Ultimate Iron Man-Chapter 123: Aftermath

AN: I did my best to cover most of the parts. Let me know if I missed something. And nope, not going to include anything about the financial situation of the world. I am not good with that and numbers.

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[ONE WEEK LATER]

The world had not yet recovered from what would forever be known as The Great Reveal.

Cities were quieter than usual. Streets that once buzzed with activity now moved in slow, uncertain rhythms. Flags flew at half-mast in several countries. Screens that had previously displayed the chaos of the Skrull purge now showcased memorials and debates. News anchors wore black attire, and the air felt heavy with an overwhelming weight.

All in all, Earth won't be the same again.

It wasn't just the revelation of Skrulls or the sight of Tony Stark erasing them from the planet with a command. It was what came after. The powers. The fire. The forcefields. The light. The punches that cracked the sky and the battles that shifted the atmosphere. Humanity had just witnessed, for the first time in its history, real superhumans.

And it watched it all live.

Every screen on Earth had streamed the battle. From small towns in Siberia to megacities like Shanghai and New York, people saw it. They saw Johnny Storm burst into flame and fly like a living rocket. They saw Sue Storm generate walls of invisible force. They saw Ben Grimm transform into something beyond human, glowing purple with every punch that created massive craters. They saw Yelena, Natasha, and Melina in armor that moved faster than thought. And above all, they saw Tony Stark and Carol, burning gold, defying space itself.

The reactions were mixed.

In Times Square, people had gathered daily since the event. The giant screens replayed clips on a loop. Tony's resurrection. Carol's defeat. The satellite activation. And the final moment when the last of the Skrulls turned to ash.

Street vendors now sell shirts with Stark's face. Muralists painted the skyline with silhouettes of the new heroes. New hashtags were trending.

#StarkSavedUs

#SuperheroesRules

#EarthFirst

#NeverAgain

Some people rejoiced. For them, it was proof that humanity was no longer helpless. That finally, Earth had defenders who could stand toe-to-toe with anything the stars threw at them.

Others weren't celebrating.

Protesters gathered near federal buildings, holding signs that read "NO GODS ON EARTH" and "WHO WATCHES STARK?" They didn't care that Tony had saved the planet. They feared what came next.

One protester, a young woman in Chicago, said it clearly. "What if the next threat isn't alien? What if it's them?"

In Berlin, banners hung from overpasses demanding regulation.

"We Need Accountability"

The EU called an emergency session to discuss how to handle the rise of powered individuals. Several nations had already begun drafting proposals to register, monitor, or limit the influence of the heroes. A leaked internal memo from Brussels called Tony Stark "a strategic threat to global order."

In cities like Rio de Janeiro and Santo Domingo, churches were packed. Priests and preachers spoke of prophecy and judgment. Some called Tony a false messiah. Others said he was chosen. There was division in every sermon.

One church leader declared, "If a man can return from death and burn the sky, then perhaps we have entered the final age."

Tech companies were already moving.

In Tokyo, R&D firms scrambled to dissect every frame of the battle. They studied Tony's movements, scanned satellite feeds for energy signatures, and tried to model his armor's behavior. Rumors spread that Japanese tech giants were attempting to replicate elements of his systems. Quietly, the race for powered defense began.

Back in Washington, the press waited. Reporters lined the room. Cameras flashed. The podium was empty.

[WASHINGTON D.C.]

The new President, George Walker Bush, stood at a press podium outside the Capitol. American flags lined the stage behind him. His tone was firm, his expression grim.

"Good evening, citizens of Earth."

That opening caught a few off guard. He didn't say America. He didn't say allies. He said Earth. Everyone noticed.

"A week ago, we confronted a reality that no one expected. The human race had been infiltrated by alien shapeshifters intent on replacing us. Quietly, efficiently, and permanently."

He let those words sink in.

"We lost good people. Brave people. Families were torn apart. Lives were stolen. But thanks to the actions of a few, the invasion did not succeed. Today, I want to address not just the threat... but the ones who stood between us and extinction."

He paused.

"Tony Stark. Ben Grimm. Sue Storm. Johnny Storm. Yelena Belova. Melina Vostokoff. Natasha Romanoff. Howard Stark."

He said each name with clarity.

"You didn't ask for this war, but you stood up and faced it. You fought when our systems failed. You fought when our satellites were blind. You fought when even our own defenses had been compromised."

The silence in the room was now absolute.

"You are not just heroes. You are a new line of defense. A new kind of protector. And as President of the United States, I say this clearly, and without hesitation..."

He leaned slightly forward.

"The world needs you."

The cameras zoomed closer.

"I am formally requesting that Tony Stark establish a global defense initiative. A coalition not bound by borders, but united by purpose. A team dedicated to the protection of Earth from threats beyond our understanding."

