"I am Iron Man. A great opening line—but do you really think you're the only superhero in this world?"
Suddenly, a slightly mocking voice echoed from the other end of the living room.
Tony Stark, startled, turned toward the darkness. "J.A.R.V.I.S., turn on the lights."
With a soft hum, the lights in the hall flickered on one after another. Standing in the center of the room was a man in a black leather trench coat, his back turned.
As he slowly turned around, Tony's eyes widened. "Braised Egghead?"
He blurted it out before he could stop himself. Wasn't this the very same "Braised Egghead" Luo Chen had described in the diary?
He had to admit—Luo Chen's description was spot-on. If this guy wasn't a braised egghead, then who was?
Nick Fury's moment of dramatic entrance—completely ruined.
Just like that, the vibe was gone.
This Tony Stark really was as sharp-tongued and tactless as the intelligence reports had described.
"Calling someone a braised egghead right off the bat—do you have any manners? Any at all?" Nick Fury wanted to snap, to yell, but he paused. Wait a second... wasn't that exactly what Luo Chen called him in the diary?
That meant Tony Stark definitely had access to the diary.
"Damn security system!" Tony suddenly cursed under his breath, snapping out of his thoughts. Seeing Nick Fury appear in his home uninvited triggered an intense sense of crisis.
After all, first it had been Obadiah, who had managed to bypass his defenses, steal the Mark 1 designs, and even take the prototype arc reactor. And now this... braised egghead.
It was as if the security system of his home had more holes than Swiss cheese.
Sure, Obadiah had executive access and could get in undetected. But this guy? How did he pull it off? J.A.R.V.I.S. didn't even register the intrusion!
If Fury had been hostile, Tony would already be dead—just a regular guy with no suit on. He'd be completely defenseless.
"Relax. I'm not your enemy, Tony Stark," Nick Fury said calmly.
"Who the hell are you?" Tony demanded, his guard up.
"My name is Nick Fury," he replied. "You've probably seen my name in the diary."
"It is you!" Tony's eyes narrowed. So this was the braised egghead from the diary. And based on Fury's words, the diary clearly wasn't unique to him—others had access to it too.
That realization made Tony deeply uneasy. A secret he once believed was exclusive to him was being shared—and read—by others.
"Seems like you're well-informed, so I'll skip the introductions," Fury continued smoothly.
"Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. I know who you are," Tony said, finally letting his guard down slightly.
Judging from the diary, Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. would likely become his allies in the future. If that was the case, they weren't enemies—at least not yet.
"Good, that makes this easier," Fury said with a faint smile. "I'm the current director of S.H.I.E.L.D., one of the key organizations responsible for maintaining global peace."
"Global peace? Then why have I never heard of you?" Tony challenged. "I asked J.A.R.V.I.S. to dig up everything available on you, but there's practically nothing. What kind of organization are you running?"
Fury chuckled. "Simple. Everything you found is just from the surface world. The truth of this world lies beneath the surface, Tony. That's why you couldn't find anything real."
"In fact, you did find something—many of those organizations you came across are our subsidiaries. They just don't know they're ours."
He walked casually to a nearby table and poured himself a glass of whiskey like he owned the place.
Tony's eyebrow twitched. For someone known for his arrogance, seeing someone even more arrogant was definitely a new experience.
"Your organization must be pretty capable. Pretending to be the FBI, CIA, and who knows what else. And yet no one's wiped you off the map? Not bad."
Tony joined him at the table, poured himself a drink, and took a sip.
"But let me ask you this," Tony continued, narrowing his gaze. "How did you get past my security system? I really don't appreciate people breaking into my home uninvited. Do you honestly think I won't fight back just because you're from some 'mysterious organization'? Don't test me."
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