Chapter 181: Iron Man - Mortal's Equal to the Divine

Ned yelled as he ran to the other end of the bus, successfully grabbing everyone's attention, causing them all to look up at the gigantic metal ring in the sky.

Everyone leaned to one side of the bus, watching the metal ring and discussing it. It's no wonder everyone was astonished; it was truly a strange sight.

"These kids are easily amazed. Haven't they seen an alien spaceship before?" The elderly bus driver, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm.

Taking advantage of everyone's distraction, Peter Parker took a web shooter from his backpack and attached it to his wrist. He shot a web, opened a nearby window, and silently slipped out through it.

He stood on the bus's exterior, donned his mask, leaped off the bridge, and swung towards the metal ring using his webbing...

Peter Parker wasn't the only superhero who noticed the metal ring. Not far away on the street, Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, was giving orders to Friday. "Friday, evacuate everyone south of 43rd Street, and notify emergency personnel."

Doctor Strange, Stephen Strange, had his hands swirling around a golden ring. He gestured as if performing tai chi, then pushed his arms forward. A golden light radiated out, restoring the damaged buildings.

A blue beam of light shot down from the metal ring in the sky. When the blue light dissipated, two figures appeared on the ground, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian.

"Listen to me, you are about to die by the hands of Lord Thanos's child." Ebony Maw stood there like a gentleman, but his words were far from gentlemanly. "Thank you, you insignificant beings. You shall be balanced with all creation."

"Sorry, but Earth is closed for the day!" Tony Stark shouted, "I suggest you head back to wherever you came from."

"Black Order, is this chatterbox speaking on your behalf?" Ebony Maw's gaze fell on Stephen Strange.

"I can speak for myself, no need for him." Stephen Strange's palms both formed golden rings. "Your actions on this planet constitute illegal invasion."

Wong followed suit, supporting Stephen Strange, his hands also forming golden rings, as he kept a wary eye on Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian.

"This scenario is quite parallel to the zombie alternate reality storyline!" Steve Rogers pointed out, "Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian, under Thanos's command, come to Earth, and Tony, Stephen, Bruce, and a sorcerer 'welcome' them."

"Even Ebony Maw's lines are similar." Stephen Strange added, "But in the zombie alternate reality, he didn't get to finish his speech before Tony attacked him. Here, at least, he got to finish speaking."

"It's a bit pitiful, indeed." Natasha Romanoff laughed, "He prepared a spectacular speech, but the audience turned out to be a bunch of thoughtless zombies, oh, except for Bruce."

"In the zombie alternate reality, since everyone turned into zombies, they managed to eliminate Thanos's lieutenants in the shortest time possible. I wonder if, in this case, the non-zombie superheroes can take them down." Clint Barton said.

"There shouldn't be any doubt about that, right?" Thor said with a very confident tone, "Just look at who we have on our side - Strange, Stark, and Banner, all top-tier heroes! Both Strange and Stark have gone toe-to-toe with Thanos multiple times. Although they lost, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian are just Thanos's lackeys, far inferior to him."

"During the battle between Banner and Thanos, Thanos buried Banner in a wall, but that was when Thanos used the power of the Infinity Stones. Banner's strength is evident, no need to say more." Scott Lang chimed in, "With these four people together, I think we can handle Thanos! Well, assuming Thanos doesn't use the Stones."

"The progression of this world's storyline is highly consistent with the zombie alternate reality, apart from the zombies, so I have to assume that here, just like in the zombie reality, Banner also faces the issue of being unable to transform into the Hulk." Steve Rogers looked at Bruce Banner, "Bruce, what do you think?"

"While I'm still not entirely clear on why Hulk would refuse to come out, I agree. I assume there will be a situation in the video where Hulk refuses to emerge." Bruce Banner said.

"That Shadow Imitation Technique came just in time." Natasha Romanoff said, "It might not be as powerful as Rasegan, but it's enough for self-preservation."

"If you have teammates, the Shadow Imitation Technique is the most powerful supportive ability." Steve Rogers said.

"I'm pretty satisfied with this ability. In group battles, I'll have options now. I can use the imitation technique to assist, instead of relying on becoming the Hulk." Bruce Banner said.

