Location: Stark Industries Testing Grounds, Long Island – Late August 1943
A thunderous crack echoed across the sprawling testing fields of Stark Industries. A prototype rifle—Rayn's modified AK-47—sent a controlled burst into a series of steel targets, each one shredding under the concentrated force. Engineers cheered. Military observers scribbled furiously. Even the gruff colonel overseeing weapons trials raised his brows in surprise.
Rayn stood calmly, arms folded, watching the final magazine discharge with practiced precision. The weapon didn't jam. The recoil was manageable. Accuracy, deadly. Reliability, unmatched.
Howard Stark, wearing goggles and grinning like a child in a candy shop, turned to him. "Rayn, you just created a goddamn legend."
"No," Rayn replied, "I've created a tool. It's up to the people who use it whether it becomes legendary or monstrous."
Howard nodded soberly. "You sound like someone who's already seen the future."
"I've seen what happens when men with power forget responsibility," Rayn said. Then after a moment, he added, "That's why I trust you. Don't become one of them."
Howard tapped the weapon's metal body. "Don't worry. With you as my partner, we'll keep the future in check."
Meanwhile — Boardroom, Stark Group Executive Wing
Later that evening, Rayn and Howard sat across a long mahogany table from the other Stark board members—aging industrialists, former defense officers, and investors.
One of them, a stiff man in suspenders, tapped his pen. "So let me get this straight, Mr. Stark—you handed over half your company to a 20-year-old colonel who walked in with blueprints?"
Howard, casually sipping scotch, said nothing. Rayn responded instead.
"I walked in with weapons that outperform your current models by 50%. We've produced five working prototypes in two weeks, and the U.S. Army just signed a deal for a trial deployment in North Africa. This isn't a gamble—it's already paying off."
Another man interjected. "And what do you plan next, Colonel Rayn? More designs? More weapons?"
Rayn leaned forward. "My designs are only phase one. With your approval, Stark Group will become the primary defense supplier for Allied forces—if not in number, then in effectiveness."
The room quieted.
Howard added, "Gentlemen, the world is changing. This war won't be won with outdated thinking. Rayn's the reason we're ahead of the curve now. We either follow him—or get left behind."
The boardroom voted unanimously to give Rayn full design authority and access to expansion funds. His name was now second only to Stark himself within the company's structure.
A Week Later – Military Training Facility, Pennsylvania
Rayn arrived at a secluded Army base to personally oversee the training of an elite unit equipped with the new rifles. He worked with drill sergeants to streamline combat usage, taught maintenance in field conditions, and held strategic briefings.
The soldiers admired him—not just for his rank, but because he trained beside them, ate the same food, and slept in the same bunks.
One sergeant whispered to another during shooting drills, "Colonel Rayn's no ordinary officer. He thinks like a soldier… but he fights like something else."
Nightfall – Private Office in Stark Facility
Later, Rayn sat alone in his private office, a dim lamp casting long shadows. His hand hovered over a sealed case—one containing designs he had not yet revealed. Jet propulsion, early drone schematics, even conceptual energy weapons.
But he paused. Too soon, he thought. If I hand them everything now, they'll misuse it. It's not the right time.
A quiet knock came at the door.
Howard stepped in, holding two cigars. "Thought you could use a break."
Rayn took one and cut the tip. "Thanks."
As they smoked in silence, the sound of hammers, engines, and metal echoed faintly from the floors below. The birth of something larger was happening—and only two men truly understood what it meant.
Howard finally said, "You know, I've worked with geniuses before. But you? You're something else. You see connections nobody else does. What's your secret?"
Rayn smiled faintly, blowing out smoke. "Let's just say I've been preparing for this my whole life."
To Be Continued in Part 4…