Tony led the way toward the Hammer Industries pavilion, Pepper keeping pace beside him while Rhodey brought up the rear. The expo grounds buzzed with afternoon crowds, but something in Tony's stride suggested he wasn't here for the sights.
"Should we be worried?" Pepper asked, nodding toward the sleek white structure that screamed 'corporate imitation' from fifty paces.
"Worried?" Tony's laugh was sharp enough to cut glass. "Pepper, I'm positively thrilled. Nothing says 'Tuesday' like watching Hammer make an ass of himself on the biggest stage in Queens."
They hadn't gone more than a few steps when four familiar faces materialized ahead—kids who looked spectacularly out of place amidst the corporate suits and military brass. Tony recognized them immediately: the data-hunter kid with the Digimon problem, plus his entourage.
"Well, well. If it isn't our future tech moguls." Tony stopped short, and honestly, Pepper couldn't blame him. These kids were supposed to be running their own booth, not wandering around like tourists.
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were supposed to be managing DataStream Dynamics?"
Ethan shrugged, hands buried in his hoodie pockets. "Booth can run itself. Asked JARVIS to handle the details before we took off."
Tony's grin could power the entire expo. "Kid, JARVIS is practically family at this point. Partners share resources, right?"
Tony's grin could power the whole expo. "C'mon, kids. Let's go watch the clown show."
Peter scratched his head. "Uh, what?"
"The presentation. Three o'clock. Hammer's got something to show off." Tony waved a hand toward the white pavilion. "Figures it's about time someone made a proper fool of themselves today."
Ethan exchanged glances with Jessica. They'd both seen enough corporate theater to know when someone was about to crash and burn.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Gwen asked.
Tony fell into step beside them, Pepper and Rhodey trailing behind like they'd seen this particular disaster coming. "Hammer thinks he cracked the Iron Man tech. Says he's got suits ready to roll out." He snorted. "Justin Hammer, actual genius. Next you'll tell me pigs fly."
Pepper sighed. "Tony, maybe don't—"
"Relax, Potts. Kid's got enough ego to handle a little reality check." Tony's eyes glinted with mischief. "Thing is, Hammer's never built anything that wasn't copied from someone else first. This? This is gonna be beautiful."
Jessica crossed her arms. "You're enjoying this."
"Like watching a train wreck. In slow motion." Tony clapped his hands together. "Place your bets now. How long before the whole thing falls apart?"
Rhodey chuckled. "Always betting on failure, aren't you?"
"The man's never disappointed me yet."
Ethan exchanged glances with Jessica while Peter already started walking. Gwen followed, her scientific curiosity clearly outweighing her better judgment.
Ethan's eyes flicked toward the pavilion. In his head, he was already cataloging what he knew about Justin Hammer—not the cartoon villain from the papers, but the real one. The guy who'd gotten played by Ivan Vanko, who'd basically handed the keys to a madman and called it business strategy.
Hammer had been a joke villain, sure. But jokes could still hurt people.
"Is this a bad idea?" Jessica asked, and yeah, even she could read the tension in the air.
Peter was already moving. "Bad ideas are sort of our specialty lately."
Gwen caught up with them, phone in hand. "If Hammer's actually got real tech, we should probably see what we're dealing with."
Tony held the pavilion door open. "Ladies first. Try not to enjoy this too much—I'd hate for you to start feeling sorry for him."
Ethan fell into step behind them, watching Hammer's logo glare down from above. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept wondering about Ivan Vanko. Tony had never mentioned the guy, not once. Which meant either Hammer was working alone, or the real threat was still out there, waiting.
Neither option sounded particularly comforting.
The Hammer Industries pavilion gleamed white under the afternoon sun, looking more like a wedding cake than a weapons manufacturer. Military brass milled about in pressed uniforms, government suits with too much hair gel, and enough high-society types to make the Met Gala jealous.
Funny how the joke company still drew the serious crowd.
Tony held the door open with theatrical flair. "Ladies first. Try not to enjoy this too much."
Ethan stepped inside, noting the marble floors and nervous energy. Important people always looked nervous before watching someone embarrass themselves publicly.
Ethan's eyes snagged on familiar faces near the front row—Coulson in his usual suit, and beside him, a redhead in a secretary's outfit that screamed "cover identity" if you knew what to look for.
Black Widow.
Of course she'd be here. SHIELD always liked to keep tabs on potential threats, and Hammer Industries qualified as a threat whether they wanted to admit it or not.
Coulson spotted him too. Their eyes met across the pavilion, and the agent gave the tiniest nod—barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.
Ethan excused himself from Tony's group with a mumbled excuse about checking something. Jessica glanced up from her phone, but didn't press when he slipped away.
"Agent Coulson."
"Cipher." Coulson's voice carried that practiced neutrality he used when he wanted to seem harmless. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"Likewise." Ethan gestured toward the stage. "Hammer's little presentation?"
"We're monitoring several potential threats today." Black Widow's accent was perfectly American now, clipped and professional. "Hammer Industries made the list."
Ethan let out a short laugh. "Yeah, well. Tony invited us to watch the fireworks."
"And you came?"
"Gotta see the show sometime." He paused. "Thanks, by the way. For the goblin thing. Didn't get to say that properly."
Black Widow's expression didn't change, but something in her posture softened. "Just doing our job."
They found seats near the back as the crowd settled. Military brass filled the front rows, government types scattered throughout, and enough civilians to make the place feel properly packed.
Ethan sat between Coulson and Black Widow, watching the stage setup with its too-shiny displays and obviously fake holographic demonstrations.
***
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