Marvel's Iron Lady

"Sir, remember the kid you asked us to keep an eye on? The agents monitoring him have found something interesting. You might want to take a look."

In Washington, at Triskelion's Building A, 43rd floor, Maria Hill walked into Director Nick Fury's office with a classified report sent by her subordinates.

"The kid? You mean the one from Queens—hold on a second, how did these two end up meeting?"

Nick Fury's one remaining eye quickly scanned the contents of the file, his brows furrowing as he pondered deeply.

Antonia Natasha Stark, future heir to Stark Industries and the descendant of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders, had always been under the agency's strict surveillance and protection since birth due to her unique status.

On the other hand, when Peter Parker accidentally gained his special abilities and began testing them outside, his unusual behavior was caught on street surveillance cameras. S.H.I.E.L.D. had intervened to erase all the footage.

Individuals like Peter Parker, who acquire extraordinary powers through various means, have appeared throughout human history. Back when S.H.I.E.L.D. was still known as the Strategic Scientific Reserve, Captain America led a squad composed entirely of such superhumans. It was this Howling Commandos unit that helped the Allies withstand the technological onslaught of Hydra.

However, now that Steve Rogers had perished and the remaining members of the Howling Commandos had aged, S.H.I.E.L.D. faced a pressing need. The agency was in constant search of combat forces as powerful as Captain America.

This explains why Peter Parker was placed under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance as soon as he awakened his powers. However, the agency's protocol did not recommend direct contact immediately; a period of observation was required.

Complete covert monitoring and close protection—many people around Peter Parker were actually undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. This is why, when Miss Stark and Peter Parker met, a report was swiftly compiled by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and placed on Nick Fury's desk.

Nick Fury had his plans for both individuals. As the daughter of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders, Miss Stark was bound to be brought into the agency. Peter Parker, with his extraordinary abilities, was also destined to be recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s superhero team.

In Fury's mind, if these two were ever to meet, it should have been after they both joined S.H.I.E.L.D. However, the fact that these two seemingly unrelated individuals crossed paths now was indeed perplexing.

But something else caught Nick Fury's attention more than the meeting between these two.

"That outfit she's wearing... it's interesting."

Nick Fury focused on the outfit Miss Stark was wearing in the photos within the report. It was a white hoodie with red accents, seemingly made of wool. Yet, this seemingly ordinary hoodie had stopped a 9mm bullet. Her figure was always slender, and the photo didn't suggest she was wearing any bulletproof vest underneath.

Still, Fury's instincts told him that she had developed some incredible new technology.

"Hill, get in touch with her. See if she's willing to sell the patent for that outfit."

The photo, taken at an unknown time, showed Miss Stark without her metal gauntlets, leaving Fury unaware of their existence. His interest was entirely focused on the outfit she wore. The fact that this lightweight hoodie could stop bullets was enough to pique his interest, especially considering the potential military applications.

Given the influence of Stark Industries, any new development was bound to cause a stir.

Setting aside S.H.I.E.L.D.'s moves for now, Miss Stark was dealing with her own issues. Recently, she had been feeling increasingly overwhelmed by the growing responsibilities on her plate.

Previously, she had been relatively free, being excluded from the company's operations by the board. But now that the Extremis Virus project was completed, her main focus had shifted back to the Veronica project.

She had even visited the CEO of CIS International, securing an order for several tons of titanium-gold alloy. CIS International is a large multinational steel trade group, and she approached them because they had what she needed.

Titanium-gold alloy is a specialized lightweight composite metal used in the aerospace industry, typically reserved for space engineering projects and usually monopolized by NASA. Miss Stark had to pull all her strings to secure just a few tons of the material, which was only the initial investment for the Veronica project.

The core of Veronica is a complete orbital launch platform, requiring astronomical amounts of resources. The order she managed to secure was funded by money she had to request from the board, as the Extremis Virus project had drained her private savings, nearly pushing her into bankruptcy.

Miss Stark felt increasingly stressed, but she eventually made it back to California. Deciding to throw all her work aside, she changed into pajamas and prepared to collapse into bed for some much-needed rest. The most important thing was to restore her energy—after all, what did it matter if the world flooded once she was asleep?

Dreams were beautiful, but reality was harsh. Before she could drift off, the doorbell to her villa rang.

"Miss, Miss Maria Hill is here to see you. She hopes you can spare a moment for her."

"Damn it, Jarvis, didn't you see that I was about to go to sleep—"

Miss Stark complained as she reluctantly got out of bed, pondering another matter in her mind.