The video continued to play.

"He told you to scram, Squidward." Tony Stark said to Ebony Maw, giving him a fitting nickname.

"He's quite annoying." Ebony Maw put his hands together in a gesture of patience, maintaining his usual "elegance," and said to his companion Cull Obsidian, "Bring forth the Infinity Stones."

Incoherent sounds came out of Cull Obsidian's mouth as he tossed his massive axe onto the ground and stomped towards Tony Stark and the others.

"Bruce, it's your turn." Tony Stark initially had no intention of taking action himself. He planned on having the Hulk handle someone like Cull Obsidian. He was quite suitable to be smashed by the Hulk.

"Come out! Come out! Hurry up and come out!" Bruce Banner's heart wanted to strangle the Hulk at this moment.

Bang!

Cull Obsidian swung his axe at a car, getting closer and closer to the group.

Meanwhile, Wong, Stephen Strange, and Tony Stark were all watching Bruce Banner, eagerly waiting for his transformation.

"Indeed, this version of Bruce Banner seems to have the same problem of being unable to transform." Phil Coulson remarked upon seeing this.

"This is a problem. We need to thoroughly investigate why." Nick Fury's gaze was fixed on Bruce Banner, "In situations like this, the Hulk is undoubtedly the best choice, but he stubbornly refuses to come out."

"Even if the big guy doesn't show up, it shouldn't be a problem, right?" Bruce Banner said, "Stephen and Tony are here. They should be able to handle Thanos's two lackeys."

"Where's the big guy?" Tony Stark, in the video, saw that Bruce Banner was still not transforming and couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know. He's been moody lately." Bruce Banner spread his hands helplessly.

"We don't have time for jokes now." Tony Stark pointed at the approaching Cull Obsidian, "Deal with him quickly! Hurry!"

Bruce Banner knew the formidable enemy was nearing. He desperately tried to transform, but even though his face turned red, he just couldn't complete the transformation.

"You make me look bad in front of the Sorcerer Supreme." Tony Stark said, quite speechless.

"I'm embarrassed too. I tried, but he won't come out." Bruce Banner hurriedly explained.

Since the Hulk wasn't showing up, Tony Stark took matters into his own hands. He slapped his chest, and the armor began flowing over him. In just a few seconds, he was fully suited up, much faster than before.

Cull Obsidian was now right in front of them, raising his huge axe, ready to strike. Tony Stark extended his arm over his head, and a large shield appeared on his forearm. With a loud bang, the axe struck the shield.

Boom!

Tony Stark followed with a punch to Cull Obsidian's face. Then he extended both arms, and four curved components flew out from his back, hovering in the air.

The components lit up one by one, and blue energy beams shot out from them. Cull Obsidian had just charged forward and was hit directly by the energy beams. He was sent flying back.

"Awesome!" Peter Parker's eyes sparkled as he watched, "Mr. Stark, this suit is so cool."

"Well, it's not bad." Seeing Peter Parker looking at him with admiration, Tony Stark inexplicably felt a sense of accomplishment.

"You wore this suit when you fought Thanos, right?" Steve Rogers couldn't help but comment, "It's truly an incredible armor."

"Beating Thanos is like beating a god for us." Clint Barton also looked at Tony Stark with great admiration, "But Tony, he's truly a mortal yet can stand shoulder to shoulder with gods due to his intelligence and wit!"

"Thor is a god, but he was pinned down and rubbed against the ground by Thanos. Thanos isn't just similar to a god; he is a god." Steve Rogers said, "Tony, as a mortal, can stand shoulder to shoulder with divinity, which is truly remarkable."

"Mortal's Equal to the Divine?" Nick Fury muttered, "Captain, you've given Tony quite a high evaluation."

"It's not an exaggeration." The real god Thor spoke up, "Tony deserves it. He truly stands as a mortal's equal to the divine."

"Everyone, shut up. If we keep talking, Tony might burst into laughter." James Rhodes teased from the side, "Look how hard he's trying not to laugh now." He patted Tony Stark's shoulder, "It's okay, go ahead and laugh. Everyone knows what kind of person you are."

