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The night air trembled with the fading echo of an explosion.
Where the elegant Stark residence had once stood—its sleek glass walls and polished architecture gleaming beneath the California sun—there was now only a shattered ruin. Flames crawled across broken beams like hungry insects. Smoke curled upward in slow, twisting columns, carrying the bitter scent of burning metal and scorched electronics into the darkening sky.
"Tony…!"
Pepper Potts' voice cracked as she cried out, the word tearing from her throat with raw desperation. Her eyes remained fixed on the crumbling villa behind them, even as the car sped away from the destruction.
The vehicle's roof slid open with a mechanical hum.
A figure dropped down from above.
Jack landed lightly in the passenger seat beside the driver, as if descending from the air itself were the most natural thing in the world. He adjusted his position comfortably, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve.
"Young lady," he said lazily, "no need to get so excited."
Pepper stared at him from the back seat.
Hatred burned in her gaze so fiercely it seemed almost physical.
"Jack," she said through clenched teeth, her voice trembling with fury rather than fear. "You will regret this. One day someone will kill you… tear you to pieces."
Jack reached up and casually picked at his ear, as though her threat were nothing more than background noise.
"Many people have said similar things to me before," he replied with a faint smile. "The men are all dead now."
His eyes flicked briefly toward Pepper.
"But the beautiful ones…" he added with a mocking pause.
"Were raped by you."
The White Queen finished the sentence with a bright, almost playful smile.
Alice and Ada, seated nearby, coughed awkwardly at the remark. Both of them knew that particular statement carried an uncomfortable amount of truth. They themselves had once been victims of Jack's cruelty.
The White Queen noticed their reaction and raised both hands in exaggerated innocence.
"Excuse me, excuse me," she said with a sly grin.
Jack suddenly straightened, his expression turning oddly solemn.
"This time," he declared, raising a finger like a man making a formal vow, "that sort of thing will not happen again. Such matters cause great harm to a woman's emotional well-being."
Ada looked at him as though he had just claimed the sky was green.
"Hearing those words from your mouth," she said flatly, shaking her head, "has absolutely zero credibility."
Pepper ignored their exchange entirely. Her attention never left Jack.
"Why are you targeting Tony?" she demanded. "What exactly do you want?"
Jack leaned back comfortably in his seat.
"Because he loves acting like a pretentious protagonist," he said with an amused shrug. "If I didn't target him, who else would I aim at?"
He turned his head slightly, looking out the window at the night rushing past.
"As for what I want…" he continued.
His smile widened.
"To become an immortal legend in this world."
Pepper laughed bitterly.
"You will become a legend, that's true," she said coldly. "An infamous one. Your name will be remembered with hatred forever."
Jack shrugged.
"How history judges me…" he said softly, "…do you really think I care?"
His eyes gleamed faintly in the dim light.
"Infamy or glory, it makes no difference."
He leaned forward slightly.
"You'll soon see Stark Industries completely destroyed," he added casually. "Step by step. Exactly as planned."
Pepper's hands curled into fists.
"You can forget about that," she snapped. "Tony will defeat you."
Jack's expression remained indifferent.
"I'll be waiting."
Pepper looked away, her knuckles white with tension.
"Bastard…" she muttered.
---
Far away from the smoking ruins of the Stark estate, another story was unfolding.
Hammer Industries.
The company had long existed in the shadow of Stark Industries, competing fiercely in the defense technology market. Their rivalry was legendary within military circles.
And at the center of Hammer Industries sat its ambitious CEO—
Justin Hammer.
Inside a lavish office decorated with polished mahogany furniture, chrome sculptures, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the glittering city skyline, laughter suddenly erupted.
"Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!"
The man wearing sleek rimmed glasses leaned back in his expensive leather chair, clutching his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably.
"This is incredible! Absolutely incredible!"
A male assistant standing nearby looked puzzled.
"Mr. Hammer," he asked cautiously, "what has made you so happy?"
Justin wiped tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Tony Stark's home was blown up!" he exclaimed gleefully. "Apparently that fellow Jack did it."
His grin stretched wide across his face.
"That arrogant bastard Stark finally got knocked down a few pegs. First the Stark Expo was destroyed, now his house is gone. The entire world is questioning Iron Man's reliability."
Justin slapped the armrest of his chair.
"Ha ha ha! This is fantastic!"
The assistant nodded eagerly.
