Across the room, the crowd began to thin slightly as Obadiah Stane made his way through with practiced ease—smiling here, shaking hands there, nodding like a seasoned politician. He moved at a relaxed pace, but his sharp eyes scanned constantly, calculating, always measuring the people around him. Eventually, they found their mark—Alex.
"Ah, Dr. Morrow," Obadiah greeted as he approached, holding a glass of wine with that ever-charming businessman's smile. "Glad I finally caught you. How are you finding the event so far?"
Alex turned to him, his expression polite but unreadable. "It's fine. Not exactly my thing, but I've had worse nights."
Colleen, standing beside him, subtly shifted her posture. She didn't trust Obadiah, and her instincts didn't hide it. But Alex glanced at her briefly, and she relaxed.
Obadiah chuckled smoothly. "Understandable. Events like these are mostly about appearances. Glitz and headlines, not real substance."
He took a small sip of wine before continuing. "I've been hearing about your new venture. A hospital, built from the ground up. Fully independent, I hear? That's quite the task."
Alex nodded with a calm tone. "We're almost through the planning phase. Construction starts soon."
Obadiah tilted his head with mock curiosity. "And no Stark Industries branding at all, is that true? That's a pretty bold move."
"Tony's helping with the tech," Alex replied. "Just as a friend. That's all."
"Ah yes… Tony," Obadiah said slowly, swirling his wine. "He's always been like that. Jumping from one thing to the next, always looking for the next big leap instead of handling the moment."
He gave a brief pause, his eyes lingering a little longer than necessary.
"How's your partnership working out with him?" he asked, his tone light but edged with something colder. "I imagine working with Stark brings its own set of… unpredictabilities."
Alex didn't flinch. "He's unpredictable, sure. But when he commits, he doesn't back out."
Obadiah chuckled again, though this time it lacked warmth. "That's one way to put it. I've known Tony since he was a boy. Genius, arrogant, a handful—but back then, at least, he had a heart. These days… I'm not so sure."
He added casually, almost as an afterthought, "Building a hospital while your partner's off chasing his own pet projects? Seems like your priorities might not match."
Alex kept his voice even. "I don't depend on other people's priorities. This project is mine, and it's going to stand on its own."
Obadiah's smile flattened, though he kept the façade intact. "Of course. Visionaries like you and Tony… always building your own paths."
He raised his glass. "Well then, I'll wish you luck. New York could use something that shakes the old system."
He gave a shallow nod of farewell and turned away, his presence slipping back into the crowd like a shadow.
Colleen leaned closer to Alex. "He doesn't like that you're not under his control."
Alex nodded, eyes still following Obadiah's path. "No, he doesn't."
Sue narrowed her eyes. "Want me to trace his aura?"
"No need," Alex said quietly. "I already know. It stinks."
Colleen watched him go with a frown. "I still don't get it. Why is Tony even working with someone like that?"
Sue crossed her arms. "Yeah. The guy gives off all kinds of wrong. Cold on the inside, even when he's smiling. You'd think Tony would've noticed."
Alex sighed, fixing the cuff of his suit. "Maybe he doesn't see it."
He paused, then added, "There's history there. Business, personal ties. Guilt, maybe. After Howard died, Obadiah helped raise Tony, helped manage the company. Tony's smart, but even he has his blind spots."
Sue frowned. "That's not a blind spot—that's a red flag wearing a three-piece suit."
Just then, Zephyra joined them, sipping from a glass of dark purple wine. "He reeks of ambition," she said, voice casual but firm. "Not the driven kind. The empty kind. The kind that turns people into polished blades—smiling while they cut."
"Poetic," Colleen muttered.
Zephyra smirked. "I get bored sometimes."
Alex's eyes narrowed just slightly. "Obadiah doesn't care about health or people. He sees my hospital as something he can't own. And he doesn't like that."
Sue leaned closer. "Then keep your guard up. Guys like him don't just try to compete—they sabotage."
Cypher appeared out of the nearby shadows, her voice low and calm. "Or worse… he'll take what he can't create."
Alex nodded again. "I'm aware."
Then, with a glance in Obadiah's direction, Cypher added bluntly, "Or we could just kill him."
Alex gave a small, amused smile. "Tempting suggestion. But let's hold off on that. For now."
The rest of them nodded, the mood light, almost amused. Obadiah might've been a powerful businessman, but at the end of the day, he was still just a regular human.
They weren't.
"By the way… where is Tony?" Alex asked, swirling the last of his wine in his glass. "I only showed up because I thought he'd be here."
"I haven't seen him either," Zephyra said, looking around with a frown.
Alex smirked. "So the guy skipped his own company's shareholder party, huh?"
He pulled out his phone and dialed casually.
Back in his lab, Tony Stark was hunched over the shoulder plating of the Mark II suit, frowning at a micro-seal when his phone buzzed. He tapped it with the back of his wrist and answered, voice casual and cocky.
"Yo, what's up?"
Alex leaned back in his chair, eyes flicking to the stage where Obadiah was giving a speech. "You might want to fire up your TV."
There was a pause. Then a metallic clank as Tony put down his tool.
"JARVIS, bring up the newsfeed," he said.
A nearby monitor lit up, displaying the live broadcast from the party. Obadiah's polished face was on-screen, smiling confidently at a group of investors, talking about Stark Industries' future… and not mentioning Tony at all.
Alex took another sip of wine and muttered just loud enough for Tony to hear, "Kinda weird when the founder skips his own shareholder event, huh?"
Tony narrowed his eyes at the screen.
"JARVIS," he said flatly, "was I ever sent an invite to this circus?"
"According to the company calendar, sir," JARVIS replied, "you were not."
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