Chapter 79: Final Payment

John Wick spoke up:"His combat skills and reaction speed are both extremely impressive, but after ruining several operations, he was eventually driven off by the other assassins working together."

"If he hadn't run so fast, he would've been riddled with bullets."

These registered assassins weren't amateurs with swords — their marksmanship was honed to perfection. If Daredevil had been on the Hand's bounty list, he definitely wouldn't have escaped their long-range snipers.

And last night, the sheer number of assassins dispatched was insane — especially after the wax bath's authenticity was confirmed. Many killers had gone mad for it.

Smith Doyle thought for a moment, then said:"Send him a warning."

"Let the word out: I don't mind him playing at being an underground hero, but if he dares interfere in wiping out the Hand again, he'll go on the bounty board — at the same price as the Hand's leaders."

"Harboring evil is no better than being evil."

John Wick nodded."Yes, I'll see to it."

"I'll make sure your orders reach the assassins and the dark web."

"And one more thing, Boss — Stark Industries delivered equipment and materials valued at a hundred million dollars, plus light weapons sufficient for a hundred-man unit. It includes protective gear: multi-functional tactical helmets, bulletproof vests, tactical vests, gloves.

Weapons: assault rifles, sniper rifles, light machine guns, grenade launchers, pistols, bomb disposal robots, explosives detectors…

Communications and navigation gear: tactical watches, radios.

Recon and observation: night-vision goggles, laser rangefinders, infrared sensors.

Survival and first aid: gas masks, hazmat suits, medical kits.

Special mission tools: capture nets, long batons, tasers, breaching tools."

Hearing John's report, Smith Doyle was impressed by how thorough Pepper Potts had been with the delivery. There weren't any heavy weapons or tanks, but the light weaponry was more than enough to arm a proper hundred-man special forces team.

"Store the weapons and gear in the armory. Send the scientific equipment and materials to Bulma's lab."

Elsewhere.

Tony Stark, now fully dressed, arrived at the Air Force base to visit his good friend Colonel Rhodes.

Tony couldn't help but tease Rhodey a little in front of his men.

Rhodey, exasperated, dismissed his soldiers to speak with Tony in private.

Patting Stark on the shoulder with a grin, Rhodey said:"I'm surprised."

Tony turned to face him."Surprised about what?"

Rhodey chuckled."Didn't think you'd be back on your feet this fast."

Tony shrugged."I'm not just back on my feet."

Rhodey crossed his arms."Oh really?"

"Yes."

Now serious, Tony said:"Rhodey, I've got a big project. I'm here to talk to you because I want you to join me."

Rhodey pressed his lips together and glanced around."You'd better smooth things over, because what you said at that press conference was… pretty big."

Tony answered:"This isn't for the military. I'm not developing weapons…"

"This time it's different."

Rhodey frowned."What, you're a humanitarian now?"

Tony explained:"I just need you to listen, okay?"

Rhodey cut him off."No need. You just need to calm down for a while."

"Tony, if you're not developing weapons anymore, you won't be as important to the military. You know what that means."

When Tony smirked at that, Rhodey said sternly:"I'm serious."

Tony sobered."Fine."

Rhodey added:"Still — it's good to see you, Tony."

And with that, Rhodey turned and walked away, not realizing what he was missing out on by refusing.

After being turned down by Rhodey, Tony returned to his lab.

"Jarvis, you there?"

"Always at your service, sir."

Waking Jarvis, Tony instructed:"I want to create a new project folder. Call it 'Mark II.'"

Jarvis asked:"Shall I save this in the Stark Industries central database?"

Moving the Mark I hologram model to the display, Tony said:"To be honest, I don't even know who I can trust anymore. Save it to my private server. Unless I say otherwise."

Jarvis replied:"So this is a secret project then, sir?"

Tony looked at the Mark I and murmured:"I don't want it falling into the wrong hands."

Tony thought about the militants who'd kidnapped him — all armed with Stark-made weapons.

Then he thought of Smith Doyle. Once the Mark II was complete, he could invite him to watch the test flight and talk about revising their third agreement.

Meanwhile.

Afghan desert.

Zara, after escaping, had failed to convince Xu Wenwu — grieving his wife — to help him, but he'd still secured his boss's support and brought back some men.

Returning to the cave where Tony Stark had been held, he found the outside destroyed but the inside surprisingly intact. Even the old surveillance equipment still worked once power was restored.

Reviewing the footage, Zara saw the full recording of Tony building the Iron Man suit — and even glimpsed Pool transforming into his giant hammer form to save him.

After watching, Zara searched the cave and quickly found the blueprints.

Back in the control room, he compared the blueprints with the Mark I from the footage. After some arranging and testing, he confirmed the designs matched.

A smile crossed his face.

He couldn't build it himself, but he knew Obadiah Stane certainly could.

Days passed.

A week had gone by since Phil Coulson's visit to Smith Doyle.

In that time, the Hand had been completely erased from existence. The few remaining members changed their names and no longer dared claim allegiance to the Hand.

The wax bath's reputation had spread far and wide. Assassins who experienced it were full of praise, and SHIELD kept a standing order of 100 treatments, replenishing as needed.

As for SHIELD's intelligence sales, the Brotherhood posted the contracts for assassins to fulfill — while the Assassin Brotherhood's core members stayed out of it.

(End of Chapter)

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