Chapter 6: He's Blazing Mad

“How dare you kill him!”

Tony Stark was furious beyond words.

For some time now, as Iron Man, he had taken it upon himself to uphold justice. He’d saved countless lives, lives he hadn’t even cared to notice before. Surviving his own near-death experience had taught him the value of life.

But now, right in front of him, this thing had murdered someone in cold blood.

“How dare you!”

Rage distorted his face as he glared at Bren, seeing in his monstrous visage the faces of the terrorists who once tormented him.

“And why wouldn’t I?” Bren retorted coldly.

“You think he was some kind of saint?” A mocking smirk spread across Bren’s face.

Dennis Carradine wasn’t innocent, far from it. His name popped up more than once in police records. Robbery, theft... the list went on. Arrested multiple times, and likely guilty of more crimes that had gone unreported. He was no stranger to gang violence, and his hands were far from clean.

Even if Dennis had been a good man, Bren wouldn’t have spared him. To Bren, family came first.

Bren was well aware his actions weren’t exactly righteous. Uncle Ben and Aunt May would never condone such violence. But he didn’t want to live with the guilt of letting his “mercy” lead to their deaths one day.

He’d spill blood to protect his family if it came to that.

“And what about you, Tony Stark?” Bren shot back. “How much better are you?”

“What?” Tony growled.

“You think your hands are clean?”

“I only kill terrorists!” Tony argued.

“You know that’s not what I mean.” Bren shook his head. “The empire that is Stark Industries, its success wasn’t built on peace, was it? Or do you think killing by proxy doesn’t count?”

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Tony froze, the accusation hitting home.

Selling weapons had been his greatest regret. Since discovering the harm his technology had caused, he’d shut down the weapons division and worked tirelessly to undo the damage. But his sins weren’t so easily absolved.

“I didn’t sell to terrorists intentionally! I didn’t know…”

“Didn’t know? Or didn’t care?” Bren scoffed.

Tony grimaced. He’d heard the critique before but never so bluntly. Bren wasn’t wrong, before becoming Iron Man, he had been a selfish playboy, content to enjoy the spoils of war as long as they didn’t touch him.

“Do you really believe those weapons weren’t meant to destroy lives?” Bren pressed. “When you were developing them, did you ever stop to think about how many innocent children would die because of them?”

Tony had no rebuttal. He hadn’t thought about it, not until the consequences were staring him in the face in that Afghan cave.

“I shut down the weapons division,” Tony said quietly.

“That doesn’t erase the past,” Bren countered. “And it doesn’t mean the lives lost because of you can simply be forgiven.”

Bren’s words cut deep, but Tony wasn’t about to let them shake him. He had no intention of backing down, not from his guilt, and certainly not from this creature.

“I’ll say it one more time: surrender. Hands up.”

Bren raised a hand, but not in surrender. His clawed fingers splayed as he smirked. “Three minutes. That’s all I’ll need to take you down.”

Before Tony could react, Bren moved. His speed was incredible, leaving only faint afterimages in his wake.

In an instant, Bren leaped into the air, his foot striking the arc reactor in Tony's chest. Using the armor as a springboard, Bren twisted in midair. His black tail lashed out like a whip, slamming into the side of Tony’s helmet with a resounding clang.

Tony flew backward, crashing through the factory wall.

The sheer force was staggering. Even though Bren lacked heavy-hitting abilities, speed is power, and a raptor-sized creature moving at hundreds of miles per hour packed a punch. Tony was lucky his suit hadn’t crumpled like tin foil.

Had Bren used more force, the blow to Tony’s head might’ve been fatal—even with the helmet.

Inside the suit, Tony’s ears were ringing. He felt dizzy, his vision blurred.

“Sir, you’ve suffered a mild concussion,” JARVIS reported helpfully.

“Noted,” Tony muttered, shaking off the haze.

“You brought this on yourself, kid!” Tony snapped. His thrusters roared to life as he charged back into the fray. Before he’d even finished speaking, his repulsors fired.

Boom!

But Bren was ready.

“Too slow, Tony,” Bren mocked, dodging with ease.

Truthfully, Tony didn’t stand a chance of hitting him. Bren’s speed made him nearly untouchable.

“Congratulations, sir,” JARVIS quipped. “Someone finally called you slow.”

Tony: …