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"Ha—" Ivan scoffed.
But then he froze.
The red mist spread out from the broken shuriken, thin and almost invisible at first. It wrapped around Ivan's armor, slipping through vents and small gaps before dispersing.
Ivan took a step forward, then stumbled.
"What… what is this?" he muttered. His voice sounded off, unsteady.
He tried to swing his whips again, but his arms felt heavy. The electricity flickered and weakened.
His vision blurred. The world tilted.
A second later, his knees buckled.
Ivan collapsed onto the track with a loud crash, his armor hitting the ground hard. The whips fell from his hands, their glow fading out.
Silence followed.
Sharon slowly descended and landed a few steps away from him. She kept her sword ready for a moment, watching for any movement.
There was none.
"Target neutralized, Be ready to extract him" she said calmly on her comms.
"Copy that" from the comms Araska guards that have came with Ethan and Sharon replied.
Back in the party hall, the big screen showed Ivan lying unconscious on the track. People stared, stunned.
Ethan let out a quiet breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "That's going to cause problems."
Reporters immediately turned back to him, voices rising, cameras flashing.
"Mister Cliff, was that a chemical weapon?"
"Is that technology available to the military?"
"Is Arasaka selling flight-capable combat suits now?"
Ethan raised a hand slightly.
"That's just my personal security," he said calmly as he stood up. "And as you all saw, there was nothing lethal in her arsenal. Arasaka never manufactures weapons for destruction—only for protection."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Reporters tried to follow, shouting more questions, but Ethan signaled to the guards. They immediately stepped in, blocking the reporters as Ethan exited the hall.
Outside, Tony's car pulled up right in front of the entrance.
"Need a ride?" Tony asked.
Ethan nodded and got in.
"You already have your own armor," Tony said as the car started moving.
"Yeah," Ethan replied casually. "It was simple to make, honestly. I designed it long before you ever showed yours to the world."
Tony glanced at him. "What reactor do you use?"
"Bio-Ion fusion tech," Ethan answered calmly.
"What?" Tony looked at him in disbelief.
"It's my own personal reactor," Ethan said calmly. Tony nodded slowly.
"No wonder you said you could help with my Arc Reactor," Tony muttered.
Happy drove the car, glancing at Ethan through the mirror. "Hello, Mr. Cliff."
"Hello," Ethan replied with a nod. "Your bodyguard almost makes me wonder who is actually guarding whom."
Tony chuckled. "He's an old friend. Classy guy."
"A bully like me fits this job just fine," Happy said proudly as he drove.
A moment later, Violet dropped down from above, landing smoothly a short distance from the car.
"She's on our side, right?" Happy asked.
Ethan nodded. "Yeah. Stop the car near her."
Happy nodded and pulled over near Violet—Sharon, still in the Violet armor.
She stepped in effortlessly and took the front seat beside Happy.
Tony looked at her and said, "You were really great back there."
"Thanks," Sharon replied, nodding as she removed her helmet, revealing her face.
Tony blinked. "Wait… isn't she your secretary?"
Happy glanced at her in surprise as well.
Ethan sighed. "Why did you have to go that far? Just showing basic combat skills would've been enough."
Looking back at him, Sharon replied calmly, "Yeah? Those whips were outputting over a thousand joules per strike. If I'd held back any more, he could've injured me."
Ethan shook his head. "The suit I made can handle seven hundred thousand joules continuously. It could've easily endured thousands of his strikes."
There was a brief pause.
"…I'm not going to test that," Sharon replied flatly.
Ethan sighed. "I can already imagine the government breathing down my neck for weapons tech."
Tony looked equally tired. "Yeah, same here. I literally said a week ago that no one could make tech like mine anytime soon, and then one week later this guy shows up. I'm so screwed."
Both of them sighed at the same time.
Sharon and Happy exchanged a look, clearly used to this kind of situation.
"Do you have any good news at least?" Ethan asked.
"We've taken over thirty-nine percent of Hammer Industries," Sharon replied. "But with Justin out, we can't acquire his fifty-one percent share easily right now."
Ethan chuckled dryly. "Haha… guess I'm going to end up doing some low-end military contracts now."
"I have to give up one of my suits," Tony said with a sigh. "You're still in a better position than me."
Ethan looked at him flatly. "This is all your fault."
"Huh?" Tony blinked. "How is this my fault?"
"You're the one who invited me to Monaco," Ethan shot back. "Even Sharon dragged me here. I was perfectly fine in my basement lab. Now I've got government agencies breathing down my neck. Why did I ever agree to come?"
Sharon sighed softly. "This was going to happen sooner or later," she said calmly. "Now they just have a proper excuse to demand weapons from you."
"Yeah," Happy said, trying to sound positive. "I mean, look at the bright side. Your company still has a strict no-weapons policy. Most likely, the government will only ask for vehicle upgrades with Arasaka defensive measures."
"My cars already have those," Ethan replied. "They're fully automated. They cannot be manually activated, and they only engage if there's a real threat to the passengers. What they'll really want is manual control—turning defensive systems into offensive ones."
Happy whistled softly. "Well then, I hope you've got some pretty solid lawyers protecting you from the mess your secretary just dropped on your lap."
Sharon glanced at him briefly, then looked back to the road, staying silent as she focused on the scenery outside.
For a moment, the car was quiet.
Ethan leaned back in his seat. "Lawyers won't be enough. This is going to turn political."
Tony sighed. "Yeah. Once politicians smell advanced tech, they never let go."
"They'll call it ' for the sake of national security,'" Ethan said calmly. "And that guy with electric whips just gave them the perfect excuse."