Farce

"I may not be a weapons expert and can't explain in detail how dangerous Iron Man's weapon is, but from Hammer Industries..."

Alright, another cutscene. Watching the American, or perhaps Hydra-backed arms dealer, Justin Hammer, that idiot from Hammer Industries, provocatively approach and taunt the big-mouthed Tony. Aeo already felt pity for him and the fat senator who would follow.

"It's proven that we can't expect Mr. Stark to be prescient every time and turn danger into safety! Our world is full of dangers and vicious terrorists, so possessing this powerful weapon will greatly enhance our influence in the Americas and globally, while also better protecting the safety of our citizens. That's all I have to say!" Hammer humorously mimicked Dong Shi. "God bless the Federation, God bless Iron Man!"

It's just that only a few senators who initiated this hearing applauded him; the others...

"Tsk, is the Federation's global influence still weak? Do we need to protect it with a suit of armor?"

"No matter how eloquent you are, it can't change the fact that the government is seizing people's lives and property. This is an act of barbarism, and we will never allow it..."

Listening to everyone's ruthless whispers, Aeo began to understand why Ant-Man and the others were here. It was because these big shots all had some 'secrets' they didn't want the government to know or control. That's why they showed up to attend this hearing where the government was seizing personal and corporate research achievements, to see which direction the country's policy would ultimately lean, so they could adjust their own future development directions. At the same time, if possible, they might stop the government's intentions.

After all, handing over found items... cough, sensitive topics aside.

Among the crowd, General Colton, one of the founders of the US military's Cobra unit, sat there silently, his expression unmoving, as if he were merely attending the government hearing as a formality. This puzzled Aeo. Others, like Ant-Man and Green Goblin, appeared because they were afraid the country would crack down on capital power; their presence out of shared fear was understandable. But this old general, as a representative of the Federation's enforcement agencies, wouldn't be affected by these impacts. Why was he here? The Son of Krypton was confused.

"Furthermore, I have a complete report from Vice Captain James Rhodes regarding Iron Man's weapon..."

"What? Rhodes?" Tony looked in surprise at a black officer walking in, "How did you..."

"I'm sorry, Tony, I had no choice."

"..."

The fat senator on stage smiled slyly and said, "Vice Captain Rhodes, please read the fourth paragraph on the fifty-seventh page of your report, thank you."

"I thought I was here to give a complete report..."

"Plans can't keep up with changes, Vice Captain Rhodes," the senator said sinisterly. "You just need to read the designated paragraph as requested by the court!"

"But..."

"This is an order, Vice Captain."

"...I understand." Rhodes gave Stark a helpless look. Tony shrugged.

"Uh, as Iron Man never belongs to any specific government department, he poses a potential threat to national security and its interests..."

"Tsk." Even though he already knew the whole story, Aeo couldn't help but click his tongue. "This is your politician for you!"

The gentleman couldn't refute it but still stubbornly insisted, "But not everyone is like that, are they?"

Aeo understood his meaning but still scoffed dismissively, "Are you sure?"

"..."

"See? You don't even have confidence yourself," Aeo teased him.

"...In any case," Batman sighed, "humanity is ultimately redeemable. Don't lose faith in us, okay?"

Meanwhile, Stark began his counterattack. "I know you've prepared some so-called reports to prove that other countries are also developing similar robots, but..." He took out a custom phone that looked at least three generations more advanced than any commercially available communication device and, with a few swipes, decisively hacked into the Capitol Building's computers.

"Let's see what I found instead," he said mockingly, pointing at the screen displaying crude imitations developed by various countries. "Is this your so-called evidence? Please, with their current technology, it would take another twenty years of research before they could even understand the Mark 10. Yes, I've updated it to the tenth generation. They probably can't even figure out the programming and drive for the Mark 1..."

"Hey, Justin, isn't that you? So you were also researching robots. Uh, and planning to sell them to Iran? Oh wow, looks like your robot wasn't very successful! It exploded! Oh, God bless that poor soldier..."

"Turn it off! Turn it off!"

"Damn it, I said turn it off!"

Seeing the panicked Justin and the caught-off-guard senators at the hearing, Ant-Man and the other big shots exchanged glances and then smiled with relief.

"Looks like we don't need to make a move. Little Stark handled the trouble himself! As expected of Howard the old fox's son, so cunning..."

"Tsk, how unsightly. Secretly researching is one thing, but to have it dug up like this. Now let's see how these politicians can justify digging into our... treasures."

The crowd began to stir, everyone angered by the government's hypocritical actions.

Bruce saw this and stood up.

"What for?" Aeo blinked. He was thoroughly enjoying the show.

"The matter is settled," Bruce straightened his collar. "Tony is definitely going to win this case!"

"So?"

"The outcome is decided, why are we still here!"

Aeo thought about it and also stood up.

"Given that Hammer Industries is one of the Federation's largest foreign military enterprises, I have to suspect the government's involvement in such research!" Stark's desperate counterattack continued. "And you have the nerve to try and seize my property? Please! If nothing else, my existence has solved many of your problems! I alone am equivalent to all nuclear warheads because I am the nuclear threat of the new century!"

At least he was before he was exposed! Iron Man added internally. His eyes involuntarily glanced at the Son of Krypton and Batman, who were preparing to leave.

Unbeknownst to the onlookers, everyone was now fervently cheering for Iron Man like adoring fans.

"For someone who has monopolized world peace, you still bother me with trivial matters every day. Please, if you're that idle, why don't you guys go solve our country's sky-high unemployment rate, you idiots!" Tony directly retorted.

"Fuck you, Tony, fuck you, buddy!" the enraged politicians shouted.

"..."

"A farce!" Bruce commented expressionlessly. The closing of the oak door cut off the staged applause and cheers from inside. "A boring farce!"

"This was a farce from the beginning," Aeo said, walking step by step behind him. "Stark said so at the start."

"Right. Tony must have prepared it beforehand, otherwise, he wouldn't have found this information so easily!"

He looked at Bruce with a half-smile and said, "No wonder he agreed to form an alliance so easily. So someone else also plans to 'control' him..."

"..."