Stark Industries, as a multinational corporation, has branches all across the United States and even worldwide.
Its military division, however, is primarily concentrated in California, with its core research and development base located on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
When Tony Stark announced the shutdown of Stark Industries' military department, many factories and research units in California faced the risk of dissolution.
Some technologies, equipment, and key personnel were reassigned to other departments, but most military-related facilities were destined to be dismantled, sold, or transferred to other companies.
Fortunately, under Kagura Hitomi's subtle persuasion, Obadiah Stane leveraged his authority to quietly consolidate many of these facilities under new pretenses, keeping them operational in the shadows.
After joining Obadiah's development team, Kagura gained high-level access to these resources under the pretext of developing a replica of the Mark I Iron Man suit.
On the surface, Obadiah seemed to value Kagura's input, entrusting her with the entire project.
But Kagura knew better—he likely saw her as nothing more than another golden goose.
(Hey! That's just a metaphor! Don't think weird things!)
Stark Weapons Testing Facility – Outskirts of Los Angeles
Kagura Hitomi stood before a white metal door and swiped her access card.
"Beep! Identity verified."
The red "LOCK" on the panel turned green, indicating "PASS." The heavy metal door slowly slid open, revealing a vast underground hall.
The facility was nearly the size of two football fields, equipped with a firing range, weapon storage, evaluation systems, and various combat simulation environments.
It was the primary weapons testing center of Stark Industries.
Officially, Kagura was there to test weapons for the Mark I replica suit.
But let's be real—those tests weren't exactly necessary.
20mm autocannons, mini grenade launchers, portable anti-air missiles…
These were all tried-and-true technologies that needed only minor modifications. Obadiah's team, without Tony Stark's genius, wasn't capable of producing anything groundbreaking anyway.
And honestly? Kagura had zero interest in seriously helping Obadiah develop weapons.
She wouldn't mind if that bald head of his got blown off by a faulty cannon.
Her real objective? Testing a weapon for herself.
Personal Weapon Testing
[Initiating basic electronic hack… activated.]"Override command sequence. Special ID: KaguraHitomi. Weapon System No. Test11. Codename: Katana."
Kagura's own weapon design was ambitious and powerful—something she definitely didn't want Obadiah catching wind of.
Using her hacking abilities, she issued a hidden command.
Mechanical arms activated, retrieving a long, slender black case and placing it before her.
The case opened, revealing a sleek black katana mounted on a small automated stand.
(Yeah, I know I made fun of using melee weapons in modern times... But come on, swords are just too cool!)
Kagura picked up the katana, and her holographic UI automatically scanned and analyzed it.
[Military-grade advanced non-metallic melee weapon. Threat Level: Medium.]
[Primary Material: Carbon Nanotube Composite]
[Category: Katana]
[Load combat techniques? Yes/No]
She examined the finely crafted blade, giving it a few test swings. The weight was perfect.
Say what you will—Stark Industries' precision weapon design, backed by AI-driven calculations, was undeniably top-tier.
The carbon nanotube material was an unusual choice, but there was a good reason for it: Kagura needed something that could withstand extreme heat.
Carbon had one of the highest melting points of any element, though it was notoriously flammable. By altering its molecular structure, Stark's technology had made it a highly heat-resistant material.
Kagura stepped into a testing chamber and gave her command:
"Activate humanoid target at 10 meters. Ranger-class loadout with composite ceramic plating."
A target dummy clad in heavy body armor rose from the floor.
Kagura hacked the monitoring systems, ensuring no one could see what was about to happen.
She took a deep breath and checked her energy levels.
[Core Energy: 72%]
"Alright, let's do this…"
She gripped the katana with both hands and assumed a high-stance guard.
(Not that this pose has any real meaning—it just feels right for charging up my skill.)
[High-Energy Electromagnetic Pulse: Charging...]
A blue energy bar filled rapidly before turning green. Electric arcs danced along the katana's black blade.
[High-Energy Electromagnetic Pulse: Ready]
"Should I shout something like 'Excalibur!' or 'Getsuga Tensho'?" Kagura joked to herself, feeling the rising energy.
"...Nah, that's too cringe."
[High-Energy Electromagnetic Pulse: Activated!]
She swung the blade down in a swift, precise motion.
"Zzzzzzzt—!"
Core energy dropped by 20% as a blinding arc of energy shot forth, slicing clean through the target.
"Boom—!"
The room flickered with sparks and fire.
The Kevlar armor and ceramic plates—designed to withstand anti-material rifle rounds—were cleaved in half as the dummy exploded into charred fragments.