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Pepper Potts froze for a moment.
As the personal assistant to Tony Stark, the head of a global weapons conglomerate, ordinary underground forces meant nothing to her. However, an organization said to control eighty percent of the world's underground power was an entirely different matter—and one that demanded attention.
What shocked her even more was the fact that such a force had actually been destroyed, and not by a conventional military or government army.
"Happy, are you sure about this?" she asked.
"If they really are that powerful, then they could definitely help us find Tony."
Happy nodded solemnly.
"Pepper, you know I'm Tony's bodyguard. People in my line of work have to understand the underworld, and we need intelligence channels of our own. Otherwise, we wouldn't even know when someone puts a bounty on Tony's head."
"The fall of the High Table, along with the shutdown and transformation of the Continental Hotel, was the biggest news in the underground world."
"They say this organization has a history of over a thousand years, with branches all over the world. And with the resources and intelligence they seized from the High Table, as long as they're willing to put in the effort, they can still send people into that region."
"They might even be able to determine more clearly who attacked Tony."
"But hiring them is extremely difficult—and for most people, the price is completely unaffordable."
Happy knew very well that the real problem wasn't money.
It was that he simply wasn't qualified to hire them.
With his status, he probably wouldn't even get the chance to meet one of their agents. After all, he was just a bodyguard, and the resources he could mobilize for Stark Industries were extremely limited.
Pepper Potts was different.
Although she was "just a secretary" in name, the responsibilities she handled were far beyond those of an ordinary assistant.
After hearing Happy's explanation, Pepper found herself partly convinced—but not completely. She still needed JARVIS to verify everything.
Tony's disappearance made her unwilling to trust anyone easily.
"I understand, Happy. I'll think about it," she said.
Happy nodded and left Pepper's office.
After he left, Pepper didn't stop to rest. Instead, she got into her car and drove straight to Tony's residence.
After passing identity verification and entering Tony's villa, Pepper spoke to the air:
"JARVIS, retrieve all available information on the High Table, the Continental Hotel, and the forces responsible for destroying the Continental."
"Understood, Miss Potts. Please wait a moment."
Less than a few minutes later, JARVIS spoke again.
"The information has been transmitted to the computer on the desk in front of you. Please review it at your convenience."
Pepper walked over to the computer, opened the folder, and began reading.
JARVIS's search had been extremely thorough, pulling data from every relevant source on the dark web. He even located a specialized site containing information on the Assassin Brotherhood. However, due to insufficient access privileges, Pepper chose not to force entry illegally.
The computer contained a massive amount of information, most of it related to the High Table and the Continental Hotel.
As she went through the files, Pepper realized that Happy hadn't lied. She also came to understand just how powerful the Assassin Brotherhood was—to have destroyed such a massive organization, even though the intelligence they now possessed was still far inferior to that of the High Table at its peak.
Three days later.
After decrypting several intelligence leads, Pepper Potts brought Happy with her to find John Wick.
New York Assassin Brotherhood(formerly the New York Continental Hotel)
"Mr. John Wick, I would like to meet the leader of the Assassin Brotherhood—Mr. Smith Doyle."
"This is my business card."
John Wick looked at the man and woman standing at his doorstep. After hesitating briefly, he accepted the card.
Pepper Potts — Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Stark Industries.
At first, John Wick hadn't paid much attention to the title. But once he read it carefully, his expression became serious.
Even as an assassin, he was well aware of Stark Industries' global influence—and of the importance of the woman standing before him.
"I'd like to know why Miss Potts wishes to meet our leader," John Wick said.
Pepper didn't state her purpose directly. Instead, she replied:
"I have something extremely important to discuss with him—something that would be a definite benefit to him."
"Please inform Mr. Smith Doyle."
"I believe that, as the assistant to the chairman of Stark Industries, I'm qualified to meet Mr. Smith."
Since she didn't explain further, John Wick guessed that this might be related to the Dragon Balls. As for selling weapons to the Assassin Brotherhood, he ruled that out entirely.
"I'll contact the Director, but I can't guarantee he'll agree to meet you."
Pepper Potts smiled politely.
"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Wick."
Meanwhile.
Smith Doyle was currently training in the facility, wearing a weighted combat suit. As for the gravity chamber he had long dreamed of, it was nowhere in sight.
Fox had told him the day before that some of the equipment and materials Bulma needed were completely out of stock and simply couldn't be purchased. Even what could be ordered hadn't arrived yet—an order of that scale would take time.
"Hah…"
Although the weights had been increased as much as possible, there was no way for him to strap several tons of steel onto his body.
Fox had arranged for a suit forged from osmium, the densest metal available, to serve as additional weight.
Ring ring—ring ring.
While training, Smith Doyle noticed his phone ringing on the table beside him. He stopped, walked over, and answered the call. It was John Wick.
"John, what's going on?"
Hearing Smith's voice, John Wick replied:
"Director, Miss Pepper Potts—assistant to the chairman of Stark Industries—wants to meet you. She says she has matters she'd like to discuss in detail."
Smith Doyle blinked.
Stark Industries.
His first thought was Tony's kidnapping.
How long had Tony been missing now?
Smith Doyle roughly guessed what had happened and said:
"John, bring Miss Pepper Potts to headquarters. I'll meet her."
"Understood, boss."
After hanging up, Smith Doyle turned on his computer and searched for news about Tony Stark.
He discovered that Tony Stark had been missing for nearly three months, and there were even online reports claiming that he was already dead.
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Assassin Brotherhood Headquarters
The door to the reception room opened, and John Wick led Pepper Potts and Happy inside.
"Director, this is Miss Pepper Potts, assistant to the chairman of Stark Industries. This gentleman is Happy Hogan, Chairman Tony Stark's personal bodyguard."
"This is our leader—Mr. Smith Doyle."
After introducing both sides, John Wick left the reception room and stood guard outside the door.