*Whoosh!!!*
The phone was hurled downstairs by Heisenberg, instantly smashing a crater nearly half a meter wide and twenty centimeters deep near the intersection.
The flying debris sent a dozen protesters wailing, but instead of halting the march, these bastards only grew louder!
"Look at this! He's so arrogant!"
"He thinks he's God!"
"He won't let us use drugs!!!"
"Only his gun stores can sell weapons!"
"He's as evil as Jade Giant!"
"An alien Sith Lord!!!"
"We need a savior!"
"America doesn't need alien spirits!!!"
Listening to their chants, Heisenberg seethed for a moment before gradually calming down.
Undoubtedly, these bastards were trying to provoke him, push him to lose control, and commit violence in front of countless witnesses!
Then they'd use that violence to attack him relentlessly.
If they succeeded, Heisenberg might swiftly transform in the media's eyes from the Hulk's nemesis and New York's protector into an alien killer and cosmic Sith Lord!
But so what!!!
Heisenberg wouldn't swallow his pride, nor would he take a single insult.
Even if you're provoking me, I'll make you suffer while your plan backfires!
He repeated his tactic, blowing a gust of cold air toward the pool.
A massive ice block instantly crashed toward the densest crowd below.
*Pool:* "You always leave me dry…"
*Whoosh!!!*
This time, Heisenberg didn't shatter the ice with his heat vision.
If that colossal ice block hit the crowd, over fifty people would instantly be pulverized.
The protesters weren't fools from a TV show.
Spotting the ice falling from the sky, those in the center panicked.
They tried to flee, but the crowd pressed in from all sides.
Pushing, trampling, and falling ensued, with many simply waiting for death.
In mere moments, despair engulfed them.
Unfortunately…
Dozens of streaks of light flashed, and the thick ice block was obliterated by precision-guided micro-missiles at sixty meters above the ground.
The explosions sent the crowd tumbling.
The shockwaves left many ears ringing, but no one complained about the bombs.
The ice that could have killed them was now shattered into tiny fragments.
Still, they weren't unscathed. First, the blast wave knocked them down, then the falling ice shards pummeled them.
As they struggled to their feet, nearly all had bloodied faces.
As for their resolve to continue protesting…
It only grew stronger!
Because Iron Man had rescued them!
Even if Tony had only acted to save lives, his intervention boosted the protesters' morale.
And when Iron Man clashed with Heisenberg, one of them had to be wrong.
If New Yorkers didn't blame Tony, then everyone would know Heisenberg was at fault!
…
On the rooftop, Heisenberg frowned at the flashes in the sky.
After hastily launching the missiles, Iron Man himself sped toward the scene.
He'd arrived so quickly because Jarvis had alerted him early on, as the protest had begun gathering.
As for how Jarvis got the info…
Don't ask. AI is just that good.
Anyway, *I*, Tony Stark, definitely didn't hack into New York's surveillance system.
What Jarvis does has nothing to do with me, Tony Stark.
In the past, Tony saving "New Yorkers" again wouldn't have bothered Heisenberg.
After all, he admired Stark… especially the Stark who snapped his fingers.
If Heisenberg were in that situation, he'd never… cough, he wouldn't have rushed out to fight Thanos.
With a wife and daughter, Heisenberg would only mourn those who vanished with his family.
Precisely because he couldn't do it, he respected those who could.
But today…
"Tony Stark…"
Heisenberg muttered.
"You're *really* annoying!"
*Boom!!!*
Heisenberg broke the sound barrier, seizing Tony's iron-clad neck in full view of the crowd.
Iron Man and Jarvis couldn't even track his movement.
Earth's current tech can't analyze speeds exceeding tens of thousands of Mach up close.
As for Iron Man's later miraculous armors—while they showcased Tony's genius—he undeniably benefited immensely from the Chitauri invasion.
Without that alien tech expanding his horizons, he might still have developed those armors, but far slower than in the original timeline.
In short, even Iron Man's current armor couldn't block a single punch from Heisenberg now!
