Stark Industries, Sector 16 secret laboratory.
Giant fans roared overhead, the air thick with the smell of machine oil and metal shavings.
“Useless!
You’re all a pack of useless fools!” Obadiah Stane’s signature roar echoed through the cavernous laboratory.
He slammed his tablet onto the floor in a fit of rage, the screen shattering instantly.
Before him, a group of top-tier engineers in white lab coats trembled like elementary schoolers being scolded by their principal.
“Tony Stark built that reactor in a cave with a pile of scrap metal!
And you?
You have the world’s most advanced equipment and billions in R&D funding from Stark Industries, yet you tell me you can’t build it?!” Obadiah pointed at the unfinished silver-gray mecha in the center of the lab, his eyes bloodshot.
It was the prototype for the Iron Monger, a war machine built upon the improvements made to the Mark I blueprints Tony had left behind in the cave.
It was larger, heavier, and packed more firepower than Tony’s Mark I.
But right now, it was nothing more than a giant metal paperweight.
Because it had no heart.
“Mr…
Mr.
Stane.” The chief engineer pushed up his glasses with trembling hands.
“The bottleneck isn’t the mechanical structure; it’s the power source.
The miniature Arc Reactor technology is Tony Stark’s unique masterpiece.
We’ve tried every existing material, but none can output enough power at such a small scale…” “I don’t want excuses!” Obadiah grabbed the engineer by his collar and hoisted him up.
“You all saw what Tony did at the press conference today!
He’s shutting down the weapons division!
That’s suicide!
It’s the death of Stark Industries!” “The old fossils on the board are already panicking.
The stock is plummeting.” “If I don’t produce new weapons orders, we’re all finished!” Obadiah shoved the engineer aside roughly, panting heavily as a crazed light flickered in his eyes.
Just then, his private phone rang.
It was an encrypted message from the operative monitoring Tony’s villa.
[Target has returned home; no contact with the outside world.
However, he brought back a strange metal box, suspected to have been obtained from that mysterious ‘Levi.’] “Levi…” Obadiah narrowed his eyes, recalling the young man who had dared to ignore him at the entrance of the press conference.
“I don’t know what kind of god you think you are, but do you want a piece of the pie too?” Obadiah sneered, pulling a device resembling a sonic paralyzer from his coat.
Since he couldn’t build it, he would steal it.
The reactor sitting in Tony’s chest was the final key to starting the Iron Monger.
“Ready the mecha’s weapons systems.
Tonight, I want to see it move.” Obadiah straightened his suit and strode out of the lab, his silhouette appearing exceptionally sinister.
…
Hell’s Kitchen, Foundation Site.
Levi didn’t rest upon returning to his apartment.
Instead, he went directly to the tactical training ground on the second basement level.
The sound of gunfire inside the training ground was deafening.
“Too slow!
Are you reloading or giving those guns a massage?!” Hunk’s cold, ruthless voice rang out across the floor through the loudspeakers.
At his feet, ten D-Class personnel were frantically rolling and firing in a simulated muddy trench.
In Hunk’s training logic, as long as you didn’t die from the training, you trained until you were dead tired.
“Sir.” Seeing Levi walk in, Hunk immediately stopped his shouting and turned to give a crisp, standard military salute.
“How is the training progressing?” Levi asked.
“Better than expected.
The physical quality of this batch of personnel is stronger than I thought, and the new weapons are quite powerful.” Hunk pointed to several sci-fi-looking black rifles resting on a nearby weapon rack.
[MTF Standard-Issue Gauss Rifle (Mass-Produced Model)].
This was the first batch of equipment Levi had produced using containment points to exchange for blueprints and the base’s 3D printing factory to manufacture them.
“Show me,” Levi said with interest.
“Yes, sir.” Hunk picked up a Gauss rifle and expertly pulled the charging handle.
He stepped to the firing line, aiming at a 50 mm thick alloy steel plate fifty meters away—simulating the side armor thickness of a main battle tank.
*Zzzzt—Bang!* Accompanied by a slight crackle of electricity and the boom of air being torn apart.
