c19: I Didn't Expect You Guys to Be So Poor
The news of Obadiah Stane's death was immediately suppressed through internal channels involving federal authorities and intelligence agencies and did not spread within New York.
However, Stark Industries' decision to shift its focus to the energy industry was officially announced to the public and shareholders.
This news was met with skepticism from many in New York's financial circles.
While Stark Industries was undeniably the global leader in advanced weapons manufacturing, its influence in the energy sector dominated by corporations like Roxxon Energy was still limited.
Unless Stark Industries unveiled a truly revolutionary energy technology, such as a clean and self-sustaining power source, it would be extremely difficult for its stock to return to its previous peak and continue rising.
Even so, this announcement reassured some shareholders.
Although reclaiming its former valuation would not be easy, Stark Industries still possessed vast technological resources, government contracts, and infrastructure, which meant it could establish a foothold in the energy industry without too much difficulty.
Tony Stark did not immediately reveal the existence of the Arc Reactor.
The miniature Arc Reactor embedded in his chest, originally built in captivity in Afghanistan, was still undergoing refinement into a scalable energy solution.
More importantly, he needed to ensure that such technology would not fall into the hands of organizations like the Ten Rings or other hostile forces.
If things progressed smoothly, Stark Industries' stock returning to its peak or even surpassing it would only be a matter of time.
After resolving the threat posed by Obadiah Stane, Tony Stark still had numerous matters to handle, including stabilizing the company and restructuring its future direction.
However, none of these needed to be rushed.
Upon returning to Stark Estate, Tony took the initiative to contact Harvey Ambellaca.
He wanted to share the outcome of recent events and, more importantly, verify some of his suspicions about Harvey.
"Sir, the other party is refusing to answer."
J.A.R.V.I.S.'s calm voice immediately poured cold water over Tony Stark's enthusiasm.
Tony Stark wasn't being ignored his call was being deliberately declined.
Who was he? A globally renowned genius, billionaire, and public figure very few people would dare reject his calls outright.
"Unbelievable… someone actually refuses to answer me?"
Tony Stark said, both amused and slightly irritated.
"Keep trying."
He instructed J.A.R.V.I.S. to continue attempting contact.
With J.A.R.V.I.S. handling the process, repeated calls could be made instantly without any effort on his part.
However, on the second attempt, before J.A.R.V.I.S. could even report back "The number you dialed is currently switched off..."
The mechanical female voice completely silenced Tony Stark.
"..."
For a moment, Tony Stark said nothing.
"Does he have any other method of contact?"
Tony Stark finally asked, clearly dissatisfied.
"If nothing unexpected occurs, Mr. Harvey Ambellaca has likely disconnected all direct communication lines, including his landline."
J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
Tony Stark frowned slightly but ultimately gave up on contacting Harvey directly.
Going to Harvey Ambellaca's residence in person was out of the question.
Doing so would make it seem as though he was the one seeking Harvey out, which clashed with his pride.
J.A.R.V.I.S., fully aware of Tony's personality, wisely refrained from suggesting such an option.
"Contact Pepper for me. I have something to ask her."
Tony Stark said.
Pepper Potts was upstairs reviewing news reports, including coverage hinting at internal turmoil within Stark Industries.
She was already aware of Obadiah Stane's betrayal and death through confidential channels.
Given what Stane had done, she didn't feel much sympathy.
Upon receiving Tony's request, Pepper quickly came downstairs.
"Pepper, do you know Agent Coulson?"
Tony Stark asked immediately.
"I do, but I thought you said you weren't interested in him before?"
Pepper paused, slightly surprised.
"That was before. Now I am."
Tony Stark replied.
"What exactly does the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division S.H.I.E.L.D.—handle? Did he explain it to you?"
Tony Stark asked, leaning back casually.
"Let me think…"
"It's a special intelligence and defense agency formed under international authority, responsible for dealing with unusual threats, things beyond conventional military or law enforcement."
Pepper answered after a brief moment.
Her efficiency and memory were among the reasons she remained Tony's most trusted assistant.
"Unusual threats…"
Tony Stark murmured, his thoughts drifting to the mysterious black-cloaked figure he encountered in Gulmira.
"Do you have his contact information?"
Tony asked.
"I do. I don't know how useful it will be, though."
Pepper nodded.
"That's enough. Contact Coulson for me."
"Tell him I want to meet tomorrow at noon."
Tony Stark said decisively.
"I'll try. I'm not sure if he's available."
Pepper replied, already dialing.
"Hello, Ms. Potts."
"What can I assist you with?"
To both their surprise, Phil Coulson answered almost immediately.
"Mr. Stark would like to meet with you tomorrow at noon."
Pepper conveyed the message clearly.
"Understood. I'll be there."
Coulson replied without hesitation.
At that moment, Coulson was already involved in investigating the armored figure incident in Gulmira, cross-referencing it with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s existing files.
Hearing that Tony Stark wanted to meet, he immediately agreed.
In truth, Coulson had already intended to approach Tony Stark again.
However, respecting the requested time, he chose not to act prematurely.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark, exhausted after days of continuous activity, finally went to rest.
Yet even as he lay down, his mind remained occupied by the unknown entity he had encountered.
He couldn't obtain answers from that being directly.
But perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. and people like Coulson, or even Director Nick Fury knew something.
The next day at noon,
Coulson arrived at Stark Estate precisely on time.
