"Strucker, huh…"
Nick Fury narrowed his eye thoughtfully. The name stirred a memory—back when he first joined S.H.I.E.L.D., he had studied Hydra's classified files. One of their key leaders was indeed named Strucker.
"Collect whatever you can find and return," Fury ordered curtly. "There's no point wasting more time there."
"Understood, Director," Natasha replied casually, sipping her coffee with unbothered grace.
Truth was, her mission had been a complete bust. The entire mountain had been wiped clean—no debris, no bodies, no evidence. Nothing but scorched rock. It was as if the site had been erased from existence.
And deep down, she cursed Lucas for it. If not for that man nuking the mountain, she wouldn't be stuck babysitting a pile of ashes in Bavaria.
---
Meanwhile, in New York, the city was buzzing about one thing—the grand opening of the World Expo.
The purpose: to celebrate technological innovation, showcase industrial progress, and allow global tech giants to flaunt their newest breakthroughs.
Every major corporation had its own exhibition zone—Stark Industries included. Normally, Stark Industries occupied the centerpiece, the prestigious C-position, every year.
But this time, that honor had been taken.
By Hammer Industries.
Justin Hammer had announced that his company would unveil something revolutionary: their own line of Iron Suits—completely self-developed.
The claim sent the world into a frenzy. Could it really be true? Could someone other than Tony Stark build functioning combat armor?
Some scoffed, others speculated, and many waited eagerly for the day Hammer would either rise to glory—or be utterly humiliated.
After all, Tony himself had once declared that his armor was irreplicable. Only he could build it.
That statement alone made Hammer's claim front-page news. Ticket sales for the Expo skyrocketed; people were desperate to see if the "wannabe Iron Man" could actually deliver.
---
In Lucas's apartment, the entire group—Lucas, Tony, Pepper, Skye, and Wanda—sat together on the couch watching the news coverage.
Tony looked completely unimpressed.
"Justin Hammer? That clown couldn't invent a toaster that doesn't explode. Comparing him to me? Please—he's more sewer pipe than super hero."
He leaned back, rolling his eyes. He knew Hammer all too well—a second-rate imitator who copied everything Stark did, never innovating, only chasing the trend.
Lucas smirked. "Don't be so sure. This year might surprise you."
Tony scoffed. "Ha! Give Hammer a hundred years and he still wouldn't match me. I'm Tony Stark, baby. As long as I'm breathing, there are no surprises."
Lucas spooned a bite of pudding and said casually, "You forget someone—Vanko, that Russian brute. Word is, he's escaped prison. Care to guess whose doing?"
Pepper instantly caught on. "You think it's Justin Hammer?"
It made sense. Only someone with enormous influence could smuggle a high-profile convict out of custody untouched. Hammer had motive, money, and desperation—exactly the kind of man who'd use a criminal genius to level the playing field.
Lucas nodded. "Not think—know. You'll see for yourself at the Expo."
In his mind, Lucas couldn't help but think how pathetic Vanko really was. In the movie version of events, the man barely qualified as a villain. If Obadiah Stane had been there, he would've crushed Vanko in seconds. If not for his army of drones, Vanko wouldn't have lasted a minute against Tony.
Tony smirked proudly. "Let him come. He's not even in my league."
The next day, Natasha returned to the apartment with confirmation—Vanko had indeed been broken out by Justin Hammer.
No one was surprised. It was exactly what they'd expected.
Pepper, however, looked uneasy. "Tony, maybe you should stay put for a while. Hammer and Vanko are clearly after you."
Tony waved her off. "Relax. I've got a brand-new reactor. Power output's triple the old one. I could fry them both without breaking a sweat."
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Pepper. "By the way, you're attending the Expo, right?"
Pepper nodded. "Of course. I'm the CEO of Stark Industries—it's mandatory."
Tony raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Lucas.
"My dear bodyguard," he said with a grin, "it's time you showed everyone what you can really do."
Lucas chuckled. "Nice try. I'm not your bodyguard anymore. But…" He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together suggestively.
Tony's face lit up. Ah yes—money, the universal motivator. He pulled out his checkbook and tossed it over.
"Write whatever number you want. I'll sign."
Lucas's eyes gleamed. "Don't mind if I do, boss."
He whipped out a pen from nowhere and began scribbling furiously, a satisfied smirk stretching across his face.
Skye, who was sitting nearby, snatched the checkbook out of his hands before he could finish. She tore the page clean off.
"We'll go with Pepper," she said firmly. "No charge."
Then she tossed the checkbook back to Tony.
"Now that's loyalty!" Tony said with a grin. "Good friends, good savings!"
Lucas's face turned pitch-black. He'd just watched a fat paycheck fly right out of his hands.
"Skye! You're a member of the agency—you can't just take side jobs for free! Every mission gets paid, no exceptions!" Lucas protested with mock righteousness.
Skye shot him a glare. "Oh please. You're just a greedy miser who dreams about money every night. You and your precious cash can grow old together!"
With that, she grabbed Wanda and Pepper and stormed out.
"Where are you going?" Lucas called after them.
"Shopping!" Skye shouted back without looking.
Tony and Natasha immediately burst out laughing. Watching Lucas lose an argument to a woman had become one of their favorite pastimes.
Tony leaned back, chuckling. "I swear, kid, you're doomed to be henpecked for life. You'll be whipped harder than one of my drones."
Lucas shot back instantly, "Says the guy who kneels for Pepper at the drop of a hat. Don't forget who's the real domesticated one here."
Tony's grin faltered for half a second—then he laughed louder than before. Pepper's influence on him was undeniable… and everyone knew it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 20 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you enjoyed Marvel Manifestor, please give it a Power Stone and leave a review! Your support means everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~