The next morning, Pepper arrived at the press conference venue early.
She busied herself with the final arrangements, greeting the reporters as they arrived.
With the press conference time rapidly approaching, Tony was still nowhere to be seen.
Rhodes, standing nearby, noticed this and walked over. "Why isn't Tony here yet? Should I call and hurry him?" he asked in his deep voice.
Pepper frowned. She had already called Tony several times, but he hadn't answered.
Trying to remain calm, she replied, "Don't worry. If Tony promised to come, he will."
"I've called him multiple times, and he's not answering. Don't worry, Tony will come if he promised," Pepper said, her brow furrowed.
Yet even she wasn't entirely confident.
After all, Tony had a history of skipping press conferences without explanation. What if he was ditching them again?
If Tony didn't show up, how would the press conference proceed?
These questions raced through Pepper's mind.
As the minutes ticked by, the atmosphere at the press conference grew increasingly tense.
The reporters were already in place, awaiting the arrival of their main subject, Tony.
Camera and video lenses were all aimed at the entrance, ready to begin the press conference the moment Tony appeared.
However, as time passed, Tony still hadn't arrived.
The reporters began whispering among themselves, exchanging theories about what might be happening.
Confusion and disappointment flickered in their eyes, as they had all been eagerly anticipating Tony's appearance.
Pepper felt her heart race; she had never experienced such pressure.
She knew she had to find a way to resolve this situation.
Just as Pepper was about to take the stage to host the conference herself,
A mechanical roar suddenly echoed through the sky. Everyone looked up.
A red Iron Man Armor descended from the heavens, landing squarely at the conference's main podium.
The Iron Man's arrival sent the reporters into a frenzy of excitement. They brandished their microphones and swarmed toward the armored figure.
"Are you the recent Iron Man?" one reporter shouted.
Iron Man remained silent, simply standing there.
Clad in his crimson armor, the reactor on his chest pulsed with a dazzling glow, exuding an aura of cool power.
His presence instantly ignited the atmosphere of the venue.
"Excuse me, Iron Man, what's your relationship with Stark Industries?"
"Do you know Mr. Tony Stark personally?"
"Are you here to represent Mr. Tony Stark at this press conference?"
Pepper, seated in the audience, clearly recognized Iron Man and visibly relaxed. She knew this was Tony's doing—he hadn't forgotten the press conference, he'd simply chosen an unexpected way to make his appearance.
Meanwhile, Rhodes, standing beside Iron Man, nervously stepped forward.
"Everyone, please settle down," he called out in a commanding voice, his tone brooking no argument. "We'll provide an explanation shortly."
He tried to pull Tony away, but the bulky Iron Man Armor proved immovable. It was clear Tony had no intention of leaving.
Rhodes could only cover Tony's ear and whisper urgently, "Whatever you do, don't reveal you're Iron Man. If your identity is exposed, the military and federal authorities will come after you."
Rhodes was clearly looking out for Tony. If Iron Man's identity were exposed, the military and federal authorities would undoubtedly demand Tony hand over the armor's blueprints.
It was fortunate that the federal government remained unaware of Tony's true identity. Had they discovered it, they would have stopped at nothing to claim him for themselves. But before Rhodes could respond to Tony's reply, the reporters below, unable to contain their excitement, pressed forward with their questions.
A moment later, Tony's helmet automatically retracted, revealing the face known to the entire world.
A roguish smile played across his lips, and his eyes sparkled with intelligence.
In that instant, he was not merely a billionaire and philanthropist, but the superhero adored by millions—Iron Man.
He looked down at the reporters below, his gaze carrying a hint of amusement and confidence.
Then, with a slight curl of his lips and that distinctive, slightly arrogant tone, he uttered the immortal words known throughout the Marvel Universe: "I am Iron Man."
A hush fell over the crowd.
Then, as if struck by an electric shock, the reporters furiously scribbled, desperate to record this historic moment.
They knew that once this headline broke, it would send shockwaves around the globe.
After delivering his famous line, Tony put his helmet back on.
The familiar red and gold armor once again encased his body, as if he were born to wear it.
He straightened his chest, his gaze fixed resolutely forward.
With a thunderous roar, Tony transformed into a golden streak of light, soaring through the clouds.
He left Pepper bewildered and Rhodes terrified, alone to face the reporters' questions.
***
That evening, Chen Ye sat in a restaurant, a chilled beer in his hand, his eyes glued to the news on the television.
He watched the news report of a man descending from the sky in battle armor, facing the camera and delivering that iconic line: "I am Iron Man."
Chen Ye chuckled. Only Tony, that arrogant and flamboyant guy, could pull off such an entrance.
*Truly worthy of Tony Stark,* he thought.
He knew the gears of fate had begun to turn; major events in the Marvel Universe were about to unfold.
He needed to hurry and make friends, and expand his own influence and power.
Chen Ye had an idea: to assemble a team rivaling the Avengers—a superhero squad exclusively for Hell's Kitchen.
Nearby, Deadpool watched Tony's cool entrance and decided to imitate him.
He removed his red mask, struck what he considered a cool pose, and said in a low voice, "I am Deadpool."
"How was that? Cool, right?" Deadpool asked Pietro and Wanda.
Pietro glared at him with disgust.
Wanda simply ignored him, completely disregarding Deadpool.
Watching this scene, Chen Ye couldn't help but find it amusing.
***
In the void, a bald sorcerer faced off against a crimson knight.
"Outsider, this is not a place you should be," Gu Yi said calmly.
The crimson knight muttered under his breath, "The power level of this universe is a bit high. Next time, I'll bring the Demon King Old Man."
The crimson knight could clearly sense many auras in this universe far stronger than the bald sorcerer before him. It was best to call for reinforcements next time.
With that, the crimson knight summoned a silver spatial portal with his right hand and stepped through it, vanishing from this universe.
After watching the peculiar crimson knight depart, Gu Yi mused, "There have been too many outsiders visiting Earth lately. I should go investigate."
-----------------------
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