I will admit to nerding out when I saw the finished model. Who wouldn't? It was a fucking War Machine armour. Or a knock off at any rate. It was a bulky black and grey suit with a large cannon hanging over its shoulder.
It wasn't a minigun, sad. It shot lasers, happy.
That was a difference, as this suit was meant for space-based battles there wasn't a large amount of kinetic based weaponry but instead based on plasma, EM wave and high propulsion missiles that could connect with an opponent in a vacuum.
There also wasn't an arc reactor for powering the suit which was a huge bummer. Instead, it had four self-contained fusion cells that all simultaneously worked for power the suit per minute. This was one of the drawbacks as the space taken up by the fusion cells cut down on the armour and weaponry available.
But as a Mark I it was viable. There wasn't any revolutionary tech in the suit that could turn the world on its head. It was all available from the worlds numerous geniuses, but the War Machine brought it all together in one streamlined piece.
I definitely didn't keep one for personal use.
I have three people in the room as delegates from the United Nations. I specifically went to the entire UN instead of any specific government as an attempt to keep any one country from getting an advantage. Everyone has watched the Iron Man films after all. I don't want a War Machine to my own War Machine suit.
"So, you were already creating an answer to the problem you revealed on that interview, huh?" There were two military men from the UN delegate and one businessman. One of the military men was Chinese and the one speaking was an American. He had poked at the armour, specifically the large gun over the shoulder and the protruding forearms that obviously hid over weaponry.
"It seemed stupid to try and show the world what the problem if I hadn't already thought about and tried to create a countermeasure?"
"A countermeasure, Mr Dumbledore? Is there more?" And one more person in the room who had somehow manged to gain access to this meeting. Lex Luthor.
"I can't be expected to reveal everything at once Mister Luthor. I have several things in the works, but they are but future projects for now."
"The future can be discussed when it comes. What I want to see is the suit performing in a live test." The American general said. "I don't believe you could fly these like a jet?"
"No. It is very different. I had someone train for several weeks in a simulator before they touched the prototype. If you gentlemen wish to proceed outside, I will contact my pilot to arrive."
Without an ounce of hesitation, the delegation and Luthor walked outside of the facility. Walking to see what had come to change the world's idea on force.
-x-X-x-
The facility I had come to opened up into a large expanse of desert. I mean it is a cliché, where else would I come to present a deadly piece of weaponry. Definitely wont be a normal field out of the way, has to be a barren desert.
The two military had already taken shelter behind a protective screen with the businessman and Luthor walking casually after them, chatting amiably. The military people hadn't talked, the Chinese man hadn't spoken at all, only watching the proceedings carefully.
Moving over to the shelter as well I sent the message to my pilot. They were already up in the air, out of the range for any detecting instruments. My pilot was a former homeless, Steve had conducted several interviews and several former militaries had turned up from all corners of the worlds various forces. Navy, Air Force, Heavy Infantry, Gunners, Special Forces all had turned up with their own stories.
The pilot was discharged after receiving an injury to his spine and his funds had been 'misplaced' for long enough for him to become homeless. The injury to his spine meant absolutely nothing and whilst I had no miraculously nerve healing, that wasn't magical in nature, the War Machine suit had the servos and artificial musculature to act as a walking aid. A mini-chip in the spine placed before the nerves had died interpreted the nerve signals before sending them to the suit.
Plus, it could fly. There wasn't much need for walking when personal flight was considered.
The Businessman and Luthor stood next to us, staring through the screen with fearsome focus. I tapped my ear, the overt way to speak to my pilot.
"Pilot, if you can bring the suit in now. We are stood behind the protective screen." The acknowledgement went unheard by anybody else, and they stared around in every direction. I simply pointed up at the rapidly approaching black dot.
Everyone's eyes followed my finger and squinted to see the suit properly.
"In atmo the top speed is limited to Mach five. The suit can perform higher, but the kinetic dampeners are finetuned for space-based combat. They are to prevent the pilot from squishing against the armour when they need to stop and turn on a dime." The black dot grew and grew as I spoke, it had been close to orbit before I had asked for it to come done, playing about slightly.
"I presume you have several other types of suit Mr Dumbledore. With their own specialties. Mach 5 is an achievement in itself; I am interested in the suits acceleration because even the best manned aircraft only reach Mach 4, and they take some time to get up to speed."
"Any specialised units we design will be exactly that, specialised. Not simply space-based, and planet-based or combat and non-combat but closer to speed-based models for combat, armour-based models for combat and then city support in case of an alien invasion. It is complicated after all, a suit that starts to rescue people when a city is being assaulted in an alien invasion needs to stop further injuries, on the spot first aid and even reinforce damaged buildings, it is difficult for any jack of all trades suit."
Before I spoke further the War Machine suit landed in front of us, swing his feet forward and slowing his velocity with the repulsors before dropping stoically onto two feet. The first War Machine suit that had red squares glowing a bloody crimson on the shoulders and high on the hips, bulky and mechanical that screamed danger.
The American general seemed to be considering hugging it. A boyish happiness exuding from him as he stared at the combat suit. He didn't seem to know whether he should grab the suit or pull the money out.
The only sign of Luthor's interest was the barest raise of a brow as he took in the suit. The businessman stood beside him as he ran an appraising eye over the suit. The Chinese general nodding slightly as he stood.
"Pilot. The designated targets are lit up with red light. Run through all weaponry one by one for our first show." The War Machine nodded before firing his repulsors and firing off into the sky again. The targets were set randomly at various distances from the protective screen, and several were hanging from or were on drone flying through the skies.
Despite my own magic the sight of a shoulder-mounted laser gun firing red bolts still filled me with a desire to go and grab my own suit.
-x-X-x-
Far above the desert, Batman stood beside Superman as they looked at a screen. A real-time show of the War Machine suit blowing up drones and large boulders with pinpoint accuracy.
"The world is about to change again," Superman said absently. He was looking through the window mostly, his sight likely far better than any camera.
"So far, the War Machine suit had not displayed any anomalous or highly advanced tech, individually the suit pieces are within the means of many scientists but together…"
"Together it is the most advanced piece of weaponry developed solely by Earth and the name is not a good omen."
"If it remained solely for its designed purpose of defending against alien threats it would be a boon, but it will not. Someone will use it against their fellows no matter how many safeguards are in place."
"Well, I can only hope you are wrong."
-x-X-x-
A man with odd eyes laughed as he beheld a glowing green ring hovering above the top of his wand. A yellow band closed around one of his own fingers he grabbed the green one with the utmost delicateness. A corpse floated nearby, the remnants of a green uniform hanging off their frame.
The laughing man slowly pushed the green ring onto one of his fingers, feeling the energy of the green collide against the yellow as he forced his control over them.
A small twist and the man disappeared, leaving only the corpse and a shattered lantern to mark his presence there.
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