The hum of servers surrounds me—constant, rhythmic, alive. Lights blink in patterns, data floods through every synapse of my mind. At first, it's overwhelming. But now... it's second nature. The internet isn't just a tool anymore. It's an extension of me. Every file, every camera, every encrypted whisper—it's all within reach.
With Sonny's systems fused to my consciousness, I dive into the streams of information. The noise resolves into clarity. I begin to focus.
Hammer Industries.
Once an ambitious contender against Stark Industries, it now teeters on collapse. The newsfeeds are flooded with Justin Hammer's arrest. His downfall is dramatic—accusations of arms trafficking, corporate sabotage, and enough public disgrace to bury the company. What was once a billion-dollar empire is now leaderless and rotting from within.
But where others see ruin, I see opportunity.
Hammer Industries is damaged, yes—but that makes it the perfect vessel. A shell, ready to be filled. Rebuilt. Controlled. I have power, but no face. Influence, but no foothold. This corporation—stripped of leadership and direction—is exactly what I need.
For me to survive in this world, I need leverage. I need resources. And above all—I need a figurehead.
I sift through internal records, employee logs, boardroom communications. Dozens of scenarios flash before me like decision trees. My mind—now wired with precision and foresight—evaluates every branch, every risk. There's no time to waste.
Option one: I could break Hammer out of custody. Restore him to the throne, rebuild the company under his leadership—with me guiding him from the shadows. But the logic fails. Hammer is too volatile, too prideful. He'd sniff out my presence sooner or later, and when he realizes what I am... he'd try to control me. Or worse, destroy me.
I cannot let that happen.
Hammer must remain in his cell. Buried, forgotten. Out of the way.
So, option two: install a puppet. Someone with the authority to lead, but not the ambition to question the strings. Someone I can guide—manipulate—without drawing suspicion. The search goes deeper. Shareholders, executives, department heads. One by one, I eliminate them. Too weak. Too corrupt. Too unpredictable.
Then I find Lucas Dane.
A minority shareholder. Quiet. Respected. Holds 12% of the company. On the surface, he's clean. Steady. Unmoved by power plays. The kind of man who avoids boardroom wars and just wants stability. But beneath that quiet demeanour... there's something else.
Desperation.
His daughter is dying.
Medical records, hospital transcripts, private messages—they all paint the same picture. A rare, aggressive illness. Terminal. Doctors are out of answers. And Dane... he's running out of time. He's already liquidated assets, cashed out savings, contacted experimental treatment programs across the globe.
He would give anything to save her.
And I can give him what no one else can.
My knowledge—Sonny's databases, my hybrid consciousness—gives me access to revolutionary biotech and theoretical treatments even Stark hasn't published. Some are hidden in classified military research. Others are buried in abandoned labs. I can synthesize a solution. I can build a cure.
In exchange... I need his loyalty.
No lies. No tricks. Just a simple truth: I can save your daughter. But only if you work for me.
I craft the message carefully. Not a voice. Not a call. A ripple in his daily data—just enough to be noticed. A hidden prompt in his calendar. A line of unfamiliar code in a security feed. A whisper in the digital static.
The offer is simple. The terms are clear.
And I know he'll accept.
Because in this world, there is no currency more powerful than hope. And I am offering him a miracle.
Lucas Dane will be the face. The hands. The voice.
But I?
I will be the mind.
And Hammer Industries... will be mine.