"Hey, did you forget something?" Tony, who was having his clothes tidied by Pepper, shouted at Zhou Yi, who was sitting nearby. His arm was in a cast. "Are you sure your treatment worked?"
"Of course. You're alive. That's the biggest success!" Zhou Yi said, raising an eyebrow. His patience with Tony's antics was clearly wearing thin.
"No, no, no! This isn't how it should look!" Tony disagreed. He stood up and walked over to Zhou Yi, speaking with righteous indignation. "Man, you should have made me look more presentable, not like this sickly mess. At the very least, you should have ensured my limbs and features were intact."
"So, should I also take care of those wrinkles you've been getting lately and make your complexion a little more radiant?"
"If you can do that, that would be perfect. You *can* do that, right?" Tony said shamelessly to Zhou Yi, making Zhou Yi realize just how thick-skinned a person could be. It was almost unbelievable.
"Sorry to disappoint you. You're definitely overthinking this!" Zhou Yi shoved Tony's obsequious face away and stood up, deciding it was best to get away from this shameless guy. But Tony wouldn't let it go.
"Alright, alright! I'll let it slide today. How about tomorrow? I happen to despise that new private doctor you hired—getting rid of him might be the best course of action."
"No time. I have my daughter's parent-teacher conference tomorrow."
"Then the day after tomorrow! How about the day after? I can cancel my boxing training with Hogun."
"Still no time. I promised to take the kids to the amusement park!"
"What about the weekend? You must have time on the weekend!" Tony still seemed determined, the kind of guy who always pushed his luck.
"Tony, don't overthink it. It's impossible," Zhou Yi said, already pushing the door open and about to leave.
"Hey, man! If you're going to leave, at least fix my arm before you go!" Seeing Zhou Yi about to walk away, Tony couldn't hold back. He desperately shook his arm and shouted at him.
"Next week, if I have time!" Zhou Yi waved dismissively and walked away without looking back. At that moment, Pepper approached. She tugged at Tony's tie and smiled.
"So? Big genius, finding out the world isn't playing by your rules anymore?"
"Damn it! I never thought my best friend would be so cold to me. Was my request really that unreasonable?" Tony asked his secretary with a strange expression. Of course, she gave him a positive answer.
"Extremely unreasonable, Tony! You should be grateful he saved your life, not pestering him for a cosmetic procedure. Fine! If he agrees, don't forget to include me!" The secretary gave a sly smile, adding herself to Tony's list of requests.
"If you want it so badly, why don't you ask yourself? Bringing me along wouldn't be bad," Tony said, raising an eyebrow as he wrapped his good arm around Pepper's waist.
"Because you brought it up first, of course you should be the one to ask," Pepper replied, tapping his chest with her finger, a radiant smile lighting up her face. In a way, their relationship had taken another step forward, and that was incredibly important to her.
"Alright, alright! You're the boss. If that Yi guy really agrees, I'll make sure to bring you along."
"But first, you need to get through this press conference," Pepper said, nodding toward Coulson standing outside the door. "Someone's here to see you. Looks like you'll have to get back to work."
Coulson chuckled at her words and stepped inside, handing Tony a piece of paper.
"What's this?" Tony asked without even glancing at it.
"Your alibi. You were on the yacht at the time. The Port Authority will confirm your vessel was docked at Obelon Harbor all night, and we have testimony from fifty guests as well," Coulson explained in meticulous detail. Knowing Tony's reputation for unreliability, he had to add extra layers of security.
"Why not just say it was just you and Pepper on the yacht? That would sound more convincing!" Tony flipped through the documents in his hand, unable to resist teasing his little secretary. With everything explained, Tony began to fully embrace his playboy persona, especially when it came to Pepper.
"Just stick to the plan. It's foolproof."
"Why isn't Obadiah mentioned?"
"We've handled it. He's on vacation. You know how dangerous small planes are! His disappearance is actually for the best." Coulson silently demonstrated S.H.I.E.L.D.'s power. A world-class billionaire, erased from the world without a trace under their manipulation—it was a chilling display of their hidden capabilities.
Tony understood Coulson's message perfectly. His cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D. had only been superficial. Now, he was seeing the organization's true potential. He had to admit, it was astonishing. But a man like him would never let his true feelings show.
He put on an indifferent expression and asked, "So..."
"What's all this talk about Iron Man in the media? That's me. How am I supposed to explain this away? These guys are impossible to fool!"
Coulson smiled subtly. "This isn't my first time handling these situations, Mr. Stark. Just stick to the official statement, and everything will be fine!"
