Chapter 12: The Stane Problem
Ben sat in the workshop, ostensibly doing homework that Pepper insisted on while Tony worked on the Mark III armor. His Enhanced Hearing picked up a phone conversation from Tony's office upstairs—Obadiah's voice, smooth and reassuring to a board member, but with an undertone Ben's adult mind recognized as pure manipulation.
"The board is concerned about Tony's... erratic behavior since his return. The weapons division shutdown, the reckless press conference. Perhaps it's time to consider alternative leadership structures."
"He's making his moves. Building support for a coup."
Ben tried the direct approach first, his frustration overriding caution. "Mr. Stark, I think the bald man wants to hurt you!"
What came out was: "The shiny head wants to steal your glowy chest banana!"
Tony, focused on armor calibrations, absently patted his head. "That's nice, kid. Obie's been my dad's partner since forever. He's family."
The casual dismissal sent ice through Ben's veins. Tony trusted Obadiah completely, saw him as a father figure, a mentor, family. The betrayal would hurt worse than the physical violence when it came.
"I can't tell him directly. The speech restriction won't let me. I need a different approach."
That night, Ben started making drawings. Obadiah standing over the Arc Reactor with greedy eyes. Obadiah in the Iron Monger armor, massive and threatening. The betrayal scenes from the movie, rendered in a child's crayon strokes.
But they were too specific, too damning. If he showed them, Tony would ask how a ten-year-old knew these details. He needed plausible deniability, innocent questions that planted seeds of doubt.
Ben took a subtler approach over the following days. During breakfast, while Tony read technical reports: "Mr. Stark, who has access to your workshop?"
"Security personnel, Pepper, Happy, Obie when needed. Why?"
"Just wondering. It's so cool in there. Does Uncle Obie know about the Arc Reactor?"
Tony paused, coffee cup halfway to his lips. "Some basics. Why all the questions, kid?"
Ben shrugged with practiced innocence. "I just think about security stuff. What happens if someone steals your technology?"
Each question seemed like childish curiosity, but they accumulated. Tony started noticing things: Obadiah asking pointed questions about Arc Reactor specifications, security logs showing access attempts to restricted servers, board members suddenly unified in their opposition to his new direction.
Pepper, already suspicious of Obadiah's political maneuvering, added her own concerns. "Tony, I don't like how he's been questioning your decisions. The man who taught you everything suddenly thinks you're incompetent?"
Ben watched his manipulation work, feeling guilty but justified. He was saving Tony's life, even if Tony didn't know it. The adult in him recognized this as a form of gaslighting, but the alternative was Tony dying. He could live with that moral weight.
The manipulation crystallized into action when Tony decided to upgrade security.
"JARVIS, I want full logs on everyone who accesses my workshop, including Obie. Biometric locks on the Arc Reactor research, restricted server access for sensitive data."
He looked at Ben seriously. "And kid—if you ever feel unsafe around anyone, even people I trust, you tell me immediately. Got it?"
Ben nodded, relief flooding through him. His warnings were finally landing, even indirectly.
Tony added new security measures throughout the mansion. What he didn't realize was that these precautions would buy him crucial minutes when Stane made his move. Every lock, every restricted access, every moment of delay could mean the difference between life and death.
[QUEST PROGRESS: PREPARE FOR MAJOR CONFRONTATION (25% COMPLETE)]
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: SUBTLE INFLUENCE (PASSIVE, C-RANK, LV. 1)]
[YOUR SUGGESTIONS CARRY UNUSUAL WEIGHT]
[ENHANCED HEARING REACHES LEVEL 25 FROM CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE]
[QUEST UPDATED: PROTECT TONY FROM OBADIAH STANE]
[REWARD: 5 LEGENDARY TICKETS, 1 GUARANTEED S-RANK PULL]
Obadiah visited the mansion that evening, all smiles and warmth, bringing Ben a gift—a toy Iron Man figure in the classic red and gold colors.
"Tony talks about you constantly, kid. You're good for him."
Ben took the toy with a smile, thanking him politely while his Enhanced Hearing caught Obadiah's muttered addition as he walked away: "Shame about the complications."
Ben's child hands gripped the toy so hard the plastic cracked.
The mask was slipping. The confrontation was close. And Ben realized with cold clarity that he might have to kill a man to save Tony. His ten-year-old body versus a fully-grown adult in a weaponized suit.
The absurdity would be funny if it weren't terrifying.
But Ben had advantages Obadiah didn't know about. System abilities, foreknowledge, and most importantly—the absolute determination to protect his new family, no matter the cost.
The storm was coming, and Ben intended to be ready for it.
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