Chapter Nineteen: I Didn't Expect You to Be So Poor

The news of Obadiah Stane’s death was immediately suppressed and never spread throughout New York. However, Stark Industries’ announcement of its strategic shift to the energy sector was made public. This decision drew skepticism from many in New York.

Stark Industries was, without question, the industry leader in weapons manufacturing, but in the energy sector, it couldn’t yet claim such a throne. Unless Stark Industries introduced a revolutionary form of advanced energy, it was impossible for its stock to return to its former heights, let alone sustain an upward trajectory.

Nevertheless, this news offered some reassurance to those still holding shares. While a return to the zenith seemed unlikely, the company’s accumulated connections and relationships meant it would have no trouble establishing itself in the energy industry.

Tony Stark, meanwhile, did not immediately announce the arc reactor to the public, as the time was not yet right. His own suit required further modification, and he needed to ensure the arc reactor would be genuinely applied to the energy sector, lest it fall into the hands of those with ill intent. Once all was properly arranged, Stark Industries' stock soaring higher than ever would present no difficulty.

With Obadiah Stane, his greatest immediate problem, resolved, Tony still had many matters to attend to, but none so urgent. Thus, upon returning to Stark Manor, he took the initiative to contact Harvey Ambelaca, hoping to share his joy and perhaps glean some intelligence from their conversation.

“Sir, the call was refused,” Jarvis reported a moment later, dousing Tony Stark’s enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water.

Tony was surprised not by being ignored, but by the outright rejection. He was, after all, the famed playboy and celebrity of New York high society; never had anyone dared refuse his call.

“Well, well, he actually dares not to pick up my call,” Tony remarked, half amused, half exasperated. “Keep trying,” he instructed Jarvis.

It required no effort on his part—he could bombard Harvey Ambelaca with messages as he pleased. But as Jarvis attempted the second call, even before he could report back, the mechanical female voice chimed in: “The number you have dialed is powered off…”

The sound left Tony speechless for a moment. “Doesn’t he have any other way to be contacted?” he asked, still unwilling to give up.

“If nothing unexpected happens, Mr. Harvey Ambelaca will have unplugged his landline as well,” Jarvis replied.

With a sigh, Tony Stark gave up, at least for now, on contacting Harvey Ambelaca. As for visiting the man in person, that was out of the question; it would be tantamount to begging Ambelaca for a conversation, and Tony’s pride would never allow that.

Jarvis, well acquainted with Tony’s disposition, refrained from suggesting a personal visit, limiting his recommendations to remote means such as mobile and landline.

“Get me Pepper. I have some questions for her,” Tony directed.

Pepper was upstairs watching the news. She had heard of Obadiah Stane’s death, and she also knew of his attempt to murder Tony. She was thus largely unmoved by the news.

Soon, Pepper received the summons and hurried downstairs.

“Pepper, do you know Coulson?” Tony asked as soon as she entered.

“I do, but you had no interest in him before, did you?” Pepper replied, somewhat taken aback by the question.

“I wasn’t interested before, but now I am. Did he ever tell you what the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division is responsible for?” Tony asked, reclining lazily in a chair.

“Let me think… It’s a special unit established by the International Security Council to handle all sorts of unusual incidents,” Pepper answered, her memory and efficiency as sharp as ever—traits that made her such an invaluable assistant to Tony.

“Unusual incidents, huh. Do you have his contact details?” Tony mused aloud.

“I’m not sure how useful it’ll be, but yes, I do,” Pepper nodded.

“Perfect, get in touch with Coulson for me. Tell him I want to meet and talk with him tomorrow at noon,” Tony immediately instructed.

“I’ll try; I can’t promise he’ll be available,” Pepper replied, though she immediately took out her phone to make the call.

“Hello, Miss Pepper Potts. What can I do for you?” Coulson answered immediately, catching both Tony and Pepper by surprise.

