If anyone else had said that, Tony would probably have scoffed and dismissed it.
But this was Kurohane!
The stubborn man who had unhesitatingly handcuffed him simply because he possessed unregistered medical equipment!
"Fine," Tony replied tersely. He had no reason to refuse Kurohane; they were on the same side now.
Kurohane nodded in satisfaction. His plan hadn't been in vain after all. It was all thanks to his chest-thumping and confident assurances to Coulson that he definitely wouldn't cause any trouble for S.H.I.E.L.D. Wasn't Tony just a playboy? He could handle him in minutes, maybe even get a sponsorship! Looking at the results now, he had truly managed to 'conquer' Tony. However, if Coulson knew how he had 'handled' Tony, he might regret it for the rest of his life!
As Kurohane and Tony walked down the plane's steps, chatting and laughing like old friends, Rhodes and Coulson standing behind them could only stare in astonishment. In their eyes, how could a rigid and inexperienced rookie become so close with a top-tier playboy? Even if Tony had survived a near-death experience and was grateful to his rescuer, wasn't the progress of their 'friendship' a little too fast?
As they descended the plane, Kurohane's eyes naturally caught sight of Tony's future wife: Pepper Potts. However, at this moment, she was just Tony's loyal assistant, the budding romance still in its early stages! Happy Hogan, the burly bodyguard beside Pepper, although in another world he was a director, in this Marvel World, he was just a burly bodyguard!
Tony waved goodbye to Kurohane and quickly walked towards Pepper, who greeted him with a relieved smile.
"Your eyes are red. Did you cry because you lost your missing boss?" Tony asked softly.
"Because I have to start working again after you're back. I hate working," Pepper replied flatly, but there was an underlying tone of relief.
"Alright, vacation's over," Tony quipped, putting his arm around Pepper. The two of them got into the car that was picking them up, but before fully entering, Tony glanced back at Kurohane.
Kurohane, now wearing sunglasses, smiled and nodded at Tony, then waved at them as well. Pepper watched Tony's interaction with curiosity and, of course, Kurohane's unique appearance. He was dressed like an active soldier but had a rarely seen Asian face.
"Tony, that Asian young man is quite handsome. What's his name? How did you two meet?" Pepper asked curiously.
"That kid's name is Kurohane. He's a very... pious, annoying guy," Tony replied, rolling his eyes slightly. "He single-handedly destroyed the entire Ten Rings stronghold and then rescued me."
"Wow! In that case, shouldn't we thank him properly?" Pepper's mouth opened slightly in surprise upon hearing that Tony was rescued single-handedly by Kurohane.
Tony smiled involuntarily, as if recalling something funny. "Maybe after you find out that shortly after rescuing me, that kid actually handcuffed me and almost caused me to become dehydrated and go into shock, you won't be so eager to thank him!"
"Handcuffed you? Why?!" Pepper asked in a shocked tone.
"Because he suspected me of tax evasion and using unlicensed medical equipment," Tony replied curtly.
Pepper: (Eyes widened, incredulous expression) (′?w?)?
This world is truly crazy! Who rescues a hostage like that?!
As Tony and Pepper discussed Kurohane in the departing car, Coulson also approached Kurohane. Although Kurohane was wearing sunglasses, making his expression unreadable, Coulson could tell from Kurohane's high hairline that he was quite pleased!
"Kurohane, is there anything else you'd like to say about Tony's makeshift armor in that cave?" Coulson asked inquisitively.
"I'm an agent, not a scientist, Coulson!" Kurohane replied with an innocent expression, as if his educational level was too low to understand such complex matters! "Human-wearable armor, equipped with two flamethrowers. Not very advanced. As long as there's enough power, that's it. If it weren't for those two flamethrowers, I would have even thought I was back in the Middle Ages!"
Coulson: (Looking at Kurohane suspiciously) (乛_乛)
Although what Kurohane said was true, Tony Stark had been involved in the tech world since he was young. Even though he eventually changed, he didn't look like someone with extraordinary physical strength.
"You must know that metal armor that can encase a person and is equipped with heavy weapons is definitely not something a prisoner like Tony could use. And you also said he eventually got trapped inside, and you were the one who let him out!" Coulson tried to corner Kurohane.
"So?" Kurohane replied curtly.
"That armor must use some kind of energy! Find out how to investigate the energy Tony used! This is your new mission. So, dear Kurohane, you can go find Tony now!" Coulson pointed towards a black Audi parked across the airport, reached into his pocket, and tossed the car keys to Kurohane. "Everything you need is in the car. You have three days to complete this mission."
Kurohane caught the car keys, glanced at them, then took off his sunglasses. "Unless you and Director Nick can clean up your mess within three days so that I can't find anything, I don't think delaying me for three days will solve any problems. You couldn't clean up your mess in three months, what can you possibly do in these three days?" Kurohane didn't hide his thoughts at all; he just wanted to imprison his superiors. There was no other reason, just because his superiors had embezzled S.H.I.E.L.D. funds!
Watching Kurohane walk towards the car, Coulson shook his head helplessly. Kurohane's rank wasn't high enough to be informed about Project "Insight" and the construction of the Helicarrier. But if he didn't tell this stubborn kid the truth, when he found what he thought was the 'truth' and came with a gun to arrest Nick Fury, and if the Director resisted, this kid would definitely shoot! This kid was not only intolerant of any mistakes, but his shooting skills were also terrifying. According to Tony and Yinsen's testimonies, not a single person moved in the entire Ten Rings base. They were all killed by Kurohane, shot precisely in the forehead with shattered brains!
Therefore, Coulson re-examined Kurohane's file. He found that during the agent assessment, Kurohane hadn't shown any of those terrifying shooting skills at all. So, there were only two possibilities! Either Kurohane was a secret agent sent by another organization and had hidden his abilities during the assessment, or Kurohane's annoying personality had offended his assessment instructor, who then changed his scores! After discussing it with Nick Fury, they concluded that the second possibility was much more plausible! Compared to the intrigue-filled S.H.I.E.L.D., Kurohane's bad temper felt more convincing!
Thinking of this, Coulson contacted Director Nick again. "Even after being tossed around by the sand in the Middle East for three months, he still hasn't given up on his investigation plan. No organization would choose a madman like Kurohane as a secret agent, unless they were also crazy!"
Nick Fury's voice sighed from the other end of the phone. Coulson knew his boss had a headache. "If only he hadn't been misled by that playboy Tony, then it could be proven that his character is indeed worthy of respect. Don't you think so, Steve Rogers' number one fan?"
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