Arthur's Temporary Office, Stark Industries West Coast HQ
The temporary office hummed with the controlled energy of reconstruction. Blueprints for the damaged Stark Tower dominated one wall, while screens displayed stabilizing financial projections. The media storm had passed, settling on Coulson's convenient narrative. Stane was a flawed hero.The immediate crisis was contained.
Arthur reviewed a final, heavily encrypted report from Anya Sharma's Aegis team. It was a dossier detailing the compromised dealings of the last few Stark Industries board members – Chen, Thorne, Collins. Minor players, but loose ends nonetheless.
He closed the file. Time to sweep the corners. He made a call first.
Tony Stark's Workshop, Malibu
Tony, looking almost fully recovered, was arguing with Dum-E over the precise torque settings for a Mark III repulsor calibration. Holograms flickered around him. Pepper managed logistics nearby, while Rhodey observed, arms crossed.
Arthur entered, holding a simple, unmarked data slate.
"Steele!" Tony greeted him without looking up. "Perfect timing. Settle a bet. Variable thrust vectoring – essential for atmospheric combat, or just showing off?"
"Depends on the operator's definition of 'essential'," Arthur replied dryly, placing the slate down. "Speaking of essentials, Phase Four is ready."
Tony paused, glancing at the slate, then at Arthur. Pepper looked up, concerned. "Phase Four? I thought we owned everything?"
"We hold controlling interest," Arthur clarified. "Phases One through Three secured the majority and removed the primary threats. Phase Four addresses the remaining board members – Chen, Thorne, Davies. Minor shareholders who refused to sell when they had the chance planning to ride out the storm, but their documented indiscretions," he tapped the slate, "represent a future liability. Loose ends."
Rhodey frowned. "What kind of indiscretions?"
"Standard executive suite corruption," Arthur stated clinically. "Insider trading, embezzlement, illegal contributions. I compiled the evidence. It's solid."
Pepper looked troubled. "What are you planning, Arthur?"
"Leverage," Arthur replied simply. "A final, clean break. We present them with the evidence and an offer: transfer their shares for a nominal sum – one dollar – in exchange for complete legal immunity and our silence. The alternative is federal prosecution."
"That's blackmail, Steele," Rhodey said flatly.
"It's a strategically leveraged settlement, Colonel," Arthur corrected calmly. "They face consequences for their documented actions. We are offering an exit ramp that benefits the company's long-term stability." He looked at Tony. "We don't need their shares. This is about eliminating vulnerabilities."
Tony considered it, swirling a glass of water. He recalled the depth of Stane's corruption. The rot ran deep. "Did they know about Obie? About Afghanistan?"
"No direct evidence of complicity in Stane's treason," Arthur confirmed. "Just standard-issue corporate greed and corner-cutting."
Tony made his decision. "Do it," he said firmly. "Sweep the corners. I want this company clean, top to bottom. No more ghosts."
Arthur gave a single, curt nod. "Understood." He picked up the data slate. "I'll handle the necessary communications personally."
Los Angeles
Arthur moved with clinical efficiency. Brief, private meetings were held. Mr. Chen signed over lunch, pale-faced after viewing evidence of insider trading. Ms. Thorne signed amidst the calming facade of a luxury spa, humiliated by proof of embezzled charity funds. Mr. Collins, after blustering defiance at the country club, signed furiously upon seeing irrefutable records of illegal campaign donations.
Arthur's Office
Arthur sat at his desk. On his screen, JARVIS displayed the final confirmation – Collins' shares digitally transferred. A system notification chimed softly.
[MY PLANS Update: Project Phoenix (Status: Phase 4 Complete.)]
[Objective Met: Absolute, Unassailable Control of Stark Industries Secured.]
Arthur leaned back, allowing himself a brief moment of clinical satisfaction. He picked up his phone.
"Tony," he says when the line connects. "Its done. Stark Industries is one hundred percent yours. No remaining board influence."
