Chapter 35: Explosive Entrance - Iron Man Makes His Mark
Everyone serves a purpose, and keeping Wilson Fisk alive brought Ryan significant advantages.
This included funding for laboratory equipment, purchasing rare materials, providing legitimate cover identities, and countless other benefits.
Ryan had zero interest in playing the righteous hero, because in a fundamentally corrupt system, promoting justice was profoundly naive.
Were gang members evil? Absolutely, but they were merely symptoms of a deeper disease.
The real cancer plaguing society was the corrupt politicians and exploitative corporations pulling the strings from above.
For those struggling at the bottom, survival was everything.
If Wilson Fisk represented authoritarian control, then Daredevil embodied misguided idealism—a vigilante determined to impose his moral code on everyone else.
Frank Castle operated more like judge, jury, and executioner rolled into one. Zero tolerance, permanent solutions, no appeals process, no second chances.
The next morning.
Wilson Fisk woke early after a passionate night with Vanessa.
Vanessa pulled the silk sheet up to cover herself, watching Wilson button his custom-tailored shirt. Rather than asking about his destination, she inquired with genuine concern, "Would you like breakfast before you leave?"
Wilson adjusted his platinum cufflinks, turned back with a warm smile. "I've made reservations at Le Bernardin tonight. I hope the radiant Ms. Vanessa would honor me with her company?"
"Absolutely, I'm already looking forward to it," Vanessa replied with an affectionate smile.
Wilson approached the bed, kissed her forehead tenderly, and departed from the penthouse apartment.
His armored Rolls-Royce waited at the curb. He settled into the leather interior and directed his driver toward Brooklyn.
Upon reaching the predetermined rendezvous point, he texted Ryan, who slipped into the vehicle minutes later wearing a Yankees cap and designer sunglasses.
He handed Wilson a temperature-controlled case containing the serum. "Here's what you requested. Some very dangerous people are actively hunting me, so I can't afford public exposure right now. The administration protocols have been sent to your encrypted phone."
Wilson nodded gravely, carefully securing the serum in a reinforced storage compartment.
"Thank you, Ryan. You're invaluable to me."
"Of course. True partnerships require mutual support." Ryan's tone carried deeper implications.
Wilson didn't dwell on the subtext. After parting ways, he instructed his driver toward the industrial facility in Queens.
The moment they entered the factory perimeter, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance network immediately detected the breach. Alert systems throughout the Triskelion activated simultaneously.
The monitoring agent on duty immediately contacted his superior: "Commander Hill! We've got movement at the target facility!"
Maria Hill rushed to Director Carter's office carrying a tactical tablet.
"Director Carter! You need to see this immediately!"
The tablet display showed Wilson Fisk activating the enhancement chamber's control systems.
Peggy Carter's expression darkened. "That's not Ryan." Seeing Wilson approach the primary console, she issued immediate orders: "Alert Rogers and Stark—full deployment, now."
"Yes, ma'am!"
At the factory, Wilson had already stripped down and entered the energy conversion chamber. After loading the serum into the injection port, he instructed his driver: "Activate that power switch. When the output reaches two hundred percent, shut it down immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, Mr. Fisk."
Wilson took a steadying breath. "Begin the process."
His driver engaged the main power switch. The machinery immediately responded with an ominous mechanical hum.
Indicator panels across the control station flashed in rapid sequence. As power levels climbed, electrical arcs began crackling throughout the enhancement chamber.
BZZZZT! BZZZZT!
The lightning display terrified the driver, who instinctively backed away from the console.
"ARRRRGHHH!"
Despite his previous enhancement experience, Wilson still felt excruciating pain, though considerably less than before—definitely within tolerable limits.
Just as the machine reached maximum output, the factory's reinforced roof suddenly exploded inward.
BOOM! CRASH!
A gleaming red and gold armored figure landed in a perfect three-point superhero stance, one gauntleted fist against the concrete floor.
Immediately afterward, the roar of repulsor engines echoed from outside as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet touched down. Captain America led a tactical team of agents through the main entrance.
Wilson's driver immediately drew his Glock pistol.
CLANG!
Cap's vibranium shield ricocheted off the concrete wall, striking the gunman's wrist and disarming him instantly.
"Stay down and keep your hands visible," Iron Man approached with measured metallic footsteps.
The driver shouted desperately, "I want my lawyer!"
Tony, completely ignoring the legal demands, replied curtly, "Who's the big guy in the chamber?"
At that moment, the enhancement pod's door hissed open, and an enormous foot stepped onto the factory floor. Wilson Fisk emerged looking even more massive than before.
His clenched fists sparked with residual electrical energy. "Now THIS is real power!"
Wilson felt raw, explosive force coursing through every muscle fiber.
"Sir, please raise your hands above your head. We have probable cause to believe you're developing illegal biological weapons. Your cooperation would be appreciated." This was Tony Stark's first official mission as a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant, and he was still learning proper arrest protocols.
Wilson then noticed the newcomers occupying his factory: a red and gold mechanical suit and Captain America himself, complete with his legendary shield and star-spangled uniform.
"Who exactly are you people?" Wilson asked with deceptive calm.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division—S.H.I.E.L.D. We're requesting your full cooperation with this investigation."
Wilson stood motionless for a moment, then erupted in volcanic rage. "You came here to ARREST ME?!"
His expression twisted with fury. He seized the massive enhancement pod beside him and hurled it directly at Iron Man.
CRASH!
The pod moved so fast that Tony's targeting systems barely registered the threat. By the time his reflexes engaged, it was far too late. The impact drove him straight through the reinforced concrete wall.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
As Wilson launched his attack, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents immediately returned fire with their tactical weapons.
Wilson instinctively shielded his face with both forearms. Seconds later, a rain of flattened bullets clattered harmlessly to the factory floor.
The ammunition couldn't even penetrate Wilson's skin!
This level of invulnerability exceeded even Captain America's enhanced physiology!
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Realizing he was completely unharmed, Wilson released a wild, triumphant laugh.
Although Wilson's serum originated from the same Super Soldier formula that created Captain America, the baseline difference between Steve and Wilson before enhancement was astronomical.
It was like comparing architectural foundations: the stronger the base, the taller the structure you could build.
Pre-serum Steve Rogers was a ninety-pound asthmatic who couldn't complete a single mile run, while Wilson Fisk was already a 400-pound powerhouse operating at peak human physical capacity.
In that regard, Steve had lost before the race even started.
Furthermore, this was Wilson's third enhancement cycle; the cumulative results were exponentially more dramatic.
Captain America charged forward and drove his fist into Wilson's jaw with superhuman force.
The impact sounded like a slap—minimal damage, maximum insult.
Wilson threw a devastating backhand.
CLANG!
Steve's vibranium shield absorbed the blow perfectly.
Wilson continued his relentless assault while Steve maintained perfect defensive positioning.
After several brutal exchanges, Steve couldn't inflict any meaningful damage on Wilson, while Wilson couldn't penetrate Steve's legendary defensive techniques.
Suddenly, the enhancement pod embedded in the concrete wall exploded outward. Iron Man burst free from the debris and accelerated directly toward Wilson Fisk at maximum velocity.
End of Chapter 35
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