~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
read 20 advanced chapter visit my patreon:
patreon.com/fatimasoomro123
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Because Abomination lacked one crucial piece of equipment compared to the Hulk—pants—he lost the battle without any suspense.
The fierce Battle of New York had finally come to an end.
S.H.I.E.L.D. may have successfully recruited Banner, but Hulk himself clearly didn't trust them.
After defeating Abomination, Hulk leapt away across the rooftops and disappeared from New York, leaving behind shattered buildings and enormous footprints carved into the city skyline.
S.H.I.E.L.D. chose not to interfere directly. Instead, they secretly ordered agents to track Hulk's escape route from a distance.
To them, Hulk's exact location didn't matter.
As long as he remained under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance, that was enough.
Nick Fury's calculations were extremely precise.
Everyone had now witnessed Hulk's terrifying combat power. If S.H.I.E.L.D. openly kept him nearby, wouldn't that simply attract countless other organizations trying to capture him?
Besides, Hulk had also caused enormous destruction during the battle, flattening numerous buildings around Broadway and causing hundreds of billions of dollars in direct and indirect damages.
And if someone demanded compensation?
S.H.I.E.L.D. definitely didn't have that kind of money.
As for the unconscious Abomination lying in the street, both the military and S.H.I.E.L.D. rushed to claim custody over him.
Each side insisted the creature belonged to them, and the argument quickly escalated into an open confrontation.
Congress soon smelled opportunity and inserted itself into the dispute, causing the political struggle to intensify instantly.
A dog-eat-dog battle had begun.
Meanwhile, the news media entered a state of absolute frenzy.
For them, the Battle of New York was an unprecedented feast.
Serious news organizations, celebrity gossip tabloids, shady conspiracy websites, and even certain adult-oriented communities all jumped into the chaos.
For a time, if you talked to someone without mentioning shining silver armor, the Hulk, Abomination, or Iron Man, it almost felt like you were living in another era.
The angles of coverage became wildly diverse.
Some media outlets focused on the progression of the battle itself.
Others investigated the economic devastation suffered by New York.
Some questioned whether Hulk and Abomination were the products of illegal military bioweapon experiments.
Others analyzed the scientific theories behind the silver-armored "War God" and Iron Man's Mark-series suits.
But no matter how the comparisons were framed, Iron Man always came out looking inferior.
The results of the battle seemed painfully obvious:
Silver Armored War God > Hulk > Abomination > Iron Man.
The mysterious silver-armored warrior received endless praise.
Compliments poured in like a tidal wave, as though admiration itself had become free.
Especially intriguing was the warrior's unknown identity and the mysterious portal through which he disappeared. Both experts and ordinary citizens became obsessed with speculating about him.
Meanwhile, Iron Man had practically become synonymous with "failure" and "little brother."
After certain influential people deliberately guided public opinion, many media outlets openly questioned whether Tony Stark was even qualified to operate such advanced armor.
Some public figures even publicly demanded that Iron Man release the patents for his armored technology "for the peace of the world and the safety of humanity."
One should never overestimate the fairness of the media—
Especially when someone is intentionally manipulating public opinion behind the scenes.
Criticizing Iron Man gradually became a form of political correctness.
At one point, it almost seemed as though Iron Man himself had become the true villain of the Battle of New York.
California.
Malibu Coastal Villa.
A talk show was playing on television.
The host was the same obnoxious man from earlier—the one who had smashed cups with a baseball bat in Iron Man 1 while encouraging everyone to dump Stark Industries stock.
This time, his performance was even more exaggerated.
He first raised both thumbs enthusiastically…
Then slowly turned them downward.
"Iron Man? Take my advice—go back home and keep playing your little 'save the world' games in bed with movie stars! Over there, no matter how weak you are, those actresses won't expose you. Real battlefields aren't meant for rich playboys like you!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The audience erupted into roaring laughter.
Tony Stark's expression darkened immediately.
"JARVIS, buy this television network for me. Then make him host the next program—and the next hundred episodes after that praising me nonstop."
"Yes, sir."
Tony switched channels.
This station had a much more serious tone, resembling an academic discussion program.
A beautiful host sat beside several experts while discussing current events in a formal atmosphere.
One elderly professor with thinning hair but a commanding voice spoke decisively:
"Humanoid armored suits are undoubtedly a revolutionary invention. Stark is clearly a genius. However, there is no question that he is merely an outstanding inventor—not someone suited to becoming a superhero."
The female host asked politely:
"Professor Simon, are you suggesting that Stark should release the patents for his armored technology?"
"Of course."
Tony's face remained expressionless.
"JARVIS, acquire this network as quickly as possible. Within three days, I want this so-called expert publicly declaring that private property rights are sacred and inviolable."
"Yes, sir. I have already sent Professor Simon a contact invitation, and the television station has received your acquisition proposal."
Tony nodded with satisfaction.
"JARVIS, compile a list of every television station, newspaper, and website spreading negative narratives about me."
"Anyone openly spreading slander gets a lawyer's letter. Contact Pepper and have her organize the legal team."
"If it's a large corporation, buy shares until I have influence over it."
"If it's a small company, just buy the whole thing outright."
"Sir," JARVIS replied apologetically, "some newspapers and websites possess powerful political backgrounds. Several are direct mouthpieces for the Pentagon and the military."
Tony smirked coldly.
"Then start a media war. Push Congress into discussing gun-control legislation again—make the debate louder and more intense so it overshadows this issue."
"Yes, sir."
It had to be admitted—
Tony Stark was extremely experienced when it came to manipulating public opinion.
After a series of counterattacks, anti–Iron Man narratives online began decreasing rapidly.
Under Tony's influence, the media landscape split into two massive opposing camps.
Supporters and critics argued fiercely in public, insulting each other nonstop.
Those who had hoped to pressure Tony through media outrage eventually had no choice but to give up.
Tony Stark was not some powerless nobody.
In fact, with enough money involved, public opinion itself could easily backfire on those trying to manipulate it.
Any extreme measures would ultimately have to return to legal procedures and normal politics.
The courts eventually sent Tony a formal summons—
But he barely seemed to care.
Life continued exactly as before.
On the surface, the Battle of New York appeared to have had no effect on Iron Man whatsoever.
Everything continued according to schedule.
But after the battle, Tony spent far more time locked inside his laboratory.
And the number of martial arts instructors he hired increased from three… to ten.
Pepper witnessed all of this quietly.
She said nothing.
She simply took even greater care of Tony in his daily life.