As Rhodes extended his hand, he smiled, "Mr. Stark told me about you. I'm Colonel James Rhodes." Merlin shook his hand and replied, "I'm Merlin."
Rhodes chuckled. "So, what did he say about me? That I'm a brave Air Force colonel? Or maybe the wisest soldier he knows?" Merlin smirked, "He might have said… 'a little stinky sometimes.'" Rhodes rolled his eyes. "Knew it," he said with a grin.
After some small talk to build rapport, Hammer reminded them of the task at hand. Merlin, eyeing the silver armor lying on the test table, asked, "How'd you get this armor from Stark?"
Rhodes' face darkened as he recalled the incident. "I had to wrestle it off him. Since Stark came back, he's been… well, wild. He's not the Iron Man I thought I knew," he said, disappointment clear on his face.
Merlin nodded. "I heard about that party fight. I imagine it wasn't easy leaving with the suit."
Hammer interrupted, "What can we do for you, Colonel? Software upgrade? New energy source?"
Rhodes clarified, "No, we just need more firepower."
"Then you've come to the right place!" Hammer exclaimed, eagerly displaying Hammer Industries' latest weapons.
---
Hammer began showcasing a variety of firearms:
- "Claridge's high-tech semi-automatic pistol, nine-millimeter," he announced, glancing at Rhodes, who was unimpressed.
- "M42 shotgun, manually loaded, five-bullet magazine," he continued, though Rhodes still didn't react.
- "And this is the FN2000 submachine gun…"
Finally, Hammer brought out his pride: the Sidewinder missile, his "Ex-Wife," designed to demolish bunkers. Holding it up, Hammer declared, "My crowning masterpiece! One hit, and even the toughest bunker is dust!"
Merlin, watching the array of weapons, raised an eyebrow at the "Ex-Wife," which resembled a sleek cigar. Rhodes looked at the weapons but turned to Merlin, clearly thinking of Merlin's previous work on advanced tech.
Merlin pointed at Hammer, "Mr. Hammer's my boss here."
Rhodes responded, "If you ever want to join the military, we'd offer you a fantastic position." Hammer, clearly unsettled, laughed, "Hey! Poaching's not fair, Colonel. We're allies here."
Rhodes shrugged, "I just think you're underappreciating him. You have someone this talented right here, but you're letting him idle."
Hammer protested, "Every technician here is a treasure, especially Merlin. He's young, but he's capable of wonders. We just don't want him overworked."
Merlin took this as his cue. "You probably know about my micro-electromagnetic pulse transmitter. It's perfect for disabling electronic equipment." Ivan, who was working on a nearby armor, looked up in surprise—Stark's micro-EMP had disrupted his suit in the Monaco incident.
Merlin continued, "And then there's the electromagnetic rifle. It's no rocket launcher, but it's ideal in special situations." Rhodes seemed interested, eventually deciding to add Merlin's EMP transmitter, electromagnetic rifle, and atomic energy gun to the project, planning to acquire the rest through the R-Star Mall.
Hammer had no objections, as these were part of the contract.
---
After wrapping up, Rhodes said, "Merlin, we're holding an unmanned armor exhibition tomorrow at McPherson Stadium. Make sure you're there." Hammer gave Merlin a friendly pat, adding, "That honor should've been yours, Merlin, but… things change."
Merlin's eyes sparkled as he responded, "I'll be there."
Hammer reassured him, "Stick with us, Merlin. You're young, and I see endless potential in you. How's your current project going?"
"Progress is solid. After the exhibition, you're welcome to see it for yourself." Merlin answered with a casual tone.
Satisfied, Hammer let Merlin go, though Merlin excused himself, claiming more research awaited him. Once alone, Merlin contacted Sol. "I need you to hack Ivan's system tomorrow," he instructed.
"Received!" Sol replied.
Merlin then checked the status on captured vampires across regions: 360 in Apple City, 603 in Los Angeles, 196 in Florida, and more, totaling over 3,000. The captives were steadily being transported to Los Angeles, awaiting Merlin's next phase of plans.
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sorry for the short chapter
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