Chapter 6: Stark Heads to a Weapons Deal

By the seaside, in Tony's home.

A blonde woman woke up from her sleep.

Although the first part of last night wasn't too pleasant, Tony had rallied and given it another go later on.

"Tony?"

There was no sign of him by the bedside.

She wrapped herself in a thin shirt and stepped out of the bedroom.

As soon as she left the room, the breathtaking ocean view greeted her and left her in awe.

Is this what life as a billionaire is like? 

She loved it.

Could this be her future too? 

It seemed you didn't need much talent; having the right looks and body could secure a good life as well.

The blonde woman proudly glanced at her figure.

This was how she had been thriving in this cutthroat society.

And now, she'd managed to snag the richest man around!

While she was lost in her self-congratulation, a mature female voice came from behind her.

"Your clothes have been pressed, and a car is waiting outside."

"It'll take you wherever you need to go."

The blonde turned around to see a professional-looking woman standing behind her, holding the clothes she had worn yesterday.

She instantly recognized her as Virginia "Pepper" Potts, Tony Stark's assistant.

Pepper was a familiar face at many social events and on television.

Her efficient style had earned her the nickname "Pepper" from Tony himself.

The blonde looked at Pepper, who, despite not having the same physical assets as her, had managed to work beside Tony for so many years.

A sense of rivalry surged within her, and she arrogantly said, "You must be the famous Pepper Potts."

"Yes, I am," Pepper replied calmly.

"All these years, and Tony still has you running around doing things like picking up his dry cleaning?"

Pepper instantly recognized the blonde's attempt to assert dominance. However, it didn't bother her in the slightest.

In fact, she almost found it amusing.

Keeping her composure, she responded, "I do whatever Mr. Stark asks of me."

"Sometimes, that includes taking out the trash."

"Is there anything else?"

The blonde was left speechless and deflated under Pepper's steady demeanor, leaving her no choice but to grab her clothes and slink away.

Next time I see Tony, he's going to regret this, she thought.

But what she didn't know was that Tony never went back for seconds.

Pepper watched the blonde leave and then turned toward the basement.

Based on her knowledge of Tony, he was probably down in the workshop tinkering with something.

"Hey, where are you headed?"

Just as Pepper was about to head downstairs, Tony came walking down from upstairs, looking puzzled.

Pepper turned around, equally confused. "At this time of day, aren't you usually working on your car?"

"I was, but now something more important has come up."

"More important?" Pepper asked, her confusion growing. Tony had been pretty hands-off at Stark Industries lately.

What could be so urgent... unless it involved some new model from a magazine or another media company?

"Tony, I think the more important matter right now is that you need to fly to the other side of the world for a business deal," Pepper reminded him, holding the files in her arms.

This is all Tony's schedule.

"Nonono, that's not important. It's our plane; we leave when I say we leave."

"Even if I'm late, they'll just have to wait." Tony said arrogantly.

Rich, talented, and totally entitled!

"Then what's this more important thing you're talking about?" Pepper asked.

"Look at this!"

Tony swiped his hand across the tablet he was holding, and a massive projection screen appeared in the center of the hall.

It displayed footage from last night, showing Alan, captured by Stark Industries' satellite during Tony's private escapade.

"What is this?"

Pepper was staring at the analyzed image of the Imperial Armor by JARVIS, completely clueless as to why Tony was showing her this clip.

"I don't know either."

"But I have a feeling that if I can get my hands on this technology, Stark Industries' military division will hit its peak."

At this point, Tony's mind was still largely focused on selling weapons.

"Where is he?" Pepper asked.

"No idea. According to JARVIS' surveillance, the first appearance of this armor was in New York's 13th District. I've already sent Happy to investigate."

"Pepper, I think you should also help me look into this. Use your connections in the company."

"Okay, Tony. But right now, you have to leave, or you'll miss your flight."

Pepper wasn't interested in this mystery, but since Tony had asked, she would do as requested.

Tony threw up his hands in defeat. "Alright. JARVIS, bring the car around."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm guessing Rhodey's been waiting by the plane for quite a while now."

"See you tonight!"

What Tony didn't realize was that this trip to the Middle East would change his life forever.

"See you tonight," Pepper waved him off.

Meanwhile, a nearly identical scene was unfolding on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

As one of Nick Fury's most trusted agents, Phil Coulson had arrived in New York's 13th District early in the morning.

Sitting inside a black sedan, dressed in his trademark black suit and sunglasses, he scanned the surroundings.

"Damn, that insanely cool and mysterious armor actually came from this neighborhood?"

The 13th District of New York wasn't exactly like the upscale, central part of the city where wealthy elites clustered, but its residents were still well-off, solidly middle-class.

At that moment, a slightly chubby figure caught Coulson's attention.

The man, dressed in a black suit and sunglasses just like him, was sitting in the corner of a nearby café.

Though he held a coffee cup, his nervous, shifty demeanor piqued Coulson's curiosity.

"Isn't that Tony Stark's bodyguard, Happy Hogan? What's he doing here?"

"Could it be?"

Coulson immediately put the pieces together and dialed a number on his special phone.

"Hello, Director Fury?"

"Coulson, have you found the person I'm looking for?"

"Not yet, but Tony Stark's bodyguard is here. I suspect they also saw the armor yesterday."

"And?"

Coulson hesitated. "And…?"

He suddenly realized: What does that have to do with him finding the armor?

On the other end of the line, Nick Fury's voice was calm. "If you can't find anything, stay in the 13th District for now."

...