Chapter 9: Eliminating the suspects

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Apartment

Morning

Barry threw the covers off him and stood up, trying to clear his mind from sleep as he looked around his apartment. Or, he guessed Sabastian's apartment. Tony and Pepper had set him up with it while he was undercover, as it was easier than going back to The Compound every night. On his off days, he till went back to the Compound and he still talked with the other Avengers, mostly Steve and Wanda. Sometimes, he had the other Avengers over.

Like last night, Barry thought with amusement as he walked into his living room to see Sam passed out on the couch. Someone had had a little too much to drink last night. Barry walked into the kitchen to see Wanda eating a bowl of cereal.

"Hey," Barry greeted before speeding over to the cabinet and, before Wanda even realized it, he had bread and butter out, "shouldn't you two be getting back to the compound right now?"

"How much trouble can we get in?" Wanda shrugged and Barry shook his head.

"Well, I'm not the one training with Natasha." Barry said and Wanda paused, her spoon frozen in mid-air.

"Perhaps it would be best if we get ready to go." Wanda said and Barry laughed.

"Hey," Barry looked over at her and noticed she had a hair stuck to her chin, most likely it had gotten stuck there while she slept, "you got um…"

Barry gestured to her mouth and she reached for where he pointed but didn't get it. Barry, almost without thought, sped over and gently removed the hair. As his fingers made contact with her skin, a bolt of electricity seemed to course through him. Judging by the startled look on Wanda's face, she felt it to. Barry hastily lowered his hand as Sam walked in, holding his head in pain.

"Ugg, why'd you let me drink that much?" Sam complained, nursing his hangover.

"Let you? I told you to stop! You threw up over my shoes before you passed out on my couch!" Barry protested.

"Okay, not so loud." Sam pleaded, holding his head and Barry rolled his eyes.

"Make sure he gets back to the compound alright. And tell Natasha to kick his ass for me." Barry muttered to Wanda, who giggled.

"Oh, so that's how you gonna play it man?" Sam complained as Barry buttered his toast at super speed.

"You threw up on my shoes and passed out on my couch!" Barry reminded him before taking a bite of his toast.

Stark Industries

Later in the morning

"Okay," Pepper said her hands in front of her as Barry sat in the chair in front of her desk, "you've been here for two weeks now, do you have any idea who the mole could be?"

"I've narrowed it down to three suspects. Samantha Grayson." Barry began.

"She's been a loyal employee for years. Why would she throw in with these Mercenaries?" Pepper inquired.

"Back when Tony turned the company from a weapons manufacturing business into what it is now, thousands of people lost their jobs. One of them was Samantha's husband, Carl, who took his own life a few months later. That gives her motive. And she was in on this project from the beginning, which also gives her opportunity. And I've talked to her; she has no love for Tony or you for that matter." Barry explained and Pepper frowned.

"And the other two?" Pepper said after a moment.

"Paul Clarkson. Been with Stark Industries for twenty years, when it was manufacturing weapons, he was head of the department. But after Tony's change of direction, he was put at the bottom, as Stark Industries had no more use for weapons. He's had to work his way up for years and he's still nowhere close to where he was before Tony changed the company. Revenge can be a powerful motivator." Barry noted and Pepper nodded.

"And the third suspect?"

"Joseph Thompson started here six months ago. But I had Clint and Natasha do a little digging, there is no record of him prior to him applying for his job here." Barry explained and Pepper frowned.

"Nothing?" She inquired.

"Not so much as a speeding ticket." Barry confirmed.

"How did this not come up in his interview?" Pepper inquired.

"It's your company. I'm just here to do a job." Barry shrugged and Pepper nodded, taking a few deep, calming breaths.

"Okay, thank you for this Barry. Now, we just need to figure out who it is." Pepper said with a frown.

"Yeah, finding out someone you trust is betraying you is never fun." Barry muttered, thinking of Thawne and Zoom.

Avengers' compound

Afternoon

Sam plopped down on the couch, groaning in pain as Wanda, who was reading a book, smirked at his predicament.

"Rough training session?" She quipped and he groaned in response.

"Tell Allen…he's dead when I see him." Sam groaned as Rhodey walked in.

"Shouldn't drink so much when you're on duty." Rhodey said.

"I wasn't on duty." Sam groaned.

"We're Avengers man, we're always on duty." Rhodey pointed out.

"Shut up," Sam groaned as he managed to lift himself into a sitting position as he looked over at Wanda, "So, when you and Barry gonna do something about whatever you to have going on?"

"I…do not know what you're talking about." Wanda said, looking determinedly down at her book as she flushed.

"I believe what Sam is trying to say is that you like him…and he likes you." Rhodey pointed out.

"You are mistaken. Barry does not feel that way about me." Wanda said and the two men could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"It's pretty obvious he does. To everyone but you and him that is." Rhodey assured her.

Stark Industries

Same time

"So, Joseph's legit?" Barry said on the phone in his office.

"Yeah, I called Tony about it. Apparently, he's in witness protection. Tony made a deal with the FBI to set him up with a job here." Pepper explained and Barry sighed.

"Okay, well, that's one down, two to go." Barry said as Cindy, his assistant Pepper had assigned him, walked in.

"Mr. Schmidt, your one O'clock is here." She said, moving brown hair out of her eyes.

"Thank you, send him in." Barry said politely and she nodded as he hung up.

Paul Clarkson walked in as Barry eyed him carefully. Paul was a man in his early sixties with greying brown/blonde hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a suit and had a tense look on his face.

"Mr. Schmidt." Paul greeted and Barry nodded.

"Mr. Clarkson. Please have a seat," Barry gestured to the chair in front of his desk and Paul took it, "I'm going to be conducting an interview here. In short, we suspect someone of corporate espionage."

"And you think I did it?" Paul demanded, anger in his voice.

"We have to look at everyone with a motive, you understand," Barry said apologetically, "now, seven years ago, you were at the top of the food chain before Mr. Stark changed the company, stopped the production of weapons. That must have made you very angry."

"It did, I worked hard to get to that position. Doesn't mean I would sell Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts out. I've got no love for Stark, but Ms. Potts has always treated us great. I would never betray her." Paul said firmly.

"But it wasn't just your job that you lost, was it? Your wife left you, took your son with her. You only get him on weekends. All because Tony Stark decided he wasn't gonna manufacture weapons anymore. That would push anyone over the end, given time." Barry said carefully, eying Paul carefully for his reaction.

"I'll admit, I wasn't happy," Paul admitted, "I hated Stark, I still do. But I didn't sell out Ms. Potts. I swear on my son's life."

Barry eyed Paul carefully, trying to determine whether he was lying or not. But Barry had been lied to and manipulated enough times to know when someone was trying it by now. And this man reminded Barry of his own father, honest and decent, someone who had been wronged but hadn't let it make him bitter or hateful.

"I believe you," Barry said and could see Paul sag back in his chair in relief, "you're free to go. Please, keep this between us. If there is a spy among our staff, I'd like to not alert them."

"Of course, if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know." Paul said in clear relief.

"You've done more than enough, thank you." Barry said with a kind smile.

Once Paul was gone, Barry frowns, a grim sort of satisfaction and victory settling over him. He and Pepper had eliminated the suspects. All but one: Samantha Grayson. Who, as Barry had pointed out to Pepper that morning, had means, opportunity and, most importantly, motive.

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