The alloy steel plate in the distance was instantly pierced, leaving behind a hole with glowing red, molten edges.
After penetrating the steel plate, the projectile even shattered the concrete wall behind it.
“Muzzle velocity is 3,500 m/s.
Kinetic energy is five times that of a traditional anti-materiel sniper rifle.” Hunk explained calmly, “At this distance, no body armor on Earth can stop it.
Even a light armored vehicle is a one-shot deal.” “Excellent.” Levi nodded in satisfaction.
“And what if the target is a big guy wearing heavy exoskeleton armor with durability comparable to a tank’s frontal armor?” “You mean…
the tin can we’re dealing with?” Hunk had clearly already read the mission briefing Levi had given him.
“Exactly.” Levi narrowed his eyes.
“According to intelligence, it’s Stark Industries’ secret weapon, the Iron Monger.
It looks clunky, but it has heavy firepower and extremely thick armor.” “Just a clunky coffin.” Hunk gave a supremely contemptuous assessment.
He put down the rifle and pulled a palm-sized, gray disc-shaped object from his tactical vest.
“Against heavy units, I don’t recommend a head-on firepower exchange.
That wastes ammunition and lacks elegance.” “What’s this?” Levi asked curiously.
“The EM-7 Electromagnetic Pulse Suction Mine.
A little toy I modified myself.” Hunk toyed with the disc in his hand.
“As long as it’s attached to the joints or the power core of that big guy, the instantaneous directional EMP pulse is enough to fry all its electronic components.” “For high-tech armor like that, once the system is paralyzed, the person inside is just a sardine trapped in a can.
They won’t even be able to move.” “When that happens, we can take our time figuring out how to cut it open, or…
just contain the man and the armor together.” After listening, Levi couldn’t help but applaud.
“Professional.
That’s what I call professional.” As expected of the man known as the Grim Reaper.
This set of tactics was practically designed to counter tech-based enemies like Iron Man.
No matter how thick the armor or how fierce the firepower, if it was an electronic product, he could just pull the plug.
“Then it’s settled.” Levi patted Hunk on the shoulder.
“Have the squad ready.
Everyone gears up with Gauss rifles and brings plenty of EMP grenades.” “Tonight, we’re going to Stark Industries for some demolition work.” “Additionally, a third-party force might intervene in this operation.” Levi thought of Natasha, who was still upstairs pretending to be a photographer, and SHIELD, which was definitely observing from the shadows.
“SHIELD?” Hunk asked.
“Yes.
If they dare get in the way…” Levi made a throat-slitting gesture.
“You know what to do.
Of course, try not to kill anyone.
Just break their legs.
After all, we are law-abiding citizens.” “Understood.
Non-lethal suppression.” Though Hunk’s voice remained cold, Levi felt as though the corner of the man’s mouth might have twitched behind his mask.
…
After leaving the training ground, Levi returned to the third floor.
Just as he stepped out of the elevator, he happened to run into Natasha, who was preparing to head out.
“Going out for inspiration so late?” Levi asked with a smile.
“A photographer’s inspiration always explodes in the dead of night.” Natasha shook the camera bag in her hand.
“Isn’t the landlord resting either?” “Same here.” Levi adjusted his cuffs.
“Some business can only be discussed at night.” The two looked at each other and smiled, both harboring their own hidden agendas.
Natasha had received orders from Phil Coulson to set up surveillance near Stark Industries because SHIELD had detected Obadiah’s unusual movements.
As for Levi…
he was going to be the final mantis stalking the cicada.
“Well then…
good luck, Miss Rushman.” “You too, Mr.
Landlord.” The moment they passed each other, the smile on Natasha’s face vanished.
She smelled it.
The specific scent of gun oil from the basement was lingering on Levi.
“Looks like tonight will be very lively,” Natasha thought to herself, quickening her pace.
Watching Natasha’s retreating figure disappear into the stairwell, Levi turned around to look at Ada Wong, who was already waiting in the shadows, and Hunk’s fully armed squad.
“The show begins.” “Departure.
Target: Stark Industries Campus.” “Remember our slogan: We control, we contain, we…
make a bit of money on the side.”