Hearing Obadiah's words, the leader of the Omicron Squad responded calmly, "Miss Luna would like to speak with you. Please take the call."
Because of the ongoing battle, Obadiah had shut off all communication channels.
"Hello, Miss Luna... Yes, I agree. As long as you have your n help kill Tony."
"What? No? Why not? If you help kill Tony, not only will I give you the designs for the Arc Reactor, but I'll also hand over Stark Industries shares."
"You say S.H.I.E.L.D. won't agree? What do you an by S.H.I.E.L.D...."
Just as he was about to utter the na "S.H.I.E.L.D.," Obadiah finally cald down, noticing Agent Coulson had reached Tony's side in the factory below.
Coulson was a well-known S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, usually handling all sorts of matters openly—this much Obadiah knew.
And anyone who could be so chummy with Coulson was undoubtedly also from S.H.I.E.L.D.
That ant the archer who had been shooting at him was likely a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent as well.
And as for the other black-clad individuals surrounding them, they were almost certainly S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives too.
All of this pointed to one undeniable fact: S.H.I.E.L.D. had intervened in his conflict with Tony.
This realization sent a chill through Obadiah's heart.
He couldn't fathom why an organization as high and mighty as S.H.I.E.L.D., which typically never interfered in the affairs of ordinary people, would involve itself in the internal matters of Stark Industries.
"Why? Why is S.H.I.E.L.D. interfering in this? You guys hold five percent of Stark Industries' shares! I'm the one who can lead Stark Industries to greater heights and make you more money!"
Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. did indeed own five percent of Stark Industries.
In fact, S.H.I.E.L.D. held shares in many top companies and corporations, so more, so less.
Without this additional inco, the funds from the World Security Council alone wouldn't be enough to sustain an organization as vast as S.H.I.E.L.D.
Unfortunately for Obadiah, he was destined to be disappointed.
Barton completely ignored his pleas, keeping his bow trained on him, though his gaze occasionally shifted to the mbers of the Omicron Squad.
As for the Omicron Squad, they were equipped to the teeth.
Bulletproof vests, ammunition pouches, tactical backpacks, devil masks, tactical helts, and dual night vision goggles—they were outfitted better than most S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, on par with special forces operatives.
Their weapons, too, were unfamiliar to Barton, larger than standard rifles, indicating they were custom-made.
"You're finally awake! Oh, thank God, Tony, you're okay!" Pepper's voice broke the tense standoff, her joy evident as Tony regained consciousness.
Seeing this, Obadiah knew his plan had failed completely.
Resigned, he spoke into his microphone, "You've won. I'll do as you say."
...........
Outside the top-floor office of Umbrella Corporation, Luna, sipping her coffee at her desk, allowed herself a small smile.
She picked up the folder on her desk, hugged it to her chest, and with the click of her high heels, pushed open the large door behind her.
"Boss, just as you predicted, Obadiah has agreed to our terms," she reported.
Adam, who was engrossed in a file, didn't even look up. He simply nodded and said, "I see."
It was as if he was always certain that his plans would never fail.
Seeing how busy he was, Luna placed the folder on his desk, then moved behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.
"Boss, I work late every day—what reward are you going to give ?"
Feeling Luna's restless hands, Adam finally shifted his focus away from his thoughts.
"Didn't I promise to take you out last ti? What do you want this ti?" he asked.
Luna smiled mischievously, then gracefully slid into Adam's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I want you to stop working so hard and take so ti to rest," she whispered.
Feeling her soft, lithe body against his, Adam couldn't help but chuckle.
"When I've secured the Arc Reactor and Starship Corporation, I'll rest," he assured her.
But with the looming multiverse crisis hanging over him like the sword of Damocles, how could he afford to rest?
As he spoke, one hand slid over the smooth black stockings she wore, while the other encircled her slim waist.
"How long will that take? Why not... take a break now?" Luna suggested, her voice playful as she kissed Adam's jaw, her hands beginning to wander.
Seeing this, Adam used his ntal powers to lift the folder she had brought, flipping through it while his hands continued their instinctive exploration.
"Starship has already acquired five percent... It seems the public listing is set," he murmured, his eyes scanning the pages.
"Enough about that," Luna chided softly.
..............
The next morning.
In a VIP room at Columbia Hospital in New York, Tony lay in bed, reading a newspaper.
"Iron Man? That na is interesting, though 'iron' isn't exactly accurate—it's made of a titanium alloy," he remarked.
Pepper, who was checking his bandages, rolled her eyes at him. "How can you be thinking about that right now? Since Obadiah and those Umbrella people left last night, there's been no word from them. Who knows what they're plotting?"
Tony, confident as ever, folded the newspaper and said, "Don't worry, Pepper. I hold 39% of Stark Industries shares. Once I convene the board this afternoon, I'll have him fired. Then, I'll press charges—attempted murder, treason, arms trafficking—I'll make sure he's put away for good."
"Mr. Stark, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," ca a voice from the door. It was Coulson, who had just entered.
"What happened?" Tony asked, his brow furrowing.
Coulson handed Tony a docunt, explaining, "Early this morning, the military released a statent. They're claiming that the incident was caused by a rogue prototype robot, and Obadiah had nothing to do with it."
Since the Iron Monger hadn't fallen into the Arc Reactor, there had been no explosion, allowing the incident to be easily covered up.
Before Tony could respond, Pepper burst out angrily, "How could they do that?"
She was utterly baffled as to why the military would protect Obadiah, given that he had tried to kill Tony the night before. As Stark Industries' partner, the military's actions were incomprehensible to her.
Tony, examining the docunt, began to understand.
"They want the Mark II armor," he stated.
Coulson nodded. "Correct. Not just the Mark II—they also want the Arc Reactor's core technology."
He hesitated before adding, "Your decision to shut down the weapons division and stop selling arms has angered so very powerful people in the military."
"They're playing with fire! Obadiah isn't soone to be trusted, and last night he even allied with Umbrella," Tony said, his voice filled with frustration.
Since Umbrella had helped Obadiah, he now viewed the corporation as evil as well.
"Perhaps it's precisely because Umbrella intervened that the military agreed to protect Obadiah," Coulson suggested.
Tony set down the docunt, his expression growing more serious.
_______________________
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