All of these steel weapons had the same delicate emblem printed on them.
Both Tony Stark and Rhodes were very familiar with that emblem. It was the Hammer Industries logo, and the two of them were a little speechless.
"Has Justin Hammer lost his mind?"
Inside War Machine, Major Rhodes' mouth twitched as he couldn't help but keep mocking: "Or was he just born an idiot? Providing terrorist attackers of a military base with Iron Man–level armor that even the military can't field as standard gear… Wait, how did he even pull that off?"
"Because of Ivan Vanko…"
Tony Stark's bright red armor hovered in the air. Looking down at the rows of Armed robots on the ground, a trace of worry flashed through his eyes: "That moron Justin Hammer actually had the guts to collude with Hydra…"
No matter how this battle ended…
Justin Hammer definitely wouldn't be able to escape the crime of treason!
Unless Hydra helped him clean it up.
Tony Stark knew very well that this duel Ivan Vanko had arranged with him, aside from ending the long-standing grudge between their families, also had Hydra pushing things from the shadows.
That terrifying organization hiding in the dark…
Wanted to use this slaughter to pick out the strongest Iron Man–style tech!
BOOM!
Violent gunfire instantly tore through the night sky!
Ivan Vanko, piloting his own suit of armor, led over a hundred Armed robots in a sudden, ferocious assault on Iron Man and War Machine in midair!
"Rhodey, watch it!"
Tony Stark quickly boosted his altitude. Panels on the legs of his armor flipped open slightly as a string of micro-bombs shot out, blowing up seven or eight Armed robots in a row!
"Don't worry about me, my firepower's heavier than yours!"
Major James Rhodes, piloting his newly outfitted War Machine, poured a torrent of fire toward the ground, his suit loaded with heavy-caliber machine guns and grenade launchers!
One Armed robot after another fell under his barrage…
To Ivan Vanko, these Armed robots were just expendables, purely meant to burn through Tony Stark and Rhodes' ammo and energy.
Ivan Vanko himself looked up leisurely at the firefight, gripping the two crackling electric whips in his hands, a toothpick hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"So you're planning to treat me like a disposable piece…"
"In your organization, it's really pathetic once you lose your value… You Demons never even considered that I could actually beat Tony Stark?"
"Hee-hee-hee-hee… you're nothing but a pawn…"
The White Zetsu main body slowly peeled off from Ivan Vanko and quickly burrowed into the ground, giggling as it continued: "Hee-hee-hee-hee… there's a difference between pawns and full members, you know. But if you want to be resurrected, we don't mind taking your soul…"
"Heh, no need."
Ivan Vanko shook his head, manipulating his armor as he slowly tightened his grip on the electric whips in his hands, his voice suddenly turning grim: "Tony Stark… let's end this right here!"
As the sound of gunfire gradually faded.
Tony Stark and Rhodes destroyed all the Armed robots and stood before Ivan Vanko. The two of them looked at the Hammer Industries emblem on Ivan Vanko's armor with complicated expressions.
"Justin Hammer really is a dumbass…"
"I think so too…"
"That idiot must have been conned…"
"Even if he was conned, that just proves his stupidity even more…"
Tony Stark shook his head and quickly had Jarvis call Uehara Naraku, telling Uehara Naraku to rush to Hammer Industries immediately to prevent the evidence from disappearing.
This mess definitely couldn't be separated from Hammer Industries.
Whether or not there was enough evidence, as the biggest suspect, Hammer Industries was not someone S.H.I.E.L.D. or the military would ever let off the hook easily.
Unless Justin Hammer could hand over Iron Man–type suits as atonement, and without Ivan Vanko's help, there was no way Justin Hammer could build them…
"Uehara."
Tony Stark talked to Uehara Naraku on the phone like no one else was there: "Hammer Industries may be colluding with Hydra. If you move fast enough you might be able to trace Hydra's whereabouts. I suspect Hydra might be planning to wipe out all the evidence…"
"Relax."
Uehara Naraku, after a brief panic, quickly calmed down and explained softly: "I've already notified Special Agent Romanoff and Director Fury.
Tony, be careful on your side.最好不要强行作战,Director Fury should have already dispatched support and they'll be there any minute now…"
"No, no, no, I don't need backup."
Tony Stark calmly hung up the call.
"What an idiot…"
Ivan Vanko looked at Tony Stark and Rhodes with contempt, glanced at the Hammer Industries emblem on the armor of his own arm, and slowly closed his eyes.
Even a brilliant scientist like Tony Stark could never imagine that all the chaos and fighting tonight…
The real purpose…
Was just one thing.
To deliberately point the investigation toward Hammer Industries.
As long as they followed the trail to Hammer Industries, they would discover the truth about Justin Hammer colluding with Alexander Pierce and Ivan Vanko.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
While S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were moving in urgently to surround Hammer Industries…
Justin Hammer knew nothing about it. He was still sitting in his office, fingers tapping away on his phone, feeling a faint twinge of hesitation.
Ever since Ivan Vanko proposed test-driving the armor tonight, Justin Hammer no longer had to abide by that so-called gag order.
Justin Hammer was debating whether to post on Twitter…
Should he announce it now?
Or wait until the press conference?
Or wait until he was onstage at the Stark Industries Expo to announce it?
Justin Hammer picked up his phone and looked at a picture on the screen, and an itch like a hundred claws scratching at his heart flared up inside him.
It was a group photo.
In the middle stood an Iron Man–style suit painted with the Hammer Industries logo.
On the left was a beaming Justin Hammer himself. On the right was Minister Alexander Pierce. The two of them stood on either side, both giving a thumbs-up.
This photo had been Justin Hammer's idea, a commemorative shot to celebrate Hammer Industries successfully creating its own Iron Man–style armor.
In Justin Hammer's eyes, this photo was the password to his future success in life.
"Screw it, I'll just post one?"
"Haven't been on Twitter in so long, might as well post a few more!"
The fact that Hammer Industries had built a stronger suit of armor finally made Justin Hammer unable to hold back from announcing to the world that he'd surpassed Tony Stark!
Justin Hammer rubbed his hands together excitedly as he quickly typed out a series of new tweets and attached all kinds of photos to them.
"A stronger Iron Man! [Photo]"
"Hammer Industries' new armor is about to arrive! [Photo]"
"A new era of peace is here! [Photo]"
"Hammer Industries reporting in to the United States and its allies! [Photo]"
"Thanks to my new friend, Minister Alexander Pierce of the World Security Council. He'll be my friend forever and ever! [Photo]"