Marvel's Iron Lady

When Miss Stark descended onto a street in New York wearing a full steel suit and then shot up into the sky, the short video of her stunt, lasting barely ten seconds, made its way online. The clip quickly left those who watched it wide-eyed with surprise.

The internet was soon abuzz with debates over the steel suit she wore, with the media coverage sparking widespread curiosity. Just what exactly was that thing she was wearing? Could it be some type of power-boosting exoskeleton crafted with groundbreaking technology?

What could its appearance mean? Was it the onset of a new global arms race? Or was this just an instance of a declining arms manufacturer showcasing its impressive creativity in hopes of regaining prominence?

At nearly the same time, Miss Stark's video was delivered straight to the White House, Congress, the Pentagon, and S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. The next morning, as if in a move preordained, Nick Fury "invited" Miss Stark to his office.

In the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director's office, the two sat on opposite sides of the executive desk, neither breaking the silence as they stared each other down for a few minutes.

Nick Fury had already received feedback from both the U.S. government and the Department of Defense, but he was still trying to figure out the right way to address the subject. Meanwhile, Miss Stark simply didn't care.

Finally, Fury couldn't hold back any longer. His slow words marked the beginning of a new negotiation.

"... Don't you have anything you'd like to clarify about that device?"

"I don't see why I should, Nick. What do you expect me to say?"

Miss Stark sat in her chair with her arms crossed, her expression utterly disdainful.

"I may not know the exact number of weapons you've installed on it, but its very presence challenges public safety and social order. You don't think the government would allow something capable of threatening its stability to be out there, do you?"

When Miss Stark had first joined S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury had directed Agent Romanoff, who was planted close to her, to conduct a psychological evaluation, capturing every facet of her personality in a report and sealing it in the highest classified files.

He knew well that the woman before him was a genius and also an anarchist. The combination of her ideology, her intelligence, and the Stark Industries fortune made her one of the most dangerous people in the world—or at least one of the most dangerous.

Miss Stark's continued cooperation with the U.S. government and Department of Defense was due largely to her late father, who had stood with America, leaving her with a network she still found valuable. But the day her interests were at odds with America's direction, she wouldn't hesitate to protect her own.

"We're a nation of laws, Nick. All the technology on that suit is patented. Just because I assembled it doesn't strip it of its legal protections."

"You know as well as I do that the government doesn't care about laws when it feels threatened. Bruce Banner found that out, and so will you."

At Nick Fury's words, Miss Stark nodded, understanding all too well the workings of the U.S. government: it was the world's largest bureaucracy and the very epitome of capitalist oligarchy.

Despite its self-proclaimed role as a "beacon of freedom," every aspect of its structure—from elections to regulations and public services—served the interests of those in the financial sphere, not the American public.

When individuals amass wealth beyond what they can control, they don't necessarily rise to the top; they're more likely to find their fortune entirely devoured by those who cloak themselves in the rhetoric of "national security."

"Yes, Nick, I know it even better than you. And I'm aware that as a U.N.-backed entity, S.H.I.E.L.D. has always had one foot in step with the U.S. government. Let me guess… the powers that be in government and at the Pentagon didn't get much sleep last night."

A mocking smile appeared on Miss Stark's face. She kept her gaze fixed on Fury's grim face before she continued, unperturbed, "But don't you think if they push me too far, I could just fly straight to Washington and use the simplest, most direct way to resolve any issues?"

The room fell silent—Miss Stark's words hung heavy in the air. Fury didn't respond immediately. He closed his mouth and fell silent, staring at her with an unreadable expression.

He hadn't anticipated that she would be so brazen. He had only intended to apply some diplomatic pressure, hoping to create an opening for peaceful negotiations. Instead, she'd taken it straight to the breaking point.

Such an approach—setting the stakes as high as they could go—was quintessential Miss Stark and left little room for easy response.

"You wouldn't do it."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're tied to American interests, and a move like that would be financially ruinous."

At this, Miss Stark paused briefly, then broke into a wide smile.

"All right then. Why don't you just come out and say what you, or rather, what S.H.I.E.L.D. wants?"

Miss Stark knew Fury wouldn't call her all the way from New York just to deliver a warning—there had to be something else, something deeper.

"You know as well as I do that technology like that can't stay in private hands. At the national level, the government won't accept it, and globally, neither will we. So why don't you go ahead and name a price?"

"Oh, please, Nick. Do you really think I'd go for that?"

Miss Stark's guiding principle had always been reason and restraint. With two Infinity Stones in her possession—items that allowed her to roam the universe at will—she had created the steel suit solely for the protection of those she cared for, not for herself.

Was she willing to sell her creation? Of course not—until Fury made his next point.

"Remember… the incident in New York? You told me you owed me a favor. Does that still stand?"