There were no gasps, but the weight of his words pulled the room tighter.

"I will give you the full support of this administration. Resources. Access. International authority, wherever possible. We will work through the U.N., through NATO, through whoever wants peace and survival, and if they won't come to the table, then we will build one ourselves."

He looked into the lens now, speaking to Tony directly.

"Mr. Stark. You have done more in the last ten days than most governments have in ten years. But we cannot allow this to happen again. No more sabotage. No more alien armies rising while the rest of us sleep."

He held the podium with both hands.

"You have my trust. And you have my country's trust. Build this team. Prepare this world. The next threat may not give us a second chance."

He glanced briefly at his notes, then looked back up.

"To every citizen watching this, know this. We are not alone in the universe. But now, we are no longer unarmed."

The press room exploded into questions. Flashes erupted. Hands shot into the air. Dozens of reporters tried to shout at once.

But the President took a step back. He said nothing more; he simply turned and walked away. The world had just entered a new era, and Tony Stark had been given the keys.

[SHIELD HEADQUARTERS – UNDISCLOSED LOCATION]

Howard Stark sat at a massive circular table inside the new SHIELD Command Center. He had personally overseen the purge of corrupted personnel. Hundreds of agents had been exposed. Some were killed in the purge wave. Others, too deep in cover, had vanished.

Howard spoke directly to the screen in front of him.

"We rebuild. Smarter this time. No more hiding truths behind protocol. No more black ops that betray their own mission. SHIELD exists to defend Earth. Nothing more. Nothing less."

All across the globe, empty seats in governments, research councils, and intelligence agencies were being filled again. The vetting process was rigorous. Public. Transparent. Trust had to be earned again.

[GLOBAL RECOVERY]

Tony's orbital new space defence network was now known worldwide. The satellites were locked in passive scan mode, no longer emitting purge frequencies. The skies were watched. Humanity was alert.

Seventy percent of those replaced by Skrulls had been found alive. Locked in containment pods, often drugged or in suspended animation. Tony and the rebuilt SHIELD task force, now led by Howard Stark, had found hundreds of hidden facilities. Some are buried beneath Arctic bases. Others are hidden in plain sight under abandoned factories and government bunkers. Entire train lines had been retrofitted as mobile prisons.

Rescued victims wept as they were reunited with their families. Some had been missing for weeks. Others for decades.

But the remaining thirty percent? Lost. Either executed, experimented on, or their bodies used beyond recovery. So, not everyone got a happy ending. All they did was weep. At least now, they know the truth.

Across the Earth, people lit candles outside the buildings where loved ones had vanished. Black armbands were worn in mourning. In places like London, New York, New Delhi, and Seoul, mass vigils were held for the lost.

But not everyone mourned the same way.

Some saw Tony Stark as a savior. The man who uncovered a global threat and acted when no one else would. Then, as usual, there were some who called it a massacre. Protests flared in Europe and South America. Headlines accused Tony of mass genocide.

"NO TRIAL. NO JUSTICE. JUST DEATH," read one bold red headline in The Daily Voice.

Some scientists, activists, and human and animal rights advocates accused Tony of acting unilaterally. Unchecked. Like a god. Their words echoed on late-night shows and roundtables.

"Not every Skrull was guilty," one human rights lawyer said on a news segment. "And now we'll never know who could have lived peacefully."

Well, their cries didn't last long when faced with raw facts and when the families of the victims decided to raise their voices.

[CAROL DANVERS – LOCATION UNKNOWN]

Carol hadn't been seen publicly since the battle.

She had locked herself in a secure off-world containment dome, orbiting a quiet moon on the edge of Saturn. No communication or movement. The guilt of what happened weighed heavily. She had defended a dream. Believed in coexistence. But in the end, she had enabled a crisis.

She had watched as innocents turned to ash. Not by her hand, maybe, but by her failure to stop it. And worse, by the man she had underestimated.

Then, there was Fury. He stopped Carol from finding the Skrulls a new home, and instead tried to use them as his army in the name of global defence and peace. She should have known better, but she was so busy out there in space fighting her own battles that she had very little time to come back and take care of things. She knew she shouldn't have listened to Fury, but...

Well, it is what it is.

...

[HORIZON ISLAND – 11:34 AM] [Reinforced Combat Room B]

The air inside the training room shimmered faintly with residual energy. The walls, reinforced with layered adamantium and layered kinetic absorption plates, bore scuff marks and burn patterns.

Ben stood near the far corner, shoulders hunched slightly, arms flexed. He took a slow breath and rolled his neck.

"Alright, you two. Just don't go easy on me this time."

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AN: Yeah, you are gonna comment about where's Fury? Next Chapter.