"What do you need me for?" As soon as Tohka stepped out, she arrived at Tony's lab. She knew that Tony usually wouldn't bother others unless he really couldn't handle it himself. If he asked her for help, it was definitely something serious. Otherwise, Pepper would have been able to take care of it.
"Here, take a look at this. It was given to me by Fury before he left." Tony handed her a file after glancing at Tohka.
"This is..." Opening the file, Tohka found it contained information about a person she knew. It was none other than the man who had ambushed Tony on TV that day. But as she continued reading, Tohka frowned. The next part was about this guy's dealings with Hammer Industries.
"After reading it, burn it. We can't let anyone else see this." At this point, Tohka felt helpless. After all, Tony had really run out of people to ask for help. It was remarkable that he thought of asking her. "This is something Fury left to remind me. I've been out of touch with the outside world lately, which is why I'm asking for your help. I've found a lead on a new element. I need to go out, and I've already had that guy pull everyone around him away. You think about it while I'm gone."
With that, Tony left. It seemed he didn't expect Tohka to come up with anything immediately.
"....." He wasn't wrong about that. After reading the file, Tohka tossed it aside. If worst comes to worst, she could just go over there and kill the guy—problem solved. Then, she simply laid down on the table and fell asleep.
"Hey, hey, I asked you to think of a solution, not to come here and sleep!" After who knows how long, Tony woke Tohka up. He had placed a map of the venue on the desk she was lying on, clearly having returned from seeing Pepper. He wasn't surprised by her reaction.
"It's nothing, he's just an ordinary person. I'll just rush over and kill him, easy." After hearing Tony, Tohka shrugged casually. If it were someone else, she might be more concerned, but without his armor, Ivan Vanko was just an ordinary person, and killing him would be almost effortless.
"You're such an idiot. Let me explain. Hammer might be a fool, but he's the government's representative. How do you think he's managed to stand against me until now? Unless you don't want to stay in the U.S., you can't even think about it." Tony shook his head, explaining the stakes to the naive Tohka.
"I see..." After hearing that, Tohka furrowed her brows. She hadn't thought about it before, but now that Tony mentioned it, she remembered. Ivan had managed to get him out of prison so easily, which likely meant someone above had allowed it. The temptation of an Iron Man's armor must be huge.
"You and I aren't suited to handle this, but..." At that point, Tohka suddenly remembered someone she had met before. That guy would definitely not mind doing this. However, before reaching out to him, Tohka felt she needed to confirm something with Tony. "I just thought of someone perfect for the job, but do you mind if we hire a hitman?"
"Eh?" After hearing Tohka's words, Tony frowned, then remembered the Hammer Industries weapon expo that evening. He knew that Pepper would be there, along with numerous other guests... If that guy lost control, it could lead to a huge loss of life.
"Alright, desperate times call for desperate measures. Who exactly are you talking about?" Once Tony understood, he gritted his teeth and nodded. In this situation, Pepper could very well be in danger. Also, because of his previous indulgence, he and Pepper were in a cold war. Without proof, it was hard for him to speak out.
"Alright, I'll look it up. I remember I've kept his number, he's still pretty useful." With that, Tohka opened her phone's contact list, quickly scrolling through it until she found her target, then dialed the number.
"Hello?" On the other side of the U.S., a man in a black-and-red tight suit was at a bar, being surrounded by people. When his phone rang, he picked it up without even looking, since this guy was untouchable and few people would dare offend him.
"Hello, this is the most professional mercenary service. As long as you pay, there's no task I won't take. If it's nothing important, then hurry up and get lost. Don't interrupt me while I'm trying to pick up chicks, or else..."
"Enough, stop talking nonsense." On the other side, Tohka answered her phone. Before she could say anything, the guy on the other end kept rambling. Knowing his nature, Tohka quickly interrupted him—she didn't want to listen to his endless monologue, it would drive her crazy.
"Oh, is it a girl? What's up, want to hang out? I promise..."
"Say one more word, and I'll find someone else. They're cheaper than you, though their efficiency might not be as good." This guy's mouth was full of nonsense, and Tohka seriously considered just killing him with one swing.
"No problem, you're the client, your word is law. Just don't cancel the order. It's been too quiet lately, I haven't had a job in a while. If this keeps up, I won't even be able to afford food. You see, I've got a family to feed..."
"I've sent you the address. Get here in three minutes, or you'll face the consequences." After giving the ultimatum, Tohka hung up. Otherwise, she really feared she'd lose her temper and, holding her forty-meter-long blade, rush over to dismember the guy, making him watch as his body was eaten by dogs.
"Who is this guy, and is he reliable?" Tony, who had been listening to the conversation, frowned and asked. He felt that the guy's nonsense was even worse than his own. Honestly, Tony was starting to feel defeated—at least he didn't dare offend Tohka like that.
"No problem, this guy..."
"Dongfeng Express, mission accomplished." However, before Tohka could finish her sentence, a person appeared in their room. But this guy was missing a leg.
"Well, Mr. Bastard, where's your leg?" Looking at Deadpool lying on the floor, Tohka walked over with a smirk, and didn't forget to grab his head and mock him.