Tony Stark walked into the bar and was led by the waiter to a private room. The old man in a gray suit was already waiting there.

Alexander Pierce, former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is now a minister of the World Security Council.

He leaned back in his chair and politely motioned for Tony to drop his glass as he entered.

"You're a hard guy to find, Mr. Stark."

Pierce said with a smile as he watched Tony sit down across from him.

"Actually, I've been looking for a chance to talk to you since half a month ago, but. You know, you're a busy man. ”

"Don't mind, I don't even have time to sleep." Tony shrugged.

In the past, he had never disdained to deal with such officials, but sometimes people just had to learn to compromise. After becoming Iron Man, he increasingly found it difficult to stay away from politics, especially when he arrogantly revealed his identity on television and had a whole group of people to take care of.

Up to now, the Avengers have been very popular among the people, and the world regards them as heroes and guardians. But this is not the case among those at the top.

Especially in the eyes of the top echelons of military and political circles, the position of the avenger is in a very delicate position. One could argue that the Avengers are a private armed force entrenched in their territory - and one of the most powerful menaces.

Others even suggested that perhaps the Avengers should be given all the rights and obligations of a member state at the United Nations. They should be seen as independent international groups.

It's not that it's even more outrageous, but of course it's just a few words at the moment. Now that the Avengers' reputation is skyrocketing, and no one has tossed a Defense Force repertoire such as a world-destroying robot, it is unrealistic to want to implement a move like the Hero Registration Act in this context.

But that doesn't mean they can't put pressure on them.

"You know you've made a lot of people nervous." Pierce took a sip of his wine and said, "Nick has done his best to fight the pressure on you, and in fact I have helped a lot.

But the Avengers. The nature is very special. You're probably the most sensible of them all, Tony. You know how things work above, and this country has never had such a special team as the Avengers.

A lot of people. Disturbed by this. ”

"If you're apologizing for saving your lives again and again, then it's better to forgive it." Tony crossed his legs and unhurriedly picked up a glass of wine, "Because you and I both know we're going to do it again." ”

"I'm not telling you to make the Avengers move less, or to restrict your freedom. Really, I'm on your side. ”

Pierce sat up straight, like a serious old man.

"As much as you may not think so, I'm your friend, Tony. I can understand you, the weight you feel, your responsibility. What you expect the Avengers to be.

You regret your past, right? You just want to wake up every morning and look at yourself in the mirror. ”

Tony: "."

"I said, I'm your friend. I understand and admire everything you do. I also hope that you will go further. He said with a smile.

Tony didn't say anything, took another sip from his glass, and looked up.

"So what do you want to say?" He asked, "There are signs that you didn't come to me for merit or to give the Avengers a little red flower or something." Say, what do you want? ”

"Nothing, just a little inconsequential help."

Pierce said lightly.

"As I said, Nick, me, and the entire S.H.I.E.L.D., we're doing our best to give the Avengers room to operate. But we have something practical, something that will shut them up. ”

He narrowed his eyes and looked at Tony.

"I've heard that you've got a huge upgrade, right?

Nano Iron Man Armor. That's not just a set of armor, right? It becomes a part of you, allowing you to think faster, super brainpower, and can rely on thinking to hack into any electronic device, is there anything I missed? ”

"Ha, that's why I'm finally willing to speak."

Tony leaned back in his chair and smiled.

"So that's what you're for, right? Desperate? ”

Seeing this, Pierce finally threw out his needs.

"A lot of great inventors are creating without realizing they're going to rewrite history." "Think about what a desperate situation can do, what a great technology.

How many people can benefit from this."

Or maybe there are people who are wrong and get the wrong power because of that. Sorry, Minister. But desperate situations are not for sale, just like Iron Man. ”

Tony drained his glass and stood up.

"As for what it can bring to the world? That's my job. I'm already thinking about it, I'm going to customize a better future, and I don't think there's anyone else who can do it better than me.

So I'm sorry, but this one is out of the question. I still have a lot of things to do, so I'm going to take my leave. But today's drink money can be counted as mine. ”

He retreated to the door.

"Think about it, Stark. They're not going to stop there. ”

Pierce said without giving up as he reached the door.

"I'm your friend, me and Nick. I'm reminding you as a friend. But you know, the next time you come back won't be as talkative as I am. ”

Tony paused in the doorway and smiled at him.

"Thanks, man. But I think I'm willing to try my luck. ”

As he spoke, he withdrew.

Pierce sighed softly. It didn't take long for him to get up and leave the room.

Disappointing, but not an unexpected outcome.

No one knows this time period yet, but Hydra never actually died, but was parasitic inside S.H.I.E.L.D. No one even knew that the former director, Alexander Pearce, was even a senior member of Hydra.

Yes, this time he lobbied ostensibly as a minister of the World Security Council, but in fact for Hydra. Stark's newly developed new upgraded desperate situation, which combines the human body and machinery to achieve a super leap in the integration of man and machine, is really too big for organizations to be blushing.

But he also expected it not to go so well. Stark is a stubborn cow with tendons, and it's almost impossible to talk about it.

Sitting in his car, the driver asked, "Are you going back, sir?" ”

"Nope." Pierce said in a deep voice, "Let's go to the sixth safe house first." ”

The driver was stunned for a moment and lowered his voice: "Do you want to use 'that'?" ”

"Of course." Pierce muttered.

It's time for the Winter Soldier to end his hibernation.

(End of chapter)