To withstand three punches or two kicks, he'd need the nano-armor he used against Thanos.
So…
With his neck gripped by Heisenberg, Tony rolled his eyes beneath his helmet.
"Hello, Heisenberg… uh~ you're squeezing too hard! Are you trying to crush me?!"
Heisenberg ignored his plea, tightening his right hand until the armor around Tony's neck dented.
As the tightness around his throat intensified, Tony felt genuine fear, but what made him a hero was…
"Stop!!! Ugh, I can't breathe! I'm just saying there are better ways to handle this than slaughter…"
"You talk too much, Tony!"
Heisenberg cut him off, pulling Tony close.
With his free left hand, he reached for Tony's faceplate.
A pinch, a pull—Tony's face was exposed.
His multimillion-dollar faceplate, controlling the entire armor and Jarvis, was flung away.
Gazing at the struggling man before him, Heisenberg scoffed.
"Tony Stark, arrogant playboy, you think being a CEO means you can do whatever you want?"
*Smack!*
A fierce slap shattered Tony's armor.
Heisenberg even activated his biological stance, reducing the armor to fragments that fell from Tony's body.
Without its protection, Tony was just a helpless man in Heisenberg's grip.
He thrashed wildly, his legs flailing like a fish out of water.
Heisenberg continued, unrelenting.
"You think you saved them, but I guarantee they're Hell's Kitchen criminals causing chaos.
You know what I've been doing lately. They're protesting because my demand for peace disrupted their criminal activities!
Yes, you saved a few, dozens, maybe more.
But you've built the strongest shield for those damned demons, making them think their actions work!
Look at us—you and me—performing like caged apes for their entertainment!
Do you think they'll pity your failure?
They'll only regret your death, that a superhero couldn't stop me. Then they'll find another hero.
If a group of five- or six-year-olds were below, I'd never hurt them. I'd only kill the bastards organizing them.
But those below aren't children—they're villains unworthy of your sacrifice!
I get it, you love being a superhero, but don't waste yourself on the unworthy, and *definitely* don't die for them!
Get out!!!"
As Heisenberg roared, he gripped Tony's neck and flew forward.
They crashed through thirteen buildings before Heisenberg halted against a wall.
Throughout, Heisenberg's stance protected Tony, or he'd have been pulverized.
Why didn't he kill Iron Man?
No reason—he simply didn't want to.
Heisenberg wasn't a true devil; he had his likes and dislikes.
He did what he wanted, and killing Tony Stark wasn't on his agenda—it was that simple.
But even without killing him, he wouldn't make Tony's life easy!
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!"
As they stopped, a piercing scream reached their ears.
Tony recognized the voice instantly. Turning, he saw Pepper Potts screaming.
After a brief shriek, Pepper quickly assessed the situation.
She stifled her cries, rushing toward Heisenberg and the Tony in his grip.
"God, why? Heisenberg, what happened between you two? Please, let him go, I beg you, please~"
In moments, Pepper reached Heisenberg, crying as she tugged at his arm around Tony's neck.
Annoyed, Heisenberg released his grip, and Tony slid down the wall.
As Heisenberg stepped back, Pepper tightly embraced Tony.
Turning to Heisenberg, she asked cautiously through tears,
"Heisenberg, I'll pay any price. What do we need to do to satisfy you?"
"Satisfy me?!"
Pepper's question left Heisenberg exasperated.
He glanced around, then grabbed a bottle of whiskey and three glasses from the fridge.
Sitting on the office sofa, he poured the glasses full.
Before the panicked pair could sit, he drank from his glass.
Setting it down, he softly told Pepper,
"Am I so terrifying in your eyes that you think I demand payment from you?"
Heisenberg gestured to them.
"Stop crying and clinging. Your Tony's fine—I protected him the whole time!"
"R-really…?"
Pepper's tension eased slightly.
Quickly examining Tony, she confirmed he was unharmed and finally relaxed.
Heisenberg continued,
"Sit down, have a drink to calm your nerves.
I'm not mad at you two—I'm mad at those protesters and their puppet masters. I know who's truly at fault!"