“Mr. Stark would like to meet you tomorrow at noon for a conversation,” Pepper relayed the message.

“Very well, I’ll see you at noon tomorrow,” Coulson replied without hesitation. He was in the midst of investigating the appearance of Iron Man in Afghanistan, and hearing that Tony Stark wished to speak with him was an opportunity he welcomed. In fact, he would have preferred to meet Tony right away, but since Tony specified the time, he would respectfully wait.

Tony, meanwhile, retired for the night. As for the unidentified being, he knew his own efforts would turn up nothing, but perhaps Coulson would have answers.

The next day, at precisely noon, Coulson arrived at Stark Manor as promised. The two met in the second-floor hall.

“Hello, Mr. Stark. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” Coulson greeted him politely.

“I don’t know what your agency wants to learn from me, but before that, you’ll have to answer a few of my questions. Once you do, I’ll tell you what you want to know,” Tony said without preamble.

“All right, ask away,” Coulson replied, well aware of Tony Stark’s pride and arrogance, and unperturbed by it.

“Do you know anything about this figure?” Tony pressed a button, and a holographic image—Jarvis’s recording—appeared in the air.

“I know who he is, but can you tell me where you captured this footage?” Coulson’s eyes narrowed as he saw the shadowy figure that had left him, Director Fury, and Natasha at a loss.

The figure was floating in the air, filmed at eye level, making it impossible to determine the exact location.

“Gulmira, Afghanistan,” Tony replied after a pause, deciding there was no point in hiding it. If the agency really was dedicated to investigating unusual incidents, uncovering his involvement would pose no difficulty.

Since exposure was inevitable, there was no use in concealing the truth.

Coulson, hearing Tony mention Afghanistan again, immediately connected the dots with the Iron Man sighting there. It was all but certain Tony had been the man in the suit, and since Tony made no effort to conceal it—

“I see. That explains it,” Coulson said. “That being claims to be from the Void. We don’t know his real name, but on Earth, he’s known by the alias ‘Reaper,’ and operates in the mercenary underground.”

He shared all he knew.

“The mercenary world… no wonder Jarvis couldn’t dig up anything about him,” Tony mused, realizing why Jarvis couldn’t immediately identify the figure. He’d heard of mercenaries, of course, but had never needed to hire anyone through the legendary black net, as he had no vendettas requiring such services.

But now, with this new lead, Tony instructed Jarvis to connect to the black net.

“Mr. Stark, I don’t mean to disappoint you,” Coulson interjected, “but even if your AI connects to the black net, you won’t find much. Our agency once paid a hefty price to arrange a meeting with Reaper, and our conclusion was this: appearance unknown, abilities unknown, origin unknown. All we know is that he’s presumably male, and extremely dangerous.”

Jarvis’s voice chimed in: “Sir, I’ve only managed to uncover some rumors and superficial tales—nothing as detailed as what Mr. Coulson has provided.”

Nevertheless, Jarvis projected the findings for Tony to see, knowing that Tony would want to review them for himself.

“So, Coulson, you said you once paid a high price to meet him? Why did you want to meet him, and what was the price?” Tony asked as he read through the scattered stories and rumors about Reaper on the black net.

“The reason for the meeting is classified, at least until you answer the questions I have for you,” Coulson replied. “As for the price, it was a designated assignment. The deposit alone was ten million dollars; the total commission, at minimum, twenty million.”

“What did you say?” Tony blinked. “Twenty million dollars counts as an exorbitant price? Is your department really that poor?”

He’d assumed it required something far more difficult to obtain than mere money to secure a meeting with Reaper. To Tony Stark, any problem solvable with cash was no real problem at all.

“We’re not poor, but accessing such funds requires planning and approval…” Coulson began, a trace of embarrassment on his face.

“In other words, you need your superiors’ blessing to move any funds at all,” Tony cut him off. “If you need detailed proposals and approvals just to move twenty million, that means your department is, in fact, quite poor.”