DC: Becoming Doomsday in Marvel Universe

You could say Rook Tanner arrived at just the right moment. Obadiah was stewing in frustration because all the so-called experts under him turned out to be useless.

That arc reactor they were trying to replicate had been created thirty years ago, back in Howard Stark's era. It had sat there untouched for decades.

And now, despite having that giant palladium arc reactor right in front of them, despite hiring a team of self-proclaimed PhDs, they still told him they couldn't replicate a small-scale power source.

It was enough to make him want to explode with rage.

And right at this moment, Rook came to rub salt in the wound. He pulled out one of those old mobile phones with physical buttons—though by that time, phones already had cameras.

He opened a photo and showed it to Obadiah.

Obadiah's eyes lit up at first, then immediately narrowed in shock.

What he saw was a picture of the defective mini arc reactor Tony had built overnight.

And in the image, Tony was fitting it onto a metallic frame.

It was clear Tony's suit was nearly complete. The Iron Man armor was about to be finished.

Obadiah panicked. "Get it for me."

His eyes bulged as he stared at Rook.

Rook shrugged. "Of course. Why else would I show it to you? But it's going to cost extra."

"How much?" Obadiah asked instinctively.

"One hundred million."

Rook went for the kill, holding up a finger as he named his price—one hundred million dollars, and he meant USD, obviously.

Even Obadiah sucked in a sharp breath.

One hundred million dollars? Back then, the dollar was worth far more than it is today. Adjusted for inflation, that would be like demanding five billion today.

Obadiah hesitated.

Rook noticed his indecision but didn't push. Instead, he pocketed the phone and turned to leave, tossing out one final reminder. "Think it over, but I'd advise you to decide quickly."

Obadiah sat in thought, lost in calculations.

Meanwhile, Rook headed back to Tony's home.

Was Obadiah completely without suspicion or caution?

No, he had his guard up to a degree. But what he focused on was the payoff. If he could secure the arc reactor as the Iron Monger's power source and prove its worth, he'd have the leverage he needed to negotiate with certain powers.

The Iron Monger was basically a modified Mark I, just bulked up with extra armor and weight. That made it far easier to mass produce compared to Tony's sleeker designs.

Tony's focus was refinement. Obadiah's was brute force.

The only obstacle left was the power source.

Was he really going to shell out a hundred million for it?

Back at Tony's place, Tony was skeptical. "You really think he'll take the bait?"

Rook smirked. "If he didn't have that ambition, he wouldn't have risked trying to eliminate you in the first place. Tony, you know what Obadiah wants most? To get rid of you and seize control of the company. The Iron Monger isn't his end goal. It's the profit and power it can bring him."

In other words, Obadiah had already passed the point of no return. There was no going back. He was committed to seeing this through, no matter the cost.

"And to help him fully embrace his ambition, we're going to make sure he believes the Iron Monger is his future," Rook said, that familiar mischievous grin on his face.

Tony let out a sigh. "Alright, tell me. When do we start?"

They'd actually worked all this out the night before. Rook had already laid out the plan.

One crucial piece required Tony's cooperation: he needed to showcase the Iron Man suit's power to cement Obadiah's belief in the Iron Monger's potential.

Obadiah had to believe the Iron Monger could deliver on his dreams. Only then would he be willing to gamble everything, even tear off the mask, to make it a reality.

So the next step was simple. Rook wanted Tony to embark on his first mission as Iron Man—and he wanted him to strike at the Ten Rings in that desert region.

The Ten Rings were Obadiah's partners. Only by unleashing the suit's might on them would Obadiah be truly convinced.

"Let's do it then," Tony agreed without hesitation. After all, he had a score to settle with the Ten Rings.

Tony began final preparations.

The Mark II had passed its tests perfectly. Aside from minor refinements, it was ready for action.

Eager to move forward, Tony had JARVIS activate the paint equipment in the lab. Since they weren't building the Mark III yet, the process didn't take long. Forty minutes was enough.

During that time, Rook and Tony fine-tuned their plan.

They used Tony's resources to mark out all the key Ten Rings strongholds, especially their weapons stockpiles—those had to be wiped out.

Tony's teeth clenched at the thought. Those were Stark weapons, some of his own designs, and they'd nearly cost him his life. How could he let that go?

Even if this situation hadn't come up, Tony would've gone after them eventually.

Rook just gave him the push.

"I'll be with you, watching from the shadows. This is your stage, Tony. Go and savor what it feels like to be a hero," Rook promised.

He'd be there, but hidden.

Tony was about to ask how Rook planned to follow, but then he realized there was no need. He already had a hunch. Rook could exceed the speed of light. With Earth's current tech, there was no way to track that, not without serious prep. No satellite or radar could catch him.

Rook's promise gave Tony a bit of peace. This was his first mission, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited—or nervous.

And as they finalized their plans, word came that the Ten Rings had made their next move.

They had taken control of a village and were holding the civilians hostage.

A team of war correspondents happened to be there and were broadcasting live.

The Ten Rings, arrogant as ever, even threatened to execute the villagers on camera.

Rook and Tony exchanged a look.

"Talk about the perfect opportunity," Rook said with a grin. "Let's go."

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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter