Chapter 27: Shadows of Deception
The Batcave hummed with the sound of supercomputers and the distant rumble of underground water. I stood at the terminal, my fingers flying across the keyboard as Oracle relayed information in my ear.
"Sir, I've begun the trace on Mark Poni. Bank accounts across three offshore jurisdictions suggest he's been hired through a third party. But it's the intermediary, Mr. Richards, that's of particular interest."
I leaned closer to the screen, the glow from the monitors casting a cold light over the cave. "Go on."
"Mr. Richards doesn't exist. He's an alias used through a shell corporation tied to an account… connected to Stark Industries."
I paused, my mind racing. Tony's company had its hands in a lot of industries, but it was strictly legitimate. If this was linked to Stark Industries, something far darker was happening under the surface.
"Which division?" I asked, already suspecting the answer.
"The trail leads back to Advanced Projects. And it's tied to Obadiah Stane."
I felt a surge of anger. Stane. Of course. He was always the shadow looming over Stark Industries, the one pulling strings when Tony wasn't looking. But to orchestrate a hit on me, to go this far? That wasn't business—it was personal.
"Oracle," I said, my voice cold, "I need full access to Stane's personal files, finances, and any digital communications."
"Already on it, sir. It'll take a few minutes to bypass the security protocols."
As Oracle worked, I paced. The cave felt smaller, the walls closing in with the weight of the revelation. Stane hadn't just targeted me—he'd endangered Alfred, and worse, he'd likely orchestrated Tony's recent troubles. If Stane wanted to eliminate us both, then his ambition was clear: he wanted to control Stark Industries completely.
The console beeped. Oracle's voice cut through my thoughts.
"I'm in. I've accessed Stane's personal servers. You'll want to see this."
I tapped a key, and a flurry of documents flashed on the screen. Weapon schematics, orders to international clients, and encrypted communications. Each deal was worse than the last—advanced weaponry sold to rogue nations, terrorist organizations, and criminal syndicates.
"Damn it, Stane," I muttered. "You've been arming half the underworld."
"Sir, there's more. These communications… they're directly linked to known terrorist groups. One of which is active in Afghanistan."
My blood ran cold. Afghanistan. Tony.
Before I could process the full implication, my encrypted phone buzzed. It was Alfred.
"Master Bruce," Alfred's voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of urgency. "There's been an attack. Master Tony… he's been ambushed by a terrorist organization in Afghanistan."
I slammed my fist on the console. "When?"
"Just moments ago. It's all over the news, but there are no details. He was in a convoy when it happened."
I clenched my jaw, suppressing the rage boiling inside me. This wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be. Stane wanted both of us out of the way—first me, and now Tony.
"Oracle, tap into the satellite network. I want footage of the incident."
"Already working on it."
I stared at the screen, watching as Oracle accessed a series of satellite feeds. The footage from the region appeared, showing a convoy of military vehicles moving through the desert. Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the lead vehicle, followed by gunfire from the cliffs above.
There was no mistaking it—this was a coordinated attack, not a random ambush.
"Tony was in that convoy," Oracle said, her voice tinged with concern.
"Track him. We need to find him."
"I'm trying, but there's nothing on the public or military networks."
I slammed my fist on the console again, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Track his watch. The one I gave him."
Oracle paused for a second, then spoke again. "Good thinking. The watch has a built-in GPS tracker. I'll triangulate its signal."
Seconds passed, each one agonizingly slow. Finally, the monitor lit up with a single blinking dot on the map, deep in the heart of the Afghan mountains.
"There," Oracle said. "That's Tony's location."
I didn't wait for further instructions. "Prepare the Batwing. I'm going to Afghanistan."
"Sir, if Stane is behind this, he may have more surprises waiting for you."
"I'm counting on it," I growled, already making my way to the Batwing's hangar.
Within minutes, the Batwing roared to life, and I soared into the sky, punching through the clouds at Mach 4. The desert landscape below blurred into streaks of gold and brown as I closed in on Tony's location.
As I neared the coordinates, I switched to stealth mode, the Batwing becoming nearly invisible to any radar or satellite. The terrain below was harsh, jagged cliffs and dry riverbeds. I scanned the area, searching for signs of life.
There, nestled among the rocks, was a cave.
I touched down a mile away, leaving the Batwing in silent mode as I made my way toward the cave on foot. The entrance was partially hidden by sand and debris, but the recent tracks told me that someone had been here recently.
Cautiously, I entered. The cave was dark, but my cowl's night vision illuminated the space. I moved deeper inside, scanning the walls and floor for any clues. My heart sank when I saw it—the watch, half-buried in the sand.
Tony's watch.
I knelt, picking it up and examining the ground around it. There were signs of a struggle—scuff marks, bullet casings, and the unmistakable tracks of military-grade boots. The terrorists had been here, but they had moved on.
I tapped my comm. "Oracle, I found the cave, but Tony's not here. The terrorists took him somewhere else. Can you pick up their trail?"
"I'll see what I can do," Oracle replied. "There are multiple possible routes they could have taken. I'm cross-referencing with known terrorist activity in the region."
I stood, my fists clenched. Stane had orchestrated this—he had to be the one behind the attack. But why? What was his endgame?
As I exited the cave, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the desert. The hunt was on, and I would find Tony. But when I did, Stane would pay for his betrayal. For now, all I could do was follow the trail of shadows and deception that stretched before me.
The hidden enemy wasn't so hidden anymore.
This was just the beginning.