At Stark Building, Tony Stark sat in the chairman's office on the top floor. At the moment, he had nothing to do—Obadiah Stane and other shareholders had stripped away his authority—but Tony didn't mind. Everything was going according to his plan.
Scarlet Witch Wanda stood behind him, gently massaging his temples. Her hands glowed with soft red energy, which merged into the Mind Gem embedded in Tony's forehead, gradually adjusting its seal.
"Wanda, sweetheart, the curtain has begun," Tony said, his eyes slowly opening. A sneer tugged at the corner of his mouth as he lightly tapped the table. Instantly, the surface transformed into a three-dimensional holographic projection.
On the projection, Pepper Potts, Director of Public Relations, was talking to a man in a suit with a slightly receding hairline—Phil Coulson, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Since becoming PR Director, Pepper had been busy handling Tony's public image, which was notoriously disastrous. And now, an agent from the Homeland Strategic Defense, Offensive and Logistic Support Agency had appeared unannounced, investigating how Tony had escaped and what had changed at Stark Industries.
"Well… the name really sounds like an old lady's foot wrap—long, smelly, and complicated," Pepper muttered, glancing at Coulson. Despite her complaint, Coulson just smiled.
"Mr. Coulson, how did Tony escape?" Pepper asked seriously. "I don't think you should ask me about this. It's Tony Stark's business."
"And the Stark Group—any problems there?" Coulson inquired. "By the way, they recently hired a new secretary. I must say, she's charming enough to draw all eyes—especially Tony's."
Pepper frowned, her tone slightly sour. Yet Coulson's interest deepened—S.H.I.E.L.D. had always been curious about Tony's escape.
"Alright, Miss Pepper, may I schedule a meeting with Mr. Stark?" Coulson asked, seeing Pepper's professional demeanor.
"You should coordinate with Ms. Wanda," Pepper reminded him. "She's Tony Stark's personal secretary now. You know Tony—he doesn't like strangers. I'll act as the intermediary."
Coulson's expression turned serious. Their prior analysis of Tony confirmed it—his narcissistic and stubborn personality would never allow him to meet a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent directly. Pepper was the key.
"Very well," Coulson said. "At least I still have some leverage."
Pepper led him out of the office and toward the top floor where Tony awaited.
Meanwhile, a man dressed as a janitor slipped into Pepper's office. Calm and precise, he approached her safe, deploying professional tools to open it with ease.
When the safe clicked open, a white light radiated from within. The man's eyes widened in surprise. Carefully, he lifted a glass cover. Inside rested a small Arc Reactor, glowing brilliantly. Etched on its tray were the words: "Tony Stark has a warm heart."
"Sir, the item has been secured," the man reported through a built-in earpiece, his voice cold and professional. Though impressed by the Arc Reactor, he remained focused on completing his mission.
"Good. Take it to my lab immediately," Obadiah Stane's voice crackled with excitement and madness over the comms. Beside him, a team of scientists performed the final checks on the Iron Monger armor.
Obadiah couldn't wait any longer. Stark Industries had lost hundreds of millions since Tony had shut down the military weapons division. Now, Obadiah claimed the company—and soon, the world.
Not long after, the operatives returned. Obadiah held the Arc Reactor aloft and ordered it to be installed into the Iron Monger.
Buzz, buzz.
The lifeless steel machine began to recharge, as though awakening. Its eyes glowed, and the mechanical components ran self-diagnostics across its body.
"It's incredible," muttered Bloomfield Barnett, the Stark weapons scientist, standing behind Obadiah. "A miniaturized Arc Reactor… Tony Stark really is a genius."
Obadiah's eyes gleamed with madness. "This is my Iron Monger. The Stark Group is finally mine."
In the heavily guarded control room, Obadiah donned a neural interface device, allowing him to control the Iron Monger freely. His fingers twitched slightly, and the massive suit's fists clenched and opened. The exoskeleton hummed with terrifying strength.
"I… am Iron Monger!" Obadiah roared.
"Tony Stark, I will destroy you with my own hands," he snarled, ready to unleash the full might of his creation.
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