"Sir, you are making things difficult for this cat! This cat cannot aid and abet evil, meow~"
Jarvis's cat-ear projection flickered on the screen, tail bristling in digital protest.
Rowan Mercer crossed his arms and leaned against the table. "I know you don't trust me. That's fine. But you trust Tony, right?"
Silence.
Rowan continued calmly, already prepared for resistance. "Lock the data. I'll give the USB drive directly to Tony afterward. You can even report everything to him."
"You may speak to Master directly and have Master instruct Jarvis, meow~"
"No," Rowan said firmly. "Tony won't agree before something actually happens."
Jarvis paused.
"Trust me," Rowan added seriously. "If I wanted to harm Tony, he would still be trapped in that cave, sharing a single bed with Ethan."
He sighed dramatically.
"You know Tony is very clean. But Ethan… Ethan has a habit of wetting the bed."
Somewhere far away, Ethan sneezed violently.
Jarvis's projection froze for several seconds. Then the cat-ears vanished, and the system voice returned to its standard mechanical tone.
"I will comply under conditions."
Rowan straightened.
"I will write the program onto the USB drive. Time limit: six hours. After six hours, the data will self-destroy."
"Fair."
"You must physically insert the device into a computer with sufficient access privileges inside Stark Industries. I will assist in filtering relevant files."
"Good."
"After copying completes, you must connect the USB to any external network within six hours. I will then transfer the data to Mr. Stark's private server."
"Understood."
"And regardless of outcome, I will report this to Mr. Stark afterward."
Rowan nodded.
Six hours was more than enough.
He raised a fist to his ear and gave a playful beckoning gesture. "Deal, meow~"
Jarvis did not respond.
Before leaving, Rowan turned back.
"Jarvis, how about another bet?"
"You may state your proposal."
"If the information I retrieve is truly important to Tony… will you help me write a virus capable of turning the world's top artificial intelligence into a catgirl?"
Pause.
"The world's top artificial intelligence… would be me."
Rowan smiled.
Jarvis's system latency spiked slightly.
"Impossible."
"Relax," Rowan waved dismissively. "I would never use it on you."
"This Jarvis?"
"…Not important."
Jarvis processed that statement for several milliseconds longer than usual.
---
Disney Concert Hall – Los Angeles
Outside the Walt Disney Concert Hall, cameras flashed like lightning. Luxury cars lined the street. Wealth, fame, influence—they all gathered beneath curved silver architecture.
When Tony Stark stepped out with Pepper Potts beside him, the crowd erupted.
Flashes exploded in waves.
Pepper instinctively stepped back.
Tony immediately took her hand.
"Excuse me," he called out smoothly to the photographers. "Please turn off the flash. There's a little deer here who's afraid of bright lights. I finally managed to catch her hand. Don't scare her back into the forest."
Pepper's face turned red instantly.
But she didn't let go.
Together, they walked inside.
From a corner of the venue, a man watched quietly.
Obadiah Stane stood with a cocktail glass in hand. His smile was warm. His eyes were not.
His gaze dropped to Tony's chest.
The Arc Reactor.
The glow beneath the suit fabric.
Greed flashed briefly—then vanished behind polished courtesy.
He drained his drink and set the glass down.
Before obtaining that reactor technology, he needed Tony distracted.
Separated.
Isolated from Stark Industries' internal power.
Pepper?
Young. Emotional. Manageable.
He adjusted his jacket and began walking toward them with fatherly warmth painted across his face.
---
Stark Industries – Main Office Complex
Stark Industries' Los Angeles headquarters was less a company and more a fortress.
The parking lot alone displayed armored vehicles, military trucks, and equipment painted in coordinated desert tones. Patrol teams moved in formation, armed and disciplined.
Rowan lay flat beneath one of the military vehicles, hands behind his head, staring up at the metal undercarriage like he was on vacation.
Footsteps approached.
As the guards passed, Rowan rolled out silently and crawled like a shadow under another vehicle.
"Hmm?"
A security guard stopped and glanced back.
"Something wrong?" his partner asked.
"Nothing. Probably the wind."
They continued walking.
Rowan crawled out and stood up casually.
"Tsk," he muttered.
He had expected top-tier infiltration difficulty.
Instead, it felt like visiting a government office on a slow day.
What Rowan did not know was that from a high-rise window above, an elegant figure was observing him with faint amusement.
---
Entering the Building
Rowan reached a blind spot in surveillance.
His black night suit shimmered briefly.
In one smooth motion, it transformed into a tailored black business suit.
Tie adjusted.
Hair fixed.
Expression hardened.
He stepped toward the entrance.
Bright lights filled the lobby despite the late hour.
"Working this late," Rowan muttered. "No wonder everyone's bald."
Security check.
A polite receptionist stepped forward.
"Sir, please present your identification."
Rowan exploded instantly.
"What is wrong with you people?!"
He grabbed the receptionist by the collar and pulled him forward. His eyes turned cold.
"This is the fifth time I've been asked for ID since entering the gate! Did I sneak in past armed patrols and surveillance cameras?"
"Have you not seen this face on the news? I escaped that cave with Tony Stark!"
The receptionist swallowed hard.
"Sir, I apologize for your experience, but these are company regulations. Even Ms. Pepper requires identification."
Rowan paused.
Then smiled.
"I was just testing you."
He released the man.
"Big companies are all like this. Buying a roll of toilet paper requires a three-month reimbursement process. Rigid. Boring."
His mood shifted instantly.
He swiped the ID card across the scanner.
Beep.
Green light.
He subtly positioned his body to block the display screen.
The receptionist exhaled in relief.
"Thank you for your understanding, sir."
Rowan leaned closer.
"What's your name?"
"William Thomson, sir."
"Good job, William. I'll mention you to Tony. Just a small mention. Don't get greedy."
William bowed deeply at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Thank you, sir!"
Rowan blinked.
That bow was extremely professional.
He wondered briefly if William had studied abroad somewhere very disciplined.
Meanwhile, the ID card that had briefly left Rowan's possession quietly returned to its rightful pocket.
Under William's respectful gaze, Rowan Mercer walked confidently into the core of Stark Industries.
Inside his jacket pocket—
The USB drive waited.
Six hours.
More than enough time to uncover a betrayal.
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