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Read more than 75+ chap there
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Ethan glanced at Sharon, giving her a small nod. She straightened her posture and stood up, looking calm but confident.
The courtroom quieted as all eyes turned to her. Even Tony Stark, seated at the front with his lawyers, looked her way, giving a subtle nod of encouragement.
Sharon cleared her throat. "Senator, honorable members of the court, we are not questioning the capability of the U.S. military or the integrity of Mr. Hammer. But the Iron Man technology is not just any weapon—it's an advanced, highly dangerous system designed for a single operator. Releasing it to the military introduces risks that cannot be fully controlled."
She paused, glancing at Ethan, who gave her a reassuring nod.
"Mr. Stark has proven his responsibility time and again. The suit's operation depends on an individual's judgment and skill. Mass production and distribution, even with oversight, increases the chance of accidents, misuse, or catastrophic errors."
Sharon looked around the room, her voice firm. "Keeping the technology under one person's control—Tony Stark—ensures that even if it were used with malicious intent, we would only have to worry about one man in the suit."
"Rather than an entire army of them," she added.
"I clearly don't plan to do that," Tony interjected.
"You'll get your chance, Mr. Stark," the senator replied before turning to Sharon.
"Ms. Carter, are you suggesting the U.S. Army would misuse this technology?"
"I'm saying—what happens if it leaks from the U.S. military?" she answered calmly.
"No, no, it can't leak," Justin Hammer cut in immediately.
"Everything would be manufactured under Hammer Industries. We have top-notch security," he added, confidently—almost rehearsed.
Sharon arched a brow. "Right. And what was that top-notch security doing when your prototype armor malfunctioned during your own demonstration—turning half the test range into chaos?"
Justin blinked. "What are you talking about?" he asked, feigning confusion.
"This," Sharon replied, tapping her tablet.
The monitors in the courtroom flickered on, then began playing footage from Hammer Industries: prototype armored suits twisting unnaturally, servos locking at odd angles before the units suddenly opened fire in random directions. Engineers in the video could be seen diving for cover as alarms blared.
"That pilot is alive!" Justin snapped, yanking out the cables connected to the courtroom display. The screen went black.
He straightened his tie, muttering, "The situation was completely under control."
"We already have evidence that others can and will try to replicate this technology," she said. ignoring the clown Justin.
"And let's not forget the risk of theft, sabotage, or black-market distribution. Once the design is out of Stark's hands and passed around defense contractors, it becomes harder and harder to control who gets access—and where it ends up."
She took a breath, then looked directly at the committee.
"I have to remind the court: Stark Industries once supplied the U.S. military. Yet those very missiles found their way into conflict zones across Asia and the Middle East, killing civilians. If conventional weapons can slip through the cracks, then Iron Man-level technology absolutely can as well."
Her words hung heavy in the chamber.
Silence followed—broken only by the faint scribbling of reporters in the back row.
"What if other countries succeed in creating their own Iron Man–level technology? We need our own Iron Man standard of deterrence," the senator said, and several people in the room nodded in agreement.
Sharon responded calmly, "If such a situation ever happens, I believe Mr. Stark is the one who would voluntarily assist the military in advancing their own defensive technology—when necessary."
"I stand by those words," Tony said firmly.
He leaned forward slightly, voice steady, "If a day ever comes when someone develops armor that can rival mine, I'd have no issue supplying the military with what they need to match that threat. Until then, I don't think we need to panic or rush into handing everything over."
Tony shrugged casually. "Given everything we've seen, I think Justin is still about a hundred years away from getting a prototype to walk properly—let alone compete with Iron Man."
The senator's gaze shifted. "And what about you, Mr. Ethan Cliff? Surely you can disprove Mr. Stark's claim that no one else can develop Iron Man–level technology."
Ethan stood up slowly, stretching as if he'd just woken from a nap.
"Can we wrap this bullshit up? I've got better things to do today."
Sharon immediately covered her face with her hand.
The senator straightened in disbelief. "Excuse me? You think having representatives from nations discuss a serious issue is bullshit to you?"
Ethan tilted his head, expression unmoved.
"Nah. That isn't bullshit. What is bullshit is having a corrupt guy like you sitting here pretending this is about national security."
A few people gasped. Someone asked, "What did he just say?"
Ethan pulled a small device from his pocket and tossed it onto the table. Seeing this many guards aimed their gun at him.
"Relax. It's just a portable projector. I would've used the courtroom monitor, but someone—" he looked pointedly at Justin, "—decided to yank the cables out and no one stopped him."
Sharon tapped rapidly on her tablet, syncing the device.
The projector flickered to life, displaying a video:
The senator golfing alongside Justin, followed by detailed and clear footage and full conversations implying private deals to acquire Iron Man–technology and then sell it via black market while he and Justin will split the profit evenly.
As Senator nodded saying he will makes sure Hammer Industries get the Iron Man tech.
The video then continued to move in loop, showing it again and again.
The senator immediately barked, "Turn that off!"
Justin paled and rushed forward, trying to smash the small device, but Ethan spoke calmly looking at him.
"Go ahead. Destroy it. We'll just upload everything to social media after the hearing anyway."
Ethan yawned and started walking toward the exit.
"Anyway… that's my answer. Enjoy your hearing."
Reporters immediately surged toward the device. A few even blocked Justin's attempts to grab or damage it, cameras rolling as he failed repeatedly to destroy it.
Tony watched the chaos unfold, eyebrows raised.
"Well… that went way easier than I expected," he muttered, before casually turning and heading out as well.