The United States was built on private ownership.
Its largest industries, much of its financial system, and even the institutions behind the dollar were deeply intertwined with powerful families and corporate empires. The major defense contractors belonged to that elite circle.
For generations, those families had shared one unspoken principle.
The government existed to protect and expand their interests.
Not to seize them.
That was why so many of the industry’s heavyweights had shown little enthusiasm for the government’s attempt to force Tony Stark to surrender the Iron Man technology.
Some privately opposed it outright.
The issue wasn’t Tony.
It was the precedent.
Today, Washington claimed the Iron Man armor because it was too strategically important to remain in private hands.
Tomorrow it might decide someone else’s fighter aircraft design was equally vital.
The day after that, perhaps a revolutionary missile system.
All it would take was another congressional hearing, a handful of carefully selected "experts," and enough political theater to justify taking technology that had been developed with private money.
No one in that room of industrial titans was naïve enough to believe the line would stop at Tony Stark.
If the government dug a pit for Stark today, they might find themselves falling into it tomorrow.
The fact that those corporations hadn’t publicly denounced the hearing as an abuse of power was already a remarkable display of restraint.
Expecting them to actively support it was wishful thinking.
Justin Hammer, however, lived by different rules.
Hammer Industries had grown largely under the government’s protection.
Just as easily, that protection could disappear.
Given the nature of some of Hammer’s overseas dealings, the authorities wouldn’t even need a congressional hearing to ruin him. A few carefully edited files delivered to the FBI or Interpol would be enough to send him to prison.
He had little choice but to play the role assigned to him.
Besides...
Hammer had never hidden his jealousy of Tony Stark.
If politics gave him a chance to knock Stark off his pedestal, he’d happily take the swing.
"Justin’s a supporting act at best," Evenson said after a moment’s thought. "He’s good for making noise, but if anyone thinks he’s capable of cornering Tony Stark, they’re dreaming."
"I generally don’t dream about things that ridiculous," Fury replied dryly.
Then his expression grew more serious.
"But there is someone worth paying attention to."
"Who?"
"Colonel James Rhodes."
Evenson frowned.
The name felt familiar.
He closed his eyes, searching through memories that had gathered a decade’s worth of dust.
He’d always remembered the nickname more easily than the full name.
"...Tony’s friend."
Fury nodded.
"His closest friend."
"The Department of Defense intends to have him present an official evaluation of Iron Man."
He sighed.
"Coming from Rhodes, it’ll carry far more weight."
"And unfortunately..."
"He’s a soldier."
"He follows orders."
"I see the problem."
Evenson scratched the back of his head.
"But Rhodes isn’t the type to exaggerate. If he’s writing the report himself, it’ll be objective. He won’t invent reasons to make Iron Man look more dangerous than he is."
"As both a good officer and Tony’s friend, he did exactly that," Fury replied.
He had already seen the report.
"The problem isn’t what Rhodes wrote."
"It’s what the politicians decide to read."
Evenson’s eyes narrowed.
"They’ll quote him out of context."
Fury nodded.
"The report covers every possible scenario. Read selectively, it paints a very different picture."
"But would Rhodes really go along with it?" Evenson asked. "He’s an honest man. I can’t imagine him willingly becoming a politician’s puppet."
Fury spread his hands.
"I wouldn’t bet either way."
Silence settled over the office.
Finally, Evenson scrubbed both hands across his face and stood up.
"All right, enough."
He looked directly at Fury.
"You dragged me out of bed before sunrise, spent the last hour explaining the hearing, the politics behind it, Justin Hammer, James Rhodes, and congressional games."
He crossed his arms.
"Other than telling me it’s time to start working for Tony, what does any of this actually have to do with me?"
"So stop circling the runway and land the plane."
"What do you really want?"
Fury leaned back in his chair, looking entirely too amused.
"You young people have no patience."
"I used to."
Evenson pointed accusingly at him.
"Then I met you."
"After listening to you talk in circles, I’m starting to think you’d fit right into Congress."
"And in case you’ve forgotten..."
"I’ve had about three hours of sleep."
"So please."
"Get to the point."
"Fair enough."
Fury smiled.
"I’ll make this simple."
"The hearing itself won’t accomplish anything."
"The politicians aren’t getting the armor."
"But they won’t stop trying."
"You understand that."
Evenson rubbed his aching forehead.
"So you’re worried they’ll stop playing by the rules."
He looked at Fury.
"You think they’ll go after Tony behind the scenes."
"And you want me there in case they do."
Fury nodded.
"Exactly."
He folded his hands.
"Inside the armor, Tony Stark is one of the most dangerous men on Earth."
"Without it..."
"He’s just an ordinary man."
"A brilliant ordinary man."
"One with a rapidly deteriorating heart."
He let that hang in the air.
"If someone wanted him dead, they wouldn’t challenge Iron Man."
"They’d wait until he wasn’t wearing the suit."
Evenson silently finished the thought.
Then they’d kill Tony Stark.
The concern wasn’t unreasonable.
If Tony died unexpectedly before establishing a clear succession plan, the government and military would have countless opportunities to pressure Stark Industries into surrendering the Iron Man technology.
Even if there were heirs, they wouldn’t necessarily possess Tony’s intelligence, stubbornness, or influence.
Someone else would be much easier to manipulate.
Evenson glanced toward Natasha, who had quietly observed the conversation from the beginning.
"So that’s your assignment too?"
"More or less," Fury answered before she could.
It wasn’t exactly a denial.
Evenson sighed.
"You know..."
"This isn’t what we agreed on."
"I signed up to be Tony’s medical consultant."
"Not his bodyguard."
Fury raised an eyebrow.
"Is there really a difference?"
He smiled with the practiced confidence of a man who enjoyed winning arguments on technicalities.
"If he isn’t safe..."
"How exactly are you planning to keep him healthy?"
"Isn’t protecting his life part of protecting his health?"
Evenson stared at him for a long moment.
"...That’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone define healthcare that way."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter