Marvel Cybernetic Girl

— Manhattan, New York.

It's been a month since the rise of Iron Man.

Kagura Hitomi is back in New York, resuming her work at Stark Industries.

Since her trip to Afghanistan, peaceful days have finally returned.

The main difference compared to before is that Kagura has moved out of the company dorm and into a new home.

Her new apartment is located in the northern part of Manhattan, near Columbia University.

Compared to the bustling city center, this area is much quieter, with fewer people, and it offers a spacious and peaceful environment, perfect for living.

The apartment has two floors, a small attic, and a basement. For someone living alone like Kagura, it's incredibly spacious — almost a bit too much space to get used to.

Sigh, who knows how Tony Stark managed to adjust to living alone in such a huge mansion?

After dinner, Kagura cleaned up the dishes. It was already getting late. The sun slowly set beyond the western horizon, casting a crimson glow over the entire city.

Kagura locked the doors and windows, drew the curtains, turned off the lights in the dining room, and then headed down to the basement.

She walked down the wooden stairs, approaching a seemingly ordinary wooden door.

Kagura focused her golden eyes on the center of the door, where a hidden sensor activated, and a faint blue light scanned her.

The holographic UI in her vision synchronized with the light, verifying her identity.

"Beep, identity verification confirmed."

At first glance, it seemed like just a regular door, but beneath the wooden surface was a titanium alloy armor layer.

In fact, the entire basement was wrapped in such armor, turning it into a potential shelter in case of emergencies.

The door unlocked, and a weak blue light swept around the frame. Kagura grasped the handle and opened it.

As she stepped inside, the lights automatically turned on, and the personal computer and private servers powered up.

The transparent display devices surrounding the room activated, transforming the dim basement into a vibrant, high-tech space.

"Cortana, are you there?" Kagura asked as she sat down at the computer chair.

"Always ready to serve, Master," replied a mechanical female voice, reminiscent of Tony Stark's AI assistant, Jarvis.

Cortana was an AI management system that Kagura had created using the resources available to her and the technical blueprints from the holographic UI marketplace.

Back in Los Angeles, Kagura didn't have the resources to develop such an AI system, nor did she have the right environment to implement it. But now, with ample resources and her own residence, the AI was finally ready.

The funds and technology used to transform the entire apartment came from the newly formed Stark Industries.

This is the advantage of being your own boss — you can have whatever you want.

"Heh."

"Cortana, how's the progress? When can the new company start operating normally?"

"The main company, manufacturers, and research institutions have all been integrated," Cortana reported.

"The financial status has been calculated. The required funds for the integration exceed the current assets, with a shortfall of approximately $280 million."

"…Huh?"

Kagura was taken aback.

"So we're already in debt before the company even starts? Almost $300 million?"

"Yes, Master," Cortana replied plainly.

"The assets under the name of 'Bruce Wayne' were insufficient to complete the acquisitions, mergers, and integrations of all the target companies. The additional costs from merging multiple companies caused the funding requirements to exceed expectations."

"What if we cut down on the number of companies? We could merge a few at first, and handle the rest later."

"No need for that, Master."

"Huh? Why?"

"According to the financial records, a $350 million donation was made to the Bruce Wayne account at 4:58 PM today, which is enough to complete all the necessary work to get the company up and running."

"A donation?"

Kagura was puzzled. $350 million wasn't a small amount. Who would donate to a military industrial company that hasn't even started yet?

"Where did the donation come from?" she asked again.

"Anonymous."

"Anonymous?"

Kagura brushed a strand of silver hair out of her face and smiled. "Cortana, track the source of the funds. I'm curious."

"Understood, initiating tracking algorithm…"

"Tracking complete."

"Source of funds: Stark Industries."

"…"

Well, that makes sense now.

Kagura sighed. But is this really okay, Tony Stark?

For Tony Stark, "Bruce Wayne" should be a complete stranger.

How could he generously donate $350 million to fund a company that was in the process of being acquired with his own assets?

Kagura couldn't help but wonder, what if Bruce Wayne turns out to be a bad guy?

What if Tony Stark was confident that, if things went wrong, he could take down this new military company himself as Iron Man?

Hmm… now that makes sense.

After all, Tony Stark's story is public knowledge.

From arms dealer to Iron Man — everyone knows about it. It's hard to imagine anyone would want to mess with Iron Man, right?

"Well, I'll gratefully accept this donation, Mr. Stark." Kagura muttered to herself.

"Cortana, allocate the funds properly and complete the company restructuring as soon as possible."

"Understood, Master. What should the company be called?"

"Hmm… that's a tough one!"

Kagura rested her chin on her hand, furrowing her brow. "I'm terrible at naming things…"

A company name... military industrial company...

Wayne Industries? I'm not Batman…

Griffin? Sounds like a brothel...

Ironblood Industries? Too domineering…

East Asia Heavy Industries? But I'm in North America. How about North American Heavy Industries? Pfft, what the hell...

Caldey? Tsukimura Industries?

Ah!!!

Naming is such a hassle!

Kagura leaned back in her chair and looked at the surrounding displays.

Current location: New York, Manhattan.

Manhattan is an island...

An island that brings light and shelter to people. Avalon?

No, Avalon doesn't fit.

An island…

Kagura smiled slightly.

I remember there was a mobile game I never got to play in my previous life…

Alright, I've decided.

Let's call it Rhode Island Industries.