"Fine, fine! This time I'll follow the official line!" Tony said, pulling on his jacket with Pepper's help. "Rhodey must be getting antsy. Dealing with those reporters alone is no easy task. I'll be back soon, darling!"
He kissed Pepper's cheek and strode out the door. He cherished their private moments, but when a government agent was involved, he had no choice but to keep his distance.
"Mr. Stark doesn't seem to like me much," Coulson said, frowning at Tony's retreating figure.
"He's always been like this. You'll get used to it!" Pepper laughed, resuming her role as the supportive partner. "I haven't thanked you properly for everything you've done. Thank you so much for your help, Agent Coulson!"
"It's my duty, Miss Potts. We'll be working together again," Agent Coulson said with a smile. He had already received Pepper's kind gesture, which meant his objective had been achieved.
"Alright, I'm leaving now! Don't forget next time—we've changed our name to S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
"Of course, I won't forget, Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.!" Pepper replied, escorting him to the door. Just then, Tony's voice boomed from the screen, freezing them both in place.
"I am Iron Man!" As expected, Tony was the type to throw curveballs.
Tony's impulsiveness once again stirred up a storm. A super-rich industrialist suddenly becoming a superhero was bound to be controversial. Discussions about Tony's Iron Man identity erupted, though some remained indifferent—like the couple in Philadelphia.
Carrying simple luggage, they wove through the dense crowd, carefully avoiding patrolling police officers and government employees. If you looked closely, you'd notice they didn't even dare expose their faces to any surveillance cameras. This was the behavior of fugitives.
And in a way, they were indeed fugitives—the kind wanted by the U.S. military.
Finally breaking free from the dense crowd, the pair of men let out a long sigh of relief. The man in the baseball cap began taking deep breaths. His heart rate monitor watch showed his heart was still racing.
"Relax, Bruce! We're out now, we're safe! Breathe, deep breaths," the woman beside him said nervously, as if his tension was something she found terrifying.
Fortunately, with his breathing exercises, his heart rate gradually slowed. Only then did the man in the baseball cap manage a weak smile and turn to his companion.
"I'm never squeezing into a crowd like this again. It's enough to drive anyone crazy!"
"I won't let you squeeze into a crowd like this again either, because I'll go crazy before you do!" His female companion complained, then laughed. "We're almost out of Philadelphia. Have you figured out our next move?"
Before the man in the baseball cap could answer, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
"Bruce, is that you?"
At that moment, the man's heart rate suddenly spiked, and the piercing beep of his heart monitor made his female companion's face drain of color. He stiffly turned his head and glanced at the person patting his shoulder. After a moment, he let out a breath as if he were about to collapse.
"It's you, Jennifer. What are you doing here?"
Standing behind him was a striking woman with short hair. She wore a well-tailored women's suit, exuding an air of competence and sharp professionalism.
"I came to Philadelphia to handle a case, and I just happened to see you at the station. Seriously, why are you running around like a fugitive? If I hadn't recognized you, I wouldn't have believed I'd see you here."
The sharp, capable-looking woman smiled, as if seeing this man was a cause for great joy.
"Bruce, who is this?" Betty asked, noticing her companion's inexplicably calmed heartbeat and the woman's familiar demeanor. Her question was driven by confusion, but more so by feminine jealousy.
"Oh, right. This is Jennifer, my cousin! Jennifer, this is Betty, my girlfriend!" The man in the baseball cap, Bruce, began introducing them. The short-haired woman in the suit immediately extended her hand.
"I'm Jennifer Susan Walters. It's a pleasure to meet you. Bruce has told me so much about you—he paints quite the picture!"
"I'm Betty, Betty Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you too!" Having averted the crisis, Betty naturally carried herself with poise and confidence.
"Where are you off to? Honeymoon or something?" Jennifer teased, her eyes twinkling. Having grown up close to her brother, she was eager to see him tie the knot.
"We're going to New York. What about you?" Bruce answered selectively. He was happy to see his sister, but he didn't want to drag her into his troubles.
"I'm heading to Washington. Do you have a car? Want me to give you a ride?"
"No thanks, we can walk!" Bruce had just refused when Jennifer suddenly froze, then lurched forward.
Bruce quickly reached out to steady her, but as soon as his hand touched her, a warm, wet sensation spread through his palm. He looked down and saw his hand was already drenched in crimson.
Blood was slowly seeping through Jennifer's white shirt, a clear sign she'd been attacked. As Bruce took in the scene, a terrifying green light flashed in his eyes.
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