"Hahaha!" Tony Stark burst into laughter, laughing heartily three times. When he finished, he explained with a straight face, "I'm not laughing because of the 'mortal's equal to the divine' thing. I just remembered a really funny joke."

"What on earth are you?" In the video, Bruce Banner was taken aback by Tony Stark's actions and immediately inquired.

"This is nanotechnology. Impressive, isn't it?" Tony Stark turned around and said with some pride.

Countless bloody truths have shown that one cannot be too proud. As soon as Tony Stark finished boasting, Ebony Maw in the distance casually raised his hand. A torrent of mud erupted from under Tony Stark's feet, propelling him high into the air.

Ebony Maw raised his hand again, summoning trees from the street. They floated in the air, then shot toward the group.

Wong propped up a massive golden disc to defend against them.

"Dr. Banner, since the big green guy inside you doesn't want to come out..." Stephen Strange opened a portal in the air and teleported Bruce Banner to a distant location.

Tony Stark, who had been launched into the air, flew back down and aimed a car at Ebony Maw. Ebony Maw was still standing there. He casually extended his hand, and with a crisp sound, the car seemed to be split in half by an invisible blade.

"You need to get the Infinity Stone out of here quickly." Tony Stark turned to Stephen Strange and said.

"The gem must stay with me," Stephen Strange said firmly.

"Fine then, goodbye." Tony Stark turned and flew towards Cull Obsidian. Cull Obsidian stood there, pointing his hands and transforming the surrounding buildings into thick steel-reinforced concrete arms. He attacked Tony Stark relentlessly.

Seeing Tony Stark agilely maneuvering through the concrete arms' attacks without getting hit, Cull Obsidian threw his axe. The axe instantly extended, striking Tony Stark and then continuing to elongate, sending him flying dozens of meters away. Tony crashed through a building and collided with a tree.

"Tony, are you okay? How are you?" Bruce Banner, who had just been teleported by Stephen Strange, hurried over.

"I'm fine, I'm good." Tony Stark lay on the ground and asked, "Aren't you going to do something?"

"I've tried, he won't come out," Bruce Banner said.

Boom!

A loud sound came from behind. Cull Obsidian crashed out of a building, extending his axe which struck at Bruce Banner.

Tony Stark flew over and tackled Bruce Banner to the side, causing the axe to hit the ground. Tony's suit emitted a dazzling light, and energy beams sliced toward Cull Obsidian. However, Cull Obsidian retracted his axe, forming a shield in front of his chest. The energy beams struck the shield and were refracted, severing several trees. One tree nearly hit Bruce Banner.

"Hurry up, Hulk! What do you want to do?" Bruce Banner crawled on the ground and slapped his own face, "Come out, come out, come out!"

Whether it was the slaps or something else, the Hulk indeed came out, but he didn't engage in combat. He just shouted "No!" and then retreated.

"What do you mean by 'no'?" Bruce Banner lay on the ground, exasperated.

While Bruce Banner was "dropping the ball" here, Tony Stark was engaged in a fierce battle with Cull Obsidian elsewhere. Tony Stark flew through the air, constantly launching energy attacks at Cull Obsidian. However, after a few shots, Cull Obsidian's axe brought him crashing down.

Despite needing to conduct a long-range attack in the air, it was unclear why Tony Stark didn't fly higher and instead flew almost skimming the ground. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been knocked down from the air like that.

This fall left Tony Stark in a sorry state, lying on the ground.

Taking advantage of this, Cull Obsidian swung his axe at Tony Stark on the ground. However, the axe mysteriously stopped mid-air, caught by a young man in red and blue attire.

"Are you okay, Mr. Stark?" Peter Parker, the young Spider-Man, greeted Tony Stark as he held the axe.

"Kid, what are you doing here?" Tony Stark asked.

"Just here for a field trip..." Peter Parker's words were cut off as Cull Obsidian threw him away, landing over a dozen meters away.

"Is this guy crazy, Mr. Stark?" Peter Parker's body was surprisingly tough. After being thrown like that, he seemed unfazed, as if he had been scratched by a cat. He got up and began shooting webs.

"He's not from Earth; he's here to steal Doctor Strange's necklace." Tony Stark said while battling Cull Obsidian.

