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“Don’t waste your life – they want you to – be with my family again – build them a weapon – this was always the plan, Stark – don’t waste your life.”
Tony awoke with a gasp, and nearly fell backwards of the stool he was sitting on. He had fallen asleep in his lab. It wasn’t the first time since his return from captivity. It probably wouldn’t be the last.
“Sir,” JARVIS said, “I have completed the search of everything connected to Stark Industries.”
“Why name him after Jarvis?” Obadiah asked when Tony first showed him off.
“Howard had a Jarvis completely loyal to him. Why can’t I?”
“I found something I believe is important.” And damn if JARVIS hadn’t been the most useful thing he’d ever built.
“Lemme see it,” Tony said.
“I’m not sure that’s wise, sir,” JARVIS replied.
“Lemme see it anyway.”
A screen flickers to life nearby, and Tony’s heart leaps into his throat. The video is clearly from his time in captivity. The ransom video that they had filmed and sent back to Stark Industries.
“It’s the ransom video,” Tony said, when he found his breath again. “How is that important?”
“It’s not about a ransom, sir,” JARVIS said.
The screen flickered and the video restarted, with a computerized voice-over in English.
“You did not tell us the target was Tony Stark himself. It will take much more money to kill him than you have provided Mr. Stane.”
“Shut it off!”
The screen went blank. Tony closed his eyes and remained silent for several minutes.
“Sir?” JARVIS asked. “Are you alright?”
“Fine, JARVIS,” Tony said. “Move it to Private Server H, and then send an access code to Alexander Pierce.”
“Yes sir.”
Tony’s hand was shaking as he pulled a phone out of one of the nearby drawers and dialed a familiar number.
“Alex, it’s Tony. We need to talk. It’s about Obadiah.”
“You were like a father to me Obi,” Tony said, shaking his head. “I trusted you.”
“Seems like a personal problem to me Tony,” Obadiah said. “You think I cared for a little shit like you? I just needed you to hate your father so much you’d join Hydra out of spite.”
Obadiah saw the stricken look Tony’s face, and verbally pounced, “You think Alex ever cared for you? Pepper? Happy? No one cares for you Tony. No one ever could.”
“Hydra cares,” Alexander Pierce said, coming out from behind a nearby pillar. “I care.”
“Alex,” Obadiah started, but Alex cut him off.
“When Tony first told me you were the one to try and have him killed, I didn’t believe him. You, a loyal member of Hydra, betraying one of our own. And then I saw the video, the proof. Hydra and I can only back one of you. Unfortunately for you, Obadiah, we pick Tony.”
“He’s not planning on making weapons anymore,” Obadiah said.
“Hydra doesn’t need him to make us weapons,” Alex said, making a gesture with his hand. “We already have the only one we need.”
Footsteps sounded, getting closer and closer with each step. After several moments, the owner of the footsteps finally stepped out from the shadows. Tony stared at the newcomer with interest, paying special attention to the metal arm on the man.
“I believe you remember the Winter Soldier.”
“The Winter Soldier, who killed Tony’s parents and Edwin Jarvis,” Obadiah said. He had little chance to get away now and he knew it, but he could certainly ruin Tony and Hydra’s relationship out of spite.
“He what?” Tony demanded.
“The Soldier follows the orders of Hydra to the letter,” Alex said. “And Obadiah was Hydra when he gave those orders.”
“So Obi’s the reason their dead. Will the Soldier follow my orders?”
Alex stared at Tony for a moment, “He will.”
Tony nodded, “Soldier, give me your gun.”
“Tony,” Obadiah said, backing up. The Winter Soldier handed Tony his gun without hesitation.
“Mr. Jarvis is dead because of you. My mother is dead because of you. And you used Hydra to kill them,” Tony said, aiming the gun at Obadiah. “Unlike you, I’m not afraid to pull the trigger myself.”
“Tony, this isn’t-“
Tony pulled the trigger.
The death of Obadiah Stane went mostly unnoticed when Iron Man was going around and destroying all the caches of Stark Weapons that had been sold under the table. People noticed that it was only Stark Weapons that Iron Man was hunting down and destroying. And when Christine Everhart made the connection between the glowing circle in Iron Man’s chest and the arc reactor that had been built by his father, Stark Industries finally held a press conference.
SHIELD showed up immediately beforehand, trying to convince Tony of what to say during the press conference, but Tony had different plans.
“We want a public face,” Alex had said after calling people to take care of Obadiah’s body. And a public face is exactly what Tony would give them, when they finally came out of the shadows. For now though…
“The truth is,” Tony said, pausing a moment before continuing. “I am Iron Man.”