Ultimate Iron Man

"Hermes, package everything we have on Operation Winter Veil. Add a note emphasizing Hydra's direct interference and their plans to ensure Janet's death." Tony ordered. The AI compiled the data and, within seconds, sent it to Hank Pym's secure system. He waited, knowing full well the kind of response this would provoke.

Hours later, Hermes detected unusual activity on Hank Pym's servers. Cameras inside Pym's lab revealed the man suiting up in his Ant-Man armor, his face contorted in barely restrained rage.

"Oh no," Tony muttered. "Hermes, patch me through to his comm system."

Inside his lab, Hank Pym was suiting up. He was angry as hell. "They were going to kill her… Janet was part of their plan all along!"

A calm voice interrupted his train of thought. "Dr. Pym, this isn't the way to handle it."

Hank froze, scanning the room. "Who the hell is this? How are you on my system?"

"Call me a concerned ally," Tony said smoothly. He was obviously using a voice modulator to hide his real voice. "I'm the one who sent you the intel. And I know what you're about to do."

Hank's jaw clenched. "They planned to use Janet as bait—to sabotage the mission and leave her to die! You think I'm just going to let that slide? I'm going to end them."

"And what then? Let's say you take out a few Hydra agents tonight. You'll be satisfied for what... A day? A week? Hydra's a hydra for a reason. Cut off one head, and two more will take its place," Tony explained, hoping he could talk sense into the man before he went on a rampage.

Hank hesitated but didn't lower his suit's activation sequence. "So, what? I let them walk away? That's not going to happen."

"No," Tony replied. "We hit them where it hurts. Not their agents—not just yet. We target their command structure. Their resources. The heart of their operations."

Hank's jaw tightened. "And how do you suggest we do that, genius? Because last I checked, you're hiding behind a computer screen."

Tony smirked. "True, but brains tend to outlast brawn in battles like this. Listen, Dr. Pym, I have a plan—a big one. But I need your help." He laid out the details, his holographic display shifting to show Janet's Cold War mission logs alongside Hydra's plans for sabotage. "Here's the deal," He continued. "We don't interfere directly with Janet's mission. We let it play out. Hydra's agents think they have everything under control, but what they don't know is that we're going to use their weapon against them."

Hank's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"We'll reprogram the missile," Tony replied. "I've already accessed fragments of Hydra's network, but I can't act openly and I lack the resources to do so. That's where you come in. With your resources and brain, we can pinpoint Hydra's base of operations and the agents. On the day of the launch, we'll redirect the missile. It'll lock onto Hydra's base instead of its original target. But to pull it off, we are gonna need some people inside to make sure everything goes smoothly and they will be keeping an eye on the hydra agents within."

"Then on the day of the launch, our people will eliminate the agents and the missile will hit its target. We will take them down in a single swoop and Janet won't have to put her life at risk," Hank said, now understanding Tony's plan.

"Exactly!" Tony nodded. "And even if it fails, I've other ways to save her. I'll share the details in case of failure."

"And what are you going to get out of it?" Hank asked with a serious expression. "I doubt you are doing this out of charity."

"Two favors. I'll ask them when it's time and no matter what, you will help me out, deal?" Tony offered.

"If this plan of yours succeeds, then deal," Hank agreed.

Tony knew he couldn't do anything to save Janet, but he was able to keep Hank from making a mistake that would endanger her. He smiled and shook his head. "Alright. So, I'll keep digging on my end and let you know if I discover something new, while you find a way to place some trusted people within the enemy ranks. Other than information exchange through my secure line, we won't interact. And most importantly, do not try to find me. Understood?"

"Yes, I understand. And thank you... for all of this," Hank said gratefully.

"Don't thank me yet," Tony replied, "not till this is over."

He cut the communication. He was about to get some much-needed sleep, but suddenly, a knock on the door made him sigh.

"Who is it?" He asked cautiously, wondering who came looking for him at this hour of the night.

He powered down his system. The holograms disappeared in an instant, leaving behind the mundane sight of textbooks, blueprints, and a half-eaten sandwich scattered across his desk. He walked to the door, raking a hand through his hair, attempting to mask the stress etched on his face.

"It's me, James," Rhodey's voice came through the door.

"Rhodey?" he greeted, feigning surprise.

Tony met Rhodey the day he arrived at MIT and soon they became good friends and somewhat small rivals. Since Tony knew about the future somewhat thanks to his past life info, he wasn't expecting to meet Rhodey here. He thought that somehow his interference with the events might be changing things, like the butterfly effect or he was probably the MCU version.

James Rhodes stood there, his face a mix of annoyance and concern. He was in his usual grey T-shirt and blue jeans. He crossed his arms, stepping into the room without waiting for an invitation. "Tony, what the hell are you up to?"

Tony leaned casually against the doorframe, forcing a smirk. "Me? Nothing. Just your average late-night study session. Thermodynamics waits for no one, my friend."

Rhodey raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Uh-huh. And that's why you've got a security protocol running on your laptop that's more advanced than anything I've seen in the ROTC labs? Don't even try to tell me it's homework."

He raised his arms in the air, "Okay, okay, maybe I was working on a... side project. You know me—always tinkering. What's got you storming into my dorm at this hour, anyway? Something on your mind?"

Rhodey didn't buy it but decided to let the dodge slide—for now. He stepped closer, his tone softening. "Look, man, I know you. Something's been eating at you lately. You've been skipping classes, blowing off the team, and now this cloak-and-dagger tech you've been playing with? If you're in trouble, you need to tell me."

"Ah! Curious, aren't ya?"

"Worried. Worried is more accurate." Rhodey corrected him. "I've been trying to respect your privacy, but if you're digging yourself into a hole, I'm not gonna let you do it alone."

