Chapter 5: Whispers of Treachery & The Art of the Deal
The glow of the Arc Reactor, now safely embedded in Tony Stark's chest, seemed to cast a long, ominous shadow over Stark Industries. Tony was back, more eccentric than ever, and publicly committed to peace. But Adam knew the real threat wasn't lurking in a cave anymore. It was sitting in a corner office, smiling a predatory smile. Obadiah Stane.
"Alright, System," Adam muttered, staring at a holographic projection of Stark Industries' corporate structure in his office. Skye, his future tech wizard, would have loved this. "Time to expose the bald bad guy. And maybe, just maybe, make him question his sanity in the process."
[Achievement Trigger: Discover a Hidden Secret (Canon). Objective: Uncover Stane's betrayal. Achievement Trigger: Exploit a Loophole. Objective: Infiltrate Stane's security. Potential for new ability (e.g., Invisibility) due to multiple achievements.]
Pepper Potts, bless her perpetually stressed heart, was still Adam's client. She was worried about Stane, about the way he was trying to undermine Tony, about the shady dealings. She just didn't know how shady. Adam did.
"Hope," Adam said, leaning against the doorframe of her Pym Technologies lab, where she was meticulously organizing vials of… something that probably cost more than his entire agency. "Got a little side project for you. Need intel on corporate malfeasance. Specifically, anything that smells like a rat wearing a very expensive suit."
Hope looked up, her brow furrowed. "Adam, what are you talking about? And why are you here? Don't you have a billionaire to babysit?"
"Tony's fine. He's probably designing a suit for his cat right now," Adam waved a dismissive hand. "No, this is about Obadiah Stane. Something's off. He's too… smooth. Too eager to take over. And my gut, which, by the way, has a surprisingly good track record, is telling me he's up to no good."
Hope sighed, but a flicker of curiosity sparked in her eyes. "Stane? He's always been a shark, but outright criminal? What do you have?"
"Just a feeling. And a very reliable source who told me he's been making some very questionable phone calls to some very questionable people. People who like to deal in… illicit weaponry." Adam knew he couldn't reveal his meta-knowledge, but he could plant the seeds. "I need you to dig. Discreetly. Use those Pym connections. See if anything surfaces about Stane trying to replicate Tony's tech. Or, you know, selling it to terrorists."
Hope's eyes narrowed. "Replicating Tony's tech? That's… a serious accusation. But if it's true…" She paused, then nodded. "Alright. I'll see what I can find. But if this blows up in our faces, you're buying me a very expensive dinner."
"Deal," Adam grinned. "Just make sure it's not Jell-O."
Over the next few days, Adam put his new abilities to the test. He needed to get into Stane's private office, his secure labs. And he needed to do it without leaving a trace.
He found a ventilation shaft leading directly into Stane's private office. Classic spy movie trope, but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. He activated his teleportation, a series of short bursts, phasing through the tight spaces, appearing and disappearing like a ghost. He was in.
The office was opulent, cold, and meticulously organized. Too organized for a man who was secretly building a giant robot suit. Adam scanned the room, his eyes darting to a locked safe, a hidden compartment behind a painting.
"Alright, System," he whispered. "Time to exploit a loophole. What's the weakest link in this guy's security?"
[Analysis: Biometric scanner on safe. Weakness: Retinal scan can be spoofed with high-resolution illusion.]
"You're kidding me," Adam chuckled. "A high-resolution illusion? This is too easy. It's like Stane wants to be robbed by a magic trick."
He focused, picturing Stane's retina, enlarged and perfectly detailed. He projected the illusion onto the scanner. The safe clicked open.
"Boom," Adam whispered, pulling out a stack of incriminating documents, schematics for the Iron Monger suit, and a very detailed ledger of illegal arms deals. "The art of the deal, Stane. You just got out-dealt by a guy who can make things disappear."
He quickly photographed the documents with a high-tech camera he'd also acquired, then replaced them, making sure everything was exactly as he found it. He left a subtle calling card, just for Stane. He focused on the expensive, antique desk. He pictured a single, perfectly ripe banana appearing on its polished surface.
Pop!
A banana. Just sitting there. In a locked office. Stane would lose his mind.
As he teleported out, he felt a familiar ping in his head.
[Achievement Unlocked: Discover a Hidden Secret (Canon). Reward: 150 System Points. Achievement Unlocked: Exploit a Loophole. Reward: 150 System Points. New Ability Unlocked: Invisibility ("Vanishing Trick").]
"Invisibility! Oh, this is going to be so much fun," Adam grinned. "No more sneaking through vents like a common thief. Now I can just… not be there. The ultimate prank. The ultimate escape."
Later, Hope called him, her voice hushed with a mix of shock and anger. "Adam, you won't believe what I found. Stane. He's been trying to replicate Tony's Arc Reactor. And he's been dealing with the Ten Rings. He's building… something. Something big. And dangerous."
"I know," Adam said quietly, a grim note in his voice. "I have the proof. It's worse than you think. He's planning to kill Tony. And take over Stark Industries. And he's got a giant battle suit."
Hope gasped. "A battle suit? Adam, how could you possibly know that?"
"Let's just say my 'gut' has a very good imagination," Adam said, a wry smile on his face. "And sometimes, my imagination shows me things that haven't happened yet. Or things that are about to happen. Either way, we need to get this to Pepper. Now. Before Stane makes his grand, murderous debut."
He hung up, the weight of the impending confrontation settling on him. He had the intel. He had the powers. He had a team, albeit a small, currently unaware one. And he had a very angry, very dangerous Obadiah Stane to deal with.
"Time to put on a show, Stane," Adam muttered, looking at his now invisible hand. "And trust me, you won't see me coming."