After digging through the deep snow, the two discovered the Iron Monger frozen solid, which unconsciously reminded Finney Hellseg of Captain America in a similar state elsewhere.
However, Obadiah wasn't injected with a super serum like Captain America, allowing him to survive in a frozen state.
After much effort, the two finally pulled the Iron Monger out of the ice. Opening his armor visor, Tony was speechless upon seeing Obadiah with a 'Violet Chicken Wrap' stuffed in his mouth.
"Being able to eat such good food before dying isn't a bad deal,"
Tony commented, unsure of what to say . He then put his visor back on and, together with Finney Hellseg, took the Iron Monger back to their villa.
Seeing Obadiah die, Finney Hellseg felt a slight mix of emotions. This was the first person he had killed, and in truth, Obadiah seemed unaware of Finney Hellseg's identity until his death.
"He probably died with
his eyes wide open in disbelief," Finney Hellseg thought to himself, not really caring. Even though Marvel had all sorts of amazing abilities, Obadiah's status meant he'd never need them, so this time, his death was truly permanent.
After removing the miniature arc reactor from Iron Monger's body, Tony set him aside and asked Finney Hellseg, "An agent wanted to see you last night. Are you planning to contact him?" "
S.H.I.E.L.D.?!"
Finney Hellseg raised an eyebrow.
"That's a good name, easy to remember," Tony nodded in agreement, then said, "I think so. Anyway, it's something like Strategic... Homeland Security, his name is Phil Coulson, isn't it??"
"Phil Coulson, I guess?!"
Finney Hellseg rolled his eyes at Tony, then asked curiously, "He came to see you yesterday. What did he say?"
With his involvement this time, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't had much contact with Tony, so he was somewhat concerned about how things were developing.
"He asked about yesterday!"
"You admit it?"
Seeing Tony's expression, Finney Hellseg guessed what Tony must have said.
"I had to give the military a heads-up." Tony shrugged, then said seriously, "And you? Just keep going like this?" "
???"
Finney Hellseg looked confused. "What do you mean, just keep going like this?"
"Since you mages are here to protect the world, why not use a more legitimate channel?"
"Cough..."
Finney Hellseg almost spat out his tea. Was he being asked to debut as a celebrity?! He looked at Tony speechlessly and explained, "You're used to the life of a rich genius, accustomed to the constant dangers of life, and used to the world's gaze upon you."
"But I'm just an ordinary little mage. I get nervous standing on the school podium. Besides, our duties are different. Dimensional invasions are something ordinary people can't detect; why spread rumors and increase their panic?"
"Also, you're practically all alone, with only Miss Pepper to keep you company. I have many relatives, my master, and my senior brothers. What if enemies can't find me and take revenge?"
"So, stop joking. The world needs heroes, but that person doesn't have to be me!"
Of course, Finney Hellseg knew in his heart that all of this was nonsense. The main reason was simply that he wasn't strong enough. If he had the power to ignore all dangers and solve all problems, he wouldn't care about hiding his identity.
Tony remained silent, Ethan's dying words echoing in his mind. His life might not belong solely to him like Finney Hellseg's, and he had made too many mistakes that needed to be made amends.
"Alright, this matter is more or less resolved. I should go!"
Seeing Tony deep in thought, Finney Hellseg stretched lazily, then suddenly remembered something: "Regarding S.H.I.E.L.D., you can still maintain some contact with them for now; they have some connection to your future."
Because of him, Tony hasn't had much contact with S.H.I.E.L.D., which worries Finney Hellseg a bit about what will happen if Nick Fury can't recruit Tony into the Avengers. Before he's confident he can handle future dangers, he still hopes these superheroes will grow stronger.
Their relationship is pretty good right now, and he's planning to use Tony's Iron Man suit to gain experience in the future, so a little spoiler is fine; it'll also help get the plot back on track. "My future!?"
Tony snapped out of his daze, not quite understanding the meaning of the sentence, and frowned, asking, "They're going to steal the technology too?"
"Uh..."
Finney Hellseg paused in his steps, realizing the downside of spoilers—they could completely distort the future. If he didn't explain, it might turn into Iron Man versus S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.
"No, you remember the poisoning incident, right? I know some clues about the solution, and they have them."
Reluctantly, Finney Hellseg could only reveal a little more.
Tony then remembered that he seemed to have a major problem that hadn't been solved yet, but he didn't feel any urgency at the moment. First, he hadn't tested the solution, and second, having Finney Hellseg as a safety net made him somewhat relaxed.
"Anyway, you can make contact, but don't trust them too much."
In the end, Finney Hellseg cautiously reminded him. S.H.I.E.L.D. was heavily infiltrated by Hydra; the previous director was a Hydra agent, which showed the extent of the infiltration.
Therefore, Finney Hellseg didn't want Tony to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. too much, as that would undoubtedly give Hydra an opportunity to grow stronger.
"Adults should handle things; kids don't need to worry too much."
Seeing Finney Hellseg's motherly, admonishing manner, Tony couldn't help but quip again. Although Finney Hellseg's age was usually overlooked when interacting with others, for some reason, it never seemed to work on Tony.
After flashing Tony a universally accepted hand gesture, Finney Hellseg opened a portal and returned home. Iron Man was born; other dangers were just around the corner.
Not long after Finney Hellseg left, Pepper, who had been harassed by Coulson and the reporters for a long time, finally couldn't take the pressure and called Tony.
"Okay, let's hold a press conference then. I'll be there in a bit."
Tony gave a clear answer to the questions on the phone.
Hanging up, Tony glanced at the Mark II riddled with bullet holes and the Iron Monger beside him, let out a sigh of relief, changed into a new outfit, found the bodyguard's door outside, and headed to the press conference venue.
Upon arriving at the press conference, Coulson rushed over and handed Tony a slip of paper, saying, "You were on the yacht at the time. There will be testimonies proving you were adrift in Avalon Harbor all night, plus testimony from 50 guests."
Looking at the draft, Tony smirked and replied, "It's more like only Pepper and I were on the island.
" "We can't lie!"
Coulson joked, then instructed, "Just read it."
"Why isn't Obadiah mentioned?"
Tony glanced at the draft and noticed there was no information about him.
"We arranged for him to go on vacation," Coulson smiled slightly. "You know, the security of small planes isn't always good."
"But will they believe this? Such a... weak explanation!? And bodyguards!?"
Tony frowned, continuing to read the draft.
"Trust me, this isn't the first time I've done this. Just read it," Coulson said confidently. "Everything is fine." "
And so, a few minutes later.
'I am Iron Man!'
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(End of Chapter)