Tony turned around, staring into his glass and replied half-heartedly, "Yeah, sure."
He let out a long sigh, took a sip of his drink, and said, "God, you guys really need a new name."
Coulson smiled politely, remembering how Smith Doyle had made the same complaint not long ago. He responded with a chuckle:
"You're not the first to say that—even Smith Doyle had some opinions. So we've officially rebranded ourselves as S.H.I.E.L.D."
Tony was a bit surprised they actually changed the name just because people kept making fun of it. He nodded and said:
"S.H.I.E.L.D., huh? Yeah, that sounds way better."
Coulson nodded with a smile and opened the door to another topic:
"As long as people like it. Actually, I've been meaning to ask you two something. Haven't had the chance until now—lucky to find you both here."
Smith Doyle raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What is it?"
"You need both of us to answer?"
Tony, already guessing what this was about thanks to Pepper, spoke first:
"What else could it be? The time he rescued me."
Coulson nodded.
"Yes. We want to know the full story of how Mr. Smith rescued you. Some of the finer details, specifically."
Tony clearly wasn't in the mood and brushed him off:
"This is a gala, not an interrogation room. Not the right time."
"Agent, if you want to talk, make an appointment with my assistant."
Smith could hear the brush-off in Tony's tone but didn't mind. He calmly said:
"It was pretty straightforward—find Tony, eliminate the militants, and bring him back."
"I'm sure an agency like yours knows what I'm capable of. For someone like me, it wasn't a challenge."
Tony remained silent but shot Coulson a curious look. Maybe this "S.H.I.E.L.D." agency really wasn't like the CIA or FBI.
Still smiling, Coulson said:
"Indeed, for someone of your skill, rescuing Tony Stark wouldn't be difficult."
"But we're curious—how did you manage to find him in the vast Afghan desert? The military searched for a month and came up empty-handed."
"Yet from the time you were commissioned to the moment Tony was back home, it didn't even take you three days."
Smith smirked. He thought about the soon-to-be-released combat detection device and replied:
"That has to do with an upcoming product we're launching. I can't say too much right now."
"But when it's ready, S.H.I.E.L.D. will be receiving an invitation. I think everything will make sense then."
Both Coulson and Tony were intrigued. Coulson leaned forward slightly and asked:
"Then we look forward to the product launch."
"But judging from what you've said, you seem to know quite a bit about S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Smith chuckled.
"Given the history of our organization, it's not surprising we know a few things."
"For example, the Strategic Scientific Reserve—famous during World War II."
Coulson was stunned. Even he hadn't heard that name in a long time. Was this the kind of heritage that came from centuries of existence?
For someone like Smith, who had seen so much over time, nothing in the modern world was truly new.
Tony, standing nearby, silently committed the name "Strategic Scientific Reserve" to memory. He would have Jarvis look into it later.
Coulson's expression didn't change. He smiled and said:
"It's true. No one's mentioned that name in years. Looks like you really do know us."
Then he turned to Tony:
"We're done with Mr. Smith. Now, Mr. Stark, could you satisfy my curiosity?"
Before Tony could respond, Coulson continued:
"Since returning from Afghanistan, there's been something on your chest—like an LED light. Can you tell us what that is?"
But Tony was far less cooperative than Smith. He snapped:
"What I wear on my body is none of your business. It's my right."
"Taxpayer money isn't meant to fuel your curiosity."
He set down his drink and, spotting Pepper Potts in the ballroom, turned to Smith:
"You finish eating. I need to have a word with my assistant. Not just anyone should've been let in here."
Without another word, Tony strode off toward Pepper.
Coulson, clearly brushed off, looked helpless—but there was nothing he could do. Tony Stark was, after all, Tony Stark.
Smith Doyle ignored Coulson as well, turning his attention to the food.
Despite being dismissed by both men, Coulson wasn't discouraged. He'd already gotten more out of this encounter than expected. As for Smith knowing about the Strategic Scientific Reserve—he would just file that in his report.
Time passed as Smith enjoyed his meal. Meanwhile, after dancing with Pepper, Tony learned something infuriating—Stark Industries hadn't followed his directive to shut down the international weapons division. They were still selling arms.
What made it worse was a journalist confronting him with a photo of the weapons, mocking him to his face. Enraged, Tony stormed out to confront Obadiah.
But what he discovered next was even worse—Obadiah had filed a motion with the board to have Tony removed from decision-making entirely.
This revelation left Tony furious. To make matters worse, the town from the journalist's photo was the hometown of Yinsen, the man who'd helped him escape.
He decided, once the suit was ready, he would visit the town personally.
Tony didn't linger at the charity gala. Before leaving, he informed Smith and then drove straight back to his mansion.
Watching Tony storm out, Smith figured he must've realized Obadiah had been working against him all along. After all, Stark Industries had just publicly sworn off weapon sales, only to turn around and sell a massive shipment to the Ten Rings—practically a global scandal.
Looks like Tony was about to destroy those weapons himself.
Smith had no desire to witness the fallout. After finishing his meal, he quietly returned to the Assassin's League.
—End of chapter—
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