963, while Ellison founded his company in 1977. In truth, Tony Stark’s real inspiration in the comics was Howard Hughes—the very man Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed in “The Aviator”—a legend rumored to have had 164 lovers, nearly every goddess of Hollywood’s golden age.

But none of that truly mattered now. The focus was the Oracle Ecological Park itself, for here would unfold the final battle of Iron Man 2.

When Su Ye arrived nearby in the Batmobile, Iron Man was still performing aerial stunts above, trailed by a fleet of Iron Soldiers. Along the way, Iron Man darted through the city at low altitude, making sharp turns, abrupt stops, and sudden swerves, guiding his relentless pursuers—the Air Force Iron Soldiers—into wild collisions with walls. The night sky over New York burst into a riot of sparks and lightning, dazzling like fireworks and lending the city a premature taste of Christmas.

Yet the festive comparison ended there. Wherever these “fireworks” exploded, disaster followed, like malevolent spirits on the chase. Buildings were smashed, parking lots beneath bridges obliterated by missiles, vehicles and pedestrians caught in the chaos. The economic loss and casualties, both direct and indirect, defied calculation.

Thus, in many cases, the line between saving people and harming them is impossibly blurred. Save the life of a murderer, and you may doom many more; to save, in such a case, is to harm. Earlier, Spider-Man had rescued Iron Man from the exhibition hall—a decision no one could reasonably fault him for. Iron Man, a superstar hero who could “single-handedly protect world peace,” would be an immeasurable loss to the world if he were to fall. Who would snap their fingers when Thanos arrived?

But Iron Man’s escape from the hall inevitably drew the Iron Soldiers’ pursuit, spreading collateral damage and turning the night into a nightmare for New Yorkers. To those caught in the crossfire, perhaps it would have been better if Iron Man had simply perished inside. Whom should they blame—Iron Man, or Spider-Man who had saved him?

In the movies, such dilemmas are brushed aside—no mention, no casualties. But in the real world, someone must seek justice for the victims. Will it be the law? As long as heartless lawyers exist, the law will side with the rich. In a free society, it is capital that enjoys real freedom, not the ordinary people.

So in a world where capital wields justice, someone must stand up—using unconventional means—to help those powerless people claim the justice they might otherwise never know. This, then, was the persona Su Ye crafted for Batman. Unlike the original Dark Knight who bore the burdens of Gotham’s safety alone, Su Ye’s Batman needed bear nothing—just a plausible, even grandiose reason to beat someone up.

With Iron Man and company still on their way, Su Ye leapt into the Oracle Ecological Park and began his preparations.

Meanwhile, despite Happy’s car being totaled and Su Ye having delayed her, Natasha pressed on. The roads outside were clogged, but after commandeering a motorcycle, she wove through the packed traffic and made it to Hammer Industries on schedule.

What followed was a dazzling display of combat—one woman, two legs, tearing through Hammer Industries’ security with explosive force. The only pity was the absence of an audience.

By the time Black Widow burst into the control room, the Army, Navy, and Marine Iron Soldiers had already taken to the skies, joining the hunt for Iron Man. Unlike their Air Force counterparts, these soldiers were less adept at aerial combat, but flight was still a basic skill for every Iron Soldier.

Though Natasha managed to reprogram War Machine in time, preventing him from battling Iron Man, the land and sea Iron Soldiers nonetheless converged on the Ecological Park, surrounding the two heroes.

Iron Man and War Machine, together facing more than twenty Iron Soldiers, were locked in a grueling battle of metal and might. The outcome was predictable—a desperate struggle.

Iron Man had already taken a severe beating, most of his weapons now little more than dead weight. War Machine was not much better; after being swung around like a meteor hammer by Su Ye, many of his weapons were damaged as well. Their combat effectiveness was now less than half of what it once was.

Worst of all, Iron Man’s laser device had been destroyed—the devastating move that could sweep a circle around him was no longer available.

Thus, this two-against-twenty-plus battle became a fierce deadlock. In ranged combat, things were manageable; the heat-seeking weapons from Hammer Industries, as exemplified by the notorious “Ex-Wife” missile, were laughable—unless they focused fire, breaking through Iron Man and War Machine’s armor was nearly impossible. Added to that, Iron Man’s uncanny ability to dodge missiles at close range rendered most ranged weapons useless.

As the fight wore on, both sides exhausted their ammunition, forcing the combatants into close-quarters combat. Here, the Iron Soldiers’ numbers became their greatest advantage. The two towering heroes were encircled, battered by a horde of adversaries—the odds were overwhelming.

War Machine half-knelt, raising his hands to shield his head, desperately fending off the Iron Soldiers’ blows. He shouted to Iron Man beside him, “Tony, my energy levels won’t last much longer, and the armor’s badly damaged! If this keeps up, we’re dead men!”

Inside his suit, Tony Stark looked equally grim. “I know, but there’s nothing we can do! There are just too many of them!”

Moments earlier, they had tried to escape by flying, but had barely left the ground before the Iron Soldiers dragged them back down. Without help, they might truly meet their end here.

“Where’s Spider-Man? Did he hide, or actually go home? If I’d known, I would’ve treated him better…” Tony Stark couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Just then, a figure plummeted from above.

“Stark, it’s over for you!” The mask slid open, and Ivan Vanko’s venomous voice echoed out.