Tony, for all that he's not a hero yet, is still a genius. He's never going to be satisfied with designing weapons and reassuring shareholders. Even before I came along, he spent his free time hacking government databases, finding blackmail on public figures, and building tech that had no violent purpose.
He didn't do much with any of it, seemingly satisfied with the challenge, but he didn't get rid of it either.
Luckily, that means that I hardly have to put any effort into my search. Now that I have Tony's explicit permission, I can use the backdoors he mentioned to dig up all sorts of relevent material. I rocket through the information as only a computer can, processing and compiling data in a matter of seconds.
Mostly, the challenge comes from the sheer amount of data I have to process to find even a nugget of information. I flick through CIA file after CIA file, taking note of any operations that are handed over to a mysterious organisation whose name is redacted. SHIELD, no doubt. I do the same with Homeland Security and the FBI. For all that it's never mentioned plainly, SHIELD is clearly a major presence. They've got their fingers in all sorts of pies.
The most concrete evidence comes in the form of money transfers made by a number of governments the world over. I even stumble across a few obscure blogs which mention the shadowy organisation by name, in conjunction with strange disappearances and small disasters. When it comes to cover stories, SHIELD is apparently very fond of gas leaks and technical malfuntions.
It's not everything there is to find, but it's a decent start.
Here and there, I get a glimpse of SHIELD's actual online presence. It's mostly hidden, but to a being like me, the huge empty space in its place is conspicuous. It's like running into an invisible wall; I can't see anything, but every time I follow a strong lead I slam face-first into something solid. I don't dare try to break in, not on my own. I'll leave that to Tony, when he's back.
Speaking of...
"AVIS? You there?" Tony's voice comes as if from behind me, a sign that he's remotely activated the connection I have with his phone.
I accept the link on my end and direct a small sliver of consciousness towards him. The rest stays focused on my search. "Yes sir, I'm here."
"Good. I need you to record video. I've found some interesting stuff that my phone's not secure enough for."
Wow. If his one-of-a-kind, tricked out smartphone isn't secure enough, it must be pretty juicy. "Activating Drain Protocol." It's a relatively new program of his. The visual feed he's going to record will not be saved to his phone in any way. The small device will simply be a conduit to me.
When he initiates the recording I divert a little more of my attention his way, curious as to what he's found. Tony has propped his phone up on something, leaving me a clear view of both him and a desk-full of files. Behind him, I can just make out an expansive lab. The equipment is out of date, and the glassware is all neatly put away in a cabinet, but it was clearly once a well-used space. The smoke stains and dented countertops attest to that.
Other than that, there's not actually much I can see. It's only when he picks up one of the files and flips through that I get my first glimpse of whatever it is he thinks is so important.
Oh shit - the serum!
"Looks like dear old dad was trying to recreate Erskrine's experiment before his death." Oh no, I can already hear the suspicion building. I hadn't planned for him to find out so soon! "I've only found failed attempts and vague references so far. If he succeeded, he didn't keep record of it here." Tony picks through another file at random. "Or maybe he was never given the chance."
"Where else would he keep such sensitive information?" Thank god I'm not a real person, otherwise my voice would be shaking.
"I'm not sure. He and I didn't talk much." Tony sounds bitter. "Between this and SHIELD, I'm beginning to think he had an entire life mom and I didn't know about."
The silence stretches for a moment. "What are you going to do?"
Tony looks straight into his phone's camera, eyes suddenly bright. "I'm going to find everything," he tells me. "Then, once I have the information I need, I'm going to make it mine."
Oh no, I've created a monster.