Chapter 78: NUKE

Tony grappled with Samurai Steel and brought him outside the building. They fall together on the road, making cracks on the highway. *Honk* Moving cars steer away to avoid the battle between them.

"Let's see how much punishment your suit can take. By the way, I like the scarf. Nice touch. " Tony said mockingly. The scarf refers to the bandana with the Japanese flag.

He needs to keep Samurai Steel's attention on him while Ryan is doing his work.

*Bam* Tony punches the chest of the Samurai Steel, making him fly into an empty car. Ryan's disaster app is already working on emptying the streets from the fight.

"Fool. My armor is designed to take all the punishment you can dish out." Samurai Steel walks from the wreckage.

"And return it in kind." He catches Tony by his shoulder and slams him to the ground.

"Sir, his strength is more powerful than yours. I suggest a long-distance onslaught." Jarvis said to the beaten Tony.

Before Samurai Steel could stomp on Tony's head, he directed the energy to his jet repulsor and flew upward.

"Eat this Quasimodo." Tony flared up his shoulder missiles and his forearm missiles. He finishes it by shooting his palm repulsor to the blood-red armor.

The explosion hits. Samurai Steel's clothes burned in the fire, but his armor only suffered minimal damage.

He mocked Tony. "You fight like a younger man. With nothing to hold back."

"Uhhh… thanks?" Tony scanned the damage on Steel's armor. 'There got to be a weakness.'

"Jarvis, scan his power source," Tony said while avoiding the particle beam shot by Samurai Steel.

"Why do you fight the inevitable Stark?" Samurai Steel asks mockingly.

"When an old man tries to kill a million lives, of course, I have to fight it." Starks directed the energy to his center chest. He didn't shoot it out, but made an electron-repulsion field, trying to break Samurai Steel armor from the inside.

"Admirable but mistaken. You thought of me as a criminal. I am merely a victim. Do you think of your father as a criminal when he does the same?"

Tony becomes silent. *Creak* Suddenly Steel's armor started to shake. "When will you learn Stark? I am Invincible".

He caught up to Tony with his jet boots, and he slammed Tony to the ground. He didn't let Tony create a distance this time.

"You think the suit is your ally. You simply adopted…in it" Holding Tony by his neck, he started his attack. 

First, the chest, then the head. Tony felt multiple contusions from his armor. He starts to bleed underneath. "Jarvis, anytime now"

"Sir, the energy supply of the armor is in the middle back. It uses a type of cryogenic flat battery." 

"No one had used the technology in decades!" Tony said anxiously. Steel let the fallen Stark stand up on his own.

"I was born in it. Molded by it. I was a suit before I was a man." Samurai Steel continues his monologue. 

"You won't succeed Asano," Tony said with difficulty. 

"I was wondering what would break first. Your spirit…or your body" Asano said coldly. He is sick of Stark continuing to bug him. 

He grabs Stark and holds him up high. "What are you.." Before Tony could comprehend it, Asano brought Iron Man down to his knees, targeting Stark's spine.

"Arghh" Tony screamed in pain. "Spinal injuries detected," Jarvis informed.

Samurai Steel approaches the squirming Stark. "Die, you spawn of a warmonger."

He overloaded his particle beam, targeting Stark's chest. The energy will destroy the reactor and blast a hole through Stark's body if he succeeded. 

Suddenly, running steps can be heard. A thin sword slashes at Asano's hand and redirects the energy beam to the sidewalk. It blasted a hole in the nearby building. 

A tall man in a black suit, with his black hair and black eyes, stands in front of Asano, protecting the beaten-up Stark.

The most intriguing thing about the man is that he has a stethoscope on his neck. "Coulson is going to pay extra for this," Kai said cheerfully. 

…

Shield has been monitoring the battle. The team who is monitoring it didn't know yet about the nuclear bomb, only the armored man battle.

When Stark seems to be losing, Phil contacts Kai who is giving a free medical examination at a nearby veteran pub. 

"Can you help him until we get there?" Phil asks.

"Sure," Kai said easily, making Phil stunned a bit.

"That's…great. I will share with you the battle location." 

"No need. I can hear the sound of the battle." Kai said before hanging up and running to the scene.

"Hey, you haven't finished yet." The bartender yelled at Kai.

"I'll come back in 20 minutes!" Kai yelled without turning back.

Kai arrived during the time Samurai Steel was finishing off Tony Stark.

…

In the Asano Building, 20 minutes ago.

