The diary had accelerated Tony Stark's journey to Iron Man, but it had also robbed Obadiah Stane of his opening move.
Until now, Obadiah had played the role of the benevolent uncle perfectly. The bald head, the beard, the warm smile. He was the anchor.
But now, the mask was off.
"He was the one," Tony exhaled, a long, shuddering breath. "The whole time."
"The weapons. The under-the-table deals. The Ten Rings. It was all Obie."
Tony laughed. It was a cold, sharp sound.
"He's been using my company as his personal ATM for decades. And when I became inconvenient... he tried to cash me out."
"Permanently."
Tony Stark was many things. Arrogant. Genius. Narcissist. But he was also a businessman. And in business, betrayal was a capital offense.
"Jarvis," Tony said, his voice dropping to a whisper that was scarier than a shout. "I want everything. Every email. Every offshore account. Every secret meeting."
"I want a paper trail so long it wraps around the Earth twice."
"We're not just firing him," Tony said, his eyes gleaming with the reactor's light. "We're burying him. Under a mountain of litigation. I want him to spend the rest of his life in a cell so small he has to step outside to change his mind."
"And if he has an 'accident' in prison?" Tony added darkly. "Well, prisons are dangerous places. People slip in the shower all the time."
"Understood, Sir," Jarvis replied, his tone neutral. "Compiling evidence for federal prosecution. Estimated time to complete dossier: 4 hours."
"Do it."
Tony turned back to the diary entry.
"Tom Cruise Iron Man."
"Tom Cruise," Tony scoffed, checking his reflection in the armor's polish. "Please. He doesn't have the range. Or the facial hair."
"And this 'Vanko,'" Tony read on. "The villain of the second movie... still in Russia."
"Vanko," Tony mused. "Anton Vanko? The Soviet physicist who defected back in the 60s? Howard mentioned him once. Said he was brilliant but unstable."
"If Anton Vanko has a son," Tony deduced, "and if that son blames the Starks for his father's exile... we have a motive."
"Jarvis," Tony ordered. "Create a new file. Project: Whiplash."
"Search for anyone named Vanko in Russia with a background in physics or engineering. Cross-reference with Stark Industries patents. If someone is building an Arc Reactor in a basement in Moscow... I want to know before they show up on my doorstep."
"Narrow the search," Tony added. "Look for someone with a grudge. And probably a bird. Russians love birds."
"Processing," Jarvis chimed. "Preliminary search indicates 4,000 matches for 'Vanko.' Refining by 'Physics Degree' and 'Criminal Record.'"
"Good. Keep digging."
SHIELD Headquarters.
"I knew it," Clint Barton said, polishing his bow. "Bald guys with beards are always the bad guys. It's a trope."
"Obadiah Stane," Coulson sighed. "A pillar of the defense community. If he goes down, Stark Industries stock is going to freefall."
"We missed the first dip," Natasha noted. "Maybe we can catch this one."
"Tony Stark is going to be devastated," Coulson said, a rare note of sympathy in his voice. "Stane was his father figure. Finding out he ordered the hit... that breaks a man."
"Or it makes him," Fury corrected. "Stark needed this. He needed to see the snake in the grass. Now he knows the world isn't a playground."
"He's cleaning house," Natasha observed. "Sending Stane to prison is the smart move. But knowing Stane... he won't go quietly."
"Capitalists don't go to prison," Natasha said cynically. "They hire lawyers. Or they build giant robot suits and try to crush their nephews."
"If Stane has the Iron Monger suit," Fury warned, "a subpoena isn't going to stop him. We need to be ready for collateral damage."
"Should we intervene?" Hill asked.
"Not yet," Fury decided. "Let Stark handle his family business. If he needs us... he knows where to find the 'Beautiful Deadly Viper.'"
"Besides," Fury smirked. "I want to see what Iron Man can do when he's angry."
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