Washington D.C.
Capitol Hill
Inside the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing hall, the atmosphere was solemn—almost oppressively so.
Under the massive circular dome, marble and heavy mahogany intertwined to form a symbol of national power. The air was thick with the staleness of history and bureaucratic formality.
Senator Stern sat rigidly at the high dais, his hair immaculately combed, face fixed in an expression of self-righteous authority. A classic politician, he stared down at Tony Stark with what he believed was an intimidating gaze.
"Mr. Stark," Stern began, his voice echoing through the microphone, resonant and commanding.
"I believe we've wasted enough time on your personal brand of humor. Let's get back to the point. The Iron Man armor is undeniably one of the most advanced weapons systems in the world. And your insistence on treating it as private property constitutes a serious potential threat to national security."
"A threat?" Tony grinned, barely containing a laugh.
Looking at Stern, he thought: Do you really think you're some kind of intimidating old man because you have a fancy name like Stern? Please. You're just… bland.
Tony's expression made it seem less like he was under scrutiny for national security and more like he was enduring a terrible sales pitch in some overpriced country club.
"Senator, allow me to correct you," Tony said, shrugging casually.
"First, that isn't a weapon. It's a high-tech, multifunctional prosthetic. See? It lets me fly, enhances my strength, and even plays my favorite rock music automatically whenever I'm tired of listening to someone's nonsense. By definition, that's a medical device." He paused, then gave Stern an innocent, almost pitiful look.
"And second… what exactly do you mean by 'threat'? That my brother Henry and I beat up a lunatic in New York who tried to destroy Manhattan? Or that I casually wiped out a terrorist base in Afghanistan your agencies had spent ten years failing to locate? If those are threats… well," he shrugged helplessly, "perhaps your definition of security needs updating."
"Absurd!" Stern's face turned crimson. He slammed his fist on the table.
"Mr. Stark! Put an end to this flippant attitude! We are discussing serious national security matters! We have reason to believe that your technology, if it falls into enemy hands, could deal catastrophic damage to global peace!"
He gave a signal to his assistant, who immediately activated the central holographic display.
The screen filled with shaky, snowy footage: a desert, littered with crude exoskeletons controlled remotely by robots.
The machines staggered and tripped, their crude rifles firing wildly, one even spinning twice before collapsing face-first into the sand.
An awkward silence fell over the hall. Even some of the senators next to Stern stifled laughter.
C'mon, are you kidding us?
"Cough… cough." Stern cleared his throat, glaring at the assistant who had nearly inserted the USB upside-down. "This footage… was intercepted by our intelligence from certain hostile nations. It appears they are attempting to replicate your armor."
"Wow," Tony said, staring at the stumbling robot. "Terrifying. Look at the fluidity, the aim, the futuristic design… I shudder to think—if they have another three to five hundred years, maybe they'll successfully replicate my dusty old Mark I sitting in storage."
"Pffft." Rhodes in the back finally burst into laughter, realizing too late the inappropriateness of the setting. He quickly covered it with a coughing fit.
Stern's face had turned a dark shade of liver. He felt less like a committee chairman and more like a man publicly humiliated.
"Mr. Stark!" he roared. "We have evidence! We've invited an expert in weapon design to demonstrate that your technology is not impossible to replicate!"
With a flourish, he announced: "Please welcome… Justin Hammer, CEO of Hammer Industries!"
A man in a slick, expensive suit, hair oiled to perfection, and a self-satisfied grin entered through a side door.
Tony's expression didn't change—no shock, no surprise. Just a faint look of pity. Second largest arms dealer… and still doesn't realize giving a speech in your defense is walking into a trap.
"Oh, looky here," Tony lazily clapped his hands. "Isn't this the genius trying to repackage my original ideas with cheap knock-off vibes and sell them for a tenth the price to equally tasteless clients?"
Turning to Stern, Tony added sincerely: "Senator, your choice of expert is… unique. Did you think a poor imitator would lend credibility to your case against an original creator? Honestly, your logic is more impressive than one of his robots that tears its own head off at a trade show."
Hammer's smile froze instantly. Stern felt his blood pressure spike dangerously. Just as he prepared to use his authority to forcibly remove the slick-talking fool…
"Vvvvvrrrmmm!"
A sudden, otherworldly hum filled everyone's ears.
The sound was faint, yet piercing.
The reinforced windows of the hall vibrated slightly. Ripples spread across water glasses on the tables.
"What's happening?"
"An earthquake?"
Everyone instinctively froze, glancing around in confusion.
"Vvvvvrrmmm! KABOOOOM!"
The hum escalated into a deafening sonic boom within seconds.
The entire Capitol building shuddered as if struck by a meteor.
Chairs toppled; everyone staggered to keep their balance.
"Attack! An unidentified object is approaching!" shouted a dark-skinned man in the back, his eyes glowing despite the daylight.
Nick Fury had arrived. Beside him, Hill, Coulson, and Hawkeye readied themselves, all gazing upward.
Squinting against the sunlight, they saw it: a black silhouette hovering outside the dome.
A figure clad in an all-black, form-fitting armor that accentuated raw muscle and power.
Instead of being illuminated, the deep black seemed to swallow the sunlight, outlined only by a golden halo that made him look like a deity stepping out of myth.
A wide, black cape flared behind him, moving as if caught in an invisible wind, radiating oppressive force.
"My God… what is that?!"
The hall went deathly silent.
Every mouth hung open, eyes wide in awe and terror.
Only Tony remained unfazed, reclining lazily. He slowly lifted his gaze to the familiar figure beyond the dome.
Sighing, he muttered softly:
"Figures. That show-off couldn't just walk through the door like a normal guy."
The black figure moved.
No warning, no acceleration—he plummeted straight down.
"BOOOOM!!!"
***
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