The question she was considering was simple: Why was S.H.I.E.L.D. suddenly paying her a visit?

No, it wasn't strange for S.H.I.E.L.D. to show up—after all, she was well aware of their existence and had dealt with them before, thanks to her father, Howard Stark. She had also crossed paths with Maria Hill before.

She knew that she had always been under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance and protection, something her father had told her long ago. The incident in New York wasn't particularly significant, so Miss Stark didn't expect it to draw S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention. Despite her frequent travels in recent months, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't possibly keep up with her every move.

So how did S.H.I.E.L.D. find out about her activities, and why were they in such a hurry to visit?

Unless... S.H.I.E.L.D. had already noticed Peter Parker and became aware of her involvement when he made contact with her?

With these suspicions and some guesses in mind, Miss Stark changed her clothes and headed to the villa's foyer. As she made her way there, she couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied with Jarvis.

Miss Stark recalled the DC Comics she had read, where Bruce Wayne, a character similar to her, had Alfred as his loyal butler. Unlike her own Jarvis, Alfred was always depicted as unwaveringly loyal, while Jarvis couldn't even cook.

Dressed in a casual women's T-shirt, Miss Stark reached the foyer, deep in thought. Opening the door, she was greeted by Maria Hill, who was wearing a dark blue suit skirt, and a slightly balding middle-aged man in a black suit with a friendly smile on his face.

"I really don't want to see you, Maria. Nothing good ever comes from your visits."

"I don't particularly want to see you either, but some things are out of my control. So... can an old friend come in?"

Maria Hill remained unfazed by Miss Stark's reproachful gaze, casually asking if they could come in. Miss Stark nodded indifferently and turned her attention to the other person present.

"And who is he? Another one of your S.H.I.E.L.D. goons?"

"Hello, Miss Stark, I'm Phillip Coulson. You can call me Phil."

Miss Stark nodded in acknowledgment, indicating she now knew who he was, and then turned to lead the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents inside her home.

In the memory fragments, both of them were present, though her other self had met them under different circumstances. But she could tell that Maria Hill and Philip "Phil" Coulson were pivotal figures in shaping the future.

Miss Stark's private villa in Malibu was naturally equipped with a dedicated reception room and a tea room for entertaining guests.

"I'm a bit tired today, so let's cut to the chase. What do you want?"

As the child of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders, Miss Stark was well aware that she was constantly under the agency's surveillance and protection. While she often felt as if her privacy was being invaded, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't overstepped their bounds. Most of the time, the agents assigned to her were more focused on protection than surveillance.

She had to admit that S.H.I.E.L.D. had indeed provided her with significant security in the past, but things were different now.

Nick Fury's trusted lieutenants—Miss Stark knew that these two individuals were close confidants of the S.H.I.E.L.D. director.

She understood why they were here. It was likely because of the outfit she wore in New York.

Similarly, Maria Hill and Philip Coulson knew that Miss Stark understood their purpose.

All parties involved were sharp and could easily guess each other's intentions and goals, though they didn't feel the need to make it explicit.

Both sides began the conversation politely, discussing what had happened recently in New York.

Of course, aside from the pleasantries, the core issue was indeed what Miss Stark had anticipated: S.H.I.E.L.D. was interested in acquiring the bulletproof technology behind her new nano-fabric.

It was wise of Nick Fury to send these two individuals to negotiate with her.

Phil Coulson had a warm and approachable demeanor, making conversations with him comfortable. And Maria Hill, as one of the first S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to make contact with Miss Stark, was also her friend.

But despite the friendly atmosphere, Miss Stark remained firm on matters concerning her interests.

Phil Coulson and Maria Hill received the information they sought—the details about the nano-fabric. They discovered that the material went far beyond the level of bulletproof armor and had even reached the level of military-grade weapons.

Not only was it bulletproof and shock-absorbent, but it also had basic optical camouflage capabilities—this was the version Miss Stark had stripped down for sale.

Even the simplest optical camouflage could exponentially increase the price of this specialized material.

S.H.I.E.L.D. initially intended to use the technology for bulletproof purposes, but this discovery caught them off guard.

"I'm not selling the technology, as I still need to make a living. But I can sell you the finished products."

"I can offer you the complete version of the military combat suits, with a discount for bulk orders."

Miss Stark flashed a business-like smile at the two stunned S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

What they didn't realize was that Miss Stark had already sharpened her knife, ready to fleece S.H.I.E.L.D. for all they were worth.