Ryan had given the napkin to Natasha. He goes to the sealed door and places 4 small orbs there in a rectangular position. *Bzzt* The orbs cut down the door to a 3-meter tall and 2-meter wide hole. 

"Everyone get out now!" Ryan said to the crowd there.  They run in fear of the nuclear bomb. After all, a waitress is the one defusing it.

Ryan is making the people there move. He didn't want any variable bugging Natasha while she is working. He stared at the people in military uniform who were leading the crowd earlier.

'Useless old man. Only know how to bark orders but never on the front line.' Ryan cursed the old generals there. The old leather sofa only knows how to save themselves.

He also recorded a video of how they behaved in the vote before. Some abandoned their wife, some shot their best friend. He will make sure these types of people won't have a future. 

Norman Osborne nods to Ryan before he evacuated. The future Mayor had taken himself outside consideration before. Ryan nods back. At the very least, the future supervillain is still a 'kind' man right now.

Outside, Norman's helicopter is waiting for him. When Tony blows a hole in the wall, the communication is back up. He had been preparing for it the instant Tony brought Samurai Steel out of the building. The helicopter will directly fly him to a safe area outside New York.

Police surround the building. The sound of the sirens blaring can be heard even on the 44th floor. "Damn, they work fast," Ryan said while watching the reporters on the ground. 

An old general pushes a reporter away and runs to his car. "May you all be dead. Hahahaha" He laughs maliciously at the crowd of police who come to help them and the reporters.

Only General Hawk stayed on the floor. "What can I do to help?" The old man asked. Ryan is a little surprised, but he feels the old man is good.

Ryan gives him a couple of black orbs. "If the Samurai come back, throw these at them." It is an explosion orb and a steel wire orb. Both are deadly gadgets.

"Make sure the police block the area. I don't want to see any reporter sniffing in. If the news of the nuclear bomb leaked out. There will be chaos in the city." 

"Hey, come here," Natasha called from afar. She is focusing on the bomb right now. 

"I got connected to Fury, what did you want to say?" She said after Ryan approached her.

"Tell him, there is a possibility of another bomb," Ryan said. Natasha is stunned. Her hand stopped moving for a moment.

"Are you sure?" She asks hurriedly. 

Fury who is listening in becomes solemn. "Let me talk to him," the director ordered from the helicarrier.

Natasha took out her earpiece and gave that to Ryan. He wipes it with a sanitizing tissue before putting it in. Natasha is speechless seeing him do that.

"What? It's unsanitary. I don't want to touch your earwax. " He then ignored Natasha who was disdaining him.

"Fury, check possible locations owned by Asano within 185 miles. He put the Hiroshima bomb here, I think he will put the Nagasaki bomb there."

Yoshida Asano didn't do things on a whim. It is meticulously thought out. His action is to take revenge on the United States, not only because of the bombing in his hometown but the whole catastrophe that befallen his country. 

He purposely mentioned his sob story about his hometown. To make sure that people will only focus on the bomb there. All the noise, the timer, and everything are becoming a distraction. 

Of course, he also wants to blow up New York, but that is not his only purpose. To kill the people responsible for his country's destruction, he needs to aim for the top.

Within seconds, Fury finds the possible location Ryan thought of. "There is one. 190 miles out by the road. 185 miles out in a direct path."

185 miles is the distance between the bomb dropped at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

"Where is it?" Ryan said while walking to the hole that Tony made in the wall. 

"Near Washington DC." Cold sweats appeared on Fury's back. This is a major oversight. If what Ryan said is true, then Shield may be over this time. 

"Send me the exact location," Ryan said before he hops out from the edge of the hole. Without any equipment. 

General Hawk's eyes widened.'Is he killing himself?' The General didn't know yet about Ryan's personality.

Natasha ignored Ryan because she was focusing. She also knows he won't do anything stupid.

A gust of strong wind appeared on the floor, making tablecloths and napkins fly all over.

Natasha had to catch the napkin she used before it flew away. "Bastard!" She cursed.

"Hahaha, sorry," Ryan said on the speaker while driving a sleek, black jet that can break through Mach 10. He also designed it to look like the Batplane.

The gust of wind is from the jet hovering beside the hole in the wall. "Good luck Natasha!" He said before he flew away to Washington. He also had taken Natasha's earpiece with him, but as a superspy, she always carried extra.

"I almost finish defusing the bomb!" Natasha reported in the communication. Fury nods in satisfaction. In her last touch, she takes out the core of the nuclear bomb, and the uranium element carefully. 

