Screams tore through the exhibition hall as the combat drones suddenly turned hostile, all weapons locking onto Iron Man at once.
"So it's me, huh?" Tony muttered. He immediately shot toward the open air, drawing fire away from the crowd.
War Machine and the aerial drones followed in pursuit, rotary cannons blazing as they chased him out of the hall. On the ground, the remaining land and naval units powered up their anti-air systems, preparing to move outside and join the hunt.
That was when Rowan Mercer dropped his concealment spell and stepped directly into their path.
"I think," he said calmly, "you'd all be better off staying right here."
"Kill him."
Far away, Ivan Vanko's eyes flashed with cold fury as he issued the command. Every visible weapon pivoted toward Rowan.
Then his screens went red.
All land and naval units blinked offline simultaneously, their feeds cutting out as if someone had ripped the wires straight from reality.
Vanko froze. That wasn't possible.
No missile strike. No explosion. The aerial drones were still operational and chasing Stark. Which meant the systems hadn't been wiped entirely.
Someone had selectively shut down part of his army.
Impossible.
Snarling, Vanko abandoned the puzzle and refocused on his real target. Stark would die first. Questions could wait.
Inside the hall, Rowan stood amid rows of motionless machines. Moments earlier, he had frozen them solid with a stasis charm. The spell didn't just halt movement; it suspended function, locking even advanced electronics into inert stillness.
"Safer to remove the problem entirely," Rowan said.
Blue-white flames erupted from his hand, engulfing the immobilized machines. One by one, the drones melted down into pools of glowing metal. Any hidden explosives went with them, rendered harmless in the fire.
"Rowan!"
Pepper Potts pushed through the stunned crowd, having recognized him.
"What's happening?"
"Tony asked for help," Rowan replied. "He can explain the rest."
Before she could ask more, he unfurled his white wings and rose straight into the air.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Did you see that?"
"An angel…"
"I swear, an angel saved us."
High above the Expo Hall, Tony was holding his own through skill and superior firepower, but he was still being boxed in by War Machine and the remaining drones.
"Tony," Rowan's voice boomed across the sky. "Fly to me."
Tony didn't hesitate. He spun hard and accelerated toward Rowan's position, with War Machine and the drones right behind him.
The instant they crossed into range, Rowan lifted his hand.
"Hold."
Magnetic force surged outward. War Machine and the drones lurched and locked in place midair, engines screaming as they fought against the restraint.
It wouldn't last long.
It didn't need to.
A radiant sigil flared above Rowan's head, bathing the sky in pure white light.
"Lightfall."
A storm of luminous spears rained down, punching through steel as if it were paper. One by one, the drones detonated, fragments burning out as they fell toward the city below.
From the streets, civilians stared upward in stunned silence.
Tony watched the display with open admiration.
"Okay. That's ridiculous. I really need to upgrade my EMP designs."
Only War Machine remained.
Rowan hadn't touched him.
Inside the suit, Rhodey was struggling, but the real shock belonged to Ivan Vanko. At last, he understood how his ground units had vanished.
"This shouldn't exist," Vanko whispered.
"Hold him steady," Tony said. "I'll fix the software."
Rowan tightened the magnetic field around War Machine, concentrating all restraint on a single target. When the rear-mounted gun tried to deploy, Rowan flicked his wrist.
The weapon twisted, reshaped, and transformed into a loaf of bread.
Tony reached War Machine's back, popped open a panel, and plunged his hand inside to sever the control link.
The fight was over.