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Code: CBA84
Ending: 10/08/25
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The tension in the lab had started to dissipate as Tony and Rhodes fell into their usual rhythm of playful bickering.
"So, let me get this straight," Rhodes began, crossing his arms. "You pissed off a Russian genius, got into a public fight in Monaco, almost got cut in half by his electric whips, and now the government wants to take your suits?"
Tony smirked, reclining in his chair with all the arrogance in the world. "Sounds about right."
"Damn, Stark." Rhodes shook his head. "You just can't help yourself, huh?"
Tony shrugged. "What can I say? Some people collect stamps. I collect enemies with daddy issues."
Seph, who had been standing off to the side, watching the two, finally chuckled. "So, you're saying Ivan should send you a thank-you card?"
"At this point? Yeah." Tony nodded sagely. "Maybe a fruit basket too."
Rhodes groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I swear, dealing with you is worse than negotiating with the Pentagon."
"Oh, come on, Rhodey." Tony grinned. "You love me."
"I tolerate you," Rhodes corrected.
"Which is just love with extra steps," Seph added.
Tony pointed at Seph. "See? He gets it."
Their laughter faded when the news broadcast on the nearby screen shifted to breaking news.
"A shocking turn of events today as an explosion inside the high-security prison in Moscow has reportedly killed Ivan Vanko, the Russian national involved in the attack at the Monaco Grand Prix. Authorities say the blast was caused by an internal gas leak, and unfortunately, Vanko did not survive. More details to come as the investigation continues."
Tony sighed loudly, rubbing his temples. "Well, there goes my entertainment. And here I was hoping to see what else Ivan could cook up."
Rhodes, however, wasn't convinced. His military instincts were screaming at him that something was off.
"Wait a damn minute…" He muttered, eyes narrowing. "Why am I only hearing about this now? I have Pentagon clearance. Something this big should've been on my radar."
Seph, who had been silently observing, finally stepped forward. His voice was calm, yet laced with certainty. "Because it's bullshit."
Tony and Rhodes both turned to him.
Seph leaned forward, his sharp eyes glinting like a predator who had just cornered his prey.
"Think about it," He said, voice smooth yet piercing. "Tony refuses to share his tech. And now, suddenly, the one man capable of replicating it just happens to die in a convenient explosion?"
Rhodes frowned, his military-trained mind already running scenarios at full speed. "Yeah, that's a little too clean."
"It's more than that," Seph pressed on, his smirk growing. "It's too convenient. If you were the government, would you let someone like Vanko—who can build something similar to Tony's suits—just disappear from the world like that?"
Tony and Rhodes exchanged a look, and for once, they were perfectly in sync.
"Hell no," They muttered in unison.
Seph let out a knowing chuckle. "Exactly."
Tony groaned and leaned back against the couch, rubbing his temples like he already regretted asking the obvious question. "Alright, Nostradamus. If Vanko didn't actually die, where is he?"
Seph's smirk widened, his arms folding over his chest. "If I had to guess? The guy responsible is Justin Hammer."
Tony shot up so fast he nearly knocked over his glass of whiskey. "Oh, for the love of all things holy—not Hammer!"
Rhodes blinked. "Hammer? The weapons manufacturer?"
"The one and only," Seph confirmed, his voice practically dripping with amusement. "Come on, Tony. You've insulted him, humiliated him, and outclassed him in every possible way. The man has an ego as fragile as wet paper and a vendetta the size of your tower."
Rhodes ran a hand down his face and exhaled sharply. "Yeah, that checks out. Hammer's got money, government contracts, and an inferiority complex the size of Texas. If anyone would try to pull something like this, it's him."
Tony threw his hands in the air. "Great! So now I've got a circus clown trying to take me down? Fantastic. What's next? Is he going to show up with a red nose and juggling act?"
"It gets worse," Seph said, his voice dropping just enough to send a chill through the air.
Tony groaned again, dragging a hand down his face. "Oh, fantastic. Please, do tell me how much worse it can get. I'm dying to know."
Seph leaned in, eyes gleaming with something between amusement and absolute certainty. "Hammer alone is an idiot. But with Vanko? He's dangerous."
The room went dead silent.
Tony's smirk faltered and Rhodes stiffened.
"If Vanko really is alive and working with Hammer, then that means—"
"They're building something," Rhodes finished, his voice grim.
Seph nodded. "Exactly. Hammer doesn't just want revenge. He wants to make a name for himself. And what better way to do that than by mass-producing Iron Man suits and selling them to the highest bidder?"
Tony sat up so fast it was like he'd been electrocuted.
"Oh, hell no!" He barked. "Absolutely not. I refuse—REFUSE—to let some second-rate knockoff turn my tech into military-grade toys for trigger-happy generals with delusions of grandeur!"
"Too late," Seph pointed out, leaning back lazily. "If Vanko's working for Hammer, then they're already in production."
Tony's hands curled into fists. His brain was already racing at a thousand miles per hour, calculating worst-case scenarios, picturing an army of cheap, malfunctioning, trigger-happy Iron Man suits piloted by idiots with barely enough training to tie their own shoes.
"Okay, no," Tony said, standing up and pacing. "This is bad. This is really, REALLY bad. We're talking catastrophic levels of bad. If Hammer gets those suits onto the market, the government will eat it up. They'll throw money at him like he's a Vegas showgirl. And when that happens? Boom—Iron Man tech everywhere. Every battlefield. Every terrorist cell. Every goddamn military operation!"
"And let's not forget," Seph added with a smirk, "Hammer has a history of making defective products. Can you imagine what happens when a suit malfunctions mid-flight? Mid-combat? People will drop like flies."
Rhodes sighed heavily, arms crossed. "And guess who they'll blame when that happens?"
Tony scowled. "ME. Because it's always my fault when some idiot tries to rip off my genius and gets people killed!"
"Glad we're all on the same page," Seph said with a chuckle.
Tony sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Man, I do not have time for this crap. I'm already trying to save my own life over here."
Rhodes frowned. "Save your life? What are you talking about?"
Tony hesitated for a second before exhaling. "Look, Rhodey, I'll explain later. Just… let's focus on the Hammer problem for now."
Seph smirked. "Oh, don't worry about that. I already have a plan."
Tony gave him a skeptical look. "You already have a plan?"
"Of course." Seph grinned. "I came prepared."
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