Stark Industries Building, Press Conference Venue!
"Just as the video showed," Tony Stark said with an "angry" expression, addressing the large crowd of reporters. "I never expected that the person pulling the strings behind Obadiah Stane would be Congressman Stern himself!"
"Every time I investigated Obadiah Stane's criminal activities, multiple forces obstructed me."
"Even after Obadiah Stane was captured by the FBI, he managed to escape and attack me!"
"Worse still, Stern sent me a subpoena[1], trying to seize my armor to stop me from continuing the investigation!"
"I now strongly suspect that Obadiah Stane's escape from FBI custody was orchestrated by Congressman Stern."
"According to my findings, Congressman Stern received tens of millions of dollars annually from Obadiah Stane!"
Tony Stark's "outraged" remarks caused an uproar among the reporters.
When they received the media invitation issued in the name of Stark Industries that morning, they knew Tony Stark was about to announce something significant.
But no one expected him to expose such a massive "scandal" in front of so many media outlets!
Obadiah Stane colluded with Congressman Stern to assassinate Tony Stark!
My God, what explosive news!
Tony Stark even presented a complete chain of evidence in the video, including proof that Stern received tens of millions of dollars from Stane each year.
The bombshell revelation first stunned the reporters, who then began frantically shouting questions, disregarding all order.
"Mr. Stark, do you believe there are others behind Obadiah Stane and Congressman Stern?"
"Mr. Stark, will you seek help from the FBI? Do you still trust them?"
"Mr. Stark, what did you mean by the subpoena? Was Stern trying to steal your armor?"
"Mr. Stark, please answer..."
Facing the swarming reporters, Tony Stark continued with "indignation": "Yes, I recently received a congressional subpoena."
"The purpose of this subpoena is to seize my armor and hand it over to them."
"And the person leading the hearing is none other than Congressman Stern, who colluded with Obadiah Stane and received tens of millions from him!"
"I now strongly suspect that Stern pushed for this hearing to prevent me from continuing my investigation!"
With a resolute expression, Tony stared into the camera: "I will not yield to any of you, nor will I hand over my armor to satisfy your selfish desires."
"I am Iron Man. My armor and I are one."
"Listen, my name is Tony Stark. I am not afraid of you. I know you are cowards!"
"Perhaps you orchestrated this hearing to cover up your crimes."
"But I will never surrender, nor will I back down!"
"You can take my house, my cars, and my toys, but there is one thing you can never take away."
"I am Iron Man!"
Congressman Stern's Office
Inside, the live broadcast was still playing.
Enraged, Stern grabbed the glass from his desk and hurled it.
Crash!
The glass smashed into the TV, which sparked and flickered before the screen went black.
"That bastard! That damned bastard! How dare he... How did he find out?"
Leaning on his desk, Congressman Stern felt dizzy.
It was over!
He was finished!
Stern knew he was done for this time.
If Tony Stark had merely handed over the evidence to the FBI or Congress, he might have still had a way out. With HYDRA's influence, even if he were imprisoned, he could have escaped and retired to some hidden base.
But now, that damned Tony Stark had exposed all his crimes to the media and the public!
How dare he!
The higher-ups were already dissatisfied with him because of the Obadiah Stane incident. Once they saw this news, they would undoubtedly abandon him immediately. To prevent further investigation or to ensure his true identity remained hidden, they might even send someone to eliminate him!
Pale-faced, Stern slumped into his chair.
It was over.
This time, it was truly over!
No!
He couldn't just give up like this.
Even if he couldn't fight back, he had to find a way to secure an escape route!
At the very least, he needed to prove his usefulness so the higher-ups wouldn't eliminate him!
With this thought, Stern immediately grabbed his phone and prepared to call Sitwell.
He had many secrets to share with Sitwell, who would surely report them to Alexander Pierce. That might just save his life!
Before he could dial the unregistered special number, the office door was kicked open.
Looking up in panic, Stern saw a woman with burgundy hair storming in, followed by a group of agents.
"Stern, we have sufficient evidence that you received funds from Obadiah Stane, abused your power, and participated in the plot to assassinate Mr. Tony Stark!"
"Who... who are you?"
The press conference hadn't even ended yet. There shouldn't have been enough time for an arrest warrant to be issued. How could they have arrived so quickly?
It was as if they had known in advance.
Terrified, Stern demanded an answer.
Right now, he wasn't afraid of being arrested by agencies like the FBI. What he feared was that these people had been sent by the higher-ups!
"Who am I?"
Natasha Romanoff strode up to Stern, snatching his phone without hesitation. "If I recall correctly, you've met S.H.I.E.L.D. agents more than once."
"Haven't you heard my name? Natasha Romanoff."
Seeing Stern's panic, Natasha chuckled lightly.
She then waved her hand, signaling her subordinates to take Stern away.
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(TL : More Chapters @)[2]
[1] a writ ordering a person to attend a court.
[2] https://www.patreon.com/c/Gooberilla