300 gems = bonus chapter
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"Tea?"
"Thank you."
A cup of hot tea was set before John, who picked it up, feeling the warmth seep into his hands. Across from him, Ferdinand bounced his leg and glanced around the teahouse, looking restless.
"Hey, no beer here?" Ferdinand asked, half-joking, half-hopeful.
"As a driver, drinking and driving is not a good habit," John replied, not missing a beat. He signaled to the waiter. "Bring him a double espresso to wake him up."
The waiter nodded with a polite smile and left. Ferdinand's face fell, but John ignored it.
The door swung open, letting in Ivan, his hair cropped short and his tracksuit making him look every bit the Russian gangster. He strode in with easy confidence.
"Where's your pretty female assistant?" Ivan asked, scanning the room.
"My assistant has been on leave for more than a week," John replied with a shrug. "I'm starting to think I need to hire a new one."
Ivan grinned knowingly. "She's a knockout. Good luck finding another like her."
He turned to Ferdinand, who was still fidgeting. "Sit down, kid."
"Kid?" Ferdinand muttered, but seeing Ivan's imposing presence, he obediently scooted into the corner of the sofa.
Just then, the waiter returned with Ferdinand's coffee. Ivan eyed the cup with distaste. "I prefer vodka."
"That's not for you," John said, then leaned in. "How's the project going?"
Ivan lounged back, a toothpick between his teeth. "No big problems. All the materials came from Hammer Industries' original channels, and even those idiots can follow the blueprints. Assembly's done, the system's installed, and the fifty million dollars is in the account."
He grinned. "It's easy to make money in America."
Ivan paused, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He wondered why he had bothered with whips when he could have just used his brain and made a fortune. "Hammer Industries is great for battlefield weapons, but not so much for urban combat."
John sipped his tea, considering. "Since you're free now, are you interested in something a little more mysterious?"
Ivan's eyes lit up. "More mysterious than that magic crystal you gave me? That thing upgraded my reactor, and I found some other uses for it too."
John's lips curled into a secretive smile. "What I want you to study is even more interesting. Something from a "god'."
Ivan stroked his stubbled chin and spread his hands. "You're the boss. I'll listen."
Ferdinand, completely lost, watched the exchange with wide eyes. He took a sip of the espresso and nearly choked. "This is torture!"
The waitress arrived with a can of vodka. Ferdinand stared, amazed. "You serve vodka in a can? Wait, isn't this a teahouse?"
Ivan popped the top and took a swig. "You'll understand when you grow up, kid." He winked at the waitress, who winked back.
John drank his tea quietly. "No flirting with staff on company time."
Ivan leaned back, feigning annoyance. "This isn't a company."
"It is now." John pulled out his checkbook, scribbled a number, and handed the check to the owner. "I just bought the place."
Ivan's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
The teahouse owner stared at the check, mouth hanging open. The sum was enough to keep him comfortable for a hundred years.
John turned to Ivan with a wicked grin. "I like the tea here."
Ivan was convinced. Ferdinand was convinced. Money really could do anything.
They stepped outside. Ivan eyed the new SUV parked at the curb. "Do you drive a different car every time?"
John's face darkened. "Don't bring it up." He climbed into the back seat, Ivan beside him, vodka in hand, and Ferdinand at the wheel.
"You know, people can't see my face," Ivan said, feigning innocence. "I'm a wanted man."
"A dead wanted man," John replied with a sigh. "Just drive."
Ferdinand, watching Ivan and remembering how John never let Natasha sit up front, began to wonder about his boss's preferences.
A sharp smack to the head snapped him out of it. "Eyes on the road," John said, smiling.
Ferdinand gulped and focused on driving. He was sure his boss could read minds.
"Where to?" he asked.
"Taran Industries. That's our home base."
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Underground Firearms Testing Facility, Taran Industries.
A massive suit of metal armor lay on the platform, silent and imposing.
Ivan pulled out his glasses and hurried over, his face lighting up with excitement. "What is this?"
"Some time ago, a god fell out of the sky in New Mexico," John explained, slowly assembling a pistol. "This thing followed him. It nearly destroyed an entire town. Not even missiles could leave a mark."
He finished assembling the pistol, aimed, and fired. The bullets pinged off the Destroyer's armor without a trace.
"This thing is way tougher than Tony Stark's suit."
John dropped the empty pistol and turned to Ivan. "I want you to analyze it. Figure out what it's made of and how it works."
Ivan ran his hands over the Destroyer's surface, almost reverently. "I'll need some serious equipment for this. I've never seen metal like this. It's not from our world."
He was already hooked, and that was just what John wanted. The Destroyer had survived blows from Mjolnir and even Thor's full power. The only damage was from the two pieces John had managed to cut off.
Ivan was already lost in the possibilities, thrilled by the challenge. He had started this job out of fear, but now he genuinely liked working for this boss, who always brought him the most incredible things.
For all his rough edges, Ivan was one of the world's greatest scientists. People like him could never resist the lure of the unknown.
John added, "You can use what you learn to upgrade your own armor. I know you've been tinkering with new weapons."
Ivan paused, taking off his glasses. "So what are you going to do about me?"
"I'm not going to do anything," John said with a smile.
Ivan stared, surprised. "What?"
"Did you forget what I said? I don't mind you going after Tony Stark. I just think you shouldn't have to sneak around, piecing together scraps from the military."
John pointed at the Destroyer, grinning. "I said I'd support you. Just be open about it. Stark knows you're alive, and I welcome his revenge."
He offered his hand. "Build something you're proud of, and I'll back you all the way."
Ivan looked at John's hand, then shook it firmly. "Thank you, Yadani."
"We're on the same side, Ivan."
At that moment, Ivan was completely won over by this strange young man. Not like Justin Hammer at all.
After John left, Ivan pulled out a USB drive. It contained a backdoor he had hidden in the Iron Soldier's system. But now, he tossed it to the floor and crushed it under his boot.
"Jovonovich, you've found the best alpha wolf," he muttered, grinning as he turned back to the Destroyer, eager to unlock its secrets.
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