"Tony Stark, head of Stark Industries, has not appeared in public for days. Has something happened to him?"
"Is there more to young vice president Pepper's rise to power?"
"Stark Industries' share price may face..."
"..."
Obadiah looked impatiently at the "news" he had paid people to publish.
He had never expected the willful Tony to stay cooped up in the tower for so long.
Even less had he expected Tony's newly hired bodyguard to be so powerful.
He had actually caught a pistol bullet fired "by accident"!
Granted, it had only been a relatively low-powered pistol.
But it was still a bullet!
At that moment, Obadiah finally realized that Tony had truly changed.
The media offensive had been a last resort.
Cruel words were like bullets.
But they could only hurt good people.
Tony Stark certainly could not be considered a good person at present.
An arms dealer, a paragon of virtue?
Who would believe that?
What decent person dealt in weapons?
Besides, they were not the only side capable of using the media.
Click, click.
Camera flashes went off one after another.
Stark Industries had set up a venue at a hotel equipped to host events.
They were holding a showcase for their new weapons.
This was Tony Stark's response.
He had discovered that his uncle was the main force behind the media campaign.
Other arms manufacturers had helped fan the flames.
But he did not want to fall out with his only remaining relative.
Tony Stark stood at the podium, brimming with confidence.
Images appeared one after another on the screen behind him.
"The Majeck Missile is the latest offensive missile developed by Stark Industries. Paired with a satellite capable of pinpoint targeting, it delivers more precise strikes..."
Footage of the Majeck Missile's test launches played on