Conspiracy Afoot

"La la la la. La la la la." Ryoma Sengoku twirled the pen in his hand as he looked over the job application.

"Huh. This guy looks pretty interesting. Why would he come to a company like this?" Ryoma Sengoku said to the interviewer beside him as he studied the file. "I need to meet this applicant."

The interviewer looked awkward. "But before you arrived, we already screened him out."

"Is that so?" Ryoma Sengoku blinked, then looked at the file in his hand with an evil grin.

"That might be even better."

"How much longer am I supposed to live like this?" John Walker, who had failed his interview, was dissatisfied with his life after leaving the military.

John Walker had originally been full of confidence about joining Vanko Tech. With his résumé, a new company like that had to need someone like him. But between the interviewer's arrogance and his own pride...

"Working for a wrestling league isn't the life I want. I miss the military."

John Walker took a huge gulp of beer.

Besides admiring his deceased older brother, John Walker also had another dream: becoming a "superhero." When he had been young, he had admired his brother most of all, as well as Captain America. And now, with all those "superheroes" appearing... it made John Walker want to get close to them.

Unfortunately, Hawke Group no longer needed security personnel, while Stark Industries had never even been an option for him.

He had only wanted to join Vanko Tech because a former comrade who had gone to work for the military after retiring had told him about it. Looking at his résumé, John Walker had thought that if the company took off in the future and built an Iron Legion, surely he would get to wear a suit of armor. Even an outdated one would do.

"Looks like I should listen to my buddy's suggestion and go work for the military."

John Walker shook off those irritating thoughts and stopped dwelling on them.

Ding-dong!

The doorbell of the detached house rang.

"Who is it?" John Walker frowned. It couldn't be one of his old comrades or a colleague from the wrestling league, could it?

When he opened the door, an East Asian man in a white research coat and glasses looked at him with slightly excited eyes.

"Hello, Mr. John Walker. My name is Ryoma Sengoku, but let me point something out. I'm older than you, so perhaps you should add 'bro' after my name." Ryoma Sengoku smiled at John Walker, who gave off a youthful yet sharp aura, paying no attention to his obvious lack of welcome.

"I'm a member of Vanko Tech. More or less."

John Walker let out a cold laugh as he looked at Ryoma Sengoku, who acted overly familiar and had barged straight into his home. "If you don't leave now, I'll put another hole in your body."

"Wow! I love that kind of personality, even though I know the laws in this country about breaking into someone else's home." A provocative gleam flashed through Ryoma Sengoku's eyes.

"But you can give it a try." With that said...

Ryoma Sengoku took out a belt as John Walker stared at him in growing disbelief.

Henshin

Lemon

Lockon

Kamen Rider Duke

In an instant, John Walker felt as though he were inside a house shrouded in darkness. Everything around him was pitch-black. Only the armor's eyes across from him seemed to reflect in his own, gleaming with a light called "desire."

His mouth fell open. His hands rose unconsciously, then his knees buckled under the shock, and he dropped to the floor.

"This! This is the 'superhero' I've always wanted!"

"Looks like he really did put together something impressive." Justin Hammer, dressed in a light blue suit and exquisite crocodile-leather shoes, sipped red wine while inspecting the Iron Armor parts being manufactured on the production line.

"You finished dealing with your matters?" Nathan Hawke asked leisurely.

"Hmph." At the mention of that, Justin Hammer felt a surge of resentment in his heart.

"Not everyone in the military is your 'friend,'" Nathan Hawke said meaningfully.

"Don't worry. Watch me turn things around this time." Justin Hammer stared heatedly at the production line below, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

"You plan to personally endorse Vanko Tech?" Nathan Hawke's question carried a deeper meaning.

"Uh... what man isn't a die-hard mech enthusiast?"

In response to Nathan Hawke's question, Justin Hammer merely waggled his eyebrows.

Nathan Hawke shook his head wildly inside. He could understand Justin Hammer's twisted mentality. Like some gaudy mistress who had been toyed with—the military's true partner had always been Tony Stark, never him. Yet he kept trying to force himself forward, bragging about how wonderful he was.

Clearly, with Ivan Vanko's involvement this time, the armor's design, practicality, and safety had all improved by leaps and bounds. Justin Hammer, who had always been crushed beneath Stark Industries and could never become the legitimate choice, intended to use this chance to finally vent all his pent-up frustration, principal and interest included.

