Tony slid across the wet grass as his pride and strength took a hit. From his broken doorway stepped the so-called Crimson Dynamo, laughing with the kind of inflection that only a shipper or a politician would have.
Forty-Eight hours earlier
As Dmitri Bukharin arrived in America, he felt the weight of what was expected from him to be as light as a feather. He almost slid down the stairs from the plane, not from being giddy, but from the hurried temper he was in. He had the sinking feeling someone had busted his identity, despite having the 'perfect' fake passport.
He handed over said passport to a gruff official.
"Name?" he coughed, in an accent known to be from Brooklyn.
"Warren Bendis." he replied, in a pitch-perfect Australian accent. The official let him through, and he found himself walking out into the sun. Two men approached him, and let him slide into a black limo that awaited on the sidewalk.
"Afternoon, Dmitri."
"Mister Hammer, sir."
Justin Hammer took a swig of bourbon.
"Let's get cracking on Operation Crimson Dynamo, huh?"
lllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Tony finished his coffee, while Pepper savoured her tea.
"Y'know, I'll never get how you drink tea. It's like a cheap coffee."
Pepper sighed.
"You need to record yourself. You'll see how dumb some things you say are-"
"I've seen enough Arrested Development to know what you're implying."
The power seemed to dip for a second.
"Jarvis? That something we should be worried about?"
"Yes sir SiR sir sir SIR" Jarvis squealed, before maintaining normality, "just a short surge of data."
"What kind of data?"
"Opposing data, sir. Someone tried to crack into our systems."
"They get anything?"
"Regrettably sir, the original mark 1 schematics."
Tony slammed his cup onto the counter.
"Can we trace it?"
"Unable to trace sir. Third attempt...failed."
"Well, that's that then. We gotta get ready."
"For?"
"The bad guy coming to kill me, 'course."
Present
Tony remembered the other suit entering his house, declaring himself "The superior Crimson Dynamo!", then throwing him out through the wall. Thankfully and appropriately, he'd suited up.
"Tony Stark!" the Dynamo yelled, sounding as if he were smiling.
"I need to copyright my everything, if you're so willing to rip me off."
"I am no rip-off! I am an improvement."
"Damn-sure cockier too."
The Dynamo laughed, and raised his hand. A circle of short-range, small missiles popped out from the armour, and aimed themselves at Tony.
"Make peace with-"
Six hours earlier
"Now, Dmitri, I'm positive you remember our trial run in Moscow?"
"Yes."
"Good. So you know how to move, use weapons systems, that kinda thing?"
"Yes."
"You're annoyed, aren't you?"
"Yes."
Hammer sighed, and moved towards the door.
"By the way, we're using Stark schematics. You just kill him, and we'll be good."
Present
"-your deity."
Tony jumped out of the way and wrenched at the Dynamo's head. The metal helmet shot up, distracting the titan for a split second, long enough for Tony to fire numerous projectiles. The Crimson Dynamo stumbled back, and with one punch he fell into weak semi-consciousness.
"So, who sent you?"
"H...Hammer..."
He fell unconscious and Tony sighed.
"Justin just can't keep it clean."
lllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Nick Fury looked at the various shadowy figures around him.
"Gentlemen, our world is in danger. I believe Operation Assemble should be pushed into action."
"And how many people are willing to co-operate?"
"Many. Tony Stark."
"The rash, dangerous Iron Man."
"Peter Parker."
"The young, inexperienced Spider-Man."
"Clint Barton."
"The renegade, understandably dangerous Hawkeye."
"The Richards, along with Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm."
"The so-called Fantastic Four."
"Hank Pym."
"Really? What's Pym doing on the list?"
"His new Pym particle-infused stuff has granted him shrinking powers."
"Really? So, he's some kinda Ant Man now?"
"And there are others. But our world will be defended."
"Never doubted it Nick."
"I know Alexander."