He hears Tony let out a long, satisfied breath on the other end. "Clean slate. Feels good." There's a pause. "Okay, almost clean. There's still that other thing."
Arthur frowned slightly. "Other thing?"
"Yeah," Tony's voice grew thoughtful. "While you were busy playing corporate grim reaper... JARVIS found something odd... thousands of small, coordinated purchases... nearly twenty percent of the public shares..."
Arthur remained silent.
"Weird, right?" Tony pressed mischievously. "Almost like someone knew exactly when to buy... You wouldn't happen to know anything about a mysterious, very wealthy, very strategic buyer... would you, Steele?"
Arthur picked up a pen. "Market fluctuations attract diverse investors, Tony. Remarkable coincidence, though."
"Coincidence," Tony repeated flatly. "Uh-huh. You're sticking with that?"
"Is there another matter requiring my attention?" Arthur asked smoothly.
Tony let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Fine! Be mysterious, but that 20% of coincidence better not interfere in the company matters... Alright, Steele? Now... about that raise..."
Arthur permitted himself a small smile. "I assure you legally... individual shareholders amounting to any percentage of public shares collectively cannot participate in company matters unless they select a common representative, they are in it for the money and also my rates for that raise are outlined in my retainer agreement, Tony. Payable upon receipt."
Ezekiel Stane's Penthouse Apartment, Los Angeles
The apartment felt sterile, untouched. Sunlight streamed through the large windows. Ezekiel Stane stood stiffly by the window, haunted, the grief a palpable weight. He turned as the buzzer announced his unwanted guests.
Tony entered first, hesitant. Arthur followed, carrying the secure briefcase.
"Zeke," Tony began quietly. "Look, I... hell. I'm sorry. About your dad. About... everything."
Ezekiel turned slowly, his eyes dark pools of pain and anger. "Sorry?" His voice was tight. "The news said it was an accident. Your accident. Just like Dad always warned."
Tony flinched. "Zeke, that's..."
"The reality is more complex," Arthur interjected smoothly, opening the briefcase to reveal the StarkPad. "Mr. Stane, what you believe is based on narratives constructed for various purposes. The truth..." He activated the pad, displaying the curated evidence: the audio log ordering the hit, the Section 16 manifests, the Iron Monger schematics, the attack footage. "...is considerably darker."
Ezekiel sank onto the sofa as the images played, disbelief warring with horror. "No..." he whispered, shaking his head. "My dad... he wouldn't... He always said you were the problem. That you inherited everything while he did the real work... that you were undeserving."
Tony moved to sit opposite Zeke, leaning forward, his expression filled with pained empathy. "Zeke, listen. The Obie I knew growing up... he did build this company alongside my father. He was brilliant. He was family." Tony paused. "But somewhere... something twisted. The man who ordered that hit, who ripped this out of my chest..." Tony touched the reactor beneath his shirt. "...that wasn't the man who taught me about circuit boards. He got lost. Consumed by resentment, maybe." He looked Zeke directly in the eye. "The things he told you about me... maybe he even believed them by the end. But they weren't the whole truth, Zeke. He was poisoning himself, don't let it do the same to you." Tony sighed. "Believe me, I know what it feels like to have to live with the expectations of a brilliant man as you father, Howard Stark was a great man,but he was a lot more complicated as well, maybe he did not live long enough to become what Obie did or maybe your father couldn't handle the loss of his best friend and immediately after that with the loss of your mother... we became the outlet of his grief, atleast that is what I would like to believe."
Arthur closed the StarkPad. "Your father made choices, Mr. Stane. He initiated the conflict." He placed two documents on the table. "This," a slim folder, "is the evidence summary." He indicated a thicker document. "And this... is about acknowledging the part of his legacy that wasn't poisoned."
Ezekiel looked up, confused.
"During the restructuring," Arthur explained, "Tony insisted a portion remain tied to the Stane family name – acknowledging your father's decades of legitimate contribution."