He sighed. "Okay, you're right. I've been keeping something from you... I think you should sit down."

The two sat in the cramped space of Tony's dorm.

"You remember how those arrogant punks said I can't hack into the Pentagon?"

"Wait! You didn't?!" Rhodey looked shocked.

Tony gave an arrogant smirk as he pulled out the laptop from the bag and placed it on the bed. The moment he powered it up, Rhodey gasped in shock. The screen showed the Pentagon logo with the words Access Granted beneath it.

"How did you do that?" Rhodey asked in disbelief. "Tony, this is insane!"

"Well, I used the public terminal," Tony replied casually. "I hacked into it using their own network and gained admin access."

"You gotta be kidding me," Rhodey whispered, shocked as hell. "Do you know the kind of shit you can get yourself into? What were you thinking?"

"I was bored," Tony lied, not wanting to reveal too much. "Besides it's been a week, no response from their end so I guess they didn't notice anything."

"Don't jinx it!"

"Come on, don't you want to try it out?" Tony asked. "What do you think, James? Do you for once in your life want to go through the Pentagon's files and footage? Or perhaps, control the entire place just for once? If that's not up to your alley, maybe we could use their surveillance system to peek at anyone we want without them knowing what we are doing. Just imagine the fun."

Rhodey's eye twitched at that. He was a rule follower, but Tony had awakened a new curiosity in him. He wanted to do what Tony said, though he knew he shouldn't.

"Oh! What's this?" Tony asked, faking surprise as he pulled up a live footage from NY.

A naked girl with purple hair and hazel eyes. Rhodey almost choked at seeing her.

"Cough! That's a pornstar!" He said, looking away.

"Wow! I never knew you liked that sort of stuff!" Tony teased.

"I don't! I mean... She's just someone I saw on the TV recently, that's all." Rhodey said, his face red. "Come on, switch it off."

"Hahaha... Ok. Ok. I'll forward the recordings to you later. Now, how about that freakin' racist professor who's after your ass?" He asked with a smirk.

"Huh? What about him?"

"Take a look..." Tony pulled up his files.

Name: Rick Perkin

Age: 65

Married: Yes

Spouse: Mary Perkin

Under the surveillance of the DEA for connection with the cartel

"What the fuck?! I mean... Oh my god! Did you see this?" Rhodey asked in shock. "The man is corrupt!"

"Yeah... and you know what this means, right?" Tony asked with a smirk.

Rhodey looked at him with a frown.

"He's about to get fired!" Tony said, laughing.

"We won't be caught, right?"

"Nope."

"Ok. Let's do it," Rhodey nodded, excited as hell.

So, Tony leaked the information and even exaggerated some facts to make it sound worse. Sure enough, two days later, Perkins was fired, and just outside the campus, waiting for him was the DEA agent.

...

[Back to Pym]

Hank was staring at the screen displaying the intel from the unknown source. His hands trembled, but whether it was from anger or uncertainty, he couldn't say. The data laid bare Hydra's scheme—Janet, his Janet, had been nothing more than a pawn in their twisted game. It was the kind of revelation that could unearth the rage he had buried for decades.

The Ant-Man helmet rested beside him, waiting, almost calling. Every fiber of his being screamed for action. To tear Hydra apart, piece by piece, to make them pay. But then, there was the voice. Calm, calculated, and maddeningly anonymous.

"Dr. Pym, this isn't the way to handle it."

He hated that the stranger had a point. Charging in would satisfy his anger but accomplish little else. Hydra wasn't just some street gang. They were a multinational monstrosity, with resources and contingencies far beyond anything he could tackle on his own. Still, trusting a faceless ally? That wasn't something he did. Not anymore.

His gaze fell to the data again. It was comprehensive—too comprehensive. Whoever this "concerned ally" was, they had access to resources far beyond what any civilian should. The schematics, the mission logs, the precise timing of Hydra's sabotage plans—this was SHIELD-level intel. Maybe higher.

"How the hell did they get this?" he muttered under his breath.

Janet always said his paranoia would be his undoing. But wasn't paranoia warranted in a world where everyone seemed to have an agenda? What if this was a trap? What if the intel itself was bait to lure him into an ambush?

He stood abruptly, pacing the room. His mind raced through the possibilities. Was this some twisted Hydra ploy to get him off their trail? Or could it be someone from SHIELD testing his loyalty? No, SHIELD was too bureaucratic for something this covert. This had the hallmarks of someone working independently.

His thoughts returned to Janet. Her laugh, her stubborn streak, the way she always seemed to see the good in people—even when he couldn't. If this intel was real, he wouldn't let her go on that mission. But if it was fake then Janet would… the missile... countless lives would be lost... could he live with himself for falling for a trap?

He clenched his fists, forcing himself to breathe. This wasn't just about Janet or Hydra or whoever this anonymous "ally" was. It was about doing what he'd always done—protecting the people he cared about, no matter the cost.

Finally, he sat back down and stared at the communicator.

"If this is a trap," he thought grimly, "I'll make them regret it."

But for now, he would play along. Not because he trusted the mysterious voice, but because it gave him something he couldn't ignore: a plan. A chance. He would verify the data, and double-check every detail. If even one piece of it seemed off, he'd abandon the plan and find another way to save Janet. Alone if he had to.

Hank put on the helmet. "You're lucky Janet's life is worth more than my pride," he muttered to himself, activating the suit. He plans to infiltrate the Soviets to check the data from the direct source.

-----

[Leave some reviews & Power stones as usual]

If you like my work, you can support me on>: www.patr eon.com/XcaliburXc

[Read over 17 advance chapters] [No double billing]

-----