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Hammer Industries might not have reached the heights of Stark Industries, but it still held significant weight as a major military contractor. The company specialized in integrated weapons development, manufacturing, and sales—a crucial partner for the U.S. military.
When Colonel Rhodes acquired an Iron Man suit from Tony, the military gained its own War Machine. Hammer Industries played the central role in modifying and upgrading that armor. Ivan Vanko had joined Hammer Industries months before War Machine's debut, providing Justin Hammer with the technical expertise he'd long needed to surpass Tony Stark and dominate the global arms trade.
Ivan arrived with his own arc reactor design, instantly securing the position of chief scientist. Just as Hong Fei predicted, Hammer Industries poured unprecedented resources into Vanko's projects—all fueled by Justin's bitter rivalry with Tony. Stark had never hidden his contempt for competitors, least of all Hammer, whom he'd publicly dismissed as irrelevant. Ivan represented Justin's chance for redemption.
The quiet Russian engineer wasted no time. Instead of mass-producing wearable armor as instructed, he focused entirely on autonomous drone soldiers—except for one custom suit he built for himself. Though frustrated by the deviation, Justin knew better than to antagonize his golden goose. He settled for increased surveillance, determined not to lose Vanko again. The drone soldiers still held military appeal, perhaps even more than individual suits.
Orders were guaranteed.
Tony's recent Stark Expo success had left Justin seething with jealousy. He itched to host his own Hammer Industries showcase, stealing both market share and prestige from his rival.
Hong Fei's stolen Stark reactor schematics accelerated Ivan's progress exponentially. With those blueprints as reference, his armor and weapons development outpaced all projections. Most of his time went toward refining the drone soldiers and their control systems.
When Hong Fei's message arrived, Ivan shut down his workstation without reaction and summoned Justin. The CEO burst into the lab moments later, arms theatrically spread. "Sweet Christmas! Tell me you've actually done it, my brilliant, magnificent chief scientist!"
Ivan responded with a silent nod. Justin practically vibrated as he rushed toward the motionless drone soldiers. "Well? Show me! Make them dance!" Ivan took position at the control terminal. With a few keystrokes, the drones' chest rings hummed to life, their eye panels glowing ominously.
Justin barked commands like a child with new toys, marveling as the mechanical soldiers executed flawless maneuvers. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect!" He clapped Ivan on the shoulder hard enough to stagger a normal man. "We're holding a press conference tonight—no, right now! The world needs to see what real military innovation looks like. These beauties will have the Pentagon throwing contracts at us like confetti!"
Pacing wildly, Justin painted his vision: "Endless production orders. Bottomless profits. And Tony Stark? That arrogant bastard will be wiping my boot prints off his back!" He snapped his fingers at nearby assistants. "Give Ivan whatever he wants. If he asks for the First Lady, you kidnap her!"
He turned on his heel and left, footsteps light and quick. Ivan Vanko watched his retreating back in silence, eyes unreadable. By noon, news of Hammer Industries' impending press conference spread like wildfire. The guest list read like a who's who of industry titans—with the military and Stark Industries' owner topping the invitation roster.
Tony had already signed the paperwork transferring CEO duties to Pepper Potts. When the invitation arrived, Pepper frowned at the embossed cardstock. Given Tony's history with Justin Hammer, she couldn't fathom what game the man was playing now. "Any new developments at Hammer Industries, Natalie?" she asked, tapping the invitation against her palm.
Natasha shook her head. Her intel focused on Tony's recent raid at S.H.I.E.L.D.—how he'd stormed in to reclaim Howard's legacy, cementing her continued undercover assignment at Stark in the process.
Nick Fury's calculations had been precise. Wait until Tony hit rock bottom, then swoop in as the savior with a neatly packaged redemption arc. Nobody predicted some wildcard would derail the entire operation. Worse yet, Tony had solved his palladium poisoning months ahead of schedule.
How did this mystery man know about the poisoning? The cure? His motives for helping Tony? Every move this player made defied S.H.I.E.L.D.'s profiling attempts. That's why Natasha stayed embedded—because wherever Tony went lately, this enigma seemed to follow. She'd wait for the right moment to unravel the truth.
As for Hammer Industries? Natasha knew their sordid history chapter and verse. But Justin Hammer's recent activities? Radio silence.
Pepper hesitated, then slid the invitation into her desk drawer. Declining would raise eyebrows. "You'll accompany me tonight, Natalie," she decided. Tony had already briefed her on Natasha's true allegiance—having a Black Widow as a plus-one beat any security detail. She fired off a text to Tony about the development.
Hong Fei scrolled past the same news alert, though Ivan's earlier briefing made it old news. Preparation time. Black tactical gear—check. Metal mask—check. Sword—check. He'd ditched the hood after three missions chafing his neck. The new mask gleamed obsidian, its angular contours designed to unsettle. "Explosives planted?"
Samuel Sterns didn't look up from his tablet. "Every structural weak point mapped, Boss." He handed over a thumb-sized device. "Detonator's synced."
Hong Fei weighed it in his palm. "Yield sufficient?"
Samuel's face scrunched like he'd bitten a lemon. "Any more and we'll sink the island—maybe take out half of Manhattan with it."
"Fair enough."
Dusk found Hong Fei gearing up in the subterranean complex when Helen Cho's arrival interrupted his departure. "Boss? She's waiting upstairs."
"Bring her down," Hong Fei said without missing a beat.
Minutes later, wide-eyed footsteps echoed through the underground facility. Helen gaped at the sprawling multi-level complex hidden beneath the manor—equipment bays, armories, tech stations far beyond her expectations. When she finally faced him, her gaze fixed on the nightmare mask.
Hong Fei sighed internally. "What do you need?" he asked, dropping the voice modulation.
Dr. Helen Cho startled at his voice, then gave his outfit another once-over. "Going out again?"
"Yep."
Recognizing Hong Fei now, she stepped closer without hesitation, fingers brushing the fabric of his shirt. "This is just regular clothing—no armor, no vest. You usually wear this on the job?"
Hong Fei plucked at his sleeve with a smirk. "Erke brand. Good stuff."