Chapter Twenty: The Outcome of the Negotiation

Coulson saw Tony Stark’s infuriating tone, and a surge of anger rose within him, but his professionalism as a seasoned agent allowed him to restrain it. He hadn’t come here to quarrel with Tony Stark, but to exchange information.

“Mr. Tony Stark, I’ve already shared some intelligence with you,” he said politely, suppressing his irritation. “Now, it’s my turn to ask questions, isn’t it?”

Tony Stark noticed Coulson clenching his fists, clearly angry, but surprised that he managed to calm himself in just a few seconds. Still, Tony Stark always kept his word, so he allowed Coulson to proceed.

“Mr. Stark, how did you…” Coulson began his inquiry.

Tony Stark answered all he could, omitting only the detail that he himself had created the Arc Reactor. He told the story of how he built the Iron Man armor to escape, and of his later modifications—since the Mark II had already made its debut in the world.

After listening, Coulson was certain that the armored figure known as Iron Man was indeed Tony Stark. He wisely refrained from demanding that Stark hand over his technology to the government.

“I see. As expected of you, Mr. Stark—your mind is truly a treasure,” Coulson said, openly admiring him.

“Isn’t my genius already universally acknowledged?” Tony replied without a hint of modesty.

“May I ask, Mr. Stark, what do you intend to do with the suit you designed?” Coulson continued, “You saved some people in Gulmira, Afghanistan—was it to clean up the mess left by Stark Industries’ weapons, or was it simply because you felt you had the power to help?”

Despite Tony Stark’s arrogant response, Coulson chose not to criticize or argue, instead seeking to understand Stark’s intent. A superhero must have a good heart. Tony Stark had always been a free-spirited playboy—whether he truly possessed compassion and a willingness to contribute to Earth was still an open question for Coulson.

“Both, I suppose,” Tony Stark said after a pause, recalling Yinsen. Yinsen had sacrificed his life to save him, and Gulmira was his hometown. Tony couldn’t bring Yinsen back, but he could at least protect Gulmira’s peace.

“Will you help others in danger in the future?” Coulson’s eyes lit up and he pressed further.

“I’m not sure. Gulmira was my friend’s home, so I wanted to protect it. As for others, I’ll have to wait until I encounter them before I can answer,” Tony said, spreading his hands.

“Mr. Stark, in fact, because of the existence of aliens, Earth’s current situation is far from optimistic,” Coulson hesitated, then decided to share more intelligence.

“I already know that—the so-called Grim Reaper you mentioned is from some void, isn’t he? And when he spoke with me, he also mentioned the universe,” Tony said, waving his hand and sounding somewhat displeased. “He said my technology was powerful only compared to mankind, but compared to the universe, it’s still far too weak.”

Since taking over Stark Industries, Tony had invented advanced technologies time and again for humanity, and he’d always taken pride in that. Yet the Grim Reaper had dismissed his technology as rubbish—how could he accept that?

“Mr. Stark, you wanted to know why our agency met with the Grim Reaper. Before I explain, let me tell you: decades ago, aliens visited Earth,” Coulson began. “At that time, a superpowered hero appeared, helping humanity repel the alien attack. The aliens’ technology was far more advanced—space jumps, interstellar warships, and more, all beyond our reach. Ever since then, my superior, Nick Fury, has wanted to create the Avengers to guard against future alien threats.”

Coulson, sensing Tony’s dissatisfaction, sought to win him over with this explanation.

“You didn’t find any superpowered individuals, so you came to me. It seems your progress hasn’t been smooth,” Tony Stark immediately caught the implication in Coulson’s words.

“Yes, Earth has seen superpowered people, proving that there are others like them among humanity. But humans are xenophobic and fear being seen as freaks; those with powers usually hide themselves, making them nearly impossible to find,” Coulson explained. “You’ve seen the rumors and records of the Grim Reaper circulating online. The feats he’s accomplished are clearly beyond human ability. After investigation, we concluded he’s likely a superpowered individual—or if not, his abilities are vastly superior to ordinary humans. So we arranged a meeting with him months ago. We had no idea how long he’d been here, or how he arrived. In a sense, we were right—he is a powerful being whose true strength is impossible to gauge. But unfortunately, he’s not from Earth; he’s an alien.”

As Coulson spoke, his face was filled with both awe and disappointment. He’d worked under Director Fury for nearly twenty years, rising through the ranks to become a high-level agent. He’d spent decades investigating strange events, and finally, he had found a superpowered individual—only to discover that the excitement was matched by disappointment.

Moreover, they had learned that the legendary King Odin’s life may be coming to an end. Earth might soon lose its protection. If they failed to recruit strong heroes for the Avengers, they’d have no way to resist; humanity could face slaughter or enslavement by aliens.

However, Fury had instructed not to spread news of Odin’s impending death. If what the Grim Reaper said was true, and Odin and the Asgardians had been protecting Earth, then if the Asgardians arrived and heard rumors of Odin’s failing health, even if they intended to protect humanity, they might become hostile.

Tony Stark could tell that Coulson was speaking truthfully—his emotion and disappointment were genuine.

“So you sought me out because you thought I’d suddenly developed superpowers, allowing me to escape from Afghanistan?” Tony Stark, considering Coulson’s words, understood immediately.

“That’s right. But you surprised us, Mr. Stark, by relying on your genius to create armor comparable to the latest fighter jets. You may not have superpowers, but in my eyes, you’re equivalent to a superpowered individual,” Coulson admitted, expressing his admiration.

“Your agency’s policy is to investigate potential superpowered people. So your contact with Harvey Amberlake means…?” Tony Stark accepted the praise without embarrassment and then asked.

“Correct. We suspected Mr. Amberlake might possess superpowers. He seemed blessed by Lady Luck—perhaps his abilities weren’t combat-related, but they might still prove useful,” Coulson nodded, almost answering every question, since this wasn’t classified information.

“And the result?” Tony Stark’s eyes flashed at the mention of Amberlake, recalling how the agency, like himself, had considered Harvey simply lucky.

“After two meetings, we determined Harvey Amberlake does not possess superpowers,” Coulson said, shaking his head regretfully.

“None, then…” This answer reminded Tony Stark of a conversation he’d had with Harvey Amberlake on the balcony outside a gala. Harvey had spoken of Obadiah Stane, with a calm indifference that made Stane seem utterly insignificant—almost as if Harvey had some hidden backing.

Regardless of whether Harvey Amberlake had powers, it was clear that neither Stark nor Amberlake intended to join the Avengers.

“I understand. Earth is facing a crisis; your agency wants to form the Avengers to resist potential alien invasions. But Stark Industries is in the midst of a transformation, and I have a lot to deal with. So I need to think about joining the Avengers. Still, if there’s a major disaster or threat to Earth, you can contact me—I might lend you a hand,” Tony Stark said, looking at Coulson.

The Grim Reaper’s appearance had forced Tony to accept the reality of aliens in the universe, and that they had already arrived on Earth. He needed to ensure Stark Industries’ transformation succeeded, so he could devote himself to researching the Iron Man armor. Unfortunately, he didn’t know what abilities the Grim Reaper possessed, so he couldn’t design armor specifically to counter him. But since the Grim Reaper was on Earth, he would eventually learn more—he only hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Stark,” Coulson said, rising to his feet. After expressing his thanks, he took the initiative to bid farewell.

Coulson was in high spirits. Though Stark hadn’t agreed to join outright, he’d made a promise: if disaster struck, there’d be a chance to cooperate. This counted as a successful first contact. With such a promising start, recruiting Tony Stark to officially join the Avengers wouldn’t take long.