IRON MAN: BROTHER DON'T CAUSE TROUBLE

WASHINGTON D.C.

At this moment, Tony and John had already taken their seats and were engaged in a conversation. Suddenly, a voice interrupted them.

"Mr. Stark, can we pick up now where we left off? Mr. Stark, please."

Tony turned away from John, who he was talking to, and replied casually, "Yes, dear?"

"Can I have your attention?" Senator Stern spoke again, clearly trying to get control of the situation.

"Absolutely." Tony suddenly appeared serious, though everyone around could tell he was intentionally trying to annoy the senator further.

Taking a deep breath, Stern asked, "Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?"

"I do not," Tony answered immediately, without hesitation.

"You do not?" Stern asked again for confirmation.

"I do not. Well, it depends on how you define the word 'weapon,'" Tony added with a smirk.

"The Iron Man weapon," Stern said bluntly, cutting through Tony's evasiveness.

"My device does not fit that description," Tony replied calmly.

"Well… how would you describe it?" Stern asked, realizing Tony's word games weren't going to stop.

"I would describe it as what it is, Senator," Tony said confidently.

"As?" Stern pressed.

On the side, John was watching all of this with delight. Witnessing this in real life, instead of just seeing it on a screen, felt entirely different—like the difference between sky and earth.

This back-and-forth went on for another ten minutes until Senator Stern introduced a new player into the conversation.

"I'm no expert in weapons, but we have someone here who is. I'd now like to call Justin Hammer, our current primary weapons contractor."

As Stern finished speaking, Justin Hammer stood up from his seat. Tony, not missing a beat, mocked him.

"Let the record reflect that I observed Mr. Hammer entering the chamber, and I am wondering if and when any actual experts will also be in attendance."

Hammer, unfazed by Tony's jab, smiled and responded calmly, clearly prepared for this moment.

"Absolutely. I'm no expert. I defer to you, Anthony—you're the wonder boy. Senator, if I may? I may not be an expert, but you know who was? Your dad. Howard Stark. Really, a father to us all and to the military-industrial age. He wasn't a flower child—he was a lion.

"We all know why we're here. In the last six months, Anthony Stark has created a sword with untold possibilities, and yet he insists it's a shield. He asks us to trust him as we cower behind it. I wish I could be comforted, Anthony, I really do. I'd love to leave my door unlocked when I leave the house, but this ain't Canada. We live in a world of grave threats—threats Mr. Stark won't always be able to foresee. Thank you. God bless Iron Man, and God bless America."

To put even more pressure on Tony, Stern spoke again.

"That was well said, Mr. Hammer. The committee would now like to invite Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes to the chamber."

"Rhodey? What?" Tony exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

Rhodes walked in, and Tony got up to greet him.

"Hey, buddy. I didn't expect to see you here," Tony said.

"Look, it's me. I'm here. Deal with it. Let's move on," Rhodes sighed.

"I just…" Tony started but was immediately cut off by Rhodes.

"Drop it."

"All right, I'll drop it," Tony said, taking his seat again.

John, seated beside Tony, patted his shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry. You've got this."

As the two brothers continued their quiet chat, ignoring the proceedings, Stern interjected.

"I have before me a complete report on the Iron Man weapon, compiled by Colonel Rhodes. Colonel, for the record, can you please read page 57, paragraph four?"

Surprised, Rhodes asked, "You're requesting that I read specific selections from my report, Senator?"

"Yes, sir," Stern replied curtly.

Shaking his head, Rhodes clarified, "It was my understanding that I was going to be testifying in a much more comprehensive and detailed manner."

"I understand. A lot has changed today. So if you could just read…" Stern insisted.

"You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context does not reflect the summary of my final—"

"Just read it, Colonel," Stern cut him off impatiently.

Sighing, Rhodes began, "Very well. 'As he does not operate within any definable branch of government, Iron Man presents a potential threat to the security of both the nation and her interests.' I did, however, go on to summarize that the benefits of Iron Man far outweigh the liabilities and that it would be in our interest—"

"That's enough, Colonel," Stern interrupted again.

Feeling bored, John decided to have a little fun of his own. Closing his eyes, he used his spiritual sense to focus on the wooden chair Stern was seated on. Manipulating the wood element, John gradually changed the chair's density.

Meanwhile, Stern continued pressuring Rhodes. "With all due respect, Colonel, I understand. And if you could just narrate those for us, we'd be very grateful. Let's have—"

CRASH!

Before Stern could finish his sentence, the chair collapsed beneath him, and he fell to the floor, looking stunned as if he'd seen stars in broad daylight.

The hall fell silent for a moment before Tony seized the opportunity.

"See, Rhodes? Why can't you just listen to Senator Stern? Now look what you've done."

Rhodes stood there, speechless, while the rest of the hall burst into laughter. No one even suspected that John had anything to do with it.