Although the key positions at S.H.I.E.L.D. had changed hands, it felt as if nothing had truly changed.
The former Director, Nick Fury, followed Pierce's methods, and the current Director, Hill, followed Nick Fury's, truly a lineage of succession.
"Recently, a terrorist organization called the Ten Rings Gang has been very active. They have caused multiple explosions in various places, and the leader of this organization calls himself The Mandarin."
Hill knew very well that Darian had no patience for reading documents, so she simply explained the situation: "In the latest explosion, Tony Stark's bodyguard, Happy, was caught in the blast. Now, Tony Stark has publicly declared war on that Mandarin through major media outlets."
"By thrusting himself into the eye of the storm like this, Tony Stark is in a very dangerous position. We previously proposed sending a S.H.I.E.L.D. team to protect him, but Tony Stark rejected it outright."
"Currently, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Captain America are all away on field missions and are unavailable. The only person who can get close to Tony Stark and has the ability to protect him is likely only you."
[NPC Maria Hill has issued a new quest to you]
[Quest: Terrorist Attack]
[Objective: Protect Tony Stark's safety during the impending terrorist attack]
[Reward: Experience +1500, S.H.I.E.L.D. Reputation +20, Random Item *1, Random Equipment *1]
"Understood."
Darian decisively accepted the quest.
Afterward, he went to the underground garage of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and found Nick Fury's newly replaced vehicle.
Even though Nick Fury had hidden the car quite well, Darian had informants everywhere within S.H.I.E.L.D., so it took no effort at all to locate it.
As for why it had to be Nick Fury's car?
Actually, there was no special reason; it was mainly because the air conditioning system in his car was just too comfortable.
Nick Fury: ....
Darian quickly hot-wired the ignition, the engine started with a low hum, and he floored the gas, charging straight out of S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
Several HYDRA spies walking nearby immediately turned their heads to look elsewhere the moment they saw Darian driving out.
Some looked up at the ceiling, some looked down and tapped furiously on their phones, and some simply studied the murals on the wall.
In short, everyone seemed very busy, yet no one knew exactly what they were busy with.
10880 Malibu Point, California, 90265.
This wasn't a doxing from someone else; Tony had proactively leaked his own information to major media outlets, unleashing a verbal assault on The Mandarin and issuing a provocation, telling him not to just babble on social media but to settle it in person if he had the guts.
The posturing was done, but not long after the impulse passed, Tony felt a bit of regret in his heart.
By making this public, he had essentially turned his home into a bomb that could go off at any time. Now, no one knew if those Terrorists from the Ten Rings Gang would actually show up, let alone when or how they might suddenly appear.
The matter instantly drew the attention of the entire United States. Everyone was watching closely, wanting to see how the Ten Rings Gang would respond.
Faced with such massive traffic, the major media outlets naturally refused to miss out.
They immediately dispatched their own helicopters to circle the perimeter of Tony's seaside Villa, providing multi-angle, live broadcasts with no blind spots, ensuring not a single detail would be missed. They were even more thorough than Tony's own outdoor security cameras.
At this moment, Tony was alone in his underground lab, with holographic projections lighting up around him, recreating the scene of the explosion Happy had encountered.
His brow was furrowed as he replayed the moment of the explosion over and over, trying to find useful clues.
"Sir, news just came from the hospital. Mr. Happy is out of critical danger."
Just then, Jarvis's voice echoed in the lab.
Hearing this, Tony's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
Happy was not just a bodyguard he employed; he was also one of his most trusted partners over the years.
It was for this reason that seeing Happy lying in the hospital made him so furious that he didn't hesitate to publicly declare war on a terrorist organization.
"Then there's no need to look for that fellow Darian. When Happy wakes up, remember to notify me immediately."
Tony had originally planned to buy a life potion from Darian to treat Happy's injuries, but now it seemed unnecessary.
"Understood, sir."
Jarvis paused and continued, "Given that Mr. Happy will be unable to fulfill his duties in the short term, and you are currently in a high-risk state, I suggest you consider hiring a temporary personal bodyguard."
"Hilarious. Do I need a bodyguard?"
Tony snorted dismissively.
He was the famous Iron Man, possessing a whole row of Iron Man Suits capable of handling any crisis. Why would he need a bodyguard to protect him?
Jarvis said calmly, "According to past statistics, the probability of you being attacked while not wearing a suit is very high."
Tony: "...."
Well, he really couldn't argue with that.
Whether it was Stane or Ivan, both had launched attacks when he wasn't wearing a suit, nearly killing him. Then there were those shareholders driven mad by the stock market crash who almost turned him into 'Toni.'
Tony said stubbornly, "Even so, I don't need a bodyguard. Besides, I don't think anyone is capable of protecting me properly."
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump...
Just then, a series of strange, muffled sounds reached his ears.
"What's that sound? Have those Terrorists shown up?"
Tony immediately became alert. He listened carefully and finally realized the sound was coming from beneath his feet.
The next moment, a square hole suddenly appeared in the floor beneath Tony's feet, and a familiar head popped out from the opening, meeting his downward gaze.
"Hey! Mr. Tony!"
Tony: "..."
Such a familiar scene.
Seeing Darian crawling out from underground, Tony was speechless: "Can't you just once walk in through the front door like a normal person?"
Darian spread his hands: "Can't be helped. There are too many reporters outside; every second is a live broadcast."
Tony said irritably, "What are you doing here?"
Darian said cheerfully, "Can't you tell? I'm here to apply for the bodyguard position."
Tony: —
Am I stuck in a loop?
Why does it feel like I've been through this conversation more than once?
Tony: "What? Are you here for another part-time job?"
