Chapter 86: Chapter 86: The Death of Obadiah
"He went to his workshop to put on the Iron Suit. You can wait here," Wolverine said, pointing to the stairs behind him.
Obadiah squinted his eyes and gave a direct order: "Kill him, then go downstairs and bring Tony up."
"Yes, boss!"
The leading mercenary immediately raised his gun and shot at Wolverine's forehead.
Bang!
The bullet hit Wolverine's forehead precisely, but what happened next left everyone stunned.
The bullet didn't kill the man in front of them—it was actually forced out of his forehead.
"Damn, young people these days have no patience at all," Wolverine muttered.
Placing the drink in his hand on the table, Wolverine extended his claws from both hands, crossing them in front of his chest. He charged straight into the mercenaries, disregarding the hail of bullets.
Identifying Obadiah as the leader, he ignored the other mercenaries' attacks, leaped in front of Obadiah, and thrust his claw into his chest—a swift, precise, and deadly strike.
At that moment, Tony had finished suiting up in his Iron Man armor and flew out from his workshop to join the fight.
"Something's wrong—gunfire!"
As Coulson arrived at the mansion's gate, he heard the sound of intense gunfire coming from inside. He immediately drew his gun and got out of the car.
"You two wait here, don't move. I'll go check it out," he instructed Pepper and George before rushing into the mansion.
"Tony!"
Pepper's face turned pale with fear as she saw the bodies of guards lying in pools of blood at the entrance.
She turned to George, her voice trembling. "Mr. George, please save Tony."
She knew that whoever had breached the mansion's defenses wasn't someone Coulson alone could handle.
Only George, the magician capable of bending bullets, might have the ability to save Tony.
"Don't worry, Tony's not the weak playboy he once was," George reassured her, showing no signs of concern.
Pepper didn't yet know that Tony had developed the Mark armor. With its power, no ordinary person could pose a threat to him.
And alongside Tony was Wolverine, in his prime.
Sure enough, after stepping over the bodies of numerous guards and entering the mansion's grand living room, they found Tony in his Iron Man armor, unscathed, with a stunned Coulson standing nearby.
Wolverine was nowhere to be seen, likely having hidden himself for now.
"So it was Obadiah," George muttered, glancing at Obadiah's corpse, whose chest had been clearly pierced by steel claws. Connecting it to the earlier Hydra attack, George began to piece the puzzle together.
"You're back. There was a little... incident, but I handled it," Tony said nonchalantly as he removed his helmet, trying to act cool.
"Tony, thank goodness you're safe!" Pepper cried as she rushed forward and hugged him. The trail of corpses she had seen had terrified her.
Tony froze for a moment before a soft smile appeared on his face.
Truth be told, the person he trusted most in the world was Pepper. Only she genuinely cared about his safety.
After experiencing life-and-death situations, he began to feel something special for her. Maybe they could take things further.
"I just didn't want to have to find a new job," Pepper said, stepping back to regain her composure. She handed Tony a USB drive.
"This contains all the evidence of Obadiah's crimes, including his dealings with the terrorists who kidnapped you. Though now, it might no longer be necessary."
"Oh, by the way, this is Agent Coulson, the one I mentioned earlier," she added.
"Hello, Agent Coulson. As you can see, this was self-defense," Tony said, taking the USB drive and gesturing toward Obadiah's body before greeting Coulson.
He then glanced at George, who subtly signaled to him. Tony got the message and didn't make a point of greeting George publicly.
"Of course, Mr. Stark. But what's this you're wearing?" Coulson asked, his curiosity piqued as he eyed the Mark armor.
Tony, the famous playboy, had taken down so many elite mercenaries—capable of easily slaughtering the mansion's guards—using this suit of armor. It was nothing short of astonishing.
This armor wasn't just advanced; it was revolutionary—a lethal masterpiece.
"Oh, this?" Tony pointed to his Iron Man armor. "This is my latest invention—an advanced prosthetic limb."
Coulson stood frozen.
"You're saying... this is just a prosthetic limb? And all those men?"
"Yep, just a prosthetic limb. Makes moving around a lot easier," Tony replied earnestly.
"As for them? I took them out. Didn't you know I learned Wing Chun?"
Tony led the way out of the living room. "Anyway, let's talk somewhere without the stench of blood. I want to know what your Strategic Something Bureau is all about, and what it has to do with my father."
"The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," Coulson corrected, following him.
"Don't you think that's a bit of a mouthful?"
"It is. You can call us S.H.I.E.L.D."
"That's much catchier."
George signaled for Pepper to follow them before heading to the workshop below.
Sure enough, he found Wolverine there, sipping on a drink.
"What happened?" George asked.
"It's like this..." Wolverine recounted what had transpired after George left.
"When the fight was almost over, I noticed you guys were near the gate. To avoid exposing myself, I hid."
"You did well. Coulson's a seasoned agent—he would've recognized you. For now, it's best to avoid government attention," George said, nodding approvingly.
George then flew Wolverine to a hidden X-Jet hovering above the mansion before returning to the living room.
With a wave of his hand, George moved all the bodies into a pile and used a spell to clean the living room. He ensured that no trace of Wolverine would be found by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who would arrive later. Then, he stood by the door, posing as a guard.
Half an hour later, Tony and the others returned to the living room.
"You're really quick at cleaning up!" Coulson remarked, impressed by the spotless room.
In such a short time, George had cleaned a room soaked in blood. His efficiency was incredible. Coulson began to wonder—was there more to George than met the eye?
Could he be linked to the mysterious third party that had rescued Tony?
"Since my father used to be part of S.H.I.E.L.D., I'll leave the rest to you," Tony said, handing the USB drive to Coulson.
"Don't worry, Mr. Stark. We'll handle it. In a few days, you just need to hold a press conference and announce that Obadiah died in a plane crash tonight," Coulson assured him.