"Do as you like. But can you really keep Ivan Vanko under control?"

"Of course. I have this guy's 'lifeline' in my hands."

Justin Hammer inhaled deeply, savoring the air around the production line.

"Idiot."

According to Umbrella Corporation's intelligence, Ivan Vanko had recently been secretly contacting quite a few important figures: military personnel, political parties, and capital tycoons.

There was every reason to suspect that Ivan Vanko was preparing to pull off something big.

Nathan Hawke was also very curious about what Ivan Vanko was up to. If it was something "evil"...

Then perhaps the superheroes could make their entrance.

Everything was progressing in full swing.

On the workshop floor.

"Ivan, I'll attend the press conference. You can coordinate things from the command area." Justin Hammer issued the order directly.

"But I want to appear at the press conference too. This is my life's work." Ivan Vanko gave a faint smile, making his importance clear.

"No, Ivan, you don't understand. You're an outsider. Right now, you desperately need someone to endorse you, and I'm the one who can help you establish yourself." Justin Hammer shook his head, no longer paying Ivan Vanko any attention. "Your foundation is still too shallow. Although Vanko Tech has my investment, they won't acknowledge that. Only with my endorsement will they understand that your Vanko Tech has a share belonging to Hammer Industries."

Ivan Vanko sneered as he listened to Justin Hammer's stream of words supposedly spoken for his own good.

"If that's the case, then endorse me properly." As he spoke, he raised the syringe in his hand and plunged it in.

"You!" Justin Hammer turned around with wide eyes. As his trembling arm tried to rise, his legs gave out beneath him and he collapsed.

Ivan Vanko looked at Justin Hammer at his feet and revealed an evil smile.

"I want it all."

Inside a hot dog shop, Nick Fury sat at a table, waiting for Tony Stark to arrive. He carried an important mission: he hoped to persuade Tony to join the Avengers he was assembling. Tony walked into the hot dog shop wearing his signature sunglasses.

"Boss, one hot dog."

Black Widow quickly took a hot dog and placed it on the table.

"You're fired," Tony Stark said seriously to Black Widow, who stood behind Nick Fury.

"Whatever." Black Widow shrugged.

Nick Fury gestured for Tony to come over and sit down. The two sat facing each other. Nick Fury's expression was serious and resolute as he began to speak.

"Tony, we need you. Earth is facing unprecedented threats. I'm preparing to form a powerful team to deal with them. You're the only one who can help us."

Tony Stark listened with a trace of mockery and disdain on his face.

Tony Stark said flippantly, "You think I'm going to be some hero? I'm a rich man living a luxurious life. Why should I go looking for this kind of trouble?"

Nick Fury looked deeply at Tony. He knew Tony's personality, but he also knew that Tony alone had the ability to deal with the threats that were about to come.

Nick Fury said, "Tony, this isn't a game. Earth is facing a catastrophic threat. We need your technology and intelligence. You have a responsibility to protect humanity's future."

Tony Stark smiled faintly and took a bite of his hot dog, seemingly unconcerned by Nick's words.

Tony Stark wiped his mouth and shouted, "Get me a Coke."

Someone immediately brought over an ice-cold bottle of Coke. After taking a huge sip through a straw...

"Burp..."

"I've always protected humanity's future, just in my own way. I don't need to play your little make-believe game with a bunch of people. It's nothing but a game."

Nick Fury did not get angry. He took a deep breath and changed the subject. "Tony, I didn't come here just for that. The element in your reactor is slowly poisoning your body. If you don't deal with it in time, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Tony Stark's expression changed slightly, and Nick's words caught his interest. "How do you know that? I kept it absolutely confidential."

If you don't want your secretary to find out either. Black Widow really wanted to say those words, but considering that Nick Fury was present, she let it go.

Nick Fury said, "We have information about you. We've been watching your every move. And all of this is because your father was once a member of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"What!" Tony Stark stared at Nick Fury in shock. Then, disbelief filled his face as he frowned. The words in his heart nearly slipped out, but he forced them down and could only say something half-true. "Huh? You brought up my father just to drag me into your little make-believe game?"

"It's your father's legacy. Perhaps there's something in it that can help you."

Nick Fury stood up and looked straight into Tony's eyes. "You don't have to refuse me right now. I'll keep waiting for you."