A/N: I know most of you aren't happy, thinking Ethan is giving his tech to the government for free even though he doesn't have to.
There are two reasons for this.
First, he is only giving advanced tech to good people like Rhodes. As for the rest of the military, he'll only provide scraps—you'll see more about that in later chapters.
Second, most of the opportunities are in New York, so he can't just leave and go back to Japan, even though he easily could.
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See more on my P@treon.
[email protected]/Dreamerlord Just replace @ with a
Read more than 90+ chap there
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Even this early model was far beyond current military tech.
Ethan locked it into a sealed case and placed it with the rest of the selected weapons.
"That's it," he said. "No more."
The table was now filled with a carefully chosen lineup—strong, impressive, but controlled. Enough to show dominance, not enough to hand the world a disaster.
He shut down the lab lights and left.
Three days later.
Ethan's private jet descended smoothly toward Air Base Delta.
Below, the runway was cleared, security vehicles lined up, and several high-ranking officers waited near the hangars. This was no ordinary demonstration.
The jet touched down.
As the stairs lowered, Ethan stepped out first, calm and composed. Sharon followed beside him.
Waiting at the bottom was Colonel James Rhodes.
"Glad you came," Rhodes said, extending his hand.
Ethan shook it firmly. "If I didn't, I'd have to worry about Hammer getting his hands on something he shouldn't."
Rhodes nodded grimly. "Yeah. That's exactly why I wanted you here."
Ethan gave a short nod. "Then we're on the same page."
Rhodes gestured toward a nearby hangar. "Let's talk inside."
They walked together, Sharon close behind.
As the hangar doors slid open, the reason for the heavy security became clear.
On one side stood a black-and-silver Iron Man armor, polished and imposing, mounted on a reinforced platform.
Nearby stood another general, watching closely.
And a few steps away, trying very hard to look confident, was Justin Hammer.
His smile was tight. Calculated.
Rhodes led Ethan and Sharon inside.
Hammer's eyes immediately locked onto Ethan.
"Well, well," Hammer said, forcing a grin. "Didn't expect to see you here in person."
Ethan looked at him calmly. "I could say the same."
The general cleared his throat.
"Gentlemen, today's purpose is simple. We're here to evaluate advanced weapons systems."
He turned and gestured toward the armor behind him.
"This is Stark's Iron Man armor. As you can see, it currently has no integrated weapons. Today, Hammer Industries and Arasaka Corporation will showcase their weapons. Whichever system we approve may be integrated into the armor."
He looked between the two companies.
"So—who would like to go first?"
Justin Hammer immediately stepped forward.
"I'll do the honors," he said confidently. "After all, Arasaka doesn't really make weapons. Even if Ethan Cliff is here, there's no way they can match the level of weaponry we've refined over decades."
He smiled broadly.
"So, let me begin."
The general nodded.
"Very well, Mr. Hammer. You may start."
Justin clapped his hands once and put on a pair of pristine white gloves. Slowly, dramatically, he opened his first weapons case.
Inside was a sleek handgun.
"This," Justin said proudly, lifting it up, "is our latest sidearm. Lightweight, military-grade, reliable."
He handed it to a technician, who fired a few rounds at the target range. The bullets hit cleanly—but the results were basic.
"Next," Colonel Rhodes said, glancing at the display without interest.
Justin forced a smile and moved on.
The next case opened, revealing a compact machine gun.
"High rate of fire," Justin announced confidently. "Perfect for suppressive combat."
The gun roared as it fired, tearing through the target with a steady stream of bullets.
"Next," Rhodes said again, completely unimpressed.
Justin's lips twitched slightly, but he nodded and opened another case.
"A grenade launcher," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "It can launch any type of grenade—explosive, incendiary, or toxic."
The launcher fired. The grenade hit the concrete wall and exploded, leaving behind a scorched crater and drifting smoke.
"Next," Rhodes repeated, his tone flat.
Next he showed more weapons, even a machine gun but all he got was 'next'
Justin hesitated for half a second, then opened his final case.
Inside was a small, compact missile launcher.
"This," Justin said, straightening up, "is an anti-bunker missile."
He didn't fire it.
Instead, he patted the launcher affectionately.
"I call her Ex-Wife," he added with a grin, then leaned down and sniffed it dramatically.
Neither the general nor Rhodes reacted.
The hangar remained silent.
Justin's smile began to strain as he realized that nothing he had shown so far had impressed anyone.
"So," Justin asked, forcing confidence into his voice, "which one do you want?"
"We still have Arasaka," Colonel Rhodes said, turning his attention away from him.
His eyes moved to Ethan and Sharon. At that moment, Ethan was looking toward a fighter jet parked inside the hangar, studying it with quiet interest.
Rhodes' lips twitched slightly at Ethan's casual posture. He wondered, not for the first time, whether Ethan was even taking this seriously.
"Now it's Arasaka's turn," the general said, his tone no different from when he had spoken to Justin.
Ethan and Sharon looked back.
"He's already done," Ethan said calmly, glancing at Justin. "That was fast."
Justin ignored the insult and simply nodded. "Fine. Your turn."
Sharon stepped forward.
Without saying a word, she placed a small, square device on the floor. With a light tap, it unfolded smoothly, forming a compact firing platform.
She reached into a slim case and pulled out a sleek handgun, its black-and-silver finish catching the light.
"This is the Hajime-11," Sharon said evenly. "Twelve rounds per magazine. Each round can penetrate reinforced steel."
She raised the weapon, aimed at the far target, and fired once.
The shot was quiet—but the result wasn't.
A clean, fist-sized hole appeared in the armored steel target. The metal around it glowed briefly before cooling.
Sharon lowered the gun.
"This isn't armor-piercing ammunition," she added. "It's explosive rounds."
"Explosive?" the general asked, clearly interested.
"Yes," Sharon replied calmly. "Each shot is basically a 9mm-sized missile."
She handed the gun to him.
The general took it, weighed it briefly in his hand, then aimed at a bulletproof vest mounted on a stand. He fired a single shot.
The vest didn't just fail to stop it.
There was a loud crack, and a clean, ragged hole tore straight through the center of the vest. The impact area was blackened, the fibers completely shredded.
The general slowly lowered the weapon, his expression finally changing.
"…Impressive," he said.
Rhodes leaned forward slightly, studying the damage. "That vest is rated to stop rifle rounds."
Sharon nodded. "This round detonates a split second after penetration. Minimal surface damage. Maximum internal destruction."