Paris. The Élysée Palace.
The President and his top government officials were in the conference room with Iron Man, Tony Stark. After all the polite bullshit, they got down to business.
The President asked, "Mr. Stark, at the Four Seasons, why did you stop my special forces from arresting those two? Was it because they were Black? Because they were American?"
That's right. Even though Franklin and A-Train had an alibi, the commander on-site was still going to cuff 'em. For one, they were desperate to drag someone in to calm the public shitstorm. They figured they could beat some valuable intel out of them. On the other hand... these were core Joker members. Supes. Dodging hotel surveillance? That was child's-play for them.
Based on those two points, the commander's call was to bag 'em first and ask questions later.
But then Stark stepped in and shut the whole goddamn thing down... on the condition that he'd come here and give the President a good fucking reason why.
"Of course not," Tony said, his smug grin vanishing. His face turned dead serious. "It was a lucky guess... but you were right. They're the guys."
The room went stiff. "You're saying..."
Tony nodded. "Yep. I ran their IDs through the US databases. The passport belongs to some 9-to-5 wage slave back home. The poor bastard doesn't even know his passport exists."
The room was silent. Everyone just stared at each other, completely baffled.
If Stark knew they were the terrorists, why the fuck did he run cover for them?
The President's face turned red. He slammed the table. "Stark, you better start fucking explaining yourself! Now!"
Tony looked around at all their pissed-off faces and said. "My explanation? I saved the lives of your hundred-plus commandos and all the civilians in that fucking hotel. That's my explanation."
That stung. A high-ranking General, his uniform bristling, shot back, "Hmph! Are you telling me that France's most elite special forces... can't handle two goddamn American criminals?"
Tony just leaned back in his chair, full of contempt. "Yep. That's exactly what I'm telling you."
The room exploded. The General was beet-red. "You arrogant son of a bitch! I'll give the order right now! We'll drag those fuckers in, and then we'll see what you have to say!"
"Go ahead," Tony said, like he didn't give a single fuck. "Be my guest."
"Wait!" The President held up a hand, telling the General to cool his jets. He calmed his own voice. "Mr. Stark... are they core members of the Joker Organization?"
Tony just nodded.
Core members. That meant supes. The General still looked like he wanted to spit.
So what? Drag those 'supes' onto a real battlefield, and all the powers in the world won't stop a goddamn artillery shell.
Tony stopped playing games. "According to the videos from yesterday and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal intel... yeah. The two of them are Franklin Clinton, and the one they call 'A-Train'."
The President knew S.H.I.E.L.D., alright. As one of the P5, he was technically one of their bosses. But that was bullshit. The US government really ran the show, and they kept all the good intel locked down.
The President asked, "And their powers?"
"Franklin's a technopath. He controls electronics. Fucking lightbulbs, attack helicopters... he can even hijack my goddamn suit."
You could hear the air get sucked out of the room. The General, the one who wanted to send in the choppers... his blood ran cold.
And Tony wasn't done. He dropped the other bomb.
"A-Train... is fast. Faster than sound. If he were in this room, he could slit every single one of your throats before you even blinked."
Silence. Every official in the room had a dark, sick look on their face.
Those powers... they were unbeatable. No wonder the US was getting its ass kicked. No country on earth could stop shit like that.
After a long, silence, the President finally asked, "Mr. Stark... if you..."
Tony just gave him a bitter smile and shook his head.
The technopath was his goddamn Kryptonite. It didn't matter how good his suit was. If it had electronics, he was fucked.
Seeing that even Iron Man was neutered... the President's hope died, and he let out a heavy sigh.
They'd pulled an all-nighter, and they'd found their terrorists. And now... they couldn't do a single thing about it? They were just supposed to let them walk?
I mean, sure, the President could just launch a goddamn missile at the Four Seasons... but then the French people would string him up by his balls. The President wasn't that much of a martyr. Yet.
Just as everyone was ready to slit their wrists, Tony sat up. "Look... it's not impossible to take them out."
Every eye in the room snapped to him.
"Mr. Stark. Please."
Tony said, "Jason is powerful, but he's also greedy. We can use that. We set a trap."
"Ivan Vanko can build arc reactors. He's in your prison. A greedy bastard like Jason will not let that asset sit. He'll send someone to break Vanko out."
"Since we know exactly where they're going to be... we just have to be waiting for them."
The President saw the flaw. "...but like you just said, our military can't fight them. Won't it just be another slaughter?"
"Easy," Tony said, his old confidence back. "We know their powers, so we counter their powers."
"First, you pack that prison with your toughest soldiers. But they wear heavy, thick armor. And absolutely no weapons. No guns. Nothing."
The President got it. "Right. With A-Train, a gun is just a weapon he can use against us. Better to just armor up and try to wear them down in a brawl."
Tony continued, "The second they're inside, you slam every gate and you physically destroy the mechanisms. No electronics. You can't just 'lock it down,' the technopath will just laugh at you. You have to break the way out."
"You do those two things... they're trapped in a box, and their best powers are useless. Then you just... flood the place with bodies until they're too exhausted to fight. A rat in a trap."
Tony finished. The officials all started muttering, thinking it over.
The President smiled. "A brilliant plan. No time to waste. I'll give the order to move a thousand men into the prison..."
"Hold up," Tony interrupted. "This is just... an idea. I'm not guaranteeing this'll work."
The President just waved him off. "Don't worry. Win or lose, France will be in your debt, Mr. Stark."
"Thanks," Tony said, forcing a smile. "Look, Vanko is... he's a liability. Leaving him here, in France... you're just painting a giant 'KICK ME' sign on your back. Jason will come back for him. An attack like yesterday's... it's going to happen again."
"My advice? Give him to S.H.I.E.L.D. They're the only ones on the planet equipped to handle this kind of shit."
Hearing that, the President's smile vanished. His entire demeanor turned to ice.
Heh. So that's the game. All this help, all this advice... he's just a glorified lobbyist for the US government.
Vanko was the third key to the arc reactor, after Stark and Joker. That tech... it wasn't just military. It was energy. It could change everything. If France had that tech, they wouldn't have to be America's bitch anymore.
And this prick thought he could just... talk them into giving it up? He was dreaming!
"Mr. Stark, we will... remember... your help," The President said, his voice flat. "But Vanko is a matter of French domestic security. You don't need to concern yourself."
Tony frowned. This was a threat. "Mr. President, you're about to make a move on his core team and you're holding his new prize possession. You really sure you want Jason himself knocking on your goddamn door?"
The President just laughed in his face, a mocking, bitter laugh. "Let him come! The Republic of France does not negotiate with terrorists! And we sure don't pay them ransoms!"
A low blow. This motherfucker knew exactly how to hit where it hurt.
Tony was pissed, but there was nothing left to say. He put on his shades and stood up.
"Well then... good luck."
"Oh, and one more thing. The Arc Reactor is the sole proprietary patent of Stark Industries. I'd hate to see this turn into an ugly legal battle."
The President just smiled. "That is strange, isn't it? If it's your patent... how did Vanko get it?"
"Sounds like the ownership of that patent is... debatable. Don't worry. We'll investigate it. Thoroughly."
"Hmph. Knock yourselves out," Tony said.
"I'm flying back to the States this afternoon. Do me a favor and pass a message to Vanko for me."
"Go on."
"My father's genius... his vision... was so far beyond anything the Vanko family could ever dream of."
"No matter how hard they try, they're just... pathetic. A couple of cavemen playing with fire."
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