At Worlds End (Phase One Collection) | Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Part Seven: Hammer HQ

Warnings: Canon violence, canon, looking at a girl getting changed (you know the scene), descriptions of fighting, violence, light descriptions of blood/wounds, sexist man being sexist *cough* Hammer *cough*, talks of war/warfare.

Summary: The final fight with Vanko.

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The Expo was unlike what you had expected.

Eyes not unlike those of the many gathered children you passed on your way to the pain pavilion, following both Pepper and "Natalie" after you had exited the silver Audi, Happy had driven to the venue.

Never once had you seen something like this that much was unmistakably obvious.

But sadly, you weren't able to enjoy it like the others were.

And that was all thanks to one man, dancing his way onto the centre of the stage.

Justin Hammer.

With a roll of your eyes and a heavy sigh, you folded your arms across your chest and sank further into your seat beside Pepper. Not at all looking forward to the presentation the man was about to give.

"This is karma," you mumbled, gazing into the back of the person's seat in front of you, attaining the attention of the women to your left, "I've done something truly awful in this life, and the last, if they exist. And now, I'm being punished for it."

It seemed like you, and the girls by your side, were the only ones not clapping for the self-serving man.

The blonde and the red-head share a look, agreeing on their utter disdain for him.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about. Thanks for coming," Hammer spoke, now standing at the clear podium, "Ladies and gentlemen, for far too long, this country has had to place its brave men and women in harms way-"

You glared up at him with furrowed eyebrows, just waiting for whatever bullshit that will continue to spew out of his mouth to just get worse and worse.

Having been through the exact experience he currently spoke so detachedly about.

Acting as if you were forced to be put in the lines of fire and imminent danger. That there was no other choice but for you to fight in the wars you fought in.

"-Buth then, the Iron Man arrived-"

If it were even possible, you glared at him harder than before.

"-And we thought those days of losing lives were behind us."

"He's about to lose something. Namely his ba-"

"Sadly, that technology was kept out of reach."

I wonder why.

"That's not fair. That's not right."

"How many times do you think he practised this speech in front of a mirror?" you asked, in a whisper, leaning closer to Pepper.

You snorted at Natasha's dry remark.

"He probably cheered for himself, too."

"And it's just too bad."

"Oh, Lord," Pepper sighed, gaining Natasha's attention momentarily.

"Regardless, it was an impressive innovation, one that grabbed headlines over the world. Well, today, my friends, the press is faced with quite a different problem. They are about to run out of ink."

That was one of the moments he would scream and cheer for himself in front of the mirror.

"I wish he would run out of words."