71 Sister Thinks You Have a More Important Mission

The first three days of investigating Ivan's whereabouts were essentially fruitless.

Whether it was the global surveillance network based on Stark Industries' new reconnaissance satellites or SHIELD's various methods of looking for clues, nothing could confirm Ivan's location.

Even SHIELD, which was usually so capable, seemed completely helpless in this case.

But that wasn't too surprising.

Kagura thought to herself that if Hydra was behind this, there was no way SHIELD could uncover any valuable information about them.

The turning point came on the fourth day.

While Hydra may be cunning, their allies weren't quite as sharp.

"Report on the reconnaissance findings," Kagura said as she sat in her chair, working through her daily tasks and intelligence gathering in the basement.

"Master, we've detected a very intriguing lead," Cortana replied.

"While connecting to the routine security network, we discovered an untraceable shipment of palladium being sent to Hammer Industries."

"Palladium?" Kagura's eyes widened.

So Hammer Industries had already partnered with Hydra? It was a bit premature to jump to conclusions, but it seemed likely.

If Hammer Industries had started collecting palladium, it meant that Justin Hammer probably already had access to Ark Reactor technology.

This meant that even if Ivan Vanko, the one who leaked the technology, wasn't at Hammer Industries, a thorough investigation there would probably reveal some trace of Ivan or Hydra's involvement.

Well, after all this, it seems like it's come down to Hammer Industries.

Kagura thought to herself.

If Justin Hammer got his hands on the Ark Reactor technology and began mass-producing Iron Man suits, he could easily dominate the global market, especially after the defeat of Iron Man in Monaco.

The calls for weaponizing and sharing Iron Man tech had grown louder, and public opinion had almost fully reversed.

There were even rumors that the military might send troops to raid Tony Stark's mansion and seize the Iron Man suits.

That's... terrifying.

Since Hammer Industries was the top lead at the moment, the next step was clear—figure out how to infiltrate Hammer Industries.

"Cortana, prepare my suit. If this is going to be an infiltration mission, I'll need to handle it myself," Kagura ordered.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

She picked it up and saw that Natasha Romanoff had sent a message.

The gist of it was that Natasha wanted to meet Kagura at a coffee shop in Queens, New York, tonight, because there was some important intel to share.

Oh?

Kagura tilted her head, thinking that SHIELD was still on top of things.

Natasha reaching out likely meant SHIELD had also caught wind of the palladium shipment.

Alright, let's go see what Natasha has to say.

Kagura wasn't one to act alone, and having a trustworthy partner was always better.

Besides, she had a superhero team to build.

And the two most suitable candidates for that team were Bucky Barnes and, of course, Natasha Romanoff.

"Cortana, cancel the suit deployment. I'll head out for now."

"Understood, Master."

...............

New York, Queens, 8:58 PM

The coffee shop was quiet, with only a few patrons.

From past experience, Kagura knew that most of the people in the shop had probably been replaced by SHIELD operatives.

It was routine for SHIELD—secure the entire venue.

Sigh... I'm used to it.

Kagura sat at a two-person table, sipping a warm cappuccino, surrounded by seven empty cake plates.

"Guess I won't gain weight, right? hic," she murmured to herself, waiting for Natasha to arrive.

Before long, the red-haired beauty walked in and sat down across from Kagura.

"Good evening, Hitomi. You're early."

"Mmhmm." Kagura smiled, "Just came to grab a bite."

Natasha glanced at the empty plates.

"Are you sure you just came to 'eat a little'?"

"Mmhmm," Kagura replied proudly.

"You... better be careful, you'll upset your stomach," Natasha teased.

"I won't get a stomach ache!" Kagura retorted.

"Alright, alright. Let's get down to business. We've recently discovered that palladium has been flowing into Hammer Industries. From our informants within the company, it looks like Justin Hammer is working on developing the Iron Man suit, and it's progressing quite well."

Just as expected, the intel was aligning.

"So, what's your plan, Sister?"

"Ivan Vanko is probably inside Hammer Industries. At the very least, we can get some valuable intel from Justin Hammer. I'm planning to infiltrate Hammer Industries to investigate."

"I'm going with you," Kagura said.

"It'll be easier with two of us."

"No, my dear little sister, you've got something else to do," Natasha said with a smile, pulling out an invitation.

"Your former boss invited you to a birthday party."

Kagura took the invitation, which was a personal letter from Tony Stark, inviting her to his upcoming birthday party.

"Wow..." Kagura was surprised.

"So, why do you have this invitation?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" Natasha chuckled.

"Since you left, I've taken over your position and now work as Tony Stark's assistant and eyes."

"Ah, so that's it," Kagura realized. After she left, Natasha had infiltrated Stark Industries and was now working alongside Tony Stark, keeping an eye on him.

"How's Mr. Stark doing lately?"

"Honestly, not great," Natasha said.

"The Monaco incident, the media fallout, and pressure from the security council... He's been anxious, and his mental state isn't looking good."

"That's why I need you at the party. You can probably help him get back on his feet," Natasha continued.

"If Iron Man goes missing, Nick Fury will have a problem on his hands."

"I understand," Kagura nodded.

Tony Stark didn't have to worry about palladium poisoning, but it looked like he was facing a much bigger challenge.

Being knocked off his pedestal as Iron Man, the pressure from all sides would be overwhelming.

Tony was a responsible man, so it wasn't surprising that he was anxious.

"I'll handle the infiltration at Hammer Industries. I should have results soon," Natasha said.

"I've passed on all the details, any questions?"

"No, no questions" Kagura replied.

"Don't worry, I'll go check on Mr. Stark."

[New Quest Added] 

[Branch Quest Options]

Attend Tony Stark's Birthday Party / 10QP

Assist Natasha with Hammer Industries Investigation / 10QP

Hmm?

Things are getting more complex, huh? There are branches now?

Can I choose both?