Chapter 35 Mephisto

In New York, Inside a well lit and rather large underground section with a large arc reactor under the building in front, owned by Stark enterprises, Obadiah stood.

Behind him, loads of scientists were walking around, servers running, the arc reactor buzzing, while the scientists were trying to figure something out, capturing reading from the large arc reactor.

Meanwhile Obadiah was looking at the huge metal suit, similar to the Ironman, except way bigger and bulkier.

A chest dark and hollow, something he stared at fuming.

A person in a laboratory named William looked uncomfortable as he explained.

"Sir the technology to Create it, doesn't exist" He said.

"William, we have the technology" Obadiah said pointing at the large version of the Arc reactor.

"I want you to make it smaller!" Obadiah his voice increasing as he looked at William who shrunk back a little.

The other scientist working, coming to a stop as they looked at Obadiah and William, the lead researcher.

"Si.. Sir it's not pos"

"Tony Stark was able to do this in a cave!" Obadiah shouted interrupting the stuttering of William.

"He did it with a BUNCH OF SCRAPS!" He exclaimed his voice echoing through the floor.

"Sir, I'm not Tony Stark" William said stepping back away from Obadiah.

Hearing what William said Obadiah took a step back

"Get out then, your fired" he said as he turned to look at the rest of the scientists.

"Your all fired" He shouted as he waved for them to get out.

They glanced at each other for a few seconds before they set down there clipboards and stopped working the machines.

Soon they began leaving the place through the large elevator.

When the room was empty and only Obadiah was left with the large Arc reactor, he glanced at the large suit without any energy to operate.

His mind racing, just what could he do?

It didn't make sense.

He couldn't just go and take Tony's Arc reactor from his chest.

He remembered Tony telling him about what happened at the cave and how he managed to escape.

"That Arc reactor is what keeps him alive" Obadiah said out loud as a look of reluctance appeared for a few seconds only to be quickly replaced with a gleam of realization.

"But I do want to kill him..." Obadiah said, the look in his eyes a little crazy.

Obadiah wanted Stark group to finally be his.

He did not want to keep living in the shadow of the name Stark.

He had done that for a very long time already and he was not going to do it anymore.

And if that meant killing his nephew, then so be it, he thought to himself.

Tony was too stupid anyways, he wanted to keep the Iron man suit to himself, Obaidah thought to himself.

"Dose he know how much money we can make..." Obaidah muttered.

How will I get the Arc reactor, he wondered.

Obadiah knew that Tony was Ironman, connecting the dots was not hard.

Yet to the world it seems like Tony was somehow entangled with Superman.

And although it seemed impossible, he was begging to believe it as well.

He couldn't risk his life trying to get the Arc reactor from Tony.

It was too much of a gamble, Obadiah thought to himself.

But that again left him with only an empty shell of a suit.

"There is... no way to power the suit" Obadiah muttered.

Unwilling, but realizing that he might just be stuck living under the Stark name for the rest of his life, always overshadowed by there "Genius" at every step of the way.

Obadiah stood, the various hums in the background being the only thing to break the silence, His mind swirled with frustration, anger.

The lights in the underground floor suddenly dimmed, and an unnaturally cold chill filled the air.

Even the Arc reactor seemed like it was affected as it dimmed.

The Servers running and various other machine also quietened.

A voice, smooth and menacing, echoed through the space.

"Power, Obadiah. True, unrelenting power... It's within your grasp."

Obadiah tensed up, scanning the shadows. "Who's there?" he demanded.

A figure stepped into the dim fluorescent light, a tall, charismatic man dressed in a sharp crimson suit. His eyes burned faintly, like embers, and his smile was unsettling.

"Let's just say I have an... interest in your predicament. You may call me Mephisto."

Obadiah narrowed his eyes. "Mephisto? What do you want? How did you get down here!" Obadiah said.

"It's not about what I want, my friend, It's about what you want.

That suit, that power—it could all be yours. I can give you the means to power it, no need for an Arc reactor.

Something far more potent, something no man can rival." Mephisto said with a smile.

By now, Obadiah was scared.

This man suddenly appeared in a place not many even knew existed and was promising him power?

Obadiah was scared but Mephisto's words intrigued him so after a little bit of silence, Obadiah finally spoke.

"Even Superman can't rival?" Obadiah asked, although unwilling, the curiosity was something he could not control.

"That depends on you and your suit" Mephisto said.

"And what's the catch?" Obadiah asked.

Mephisto's grin widened. "Oh, it's quite simple. I'll power your suit with an energy source that no technology on this planet could replicate. But in return... I want your soul."

His body stiffened, his mind racing, A soul? What did that even mean?!

"Are you the devil" Obadiah asked.

"Some call me that" Mephisto shrugged with a small chuckle causing Obadiah to gasp.

His back filled with cold sweat and his throat closing up.

Obadiah's eyes glancing at Mephisto who seemed to display no signs of being the devil, as he would imagine one being.

"What if I refuse?"

Mephisto chuckled, his voice a low rumble. "Then you'll remain as you are—powerless, desperate, and always in Stark's shadow.

But with my help, you could crush him, outshine him, potentially outshine everybody, The choice is yours, Obadiah."

Obadiah hesitated, his desire for power battling against his better judgment.

Am I really about to make a deal the Devil, Obadiah thought to himself, his rational side trying to fight against his emotions.