"Done! Hiroshima bomb defused!" She said in a cool tone, but she is very excited inside. It is all thanks to the napkin Ryan gives to her. Otherwise, she won't have any clue how to do it.

Even if the core had been removed, the timer is still ongoing. She is very confused by this. [7:53] minute is left.

"How's the thing on your side?" She asks a little relaxed. 

"Ryan just entered the Washington airspace. Tony is beaten up. Kai had come to help Tony." Fury shared the intel. 

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Kai's name. "Where?" She asks hurriedly.

"10 blocks away. They are fighting with Yoshida Asano right now. Tony seems to be injured."

"Natasha, bring the core out of the building. A Shield team will take over there. That is your mission." Fury ordered.

Natasha nods reluctantly. But the order is absolute. This is the Shield's way.

…

Outside, 10 blocks away from Asano's building. 

"Don't interfere Americans!" Samurai Steel scolded Kai.

"First of all. I'm Latverian. Secondly, kind of have to, right?" Kai said. Tony is staggering, but he managed to stand up.

"You're the Kingsman right?" Tony asks.

"Yes. I will open a path. Hit him will all you get at that time." Kai ordered. He runs next to the Samurai Steel and slashes his head.

"Futile! I'm impenetrable!" Samurai Steel just ignores the sword. It is just a normal human. He didn't have to worry about it. 

However, it is just a distraction for Kai. Midway from the slash, he let go of his sword, caught Samurai Steel's head, and slammed it to the ground!

He didn't control his power at the normal human level at this time. He put it near Captain America level. After all, that is what his file shows at Shield. The ground cracked. 

Kai had a lot of ways to kill Samurai Steel. If not for Tony feeling guilty for Yoshida Asano's life and pulling his punches at the beginning of the fight, he wouldn't have an injured spine right now.

Tony's eyes widened! 'Strong!', he thought. He had analyzed Kai's fight before. But this is the first time he sees it himself.

Kai reaches for his sword and cuts the cryogenic battery connection at the back of the suit. *bzzt* the armor becomes unstable. 

Samurai Steel stands back up holding his head. His brain is a little shaken. 

"Now!" He yelled at Tony! 

Iron Man is ready at that time. *Zzzzt* The energy on his chest is at a critical stage. Kai jumped out of the way. 

*Scrrr* The high-energy beam landed on Asano's chest. "Arghh" Finally, his suit is broken. The energy blew a hole in his body.

Asano staggered and fell to the ground. 

Tony walks to the dying Asano. "I know that my family is guilty. But I am trying to be better. You, on the other hand, are trying to kill millions of innocent people simply because of their race. It is no different from genocide."

"Haha. Hypocrite!" Asano spits out blood. 

Tony got the notification that the bomb is defused. 

"Anything else you want to say?" He asks Asano after sharing the news.

"Yes. Do you think that's the only one? You dropped the atomic bomb on us…twice" Asano laughed madly before he died. 

Tony quickly connected to Fury. 

"We know. Knight is onto the second bomb!" Fury replied.

…

Ryan arrives at Washington airspace. "Fury, did you clear the way?" He asks.

"I had contacted the air force and granted you a passage. A team of agents is heading to the place to support you."

In the Batplane scanner, the location of the second bomb is seen. It is a mansion under Asano's name. Inside is teaming with a team of mercenaries who didn't know what they were guarding.

"Damn, do I still need to fight?" Ryan muttered. He didn't want to show his ability to Shield. It was before he realises what he is riding.

"What was I worried about again?" He aimed the artillery with ALBUS's help.

*bang* *bang* *bang* Continuous bullet is fired from the plane, making holes all over the mansion. He had to do it fast. There are only 5 minutes left in the first bomb timer.

"Are you CRAZY?" Fury loses it. What if he hit the bomb?

"Relax. I only killed the mercenaries. My plane has an x-ray scanner. There is only one room without any people in it. I assume that is the bomb."

50 people died in seconds. The Batplane in the Marvel Universe did not follow Batman's no-killing code. 

He hovered the plane next to the room. *Bam* A steel anchor penetrated the wall that is separating him and the bomb. He pulls the plane back, ripping the walls using the plane's force.

"Bingo!" He shared the screen with Shield. He found the second bomb! He zoomed in on the timer. There are 3 minutes left.

"Can you defuse it?" Fury asks. 

At this time, the bomb in New York timer is approaching 0.

A team of Shield agents (hydra agents) is recording the mechanism of the bomb. Black Widow and General Hawk already retreated, leaving only them there.