While Tony and Peter, this "father-son" pair, fought Cull Obsidian, Stephen Strange and Wong were busy with Ebony Maw. They were locked in intense combat.

Wong raised his hands, and red bricks floated around him. With a wave of his hand, the bricks rapidly fell, transforming from rectangular blocks into sharp spikes.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

These spike projectiles shot towards Stephen Strange and Wong.

Dealing with this trick was rather simple for them. Wong and Stephen Strange each drew a circle in front of them, conjuring golden portals. The spike projectiles from Ebony Maw flew into Wong's portal and re-emerged from Stephen Strange's portal.

However, their trajectories were altered upon emerging and rapidly shot back towards Ebony Maw himself!

Ebony Maw raised his hand, grabbing a small car and holding it against his chest. The incoming spike projectiles hit the car and most of them were deflected. Yet, one managed to pierce through the car's defense and struck Ebony Maw's face.

"Ah!" Cull Obsidian let out a painful cry, his face contorted with anger. He gestured towards the roadside with a wave of his hand, and a massive water valve suddenly shot out a powerful stream, sending Wong soaring into the sky.

Stephen Strange raised his hand and flicked his wrist, sending a golden whip of light shooting out. The whip coiled around Cull Obsidian, but he used the momentum of Stephen Strange's attack to counter, rushing forward and slamming Stephen Strange against the wall.

Despite being upside down, Cull Obsidian seemed unaffected by gravity, hovering in place. He gestured, and the red bricks on the wall seemed to come to life, surging towards Stephen Strange and engulfing him.

"You're quite skilled, but you're just a magician," Cull Obsidian taunted as he reached for a small golden disc hanging around Stephen Strange's neck.

Cull Obsidian grabbed the golden disc, but it emitted a dazzling light that burned his hand.

"Being hurt by a magician, that's embarrassing," Stephen Strange mocked.

"Let's see if you're tough in body as well as words!" Cull Obsidian grabbed Stephen Strange's collar, pulling him out of the wall and throwing him onto the ground.

As soon as Stephen Strange landed, he stretched out his hands to cast a spell. However, two vines sprouted from the ground, entwining his hands and preventing him from using magic.

Then, more vines emerged from the ground, wrapping around Stephen Strange's body and even looping around his neck.

Cull Obsidian stood in the void and extended his hand. The vines tightened around Stephen Strange, constricting him tightly.

"Even if I die, you'll never get the Time Stone," Stephen Strange struggled to utter the words through his constricted throat.

"Then I'll make sure you're worse than dead," Cull Obsidian extended his hand again. The vines around Stephen Strange continued to tighten, especially the ones around his neck, making it difficult for him to breathe.

Thud!

Stephen Strange fell to the ground.

This formidable sorcerer, who had once battled Thanos and held his own, was now lying defeated.

"Is this for real? Is this not working? Are you sure this isn't a joke?" Thor couldn't help but speak up, "Doctor Strange got knocked out like this?"

"It's hard to believe. He fought Thanos with such determination, yet he was defeated by one of Thanos' lackeys," Steve Rogers said, pausing before adding, "Well, Cull Obsidian isn't exactly a 'lackey,' but he's still just one of Thanos' subordinates. Stephen was able to fight Thanos to that extent; he shouldn't have been taken down so easily."

"Yeah, it seems way too easy to be defeated like this," Tony Stark also found it hard to believe. He turned to Stephen Strange and asked, "When you fought Thanos, you had so many tricks up your sleeve. How come none of those worked against this guy, Octopus Face?"

"I tried, but I was interrupted," Stephen Strange weakly defended himself.

"That's the part I find most ridiculous," Phil Coulson chimed in, "You're such a powerful sorcerer, and yet you're helpless when your hands are tied. Your weakness is just too obvious!"

"I let my guard down, that must be it. I definitely let my guard down," Stephen Strange was reluctant to admit that he was defeated because his hands were tied.

But even more humiliation awaited him. He was captured!

A superpowerful being who had once destroyed an entire universe in an alternate reality had not only been defeated but also captured as a prisoner!

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[END OF CHAPTER]