In the months following the funeral, a strange trio formed in the upper circles of New York society.
Ichigo and Uryu, the brilliant heirs of the Bach and Ishida families, became the only people Tony Stark truly trusted.
It wasn't just because Ichigo had chased away the vultures; it was because they were the only people who could actually keep up with Tony's brain.
Uryu had tried to stay away at first. He complained that Tony was "too loud," "too messy," and "lacked proper manners."
But Ichigo knew his friend too well.
He simply dragged Uryu along to Tony's workshop, and within twenty minutes, Uryu was already correcting Tony's math on a new micro-circuit design.
"You're carrying the carry-over wrong in the third equation, Stark,"
Uryu would say, pushing his glasses up with a sniff.
"It's inefficient."
Tony would laugh, throwing a wrench onto his workbench.
"See! This is why I like you guys. Everyone else just says 'yes' to me. You two treat me like I'm failing mid-term. It's refreshing!"
They were three of the smartest people on the planet.
Because of their high IQs, they had always been lonely.
To the world, they were untouchable geniuses. To each other, they were just three guys who liked to build things.
One afternoon, Tony invited them to a private testing range at a Stark Industries facility.
He was excited, his eyes glowing with the manic energy he always got when he finished a project.
"Check this out,"
Tony said, gesturing to a massive missile sitting on a launch pad.
"I call it the 'Jericho.' One shot, and the mountain goes away. It's the ultimate deterrent. It's the future of peace."
Ichigo and Uryu stood behind a thick glass shield, watching the demonstration.
The missile launched, splitting into hundreds of smaller bombs that leveled a mock village in seconds.
The power was immense—for a human.
Tony turned to them, grinning.
"So? What do you think? Impressed?"
Uryu looked at the smoking ruins and then at his own pale hands.
He could fire a single arrow of spirit energy that would do ten times that damage with zero collateral waste.
"It's... loud,"
Uryu said, his voice flat.
"But it's just fire and metal, Tony. It's very 'nineteenth century' of you."
Ichigo nodded in agreement.
He thought of the Phoenix fire resting in his soul.
If he unsheathed his new Zangetsu, he could erase the entire facility, the mountain behind it, and the very concept of the weapon from history.
"It's a good toy, Tony,"
Ichigo said, patting Tony on the back.
"But don't rely on it too much. True power doesn't need to make that much noise."
Tony blinked, looking a bit confused.
He knew they were smart, but he didn't realize that to his two friends, the world's most powerful weapon looked like a firework.
As they walked back toward the main building, a large man with a bald head and a warm, grandfatherly smile approached them.
He was wearing a custom-tailored suit and smoking a cigar that probably cost more than a car.
Obadiah Stane.
"Tony! There you are!"
Obadiah boomed, pulling Tony into a one-armed hug.
"Great show out there. Your father would have been proud. The board is going to love those numbers."
Obadiah turned his gaze to Ichigo and Uryu. His eyes were friendly, but there was a hungry, cold calculation behind them.
"And the young Masters of Wandenreich and Ishida. It's an honor. Tony, you're lucky to have such influential friends. We should all get dinner soon. We're all family here, after all."
Ichigo kept his face neutral, the "noble temperament" hiding his disgust.
With his Reimeiku spiritual vision, Obadiah didn't look like a man. He looked like a dark, muddy puddle of greed.
His soul was stained with the desire for power and a complete lack of empathy.
Uryu was even more sensitive. He could feel the way Obadiah's spiritual pressure tried to "slime" its way around Tony, like a snake coiling around its prey.
"We have a very busy schedule, Mr. Stane,"
Uryu said, his voice like ice.
"I don't think dinner will be possible."
"Oh, don't mind him,"
Tony said, oblivious to the tension.
"Uryu is just allergic to fun. Obie has been looking after me since the funeral. He's the only one keeping the company together while I'm in the lab."
Obadiah smiled, patting Tony's shoulder.
"Just doing my job, kid. Just doing my job."
Once Obadiah had walked away, Ichigo and Uryu moved to a private corner of the parking lot where their car was waiting.
Uryu was walking so fast his shoes were clicking sharply against the pavement.
"He's disgusting,"
Uryu spat, his hands shaking slightly as he adjusted his glasses.
"He's like a parasite. How can Tony not see it? It's like looking through a window—the man is made of glass! Every word out of his mouth is a lie!"
Ichigo leaned against the car, watching his friend.
"I know. Tony sees what he wants to see. He lost his parents, Uryu. He's looking for a father figure, and Obadiah is playing the part perfectly."
Uryu turned to Ichigo, his eyes flashing with a rare, hot anger.
"We can't just let it happen! That man is going to eat him alive! Tony is an idiot—a brilliant, loud-mouthed idiot—but he doesn't deserve to be betrayed by someone he calls 'family'."
Ichigo smiled.
"I thought you didn't like him. You said he was too loud."
"I don't!"
Uryu shouted, his face turning a light shade of pink.
"He's annoying! He leaves oil stains on my coats! But... he's the only person besides you who can talk to me about quantum mechanics without getting a headache. It would be... inconvenient... if he were killed by a greedy old man."
Ichigo chuckled, ruffling Uryu's hair.
"Whatever you say, Uryu. But you're right. Obadiah is a problem. And as I told Grandpa... I've made an investment in Tony Stark. I don't like it when people touch my investments."
Ichigo's eyes flickered with that faint, orange Phoenix glow.
"We'll keep watching,"
Ichigo said, his voice turning serious.
"The moment Obadiah makes a move that threatens Tony's life. We'll erase him. But for now, we let Tony learn. He needs to grow."
Uryu crossed his arms, huffing a breath of air.
"Fine. But if he gets oil on my new silk tie one more time, I'm letting the snake bite him."
"Sure you are,"
Ichigo teased.
As the car pulled away, Ichigo looked back at the Stark facility.
He could see Obadiah through a window, talking on a secure phone.
The "organization" that killed the Starks was out there, and the traitor was inside the house.
The pieces were on the board. And the King was ready to play.