"Alexander Pierce wants the design of the bomb. If he can upgrade it, then Hydra can launch silent attacks all over the world!" The bomb had no chemical traces, couldn't be hacked into by external technology, and is small in size. It is ideal for Hydra.

"The core is already outside right?" An agent who is studying the empty bomb asks. He is curious why the timer didn't stop.

" Yes. Stop worrying." A bald agent said in disdain. [ 5…4…3…2…1…0] *BOOM* The shell exploded. The explosion is big enough to engulf all the agents there. Small debris fell on the police car outside.

There is a self-destruct sequence on the bomb, created to jumpstart the nuclear bomb in case the design failed at critical moments. That is also why Ryan is only removing the core.

Fury got the news about the explosion. " What the? Didn't you say you already defused the bomb?" He asks Ryan.

"How should I know if there is another bomb in the shell. I wasn't there when it opened up did I? Ryan said in disdain. There is [2:48] second left on the clock there.

The bomb in Hiroshima is detonated at 8.15 am. The bomb in Nagasaki is detonated at 11.03 am. The difference between the two times is 2 hours 48 minutes. 

Suddenly, two fighter jets flew over the mansion in Washington. They started to attack Ryan!

*Bang Bang Bang* Heavy artillery rain fire on Ryan's location. 

" WHICH MOTHERF*CKER IS IT!?" Fury yelled. Ryan had to duck over to avoid the fire.

"We didn't know sir!" An agent said shakily. All the airspace is now closed. They didn't know who was the one firing.

In another location. Alexander Pierce just finished calling his sleeper agent in the air force. "If a nuke bombs Washington…it will be good for Hydra." 

They will have justification to go to war! Hydra thrives greatly in wartime! They can expand their organization greatly then.

"Fury You IDIOT!!" Ryan yelled at the earpiece. He is hiding behind the walls. 

"It is not us. Damn it!" Fury said helplessly and angrily. Who is the one sabotaging them?

"Then don't blame me," Ryan said coldly. The batplane launches two missiles at the fighter jets. *BOOM* The jets exploded into pieces.

Ryan looks at the timer on the nuke. There is only 1 minute left. He wasted a lot of time with the fighter jets.

"I didn't have enough time to defuse it." He said to the earpiece. The agents there are forlorn. 'Is war unavoidable?' The agents thought the same thing.

Grabbing the steel cable from the Batplane, Ryan tied it to the bomb. "I can bring it to the ocean." It is the last hope.

"Can you fly it remotely?" Fury asks. He knows that the plane picked Ryan up unmanned. 

Ryan goes to check the control panel. "Unfortunately, I can't. The bullet from the fighter jet had damaged the remote control functions"

He pulled the jet upward and headed to the North Atlantic Ocean. There are 30 seconds left on the clock.

"Fury. You must make sure the war didn't happen. Promise me!" Ryan said to Fury.

"Yes. I will. With all my effort." Fury saw the shadow of a certain soldier in Ryan Knight. He had greatly mistaken Ryan Knight as a threat. 

"Also, tell Tony… this incident… it's not his fault." Ryan said solemnly in the earpiece. He is saying his final words.

Fury is solemn. All the agents there heard his last word. Some start to tear up. Ryan Knight is sacrificing himself to save millions of lives in the world. 

"Should I connect to Miss Gwen sir? " ALBUS said. 

"That will be lovely ALBUS," Ryan said while he was watching the sea shine under the moonlight.  

Tony at this time finally knows the situation. "No..no…no…no…no…No..No…NOOOO!!" He quickly flew over to Washington.

'If I finish the fight fast enough. If I do it myself, If I…' Multiple thoughts are rising in his mind. He breaks each speed, but Ryan is already 50 miles off the coast.

*Ring* Gwen is not picking up the call. She is talking with some researchers at that time at Philadelphia University.

"Too bad," Ryan mutters. The timer is at 5 seconds now.

"NOOO!" Tony finally reaches the sea. 

[3…2…1…0]

*BOOM* A massive mushroom cloud appeared on the horizon. The light from the explosion can be seen hundreds of miles away!

"No" Tony's senses become warbled. He can feel the shockwave of the explosion even when it is so far away.

All the citizens on the coast are focusing on the horizon. Fury only hears static coming from Ryan's communication line. They prevented a war, but no one in the helicarrier is celebrating right now.

In the depth of the ocean. Ryan's phone screen is displaying a text message from Gwen.

> Hey, sorry I missed you. (5 min ago)

> A bomb in the Party? That's crazy. (5 min ago)

>You are okay… right? (5 min ago)

>Ryan? (now)