"Oh, really? You're going to burn that favor just to get your hands on it? You're disappointing me, Nick. I thought there was a little more to our relationship."

A trace of sarcasm crossed Miss Stark's face as she narrowed her eyes, focusing on Fury's dark expression.

"I'm under a lot of pressure here. It doesn't have to be a perfect prototype—just enough for me to save face. The government and even the U.N. Security Council have been riding me hard about this, and I just can't ignore them."

"Don't worry; it won't fall into the wrong hands. It'll stay within S.H.I.E.L.D.; I promise you can come by any time to check on it."

After a moment's silence, Miss Stark agreed, engaging in a quick price negotiation with the Director, before finally sealing the deal.

"I'll hand over a prototype. It's an older model, but its design is advanced enough for your people to analyze. Beyond that, don't involve me. And if anything goes wrong, don't look my way. I don't want to hear about it."

"Understood. As long as you deliver it, I'll handle the rest."

Fury had no idea that the "prototype" she'd promised was nothing more than a string of satellite coordinates.

The real suit, meanwhile, lay buried in a cave in the Afghan desert, among rubble, shattered rocks, and the remnants of a weapons cache, waiting to be unearthed—or more specifically, awaiting the unlucky party who'd paid $3 billion to excavate it.

"So, what are your plans now?" Nick Fury asked as their business concluded, making an attempt at small talk as he leaned back. "I noticed you've been buying back shares in your own company recently?"

"Of course," she replied confidently, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I plan to reopen arms sales and reorganize our weapons R&D department. That was my father's life's work—there's no way I'd just let it crumble like that."

The bluntness of her statement was almost shocking, as if it weren't her who had previously declared at a press conference that Stark Industries would be closing down its weapons division.

"...Isn't that borderline fraud? Aren't you worried about being taken to court?"

"How is it fraud?" Miss Stark raised an eyebrow, not missing a beat. "After suspending weapons production, I watched our stock plummet and realized my error. It's only natural to take corrective actions when a mistake is made."

"As for those who snatched up shares at rock-bottom prices? That has nothing to do with me or Stark Industries. I only admitted my error and resumed the weapons business at the board's request. How could that possibly be considered fraud?"

Nick Fury's gaze tightened as he studied her, watching this bold-faced maneuver. Her unapologetic attitude left him unsure how to respond. Did she really think everyone else was an idiot?

"After this, Stark Industries will be entering the energy, materials, medical, and educational sectors to fully implement our industry-wide strategy. In a matter of time, I'll be the world's wealthiest person."

After wrapping up her discussion with Nick Fury, Miss Stark soon left S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in an orange sports car, cruising along the island highway with loud music blasting, on her way back to Stark Industries HQ in the west end of Washington.

"Miss, the materials have arrived at the industrial park, so the arc reactor upgrade plan can proceed," Jarvis's voice chimed in just as the music paused. Stark blinked, recalling the orders she had issued a few days prior.

The headquarters and industrial park's power supply still relied on a large Tokamak reactor that dated back to her father's era, Howard Stark. While the reactor had continued to supply energy for over half a century, its design was becoming outdated.

Miss Stark had Jarvis place a custom order from a rare metals supplier for a palladium ring, two meters in diameter.

Initially, Jarvis had almost confused the order for the French "Palladium" boot brand, but it quickly realized she was referring to the rare metal, palladium, and in a considerable quantity.

Palladium, a radioactive metal, had once enjoyed high demand as a precious metal until its toxicity was discovered. This plummeted its price, restricting its usage to industrial applications.

Although Stark Industries stored a good amount of palladium, largely for chip manufacturing, her field-assembled reactor in Afghanistan had relied on palladium rods extracted from missiles and forged into a crude palladium ring through high-temperature smelting.

This time, however, the volume required exceeded what was available in storage, so she had no choice but to place an additional order. Fortunately, palladium wasn't expensive; it simply took a few days to fabricate.

The metals company supplying Stark Industries didn't know why they wanted so much palladium in ring form, but they still complied since payment was already transferred.

Soon, a massive palladium ring, two meters in diameter, was airlifted to the Stark Industrial Park in Washington, where it arrived beside the old Tokamak reactor.

"All right, let them know to prepare for a temporary shutdown. I'll head over to supervise the reactor disassembly personally—"

Just as she spoke, her phone vibrated, prompting her to pull over, ignoring the curious or envious glances of passersby. She checked the screen and frowned.

There was no other reason; the watch she had gifted to Dr. Banner had been detected within the United States, specifically at Caltech.

"Come on, Banner, can't you just stay in Kamar-Taj and study your magic in peace? Why come back here now of all times!"

With a sigh, she tossed her phone onto the passenger seat and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. After a brief pause, she resolved to go to the industrial park first before making her way to Southern California.

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