A punch in the guts puts a b*tch in their place - Sun Tzu probably

The gym was a warzone, scorched mats, smoke hanging in the air. With a shrug, Leon shed the full body weight bearing armor, letting it thud to the floor, and set the sword aside.

"When Tony completes the final touch on his armor, I will request myself a less bulky armor," Leon mused, rolling his shoulders to savor the sudden freedom. 

He hit the shower, rinsing off the sweat, then slipped into a sharp black suit. With a quick glance in the mirror, he headed to the garage, slid into his car, and roared onto the highway, speeding toward Stark Industries.

....

An hour later, he rolled up to the Stark Building, its glass and steel frame gleaming in the sun. He flashed his ID at the entrance, breezing past security. The place was a fortress, every door, every level locked with ID scans, fingerprints, or eye checks. The higher you climbed, the stricter it got. As the nation's top arms maker, Stark Industries guarded its secrets like gold. Blueprints, core tech and any slip could tank them.

As Leon crossed the lobby, a voice crackled through a hidden comms link elsewhere in the building. "Boss, Leon's here. Heading for the chairman's office."

Up top, Obadiah Stane lounged in his executive suite, a cigar smoldering between his teeth. He puffed out a cloud of smoke, brow creasing at the update. "What's that kid doing here now?" he muttered. "Thought he wasn't interested in the company." Intrigued, he crushed the cigar, adjusted his suit, and stepped out with two beefy bodyguards in black falling in behind him.

They hit a corridor and go to the room where Leon strolled into view, hands in his pockets, eyes flicking over the high tech setup, holographic displays, prototype drones, though his face stayed cool, giving nothing away.

"Well, well, Leon!" Obadiah's voice boomed, thick with fake cheer. "Been a long while. Finally gracing the company with your presence? You do own shares, you know." He spread his arms, closing in for a bear hug.

But as Obadiah neared, Leon's fist lashed out a tight left hook to the gut. Obadiah's eyes popped, face whitened as he curled inward. The sudden blow froze everyone, Obadiah hadn't clocked it, and neither had his guards. 

Finally after a few seconds, the two in black lunged, one cocking a fist.

"Stop!" Obadiah croaked, clutching his stomach as he waved them back. The guards halted, eyes still pinned on Leon, tense and ready.

"What the hell, kid?" Obadiah straightened with a grimace, rubbing his midsection. "You nearly made me puke my lunch. What's your problem?"

Leon shrugged, hands sliding back into his pockets, tone casual. "Sorry, Obadiah. I got attacked in Afghanistan recently. It's keeping me on edge. Seeing you coming near me I thought you were coming in hot."

Obadiah forced a strained laugh. "On edge, huh? Fair enough. Damn terrorists, screwing with your head. It's alright Leon." He brushed it off, though a twitch in his eye hinted at the sting.

"Yeah," Leon said, face blank. "You good? Should I call a doctor?"

"I'm fine," Obadiah gritted out, forcing a grin.

"Cool. Heading to Tony's office, I need to grab something." Leon brushed past, leaving Obadiah and his guards in the hall.

As Leon's steps faded, Obadiah's warm facade cracked.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Apologies for not uploading yesterday, my keyboard was broken.