Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of a high-rise Manhattan hotel, spilling across the elegantly decorated restaurant.
Hua Wei, Neos, and Pandora were having breakfast amid the soft, restrained clink of tableware and murmured conversations.
Meanwhile, in the luxurious workshop atop Stark Tower, Tony Stark was tinkering with a new Mark armor component, his hands covered in grease.
Classic rock echoed through the air, while tools and a half-finished cup of coffee lay scattered across the bar counter.
"Sir," JARVIS's steady British voice suddenly sounded, and the music lowered accordingly. "Anomalous transactions have been detected in your bank account. Between eight and eleven last night, several small purchases were made, totaling $8,743. As the individual amounts were low and you were resting, you were not notified immediately. The purchases were concentrated in downtown New York City."
Tony paused, picked up a towel to wipe his hands, and wore an amused expression. "Someone dared to touch my account? Pretty gutsy. And they bypassed the bank firewall... looks like they're no ordinary player."
He walked over to the holographic display, where JARVIS had already laid out the transaction records clearly.
"A café? A hotel? A restaurant?" Tony raised a brow. "This guy stole my money, then stayed at a hotel right under my nose? Is that provocation or stupidity?"
He stroked the stubble on his chin, competitive fire flashing in his eyes.
"JARVIS, where did the final transaction take place?"
"At the hotel's rooftop panoramic restaurant, sir."
"Excellent." Tony snapped his fingers. "Get the car ready. I'm going to meet this... outrageously bold thief in person."
He had practically decided that this was the stunt of some technically gifted, wildly imaginative fan trying to get his attention.
Before long, a conspicuous Audi R8 pulled up outside the hotel.
Tony Stark, wearing