Phil Coulson had spent weeks mapping out Tony Stark's social circle, and the man who had just walked in with Pepper Potts was new. Completely new.Twenty years in the field had sharpened Coulson's instincts, and those instincts whispered that this wasn't just another bodyguard. The bearing was wrong. Too calm. Too deliberate.
"Run a background check on the man who entered with Pepper Potts," Coulson murmured into his comm once they were out of sight.
The reply came quickly."No records found."
"No records at all?" Coulson frowned. That shouldn't have been possible. S.H.I.E.L.D. could dig up tax filings from failed states and ghost towns. Someone with no footprint at all was either impossible… or intentional.
Rowan Mercer followed Pepper into the elevator, riding it up to Tony's private office at the top of Stark Tower.
"I'll stay by the door," Rowan said, closing it behind them. "Do your thing."
Pepper nodded, nerves showing as she hurried to the desk. She plugged in the specialized drive Tony had given her and started the intrusion. Less than five seconds later, the system folded.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
The screen filled with shipping records, illegal transfers, and video messages demanding payment from the Iron Front. The evidence was overwhelming. Obadiah Stane wouldn't just go to prison. He'd never see daylight again.
Then the door opened.
"Pepper," Obadiah said warmly, stepping inside with a glass of wine. "Tony's been under a lot of pressure lately. He's brilliant, but he needs guidance. I was hoping you'd help me keep him steady."
Pepper's heart slammed into her ribs.
Before Obadiah could take another step, Rowan moved.
"Confundus."
The spell hit cleanly. Obadiah stiffened, shuddered once, then went still, his eyes unfocused, wine glass hanging loosely in his hand.
"Keep going," Rowan said calmly. "He'll zone out for a bit."
The Confundus Charm muddled awareness and memory, leaving the target drifting, unaware anything had happened once it wore off. Rowan's control wasn't perfect yet, and the ring-focus didn't enhance spell strength, but against a normal human it was enough. If needed, he could reapply it every minute.
Pepper exhaled shakily and returned to the download.
Five minutes later, everything was copied.
"Double-check for traces," Rowan said quietly.
He remembered how, in another version of events, a single careless file tag had exposed everything. This time, Pepper wiped the logs clean before standing.
Rowan released the spell.
Obadiah blinked, shook his head slightly, and continued forward as if nothing had happened. Pepper forced a smile.
"I'll talk to Tony," she said quickly. "I just remembered something urgent."
Obadiah paused, then nodded. "Of course. Go on."
After they left, Obadiah's smile faded. Something gnawed at him.
Too quick. Too tense. And that bodyguard… wrong.
He checked the computer. Nothing. No signs of intrusion.
Still uneasy, he grabbed the phone. "When did Pepper Potts arrive, and where did she go?"
"Twenty minutes ago," security replied. "She's already left. She departed with an agent identifying himself as Coulson."
Obadiah's blood ran cold.
He sprinted for the surveillance room.
Moments later, he stood frozen, staring at the footage. Pepper working at the desk. And himself, standing motionless by the door like a mannequin.
"…Hypnosis?" he muttered.
The realization hit hard. Pepper had his evidence. And she'd left with a government agent.
Obadiah moved fast.
He dialed a secure number. "I'll accept your terms. But you need to make three people disappear immediately. Pepper Potts, her bodyguard, and an agent who just left Stark Tower. The evidence cannot reach the government."
The voice on the other end was calm. "Understood. They'll die in an accident."
Obadiah hung up, still unsettled. Then he began mobilizing his own people, heading straight for Tony's Malibu mansion.
If Tony suspected him, there was no going back.
"This time," Obadiah said coldly, "I'll finish it myself."