New Year had passed in quite a joyous fashion. He would turn 18 this year and finally get away from some of stigma around. Especially with Roger. Liam had an one otle against Roger. It was actually Liam who had proposed that.

  At first Roger denied as he felt he wouldn't be able to win against a wizard, that was what Roger sidered Liam as. But Liam assured that he would only use his body and no immicks. Roger felt it would be hirious but Liam forced him to accept.

  It was there that Roger was humbled by Liam. When the brawl was over, Roger said.

  "You are a monster in human skin. Strength wise I might be more powerful but teiques and swift speed makes you better than me in actual bat. And I feel like you have a healing factor."

  Liam only smiled at that. Roger spoke about this to Fury and he wasn't that surprised because he remembered that Thor once called him an A Human warrior. Fury wao delve deep into this mystery of Liam but he never got the time. Now more so than ever.

  Few days ter

  The Senate chamber acked, the air thick with tension as cameras fshed and murmurs rippled through the audieony Stark sat at the ter of it all, fnked by James Rhodes and Liam, his usual smirk pying at the er of his lips. Across from them, Senator Stern leaned forward, his face a mask of self-righteous indignation.

  "Mr. Stark, let's not waste time here. The Iron Mage suit is a highly dangerous piece of teology, and we are demanding you turn it over to the Uates gover for national security reasons."

  "See, this is the problem with you guys. You think everything I build is some kind of WMD waiting to happen. It's not a oor. It's a prostheti advanced one, sure—but just aension of my body. You wouldn't ask someoo cut off their legs if they had high-tees, would you?" Stark exhaled dramatically.

  "That's a nice excuse, Mr. Stark, but we both know that suit is far more than that. The try 't afford a private citizen running around with teology that could rival our military's capabilities." Stered. Rhodes shifted unfortably but remained silent.

  "Oh, you mean like how private defense tractors have been experimenting on human subjects to replicate my teology?" Tony scoffed. The room fell into silence.

  Tony tapped a small devi the table, and the ss around the room flickered to life, dispying cssified dots, photos, and video clips. The footage showed grim images—bodies, failed experiments, and a few lucky survivors left broken beyond repair. The logos of various defense firms were pstered across the images.

  "This happened under gover tracts," Tony tinued. "Your ht, or rather, your ck of it, allowed this to happen right under your noses. Maybe not even uhem—maybe you knew. Maybe you let it happen."

  Stern's face paled, and a murmur of shock ran through the chamber.

  "This—this is eous! These accusations are baseless!"

  "No, they aren't. We have names. Dates. Transas. All leading back to people in power who fought awfully hard to bury ht on military tech development." It was Liam who spoke this time who handed over all the data they had gathered a it to every Senate.

  A few senators shifted unfortably.

  "Look, the real threat here isn't Tony's suit. It's the corruption that let this happen inside our institutions. Maybe instead to take away the ohing proteg people, you should focus on ing up your own mess." Rhodes interjected, trying to py the middle guy for both parties.

  "Enough! This is a national security hearing, not a spira! We are not here to discuss baseless accusations!"

  "Oh, these aren't baseless. But I get it, you don't like the truth, especially when it bites. So here's the deal—no, I'm not handing over my suit. But I am handing over everything we just showed the world. By now, this data is already being analyzed by the right people. So you might want to think carefully about your move, Senator."

  "Mr. Woodworth, you were seen esg the Stark Expo crisis with Stark before he returned in the Iron Mage suit. you firm whether or not you piloted it?" Stern wao shift the foow, si was already getting out of hand. If he could prove that Liam piloted it or even pressure him to spill anything out of line, he could say that Tony was using minors to wage wars.

  "No, Senator. That was el Rhodes. Have you seen how fast that suit of Tony moves? Do you think anyone would believe that one use that armor without getting a whipsh and barf out whatever they had eaten for lunch with that high speed movement." Liam said.

  "That's right. I took responsibility for handling the suit at the time. Only a military trained personnel use it. Even Tony Stark himself avoids using that armor and he siders it a failure. Liam had nothing to do with it." Rhodes.

  "Dude, don't air my dirty undry like that." Tony answered. This sent a wave a ughter among the reporters. But it only made Stern more angry. He khat this hearing had bee baseless especially after Tony hijacked it with specific data, and it wouldn't be possible again to get Tony Stark back for hearing or charge against him with any ws since he had signifit gover and military tracts.

  Lobbying was still a huge thing in US and thus he wouldn't be given another ce. After they came out, the trio were met with maers and journalists but they avoided all of that a into the car where they saw Fury waiting.

  Sihe Senate hearing was over it was time to start their 'Hydra sing' mission.

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