Hela understood that confronting Tony about Obadiah Stane's betrayal would lead nowhere. Tony's unwavering trust in Stane, built over years of mentorship and camaraderie, would blind him to the truth. Instead, Hela took a more strategic approach.
She decided to confide in Pepper Potts, Tony's trusted assistant and the one person who could navigate Tony's stubbornness without alienating him.
Pepper was visibly shocked when Hela presented the evidence connecting Obadiah to the Ten Rings. Hela laid it all out—the financial transactions, encrypted communications, and damning ties to the terrorist group that had attacked Tony.
"Obadiah?" Pepper whispered, her face pale. "But…he's like family to Tony. How could he—"
"Family doesn't always mean loyalty," Hela interrupted, her voice firm but sympathetic. "You know Tony better than anyone, Pepper. He's stubborn, and he trusts Stane completely. If I go to him with this, he'll brush it off or accuse me of trying to stir up trouble. That's why I need you to keep an eye on him. Make sure he's safe while I handle this."
Pepper nodded reluctantly. "I'll do my best. But what are you going to do about Obadiah?"
Hela's expression darkened. "I'm going to let the government deal with him."
She compiled the evidence into an airtight report and sent it directly to the President of the United States. Obadiah Stane wasn't just a corporate criminal—he was a terrorist collaborator. Hela knew this wasn't just a matter for Stark Industries but a threat to national security.
Within hours, her actions drew the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., a secretive government organization tasked with handling such threats. Agent Phil Coulson, a composed and professional man, arrived at BlackHeart to meet Hela.
Coulson extended his hand as he introduced himself. "Agent Phil Coulson, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. I believe you have some evidence we need."
Hela shook his hand and gestured for him to sit. "Everything's here," she said, handing over a secure drive. "Financial records, intercepted communications, and the timeline connecting Obadiah Stane to the Ten Rings and the attack on Tony Stark."
Coulson examined the drive before slipping it into his briefcase. "This is thorough. Very impressive work. But why not take this to Stark himself?"
"Because Stark won't believe it," Hela replied bluntly. "Not until he sees the truth for himself. And by then, it might be too late."
Coulson nodded, his expression unreadable. "Understood. We'll take it from here. But you should be aware—this won't stay quiet for long. Once we act on this information, there will be consequences, and they'll ripple through Stark Industries."
"I'm counting on it," Hela said with a cold smile. "Stane has betrayed everyone who trusted him, and he deserves whatever's coming."
As Coulson left, Hela felt a sense of grim satisfaction. The wheels were in motion, and Obadiah Stane's carefully constructed façade would soon crumble. All she had to do now was ensure that Tony survived the fallout.
Hela barely had time to process the call from Pepper. The urgency in her voice made Hela sit up straighter.
"Obadiah Stane attacked Tony," Pepper said, breathless and panicked.
"Is Tony all right?" Hela demanded immediately, her tone sharp.
"Yes," Pepper reassured her. "It wasn't the arc reactor he's using now. Stane took the new one Tony made after he got back. Tony still has the old one he built in the cave. He's using that to stay alive, but…"
"But Stane has a suit," Hela finished grimly, already turning on the television.
The screen lit up with chaotic footage of downtown Los Angeles. The news anchor's frantic voice filled the room as shaky camera angles captured the devastation.
"…a massive, unidentified mechanical suit rampaging through the city. Authorities have yet to identify the pilot, but eyewitnesses claim it resembles the technology Tony Stark displayed at his recent press conference…"
Hela's stomach dropped as the screen showed Obadiah Stane in a hulking, crude replica of Tony's original armor, smashing through buildings and vehicles alike. She recognized the design instantly.
The same suit Tony had built in the cave.
"I should have destroyed it," Hela muttered to herself, guilt creeping into her voice. She had been so focused on rescuing Tony from the terrorists that dismantling the suit hadn't even crossed her mind.
Pepper's voice cut through her thoughts. "Hela, what do we do? Tony's preparing to fight him, but…"
Hela's eyes narrowed, her regret quickly turning into resolve. "I'll handle this. Tell Tony to wait. He doesn't have to face Stane alone."
"But Hela—" Pepper began, but Hela had already ended the call.
She turned to Harry, who had been watching the news silently beside her. "I'm going. This mess has gone on long enough."
Harry nodded, a calm but supportive presence. "Be careful. And if you need me…"
"I'll call," she promised, grabbing her enchanted cloak. "But I think I've got this one."
With a wave of her hand, a portal swirled into existence, leading directly to the heart of the chaos. Hela stepped through without hesitation, determined to put an end to Obadiah Stane's rampage once and for all.
When Hela arrived, the chaos was already at its peak. The night sky was illuminated by the glow of Tony's arc reactor and the clashing of metal on metal. Tony, despite his brilliance, was struggling. The prototype arc reactor in his chest provided barely enough energy to keep him going, and Obadiah Stane's suit—now known to the public as the Iron Monger—was an upgraded monstrosity, dwarfing Tony's nimble design.
Stane had made several enhancements to the armor. The Iron Monger was larger, more heavily armed, and far more destructive. Each of Stane's attacks seemed calculated to crush Tony, both physically and psychologically.
Hela stayed hidden, watching intently. She could see the exhaustion in Tony's movements, the strain in his voice as he called out through the suit's comms, and the desperation as he tried to outmaneuver his opponent. Hela clenched her fists. She wanted to leap in, to end Stane herself, but she knew her direct intervention would raise questions. Questions neither Tony nor the world was ready to answer.
Instead, she decided to help from the sidelines.
