"Every time I hear more about this, the situation just keeps getting weirder" Tony commented, bringing the glass to his lips and taking a sip of his drink.
Prime observed the scene with a faint smile playing on his lips. To him, although Tony was responding with the words everyone expected to hear, his reaction seemed surprisingly composed. Prime had anticipated a more extravagant or arrogant response from Tony, but seeing him there made him realize the billionaire was handling the situation in a much calmer and more ordinary manner than he had anticipated.
"Setting aside the fact that you're an alien, I came here today because I have a question for you" Tony said, looking directly at Prime.
"What is it?" Prime asked, though deep down he already knew exactly what it was about.
"Has Obadiah contacted you recently proposing some new business?" Tony asked, getting straight to the point with an inquisitive look.
Prime briefly reflected on the question. He saw no reason to beat around the bush. Ultimately, keeping secrets or hiding the truth would not bring any real benefit. On the contrary, he concluded that it would be much more advantageous in the long run to be straightforward with Tony and tell him the whole truth at once.
"Yes, he's reached out several times" Prime shrugged with an indifferent expression. "Since Sara first showed up at one of his meetings, Obadiah has been trying to contact me to discuss this new project supposedly in need of investments"
"Have you agreed to be a part of it?" Tony asked, his voice tinged with regret.
Prime realized Tony was already aware of what had really happened the day he was kidnapped. Tony probably wanted to know if Prime was siding with Obadiah or not.
"From the beginning, everything seemed rather suspicious to me. Besides, we all know that without you, Stark Industries wouldn't be what they are today. In short, I have no interest in investing in something so uncertain and ambiguous" Prime said, shifting his gaze back to Tony.
Upon hearing these words, Tony let out a brief sigh of relief. According to his investigations, all his investors had accepted Obadiah's proposal, which could only mean one thing: they were all betting that Tony would die in that desert.
"But why are you asking me this out of the blue? I fail to see how it relates to what we were discussing" Prime asked with a sideways smile.
Upon hearing Prime's words, Tony briefly pondered whether he should tell Ryan. After all, it was Ryan who had encouraged him to be suspicious of Obadiah. Tony decided to assume that Ryan had been aware of what was going on from the beginning.
"This has nothing to do with our earlier conversation about you being an alien or whatever. I asked because Obadiah... he's likely the one who handed me over to the terrorists. Furthermore, he's probably the one selling my weapons to them" Tony said.
Prime was not surprised by Tony's discovery; in fact, he knew Tony would eventually find out. However, the speed with which Tony arrived at this conclusion impressed Prime. He had even imagined that Tony might have realized since their days in the cave, but simply didn't want to believe it.
"You speak as if you're certain" Prime commented, raising an eyebrow. He knew Tony was right, but still wanted to hear more.
Listening to Prime's words, Tony began to recall everything he had done since he returned. Prime listened in silence. Initially, they seemed like normal activities, at least in the eyes of others, but Prime realized Tony was just observing everything around him.
"In the end, I decided to call the investors, although they all denied having been in contact with Obadiah. Pepper confirmed this" Tony concluded.
Prime quickly grasped Tony's message. Essentially, aside from understanding Prime's true nature, Tony was also seeking to confirm whether Prime was aligned with Obadiah, something which Prime promptly denied.
"So, what do you intend to do?" Prime asked, fixing his gaze directly on Tony.
Listening to Ryan's question, Tony lightly spun his glass, the drink still there as Tony hadn't finished it. He seriously pondered what to do since discovering Obadiah's true nature. Despite his desire to make Obadiah pay, Tony felt indebted to him for all the help over the years. So, Tony made a decision.
"I'll buy him out of the company, offering him a sum to start his own. Initially, I thought about handing him over to the police, but my father trusted him, and even though he betrayed that trust, I still want to believe in what my father saw in him" Tony said with conviction.
Prime personally didn't know what to think about this matter. From Prime's point of view, Tony should consider eliminating Obadiah, given that he tried to do the same to him. However, Prime thought that would be too radical a solution. At the very least, he believed Tony should turn him over to the authorities. In the end, the final decision lay with Tony.
Of course, Prime wasn't naive enough to think Obadiah would easily accept that. He was sure Obadiah wouldn't agree, and Tony probably knew that too. After all, none of this would have happened if Obadiah were easy to handle.
"If that's what you want" Prime said, shrugging. "Either way, if something happens, call me. If I don't hear from you or anything, I'll know something happened"
Listening to Ryan's words, Tony was confused. He didn't understand why Ryan seemed to want to help him, especially since he didn't assist in getting out of that desert cave. Though Tony didn't find it necessary, he decided to keep Ryan's words in mind.
"Okay, I'll do that, although I doubt anything will really happen" Tony said as he stood up.
Adjusting his suit, Tony turned to Ryan and saw him with a slight smile, as if toasting Tony. Prime watched Tony look at Annie and Emma; he seemed to want to say something but quickly gave up on the idea. Prime didn't delve into the matter.
After Tony left, leaving only Sara, Annie, Emma, and Prime in the room, a momentary silence fell before Annie's words echoed.
"He seems... more normal than I initially imagined" Annie said, sounding puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Prime asked, turning his gaze to her.
"He's wealthy. I thought he'd be more arrogant, something like that" Annie shrugged.
Listening to Annie's words, Prime let out a brief laugh. She was practically describing Tony before he was kidnapped and taken to that cave. However, Prime also couldn't deny that Tony had undergone an almost radical change. His behavior and lifestyle had completely transformed. In Prime's eyes, Tony now seemed to view the world with a new perspective, more realistic and aware.
"You know, when I first met him, he really was as you described" Sara commented from the kitchen. "I'm also a bit surprised by this change in personality. Actually, it's kind of scary to see how someone can change so quickly"
As she spoke these words, Sara walked into the living room and took Tony's seat from moments before. Then, she looked at Prime with a suggestive smile on her lips.
"So, what's all this for? You have a plan, don't you? I doubt you just developed an interest in Tony overnight" Sara said, resting her chin on her hand while looking directly at Prime.
Upon hearing Sara's words, Prime sighed. It's not like he was involved in some elaborate scheme or anything. He just found it interesting to notice that Tony seemed to be going through changes. Besides, Prime personally didn't mind becoming friends with the new Tony, especially after his transformation in that cave.