"It's two percent of SI private stock," Tony said quietly. "In trust for you. It's not hush money, Zeke. It's because whatever Obie became... before that, he and my dad built something incredible together. That part deserves to be remembered. And you deserve a future not defined only by his ending, or by the lies he told you."
Ezekiel stared at the documents, then at Tony, seeing the genuine regret. The anger hadn't vanished, but the certainty behind it faltered. He reached out a trembling hand towards the documents.
"We'll leave these with you," Arthur said softly, closing his briefcase. "JARVIS has secured a direct line." He gave Tony a subtle nod. They let themselves out, leaving Ezekiel Stane alone with the shattered truth and a complicated path forward.
Tony Stark's Workshop, Malibu
Tony tinkered with a gauntlet, the focused energy back in his movements. Arthur stood nearby, reviewing post-Phase Four transition documents on a StarkPad.
"Alright, Steele," Tony said suddenly, setting the gauntlet down. "We cleaned house. Company's mine, free and clear. Thanks to you." He turned to face Arthur fully. "Which brings me to the next logical step. Stark Industries needs a Head of Legal who can pull rabbits out of hats made of pure legal trouble. Someone smart, ruthless, who already knows how all the tricks work because he invented half of them." He grinned. "The job's yours. Name your price."
Arthur looked up from his StarkPad, considering the offer for a moment. He shook his head slightly. "Thank you for the offer, Tony. It's generous. But no."
Tony blinked, genuinely surprised. "No? After basically rebuilding my empire with paperclips and loopholes, you don't want the throne?"
"My current arrangement suits me," Arthur replied calmly. "I'm more effective operating as your personal counsel, providing strategic advice across all your ventures, rather than being solely focused on SI's internal administration."
He allowed himself a small, dry smile. "Besides, I find my attention is increasingly... required elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?" Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Secret second family? Offshore stamp collection? Come on, spill."
"Let's just say I intend to diversify," Arthur said smoothly. "There are other fires, other individuals prone to causing... expensive problems... who might benefit from discreet guidance." He met Tony's gaze. "Think of it as expanding the operational mandate beyond just keeping you out of congressional hearings."
Tony stared at him, processing. Arthur wasn't just his fixer anymore. "Alright, fine," Tony conceded with a dramatic sigh. "Be your own shadowy legal ninja. Just keep me on speed dial." He paused, looking Arthur up and down with a new, appraising glint in his eye. "You know, the way you saved my ass with that old reactor, fixed the Air Force mess with a phone call, took down the board with nothing but a data slate and some leverage... It's uncanny. Like you can just whip up a solution out of thin air with whatever's lying around." He snapped his fingers. "MacGyver! That's it. You're my own personal, ridiculously overqualified, probably-making-a-bomb-out-of-a-paperclip-right-now MacGyver."
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of dry amusement in his eyes. "An... inventive comparison, Tony. Though my solutions typically involve fewer explosions and more carefully worded contracts."
Tony laughed, picking up the gauntlet again. "Details, MacGyver, details."
Arthur merely gave a noncommittal nod, returning his attention to the StarkPad. Their unique partnership – friend, client – was solidified, but its boundaries were subtly shifting. The New Era wasn't just for Stark Industries; it was for Arthur Steele as well.
A/N.
And that's curtains on Project phoenix.
I had a lot of fun writing it. Even though it coincides with the Arc , I wanted it to feel like a natural part of the story and I am pretty satisfied with the outcome. It helped me build relationships with the characters without seeming abrupt or forced.
I watched Iron heart and was honestly very disappointed with what they did with Zeke, he is a very fascinating character in the comics , which was under utilized in the show, that whole show was in itself a lot of lost potential, though I loved the Mephisto twist...
I wanted to atleast show what his motivations were like in the comics, I have no intention of, or rather I am not able to incorporate him in my story, as my fic is inspired by the MCU events, but I still wanted to give a nod to the character and nip a future threat in the bud.
And I know you will ask, why there was no timeline correction here?
You will understand what I am doing in the next two chapters, please don't drop bad reviews for contradiction before that
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But please drop reviews for the story and how you feel about it till now