After the Collector's identity was revealed, it had been a lot easier for Athena to collect data on him.
Said data was what Ethan used to simulate and predict his actions, hence the reason he knew the collector's next plan.
His presence and identity being revealed had already been predicted in his simulation.
Besides, it wasn't much of an issue since everyone currently present in this would either leave as a puppet or dead, the choice would be up to them.
Ethan let out a sigh as he switched the screen from his avatar to his real face, causing the executives even more surprise.
They had expected a couple of things when thinking about OmniTech. They expected him to be like the collector, at least similar age range, but the screen before them was showing otherwise.
OmniTech...or rather Ethan Carter looked like he was barely an adult.
The collector, seeing that Ethan really did unveil himself, frowned, "I thought you'd at least try denying it."
"What's the use?" Ethan replied with a small smile on his face, "sooner or later, OmniTech will stop being anonymous, so I might as well decide how it happens."
The room was dead silent.
Shock had replaced outrage, disbelief replacing their panic. Several of the executives stared at the screen as if it might change if they blinked hard enough.
Vladimir Romanova's eyes narrowed.
"You're young," he said slowly. "Too young to have built Sentinel. Too young to have orchestrated this."
Ethan shrugged lightly. "People tend to confuse age with capability. You should know that better than anyone."
Vladimir imdiately understood what he was referring to, after all, his cursed sister was too cunning for her age.
"Now then, if that answers all your doubts," Ethan started, "let's move to why I crashed into your eting."
Their phones let out a ding as a file was uploaded to it, well, all except the Collector's, since he had different plans for the man.
The collector calmly looked at the screen and at the executives before him. The last thing he predicted was Ethan Carter himself showing up at this eting, nor the fact that he would reveal his own identity.
"What do you want?" The collector maintained his calm facade as he asked.
"You'll find out soon enough," Ethan said with a smile, "ah by the way, don't you have enough connections to pull Helix out of this ss? Why haven't you done so yet?"
The other executives who were still hesitant to open the files raised their head towards the two.
The collector looked at Ethan, he knew exactly what the kid was doing and looking at the faces of these idiots, it was working.
But it didn't matter, after all, they were just disposables.
"Why don't I take a guess," Ethan continued, the smile still on his face, "is that your influence works best in the shadows. Quiet nudges. Discreet favors. Right now, Helix is radioactive. Anyone who touches it risks being dragged down with it... So you plan on abandoning them..."
One of the executives shifted uncomfortably. Another glanced at the collector, then back at his phone, where the uploaded file sat unopened.
"Don't mind us kids," Ethan said as he turned to the executives who were still even hesitant to touch their phones, "go ahead and open your gifts while your parents have a conversation."
Vladimir was the first to open the file on his phone and his eyes imdiately widened before he slamd his hand on the table and shouted at the screen, "what is the aning of this?!"
"Now now," Ethan turned to him with a smile, "use your inside voice."
Vladimir got even more annoyed as he listened to Ethan's response, "don't fuck with , where did you get this?"
On the docunt was every single skeleton he was sure he had buried, even so that his witch of a sister hadn't managed to uncover.
The amusent on Ethan's face disappeared as his blue eyes seed to glow while he looked at Vladimir who felt a shiver run down his spine.
"That....is what you have on the line," he stated, "and it remaining a secret depends on the outco of this discussion."
"W-what do you want?" The one who asked was the female executive, just after opening her own docunt.
Whatever it takes, she didn't want this to get out there.
"Hmm," Ethan seed to think about it for a while before answering, "Helix Global."
"Helix… Global?" one of the executives repeated, disbelief edging into his voice.
Ethan nodded once. "All of it."
"Why would you want a sinking company?" The female executive asked calmly.
"Because of what Helix Global originally is," he muttered, "a rcenary company."
The executives weren't surprised that he had this information, not after the 'gift' he had just given them.
"Why?" Vladimir asked.
"For now, all you need to know is that sothing's coming," he answered, "and I need a force to stand against them."
The collector frowned at his words but just remained silent, listening to Ethan's words.
He was still confident of getting out of here completely unhard.
"Oh and I'm not just threatening you," Ethan added, "if you accept my condition, then all this will just disappear, completely and permanently."
"I believe you call it the stick and carrot thod," he finished with a smile on his face.
The executives sat down, calmly thinking about the offer, it was either they were completely destroyed with Helix Global or hand it to soone else with a chance of survival.
After a while of thinking and exchanging glances, Vladimir stood up and said, "if you can keep us clean and protected, then we accept your offer."
Yes, he was wary of both Ethan and the collector, but it was very obvious right now who held the advantage.
Especially since the Collector had been so quiet all this while.
"Splendid," Ethan said with a pleased smile before adding, "now then, don't resist."
The executives were confused by his words until the door to the board room opened and a blank eyed Reid entire, behind him was his team who had similar blank eyes.
They held a case in their hand which the placed on the large table.
"What's the aning of this?" Vladimir asked as he watched Reid open the case.
"Assurance," Ethan answered and Reid took out what seed like a syringe filled with a black liquid, "now, as I said,"
He deliberately paused with a grin on his face, "don't resist."
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