Tony, it's Obadiah! He's been selling weapons to terrorists!" Pepper didn't bother to scold Stark about what he was doing or why he wasn't answering her calls; she just blurted out everything she knew.
"What did you say? Obadiah?" Stark prided himself on having weathered many storms, but he was still thunderstruck by the news.
He had suspected Obadiah before, but when the suspicion was confirmed, he didn't want to believe it was true.
"Where are you?"
"Happy and I are already in D.C.!"
"Alright, alright, I understand.
I'm at Andrews Air Force Base right now.
Don't go to the Stark Industries office; find a hidden place, the safer the better, and I'll come find you immediately!" Stark calmed himself down, then began to think about what he needed to do.
He yanked his good friend Rhodes, who was about to go for a late-night snack.
"Rhodes, get three hundred soldiers.
We're going to catch Obadiah!"
"Why? Tony, are you drunk?" Rhodes looked bewildered.
Just moments ago, they were discussing going to D.C. to find some pretty ladies for a night of drinking and fun, and now Stark was suddenly so serious.
"Obadiah is a traitor.
He conspired with terrorists to attack me, and he's the one who sold those weapons!" Tony tried to keep it brief.
"Are you sure? This is no laughing matter!" Rhodes also dropped his playful demeanor and became extremely serious.
"It's true.
Pepper has evidence!"
"Then where is she now?" Rhodes was already preparing to pull out his phone to inform his superiors.
"She came to Washington to find me.
You need to send someone to protect her first!"
"Without authorization, I'm afraid I can't help you, Tony!"
"Why?" Stark was puzzled.
"Because that's D.C., Washington, the heart of America!
I'm just a lowly lieutenant colonel.
The only thing I can do is go with you to pick her up right now!"
"I should have pulled some strings for you to become a general earlier!" Stark knew it was too late to pull strings now.
Washington wasn't like New York; in New York, he could call his contacts at the FBI and the police for help, but in Washington, he had no connections... Wait, Stark suddenly turned and looked at the EXO exoskeleton armor stacked in the warehouse.
The boxes containing these armors still had the Atlas Corporation logo...
"Hello, Mr.
Fisher, this is Tony Stark.
Regarding the mass accelerator you mentioned to me last time, I have some thoughts.
Would you like to hear them?" Although he was very reluctant, Stark had to admit that he was going to be heavily fleeced by Fisher again this time.
During the rescue operation in the desert last time, Fisher had charged him several million in fees and hush money, claiming that Atlas had provided him with treatment and escort.
This time, it certainly wouldn't be cheap, but Stark understood the principle of spending money to avert disaster.
"Uh, Mr.
Stark, I wasn't aware you had a habit of discussing business with people at night!" Fisher held the phone and looked at the sky.
Night was falling, and this was the perfect time for evening activities.
He had even arranged to meet the principal dancer of a ballet company, planning to learn some Russian that night, when Stark's call came in.
"Is that so? Actually, I always have!" Stark was choked up and didn't know how to respond.
In the past, he would either be challenging his limits or on his way to challenge them; he wouldn't care about company business, and even if others came to him, he would ignore them.
Now he understood how others felt.
"It's like this: my secretary, Pepper, is in Washington and might encounter some trouble.
Don't you guys have security services? I'll pay triple! Just protect her until we arrive!" Stark looked at his watch.
Andrews Base wasn't far from Washington; it would take an hour and a half by military vehicle.
"Security services? Just find the department head to sign a contract, it only takes five minutes to call and finalize the contract!" Fisher hadn't realized that the situation had already deviated from his predictions.
Stark and Pepper were both in Washington, which meant that the Iron Man vs.
Iron Monger battle that was supposed to happen in New York was now off, unless Obadiah found another energy source and fought his way to Washington through the North American Aerospace Defense Command's firepower.
"Isn't it faster to call you? They're almost at your company's doorstep, and I've already transferred the money to your account!"
"Alright, you've actually caught a good time.
Atlas only has one security team left in Washington; they're supposed to protect the Senator's daughter tomorrow.
Since you need them urgently, I'll send them!" Fisher slid his PDA, transferring Pepper Potts's information to Atlas's database.
Then, a security team on standby in the headquarters building immediately changed into suits and rushed over.
"Yes, this is it, Happy!" Pepper Potts saw the huge "Atlas"Character on the building from afar.
Tony had just told her that he would arrive in over an hour, and during that time, her safety would be entrusted to Atlas's security team.
Only then did the stone in Pepper's heart finally settle.
"Actually, I can protect you too.
Tony is too nervous, isn't he!" Happy looked at the two black Mercedes sedans that had pulled up, quite displeased.
He was Stark's bodyguard, after all!
"Tony is also worried about your safety!" Pepper quickly comforted him, saying, "Tony said you're not just his bodyguard, but also his friend.
Of course he doesn't want anything to happen to you!"
"Damn it, why can't I help him!" Happy could only pat the steering wheel to vent his frustration.
He decided that when he returned to New York, he would practice combat and shooting, and also lose some weight.
"Ms. Potts, we will be responsible for your safety for the next hour.
Please cooperate with our work!" A security guard in a black suit handed a lightweight bulletproof vest through the car window.
"Thank you very much.
I will cooperate fully!" Pepper took the bulletproof vest and immediately put it on over her business suit, not caring if it would wrinkle her suit.
"For your safety, I personally recommend that you stay at Atlas headquarters and wait for Mr.
Stark to arrive, then we will transfer you.
What do you think?"
"No, I have something very important that I must give to Mr.
Stark immediately.
Could you please escort me there?" Pepper had originally intended to agree to their suggestion, but then she lowered her head and saw the bag in her arms.
It contained all of Obadiah's incriminating evidence, and she had to hand it over to Stark as soon as possible.
"Alright, if you insist, we can escort you there!"