The meeting took place in the second-floor lounge.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark. Thank you for agreeing to meet."
Coulson greeted politely.
"I don't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. wants from me."
"But before we get to that, you're going to answer a few of my questions."
Tony Stark said bluntly.
"Once I'm satisfied, I'll tell you what you want to know."
"That's fair."
Coulson nodded calmly.
"Go ahead."
Without wasting time, Tony Stark activated a display panel.
An image appeared captured directly from J.A.R.V.I.S.'s recording systems.
It showed the black-cloaked figure floating in midair in Gulmira.
"Do you know anything about this person?"
Tony Stark asked, his gaze sharp.
Coulson's expression immediately changed.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I know of him."
Coulson said slowly.
"But can you tell me… where exactly you encountered this individual?"
That figure was the same unidentified entity that had already drawn the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., Director Nick Fury, and even Natasha Romanoff,
yet remained completely untraceable.
However, the figure was floating in the air, and the image was captured at eye level by J.A.R.V.I.S.'s external sensors, so its exact coordinates and altitude couldn't be determined.
"Gulmira, Afghanistan."
Tony Stark paused for a moment upon hearing Coulson's question, but ultimately chose not to hide anything.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. was truly an organization that dealt with extraordinary threats and intelligence beyond conventional military reach, then uncovering his identity as Iron Man would only be a matter of time.
Since exposure was inevitable, deliberately concealing it now would be meaningless.
When Coulson heard Tony Stark mention Afghanistan again, his thoughts immediately connected the dots.
The armored figure that had appeared in Gulmira—the one that had dismantled a Ten Rings cell with overwhelming firepower was undoubtedly Tony Stark himself.
And judging from Stark's attitude, he had no intention of denying it.
"I see… then that explains things."
Coulson nodded slightly.
"This entity refers to itself as being connected to something called the Void. Even S.H.I.E.L.D. has no confirmed record of his true identity."
"Within certain underground intelligence circles on Earth, however, he is known by an alias—Death."
"He is primarily active within the international mercenary and black-market operations network."
Coulson chose his words carefully and revealed what he could.
"The mercenary world…"
Tony Stark repeated, his expression shifting slightly.
"No wonder J.A.R.V.I.S. couldn't find anything on him through conventional databases."
Tony Stark had heard of mercenaries before private military contractors, black ops specialists, and assassins operating outside government oversight.
But he had never personally interacted with that world, nor had he ever needed to access those networks.
Naturally, he had never made the connection to the so-called Black Network that operated beneath global surveillance systems.
Now that he was aware of it, Tony Stark immediately gave a command.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., establish a connection to known black-market intelligence networks."
Before J.A.R.V.I.S. could proceed further "Mr. Stark, I don't mean to discourage you,"
Coulson interjected calmly.
"But even if your AI manages to breach or access those networks, you won't find anything truly useful."
Coulson's tone remained polite, but his words were firm.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has already attempted to investigate this individual through those exact channels."
"We even paid a considerable price just to establish contact."
"And the evaluation we received was… consistent across all sources."
"Appearance: unknown."
"Abilities: unknown."
"Origin: unknown."
"The only confirmed detail is that the target is likely male… and extremely dangerous."
Coulson's gaze sharpened slightly as he spoke.
"Yes, sir."
At that moment, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice sounded.
"What I have been able to retrieve consists primarily of fragmented rumors, anecdotal reports, and unverifiable mission logs."
"The available data is significantly less detailed than what Agent Coulson has just described."
J.A.R.V.I.S. displayed multiple files on the screen—records referring to the entity known as "Death," including incomplete mission reports and black-market chatter.
Tony Stark scanned through them quickly.
Most of the entries were inconsistent, exaggerated, or clearly written by individuals who had never actually encountered the target.
"Coulson."
Tony Stark spoke again after a brief silence.
"You mentioned earlier that you were able to meet him… by paying a price?"
"Why did S.H.I.E.L.D. want to meet him in the first place?"
"And what exactly do you mean by 'a considerable price'?"
Tony Stark asked, his tone turning more serious.
"The purpose behind that meeting is classified for now."
Coulson paused briefly before answering.
"I can only disclose that information after I receive what S.H.I.E.L.D. needs from you."
"However, regarding the cost"
"To request a meeting with him, one must issue a formal contract through the black market, structured as a mission."
"The required upfront deposit alone is ten million US dollars."
"And including the final compensation upon completion, the total cost starts at no less than twenty million US dollars."
Coulson explained calmly.
"What did you just say?"
Tony Stark raised an eyebrow.
"Twenty million dollars… is considered a 'high price'?"
His tone carried clear disbelief.
"I thought you paid something truly significant to secure a meeting."
"I didn't expect it to be something that could be solved with money."
In Tony Stark's worldview, anything that could be resolved through financial means was rarely considered a real obstacle.
"Our funding isn't lacking."
Coulson showed a rare trace of awkwardness.
"It's just that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s budget is overseen by the World Security Council."
"Accessing large amounts of money requires approval, planning, and justification."
"To put it simply, you need to consider the opinions of the people above you before mobilizing those resources."
Coulson clarified.
"Twenty million dollars requires approval procedures and planning?"
Tony Stark cut him off, his expression turning slightly amused.
"Doesn't that just prove your organization is… financially constrained?"
Tony Stark leaned back slightly, a knowing look appearing on his face.
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