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The past few days had been a whirlwind of preparations, schemes, and subtle manipulations. As Seph had expected, Nick Fury wasn't a man to leave things to chance. The moment he had sensed Tony slipping away from his grasp, he had deployed Phil Coulson and a handful of SHIELD agents to act as babysitters.
Officially, their job was to keep Stark from doing anything reckless. Unofficially? Fury wanted a closer look at Seph.
Seph found it almost amusing. Almost.
"You'd think Fury would be more subtle," Seph mused, lazily swirling the golden liquid in his glass as he sat in Tony's lab.
Across the room, Tony was knee-deep in holographic schematics, working tirelessly on the new suit modifications inspired by Seph's designs.
The billionaire barely spared him a glance. "Fury? Subtle? That's like saying Hammer has taste."
Seph smirked, taking a sip of his drink. "I dealt with them."
Tony paused, looking up with a raised eyebrow. "'Dealt with them' how?"
"Let's just sayā¦" Seph's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Coulson and his team will be having technical difficulties tracking us for the foreseeable future."
Tony snorted. "You know, for someone who claims to be a good guy, you sure do some shady things."
Seph's smirk widened. "Good? Who said I was good? I just have good taste."
While Tony was buried in his work, Seph had spent his free time doing what he did bestādigging into things that no one wanted him to find.
Ivan Vanko.
The man had vanished from the public eye, but Seph wasn't fooled. With his skills, hacking into Hammer Industries was child's play. He had sifted through thousands of files, hacked security feeds, and overridden every firewall that Justin Hammer's pathetic excuse for a security system had in place.
And there it was.
Ivan Vanko was holed up in a secret Hammer Industries lab, working on somethingā¦ big.
A slow, dark grin spread across Seph's face as he watched the grainy footage of Vanko assembling his new whiplash suit. The man thought he was invisible, but Seph saw everything.
"Poor bastard." Seph chuckled to himself. "Doesn't even know he's already lost."
With a flick of his wrist, he erased all the security footage, replacing it with a perfect loop.
Now, only Seph held the evidence.
"Game's almost over, Hammer," He murmured, golden eyes glowing in the dim light. "And you don't even know you're playing."
----
Not only them but even Rhodes had done his own digging and informed Tony and Seph about it.
Rhodes's anxious voice came from the other side of the call.
"You're not gonna like this, but I did some digging."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do tell."
Rhodey said in a serious tone. "This isn't just an expo for Hammerā¦ he's planning a full demonstration. Military officials, government contractorsāhe's trying to replace you, Tony."
Tony scoffed, but Sephāwho had been listening nearbyāsimply took a sip of his drink. "Typical."
Rhodey frowned. "And there's more. The drones? They're not just for show. They've been remotely modified."
Tony's smirk vanished. "Wait. What?"
"Someone else has control."
Seph exhaled, his gaze sharpening. "Vanko."
Rhodey nodded grimly. "Yeah."
The pieces were falling into place.
----
Four days had passed in a blur, and Tony had finally finished his new suit upgrades.
Seph watched as Tony practically danced around the lab in victory, arms raised in triumph. "Ladies and gentlemen, the genius, the legend, the absolute iconāTony Starkāhas done it again!"
Seph, lounging against the counter with his ever-present cup of coffee, gave a slow clap. "Incredible. Stunning. Truly, a work of art."
Tony spun dramatically, pointing at Seph. "I detect sarcasm."
"What? Me?" Seph placed a hand on his chest, feigning innocence.
Tony narrowed his eyes. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood."
"Please. I'm your favorite person here." Seph smirked.
Before Tony could reply, a new voice joined in.
"I thought I was your favorite person, Tony."
Both men turned to see Natasha Romanoff leaning casually against the doorframe, dressed in a sleek black suit that accentuated every dangerous curve of her body.
Seph's smirk widened. "Well, well. If it isn't SHIELD's finest."
Natasha tilted her head, her green eyes gleaming with amusement. "You wound me, Seph. Here I thought we had something special."
"We do," Seph countered smoothly, taking a step toward her. "But you're not the jealous typeā¦ are you?"
Natasha arched a perfect eyebrow. "Depends on the competition."
Tony groaned loudly. "Can you two not flirt in my lab?"
Seph and Natasha both turned to him at the same time.
"No."
Tony threw his hands up. "Of course not."
Natasha was not here for long as she had to accompany Pepper to the Expo so the three beauties departed with Happy, leaving Tony and Seph behind to their own things.
The hum of machinery filled the air as Tony Stark leaned over his workbench, his fingers deftly adjusting components in his latest Iron Man suit. The glow of his arc reactor cast flickering shadows across the room, mixing with the dim, warm lights overhead.
He was in the zoneāuntil J.A.R.V.I.S.'s smooth, British-accented voice interrupted.
J.A.R.V.I.S.: "Sir, you have an incoming call. The number is blocked."
Tony smirked, wiping his hands on a rag. "Mysterious. I do love a good secret admirer."
He tapped the holographic display. "Let's see who's dying to talk to me."
A crackle of static. Then, a familiar voice, thick with a Russian accent.
"Hey, Tony. How you doing?"
Tony's smirk faltered slightly, though his voice remained casual. "You sound pretty spry for a guy who should be six feet under."
Ivan just chuckled and replied.Ā "And you sound arrogant. Some things never change."
Tony's fingers subtly flicked across the interface, signaling J.A.R.V.I.S. to begin tracing the call. "Well, I like consistency. Unlike your dental hygiene, I imagine."
Ivan chuckled darkly. "Joke while you can, Stark. Soon, you won't be laughing."
Tony rolled his eyes, grabbing a screwdriver and toying with it. "You called just to gloat? I gotta say, your timing sucks. I've got an expo to prepare for."
Ivan's voice turned cold and sharper. "Oh, I know. That's why I called. You see, your father took everything from my family for over forty years. But me?"
He paused for a moment before finishing. "I will do the same to youā¦ in forty minutes."
Tony's smirk vanished. His grip on the screwdriver tightened. "That's a bold statement. Care to elaborate, or should I start making popcorn?"
J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice drifted quietly in Tony's earpiece. "Tracing in progress, sir. Location narrowingāTri-State area."
Ivan grinned and continued.Ā "You have your suits, your name, your legacy. But you forget, Starkā¦ I am smarter than my father. And I have been waiting for this moment my whole life."
Tony exhaled through his nose, keeping his tone light despite the growing tension. "See, that's the difference between you and me, Ivan. You waste your whole life on revenge. Me? I actually have a life."
J.A.R.V.I.S.: "Sir, he's using signal scramblers. Trace incomplete."
Ivan said in a playful tone.Ā "Enjoy the next few minutes, Tony. They may be your last."
The line went dead.
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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