Tony Stark’s Iron Man armor wasn’t the product of a freak genetic mutation that granted someone impossible powers.
It wasn’t the result of decades of failed super soldier research that had produced little beyond the Hulk and the Abomination.
No.
The Iron Man armor was technology.
Real, tangible, reproducible technology.
Strip away the mystique, and it was nothing more than specialized alloys, wiring, circuit boards, processors, and countless precision-engineered components assembled into an extraordinary machine.
In theory, anyone with enough money, enough expertise, and Stark’s engineering genius could build one.
And that was precisely why everyone wanted it.
The government wanted it.
The military wanted it.
Hydra wanted it.
Whoever controlled that technology would possess a weapon capable of reshaping the balance of power.
"A congressional hearing?" Evenson frowned. "Already?"
He’d known something like this was inevitable.
There was no universe where Washington simply ignored the Iron Man armor.
But the timing surprised him.
"The fight between the Hulk and the Abomination happened less than a month ago," he said. "Isn’t this... a little tone-deaf?"
The devastation from Harlem was still fresh.
Entire neighborhoods were rebuilding.
People were still arguing over who was responsible.
The government hadn’t even settled on a clear public position regarding the disaster.
Yet now they were launching a massive public hearing about something completely unrelated.
It seemed absurd.
Unless...
"They picked the timing on purpose," Fury said calmly. "Sometimes the best way to move forward is to stop everyone from looking backward."
Evenson snorted.
"I get it."
He leaned back in his chair.
"If you can’t put out one fire, start another one somewhere else."
A cynical smile crossed his face.
"Sounds about right."
Fury didn’t argue.
There was no need.
Tony Stark was a billionaire genius, a celebrity, and a superhero.
Few people attracted attention as effortlessly as he did.
A public battle over Iron Man would dominate every headline in the country, pushing the Hulk and Abomination incident further down the news cycle.
For the public that had escaped Harlem untouched, it was irresistible drama.
For those who had suffered real losses, the government’s message was equally convenient.
We’re doing this to prevent another catastrophe.
If another monster appears, imagine how many lives Iron Man technology could save if it belonged to the nation instead of one man.
It was political efficiency at its finest.
Solve yesterday’s crisis by advancing today’s agenda.
Two birds.
One stone.
"You don’t seem very interested in how the hearing turns out," Fury observed.
He had expected more questions.
After all, Tony Stark was now one of Evenson’s employers.
"If the government wins," Fury continued, "your paycheck might disappear."
Evenson looked out the office window before turning back toward him.
"Do you honestly think Tony Stark is the kind of man who folds under pressure?"
Fury remained silent.
"And besides," Evenson added with a shrug, "I’m his medical consultant. Whether he keeps the armor or throws it into the ocean, he still owes me a salary."
The last time they’d met Tony, his position had been unmistakable.
He would never surrender the Iron Man technology simply because Washington demanded it.
More importantly...
He had both the wealth and the influence to back up that promise.
"I’m not worried about Tony," Fury admitted.
"It’s the politicians."
His expression hardened.
"People who’ve survived in Washington for decades rarely lose because of a single failed argument."
"They’ve brought in outside help."
"Who?" Evenson asked.
Then he paused.
"...Actually, let me guess."
A grin spread across his face.
"Justin Hammer?"
Fury nodded.
"He’ll be attending the hearing as both a weapons expert and a defense contractor working with the Department of Defense."
"Just him?"
Evenson remembered Hammer all too well.
Their last encounter had ended with a less-than-friendly disagreement over a certain luxury car.
First impressions had only confirmed his opinion.
Justin Hammer talked like an industry titan.
He wasn’t one.
Which made the government’s choice puzzling.
If they wanted to challenge Stark Industries, surely they could have recruited one of the true giants of the defense industry instead of Hammer.
Fury seemed to read his thoughts.
"He was the only realistic choice."
His tone carried no affection for the man.
"If the government weren’t protecting him for reasons of its own, he’d probably already be in prison."
He continued.
"The major defense corporations all declined to get involved."
"They each had their own reasons."
"But Hammer?"
"He doesn’t have that luxury."
Understanding dawned on Evenson.
It wasn’t that Washington couldn’t find bigger names.
It was that the bigger names had refused.
On paper, Stark Industries had dominated the weapons industry for years.
Now that Tony had withdrawn from the arms business, many expected his competitors to seize the opportunity to kick him while he was down.
With the government leading the charge, they should have been lining up to help.
If Stark Industries collapsed completely, the established defense contractors stood to gain far more than Hammer Industries ever could.
Yet the opposite had happened.
Some of those companies had quietly opposed the hearing behind closed doors.
Unlike Hammer, they weren’t chasing short-term victories.
Most of those corporations had been family-controlled enterprises for generations.
They understood the difference between immediate profit and long-term precedent.
Crippling a weakened rival might earn them a temporary advantage.
Helping the government establish the authority to seize or force the transfer of privately developed military technology...
That was a precedent that might one day be turned against them.
No one with real power wanted to open that door.
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