The next day, Tony called Pepper into his lab with a serious expression.
"Pepper, I need you to do something for me," Tony said, trying to keep his tone calm.
Pepper raised an eyebrow. "What now, Tony?"
"I need you to go to Obadiah's office and download all his data. Everything."
Pepper's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious? That's… risky, Tony. I can't just—"
"Pepper, trust me. It has to be done," Tony interrupted firmly. After a tense pause, she reluctantly agreed.
The Data Heist
Pepper entered Obadiah's office, careful to avoid cameras and alarms. She opened his computer, inserted the USB drive, and started copying the files.
Her heart raced as she skimmed through the data.
Her face went pale.
Obadiah had been planning to kill Tony.
Pocketing the USB drive, Pepper left quietly, making sure no one saw her.
Obadiah's Move
Moments later, Obadiah returned to his office. His eyes widened as he saw the data missing. Someone had been there.
He gritted his teeth. "So, someone is interfering…"
Determined, he left the office and hid in Tony's villa, under the sofa in the living room.
The Attack at the Villa
Tony returned to the living room and sat on the sofa.
A faint sound—a slight creak—made him freeze. His body went pale, paralyzed with fear.
In a swift move, Obadiah removed the arc reactor from Tony's chest and placed it in a box, then tried to leave undetected.
Alex, who had been monitoring everything from a distance, saw it happen. He rushed in and found Tony pale, petrified, and powerless.
Without hesitation, Alex grabbed the arc reactor in its glass case, carefully broke the glass, and reinserted it into Tony's chest.
Tony gasped, regaining consciousness.
"You were right, Alex… Obadiah really was planning to kill me," Tony admitted, relief washing over his face.
Preparation for Battle
Alex led Tony to his private lab. Tony quickly suited up in his Mark II armor.
Alex inspected the model, offering subtle improvements and suggestions. Tony nodded, appreciative.
"Good ideas. I'll use them," Tony said with a grin.
With that, he departed for Stark Industries, determined to stop Obadiah before he could harm anyone else.
The Confrontation
Inside Stark Industries, Obadiah was moments away from attacking Pepper. Tony confronted him in the Mark II armor, and the fight began.
Obadiah, piloting the Iron Monger suit, initially gained the upper hand. The battle seemed almost lost.
Tony, thinking quickly, whispered instructions to Pepper to overload the arc reactor inside Stark Industries—a dangerous last resort. Pepper complied, carefully following his plan.
The Mysterious Savior
Just as Obadiah was about to crush Tony, a figure appeared:
A man in a black cloak, white mask, and wielding a katana sliced through the Iron Monger's arms as if they were butter.
He extended a hand to Tony, helping him to safety, then leapt to the top of the glass atrium. With a swift slash through the air, a portal opened, and the figure disappeared.
Obadiah, now without his suit's arms, lost balance. He fell into the overloaded arc reactor, which exploded violently, leaving no chance of survival.
Tony looked around, stunned. "Who… who was that?"
Pepper and Phil Coulson, who had witnessed the scene, were equally speechless.
Tony shook his head. "I don't know… but somehow, I have a feeling I do."
Deep in his heart, Tony knew the katana's wielder was connected to Alex, though he chose not to voice it.