She had burned through all her personal funds on the Extremis Virus project, to the point of almost declaring bankruptcy. Well, not exactly bankruptcy, but since the money came from her family's business, siphoning it off from the board was a real pain.

Given that this advanced combat suit had reached the level of optical camouflage, the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents realized they were no longer in a position to make decisions. Maria Hill decided to contact the boss directly, stepping out to call the director.

Optical camouflage—a project S.H.I.E.L.D. had been struggling to crack without success. This could be considered a groundbreaking technology with immense strategic value and vast market potential.

S.H.I.E.L.D. naturally wanted to obtain the complete technology, but Miss Stark had no intention of selling it. That would be like selling the goose that lays the golden eggs—she'd have to be an idiot to do that.

Miss Stark accurately predicted what S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted, so she held the upper hand in this negotiation.

Nick Fury immediately ordered that this deal must go through, no matter the cost. When Maria Hill returned to the meeting room, she found Miss Stark chatting away with Phil Coulson.

On the conference table was a light blue holographic projection, showing the technical specifications of the combat suits. Although this technology was not yet fully mature, Miss Stark offered a price of one billion dollars per suit.

Her spreadsheet detailed the total costs, including equipment wear and tear, labor costs, and R&D expenses.

"The technology alone is worth no less than nine hundred million, so one billion is a friendly price for you."

At present, a third-generation fighter jet costs at least four to five billion dollars. A billion dollars for a combat suit might sound outrageous, but it wasn't that far-fetched.

However, shelling out a quarter of the cost of a fighter jet for a piece of clothing—was this investment really worth it?

But Nick Fury had already made the call, so the two agents had no choice but to comply.

Their only hope was to see if they could negotiate the price down a bit.

Miss Stark knew that pushing too hard wouldn't be fair, so she soon made a concession.

After all, the long list of expenses and patent fees was something she had come up with herself.

The initial material costs for that piece of fabric were only about a hundred thousand dollars.

Using a hundred thousand dollars to leverage a billion—that comparison seemed a bit extreme, didn't it?

"Alright, since you're concerned about the price, I have a proposal."

"I'll only charge eighty million dollars for the R&D fees, and I'll provide the equipment for assembly."

"You handle the materials and other expenses yourselves. How about that?"

Miss Stark's tone turned playful as she lowered the price by another ten million dollars.

Eighty million dollars per suit was much more reasonable than the previous astronomical figure.

Of course, this was still only a façade—after all, the manufacturing cost of the composite fabric was estimated at no more than fifty thousand dollars.

To keep up appearances, Miss Stark put on a pained expression, as if sacrificing that ten million dollars was a great loss.

Maria Hill noticed the hint of regret in Miss Stark's eyes and exchanged a look with Coulson.

What do you think? We're probably at the bottom line now. If we push further, she might walk away.

I agree. We've already gotten a good deal. If we push our luck, there might be no deal at all.

Although they didn't speak aloud, their exchanged glances conveyed their thoughts.

To prevent Miss Stark from changing her mind, Maria Hill immediately agreed to the deal.

In addition to the deal, Miss Stark requested a Quinjet.

Although the agents were unsure how she knew about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new Quinjet project, they weren't too surprised. After all, her father, Howard Stark, had originally been involved in the project.

For Miss Stark, a small aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing was far more practical for her future plans than a private jet.

"We... we can provide you with a Quinjet, but it won't have any weapons installed."

"Of course. I'm from a family of arms dealers. Why would I care about your second-rate toys?"

Once the price was settled, Maria Hill and Phil Coulson quickly set off for Washington.

Meanwhile, Director Fury placed an order for thirty suits as soon as he received the report.

These advanced combat suits with optical camouflage capabilities held immense strategic value and had a special role on the battlefield.

He then filled out the order with a price tag of two billion dollars per suit, down to the exact cent.

As for the money—let the World Security Council worry about that. Fury was just making a profit from the margin.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s procurement process was always straightforward: the director gave the nod, the Council provided the funds, and the director pocketed the difference.

Miss Stark likely had no idea she was being short-changed since she was too busy celebrating the thirty billion dollars that just hit her account.

Thirty billion dollars, transferred directly from an official account to her private one. That's thirty billion dollars!

Her personal finances, which had nearly been wiped out by the Extremis Virus project, were suddenly replenished, turning her into a wealthy woman once again.

So, what should she buy with this newfound fortune? With dreams of the future, Miss Stark slowly drifted off to sleep.