Chapter 8: The Ghost of the Boardroom
[Time – Morning – Stark Industries Boardroom]
The boardroom was a monument to corporate power, all dark wood, polished glass, and cold, calculating gazes. Adam stood behind a false wall, his senses heightened, his mind a battlefield of strategy. This wasn't a prank. This was political war. The board members were gathered to vote on a massive initiative that, if passed, would have given Obadiah Stane full control of Stark's illegal, behind-the-scenes weapons deals.
Adam watched them, a ghost in a machine. He saw Stane, his face a calm, paternalistic mask, a spider in a web of his own making. He saw Pepper Potts, looking on with a growing sense of unease, her eyes darting from Stane to the faces of the board members.
Adam activated a new ability, a subtle one, an [E-Rank] ability called [E-Rank: Systemic Malfunction].
[SYSTEM: E-Rank: Systemic Malfunction initiated. Target: 'Boardroom Presentation System'.]
He focused on the presentation screen. The vote was about to begin. A slick, corporate-designed presentation was on the screen, full of numbers and jargon. Adam waited for the perfect moment, the moment Stane would call for a vote. He didn't hack the system. He made it… glitch.
The screen flickered. The numbers on the presentation changed, a series of nonsensical, random figures appearing on the screen. The voting system, a series of tablets on the table, began to malfunction. The green "Yes" button turned red. The red "No" button turned green. A soft, high-pitched whirring sound filled the room. The board members stared at their tablets, their faces a mixture of confusion and frustration.
"What is this? My tablet says 'no' even though I'm pushing 'yes'!"
one of the board members said, his voice laced with annoyance.
"My screen is displaying a picture of a kitten in a basket,"
said another, holding up his tablet, his face a mask of bewildered fury.
The room descended into a low murmur of confusion. Stane, his face still a mask of calm, watched the chaos with a cold, analytical gaze.
[Time – Moments Later – Hallway Outside the Boardroom]
Adam watched from a concealed camera feed as Stane walked out of the boardroom, his face still smooth, his eyes burning with a cold, calculated rage. He saw him approach a rival board member, a portly man with a flushed face and a look of deep exasperation.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith. It seems your presentation was… compromised,"
Stane said, his voice dripping with faux concern.
"My presentation? I didn't do this! The whole system went haywire!"
the board member sputtered.
"Yes. It seems to have. Which is why, in the interest of the company's integrity, I'm afraid we'll have to terminate your employment. Effective immediately."
Stane's voice was a soft, cruel whisper. He didn't threaten. He just delivered a verdict. He had taken Adam's mischief and turned it into a weapon. He had won the battle, not by brute force, but by political guile. He had consolidated his power.
Adam's gaze drifted to a figure standing in the corner of the hallway. Pepper Potts. She was standing next to a man in a dark suit, a man with a quiet, observant demeanor. It was Agent Phil Coulson. They exchanged a look, a brief, silent communication. Pepper's eyes were narrowed, a spark of suspicion ignited in them. She knew. She had seen through Stane's theatrical display. The ghost in the machine had just tipped off a ghost in the corporate world.
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