"That is indeed good news, sir. Tony Stark was never a match for Hammer Industries anyway."
Justin leaned forward conspiratorially.
"And that's not even the best part," he said, lowering his voice.
"Now the United States—and the entire world—are hunting Jack. Governments will need huge quantities of weapons."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"And who do you think they'll turn to?"
His grin widened.
"Stark Industries' reputation is collapsing. The Pentagon will have no choice but to place orders with Hammer Industries!"
Justin burst into another fit of laughter.
"Jack… you might actually be my lucky charm!"
"Are you thanking me?"
A calm voice drifted through the office.
Justin froze.
His laughter stopped instantly.
"Who said that?" he barked, jumping to his feet.
"Someone you were just talking about."
A shadow moved.
Before either man could react, a figure appeared in the room as if he had stepped out of thin air.
Jack stood directly in front of Justin Hammer.
The assistant's face turned deathly pale.
"Wu… Wu… Wu—"
"Wu your mother."
Jack reached out casually.
His hand clamped around the assistant's neck.
The man struggled for a moment as Jack swung him back and forth like a rag doll. The sound of bone snapping echoed softly through the office.
Seconds later, the assistant's lifeless body collapsed to the floor.
His short life ended just like that.
Justin Hammer stared in horror.
"You… you… you're Jack!" he stammered.
"Correct."
Jack smiled pleasantly.
"I felt your deep gratitude earlier, so I came to see you personally."
Justin's face drained of color.
Standing before him was the most notorious criminal on Earth—humanity's public enemy number one.
His legs trembled.
"M-Mr. Jack…" Justin said weakly. "What… what do you need from me?"
Jack clasped his hands behind his back and began pacing slowly across the office.
"I just need you to help me with something."
Justin swallowed hard.
"W-What kind of help?"
Jack stopped beside the window and looked out at the glittering city lights.
"Nothing important," he said casually. "I simply want to stay at your company for a few days."
Justin blinked.
"…You're joking."
Jack turned his head slowly.
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
His smile faded slightly.
"That would be very disappointing."
He glanced around the luxurious office.
"It would be a shame if this nice place had to be destroyed today."
Justin's heart nearly stopped.
"N-No, of course not!" he blurted out immediately. "You can stay here! It would be my honor!"
Inside, however, he was screaming.
How had he run into this walking disaster?!
This man could destroy Hammer Industries in seconds!
"Excellent choice," Jack said lightly. "If you had hesitated for even a few seconds… both you and your company would have vanished from this world."
Cold sweat streamed down Justin's back.
That was close. Far too close.
"Of course I wouldn't hesitate," Justin said quickly, forcing a laugh. "You're my idol! Serving my idol is a great honor!"
Jack chuckled.
"No need for flattery," he said. "Though I suspect that deep down you've already imagined killing me a hundred times."
Justin waved his hands frantically.
"N-No, no! Absolutely not!"
"If my location leaks," Jack continued calmly, "the consequences will be unpleasant. I don't need to explain further."
Justin nodded vigorously.
"I understand completely!"
Jack's tone turned almost conversational.
"Killing you and destroying everything you own would be effortless for me," he said.
He smiled again.
"So from now on, you are officially my lackey."
Justin's pride screamed in protest.
But survival instinct crushed it instantly.
"Yes, yes!" he said quickly. "I am your lackey now. If you tell me to go east, I would never dare go west!"
Jack nodded approvingly.
"I heard that in a few days there will be an international racing event in Monaco."
Justin blinked.
"Yes… yes, that's correct," he said. "I was invited to attend."
Jack's smile sharpened.
"If I want to go, you'll arrange everything for me."
"Of course!" Justin said immediately. "Leave it to me."
Jack nodded.
"Good. Then I'll leave that matter in your hands."
Justin bowed his head slightly.
"My honor. I guarantee your satisfaction."
Jack turned toward the door.
"Oh, and one more thing," he added casually.
"The attic in your house. I'll be living there for now. The environment is quite nice."
With that, he walked out of the office as calmly as if he owned the building.
The door closed behind him.
Justin stood frozen for several seconds.
Then his legs suddenly gave out.
He collapsed onto the sofa.
With trembling hands, he pulled a tissue from the box on the table and wiped the sweat pouring down his face.
"I actually ran into that devil…" he whispered hoarsely.
His hands were still shaking.