Obadiah Stane's logic was simple. Cold, calculated, and corporate.
"Why rely on one genius," Stane reasoned, "when you can hire a thousand?"
"Tony Stark is smart. Sure. But he's one man. If I throw a billion dollars at a research team, they can reverse-engineer anything he builds. Eventually."
"Capitalism doesn't need heroes," Stane muttered to himself inside the Iron Monger. "It needs scale. It needs reliability."
But lately, that logic had faltered.
He had the blueprints. He had the best engineers money could buy. And yet... they couldn't replicate the miniaturized Arc Reactor.
"The best they could give me was this..." Stane looked at the massive, bulky chest piece of his suit. It was powerful, yes. But it was crude. It was a steam engine compared to Tony's nuclear reactor.
"Tony built this in a garage!" Stane roared internally. "And my team of MIT graduates can't even figure out the cooling system!"
It was infuriating. It proved that some people were indispensable.
And that made Tony Stark dangerous.
"Tony," Stane's voice boomed over the secure line. "You still don't get it. This technology isn't just about flying suits. It's about energy dominance."
"With this reactor, I can power the world. I can be richer than Rockefeller. I can be a king. And you? You're using it to play dress-up."
"If I have to kill the Golden Goose to get the Golden Egg," Stane decided, "then so be it. I can find another goose. Or I can just clone the egg."
"Bring me the designs, Tony. Or Pepper dies."
The line went dead.
Stark Mansion.
Tony Stark stood amidst the robotic arms, his face pale with rage.
"Jarvis," Tony asked, his voice tight. "How did he get the Mark 1 designs? I never even built it."
"He accessed your private server, Sir," Jarvis replied. "And he physically removed the prototype Arc Reactor from your office. The one Pepper saved for you as a memento."
"Proof that Tony Stark has a heart," Tony whispered, remembering the inscription.
"Why didn't you stop him?"
"Mr. Stane had Level 5 clearance, Sir. Equivalent to your own. You gave him access to everything. Including the override codes for the security system."
Tony closed his eyes.
"Right. I did."
He had trusted Obie with his life. With his legacy. And Obie had used that trust to steal his heart—literally.
"Jarvis," Tony opened his eyes. "We need a new protocol. No one gets Level 5 access except me. And maybe Pepper. If she survives this."
"Understood, Sir. Protocol 'Trust Issues' initiated."
"And Jarvis?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"We need a faster way to put this suit on. Standing here like a mannequin is inefficient."
"I'll add 'Automated Deployment Platform' to the project queue, Sir."
Ten Minutes Later. Sector 16.
The Mark 3 streaked across the night sky, a golden comet fueled by rage.
Tony scanned the industrial park below.
"There he is," Jarvis highlighted a massive thermal signature in the courtyard.
Obadiah was waiting. The Iron Monger stood like a sentinel of doom, its gray armor reflecting the moonlight.
"Tony!" Obadiah shouted, his voice amplified. "Right on time!"
Before Tony could even slow down, the Iron Monger raised its arm.
WHOOSH!
A missile launched from its shoulder. Not a micro-missile. A full-sized anti-tank warhead.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Jarvis screamed.
Tony banked hard, but the proximity fuse detonated.
BOOM!
The shockwave slammed into the Mark 3 like a sledgehammer. Tony was thrown out of the sky, spinning uncontrollably. He crashed into the asphalt, digging a trench ten feet long.
"Ugh," Tony groaned, the HUD flickering red. "Jarvis... remind me to upgrade the shock absorbers."
"And the inertial dampeners," Jarvis added. "And maybe the pilot's reflexes."
Tony struggled to his feet. The suit whirred and clicked. Systems were rebooting.
"That was a cheap shot, Obie!" Tony yelled. "Sucker punching a guy in a suit? Classy!"
"This isn't a boxing match, Tony!" Obadiah laughed, the Iron Monger stomping forward. "This is war! And in war, the only rule is to win!"
He fired again. A gatling gun this time. Bullets sparked off Tony's armor.
"He's not holding back," Tony realized, dodging behind a concrete barrier. "He really wants me dead."
"Well," Tony gritted his teeth. "Two can play at that game."
"Jarvis! Unibeam! Maximum power!"
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