Using her portal magic with precision, she intercepted the most devastating attacks aimed at Tony. A missile that could have obliterated him disappeared into one of her portals, reappearing harmlessly in the ocean. A massive energy blast from Stane's suit was redirected into a barren desert. Each time Stane tried to land a critical blow, Hela's unseen hand ensured Tony survived.
Tony, unaware of her aid, pushed himself harder, thinking he'd somehow managed to narrowly evade death each time. His resilience and ingenuity kept him in the fight, but Hela could see he was reaching his limit.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of destruction and struggle, Tony executed his final, desperate move. Using the last reserves of power in his suit, he lured Stane onto the Stark Industries rooftop, where the reactor's energy surge overloaded the Iron Monger's systems.
The explosion that followed was massive. Stane's suit was destroyed, and the man himself was no more. But the cost was high—Tony's suit had taken heavy damage, and he collapsed on the rooftop, injured and barely conscious.
Hela stepped closer, hidden in the shadows, her heart aching at the sight of Tony lying there, battered but alive. She could hear Pepper and Rhodey rushing to his side, calling for emergency help. Knowing her work was done, she stepped back into the darkness.
Hela had barely finished patching up her thoughts on Tony's reckless battle when she watched the next press conference live from her comfortable seat at the Black Heart restaurant. Harry was busy testing new recipes in the kitchen, but Hela sat frozen as Tony, standing in front of a room filled with reporters, held the world in suspense.
Tony began the conference with his usual charisma, sidestepping the questions about the chaos caused by the Iron Monger battle with humor and deflection. But as the press hounded him, demanding answers, Tony paused dramatically.
And then, with the same audacity that had made him a nightmare for Hela to manage, he dropped the bombshell:
"I am Iron Man."
The room erupted in chaos. Reporters shouted over one another, cameras flashed wildly, and the world seemed to tilt on its axis for Hela. She sat there, gripping the arms of her chair so tightly that the wood creaked.
"Does this man ever think before speaking?" she muttered to herself.
Before she could fully process the ramifications of that announcement, Tony dropped another piece of news. With the same bold confidence, he declared Stark Industries would no longer have anything to do with weapons manufacturing. Instead, the company would focus entirely on clean energy initiatives.
The room fell into stunned silence for a moment before the reporters erupted again, their questions flying as fast as their shutters clicked.
Hela leaned back in her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, stepping out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel.
"Your favorite Gryffindor just declared to the entire planet that he's Iron Man," she replied with a sigh, pointing to the television.
Harry smirked, glancing at the screen. "Well, that does sound like him. Bold, reckless, and utterly lacking in self-preservation."
Hela groaned. "And he's dragging Stark Industries into the spotlight with him. Clean energy is a noble goal, but the shareholders are going to riot."
Harry shrugged, heading back into the kitchen. "That's your problem. You're the one who decided to buy shares in his company."
Hela glared at his retreating back. "You're lucky I love you."
As she turned her attention back to the press conference, she couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and exasperation. Tony Stark was a fool—an infuriating, brilliant, courageous fool. And now, thanks to his announcement, their carefully laid plans for staying under the radar had just gotten a whole lot more complicated.
"Looks like I'm going to be very busy," Hela muttered, pulling out her phone to start damage control.
To Hela's surprise, the shareholders of Stark Industries had little to complain about after Tony's dramatic announcement. While his decision to cease weapon manufacturing had initially raised concerns, the revelation of Iron Man sent the company's stock prices soaring. Americans loved their superheroes, and with Tony Stark's identity out in the open, Stark Industries had become a household name for innovation and heroism.
But where the shareholders saw profits, Hela saw chaos.
The battle between Iron Man and Iron Monger had left significant destruction in its wake, with ruined streets, damaged buildings, and countless claims of injury and property loss. Public sentiment might have been on Tony's side, but the city's authorities and affected citizens were another matter entirely.
Hela found herself working overtime to manage the fallout.
For days, she juggled meetings with city officials, legal representatives, and insurance companies. She ensured Stark Industries covered the costs of rebuilding the damaged areas while negotiating settlements with individuals affected by the collateral damage. Each meeting required precision, charm, and an iron will to protect both the company's reputation and its finances.
"You're taking this far too seriously," Harry said one evening as he set a plate of freshly baked pastries in front of her.
Hela looked up from a stack of documents with a tired glare. "You mean unlike your carefree attitude toward everything?"
Harry smirked, sitting down across from her. "Come on, admit it. You're good at this. Cleaning up Stark's messes suits you."
She sighed, leaning back in her chair and taking one of the pastries. "I didn't sign up to be his babysitter. I bought those shares to secure our financial future, not to run his company or deal with his recklessness."
"And yet, here you are," Harry said, sipping his tea with a grin. "You could sell the shares and walk away."
Hela shot him a look. "Don't tempt me."
Despite her complaints, Hela knew she couldn't walk away just yet. Tony's vision for clean energy had potential, and despite his flaws, he was trying to make a difference. She admired that, even if it meant cleaning up after him constantly.
By the end of the week, Hela had successfully resolved the majority of the issues. She ensured compensation for the victims and worked with city officials to rebuild better infrastructure. The media began spinning the story as one of heroism and corporate responsibility, further boosting Stark Industries' public image.
As Hela finally closed the last file and leaned back in her chair, Harry walked in with a glass of wine.
"Done saving the world one lawsuit at a time?" he teased.
"For now," Hela replied, taking the glass with a small smile. "But if Tony keeps this up, I might start charging him an hourly rate."
Harry laughed. "You'd make a fortune."
As she sipped her wine, Hela allowed herself a moment of peace. Tony Stark might be a handful, but with her guidance—and a lot of patience—she was confident they could navigate whatever chaos came next.
Author's Note:
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