Darian nodded: "Yes. I heard your bodyguard Happy was injured and hospitalized. Of course, I didn't do it this time, so as soon as I got the news, I came over to apply."
So you're admitting you did it last time?
Tony's mouth twitched slightly. Naturally, he didn't believe Darian's nonsense and said bluntly, "S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't send you to go undercover by my side again, did they?"
Darian waved his hand in denial: "Nothing of the sort. I'm here to protect your safety. I heard you directly declared war on a terrorist organization and even made your home address public, telling them to settle it in person. I have to say, that move was truly impressive. I've seen countless trolls online, but you're one of the few who actually dares to give out their home address."
Tony snorted coldly: "Just a terrorist organization that's afraid to show its face. Why would I be afraid of them?"
Darian blinked: "Did you forget? Besides the Terrorists, there's a bunch of shareholders outside waiting to chop off your 'little Tony' to make soup. By giving out your address like this, aren't you essentially handing them an invitation?"
Tony: "..."
He really did forget about that!
Those shareholders holding Stark Industries stock had truly experienced what it meant to be in a state worse than death lately.
Back when Tony suddenly went missing in Afghanistan, there was no word for nearly three months.
Affected by this, Stark Industries' stock price plummeted like it was on a slide. Panicked shareholders sold off their holdings, and the market was filled with lamentation.
Who would have thought that once the three-month period was up, the king of Stark Industries, Tony, would return to New York and make a high-profile appearance at a press conference?
The stock price rebounded strongly and soared, leaving those who had sold early beating their chests in regret.
Despite being put through the wringer once, most people chose to re-enter the market and continue holding Stark Industries stock.
But before everyone could be Happy for long, something even more exciting happened. The first major thing Tony did after his return was to announce, in front of the whole World, the permanent closure of Stark Industries' most profitable division: weapons manufacturing!
This bombshell dropped the stock price even lower than when he was missing in Afghanistan.
The shareholders were all stunned. Investment forums were filled with despair.
That day, the shareholder circles stopped discussing stocks and instead talked about various ways to die; one by one, user avatars turned gray as they went offline en masse.
Only a few decisive shareholders chose to cut their losses and painfully sell all their Stark Industries stock, swearing that buying this stock again would make them a dog!
As it turned out, not long after, Stark Industries launched the clean energy technology Tony had developed. This revolutionary technology caused the stock price to skyrocket instantly, even much higher than when the weapons division was still around.
After all, Stark Industries' weapons division only served America, while the new energy was for the entire World.
Watching Stark Industries' stock price soar, those shareholders who had sold at the lowest point wished they could swallow Tony alive. If the Evil Sword Immortal came to America to feed on their resentment, he would probably be stuffed to death on the spot by such intense negative emotions.
And now that Tony had proactively made his home address public, the most dangerous source of threat wasn't some terrorist organization, but precisely these crazed shareholders.
What were Terrorists?
This was America's territory, after all. No matter how brutal they were, their actions were subject to various restrictions.
But these shareholders were completely different.
In this America, everyone was proficient in a skill called 'Shooting' and all sorts of equipment were easy to get. Aside from bulletproof vests being illegal, everything else was legal and compliant. As long as they didn't actually do anything, even the New York police couldn't touch them.
Darian chuckled: "Those shareholders who lost everything now know where you live. It's at most a few hours' drive to pay you a visit. What do you think they'll do when the time comes?"
Tony felt a chill down his spine, and cold sweat broke out.
With Darian pointing it out, he realized his situation was indeed quite dangerous.
Back then, only a few shareholders found his home and broke in, nearly chopping off his 'little Tony' for soup.
Now that every shareholder knew the address, he might be hacked into mincemeat!
Tony's first thought was to move, but he had already talked big, and the media's live cameras were everywhere outside. If he were caught fleeing, he'd likely become the laughingstock of the nation that very day. For the prideful Tony, that was worse than being stabbed.
After thinking it over, Tony could only grit his teeth and say, "Congratulations, you're hired!"
"Alright, boss."
And so, Darian once again became Tony's bodyguard, staying in his seaside Villa.
He didn't treat himself as an outsider at all, curiously touring the underground lab.
In the lab, rows upon rows of Iron Man Suits were on display. A quick count showed at least forty sets, looking very much like a veteran collector's wall.
However, these 'figures' were much more expensive than plastic models. Each suit was worth at least tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. Only a heavy spender like Tony could be so indulgent; a free-to-play person like Peter probably couldn't even afford to build a single mechanical arm.
These were all new models Tony had developed after the Battle of New York, each with unique functions and roles to handle various extreme situations.
The latest Mark 42 was said to feature an adaptive active navigation system, capable of automatically flying to the target to complete assembly, allowing Tony to transform anytime, anywhere, without worrying about being caught without a suit during a sudden attack.
At this moment, Darian's attention was drawn to a massive mechanical arm on a workbench.
He asked curiously, "What's this?"
Tony didn't even look up, explaining casually, "The Hulkbuster. A heavy armor Banner and I designed together, over three meters tall, specifically designed to handle Hulk if he loses control. It's currently in the testing phase."
Darian raised an eyebrow. This practice of preparing contingency plans for teammates instantly reminded him of a certain Gotham billionaire with throat cancer.
"Tony, you haven't prepared a whole set of contingency plans for when other Avengers lose control, have you?"
"How could I?"
Tony was a bit speechless. Look at who the Avengers were.
Natasha and Clint's skills were indeed top-tier, but ultimately they were still human. Their output relied entirely on firearms and bows. Even if they did lose control, they couldn't cause much of a storm.
Steve was even less of a concern; even if Tony lost control, he doubted Steve would.
As for Thor, if the God of Thunder truly lost control, all of them combined wouldn't be enough to fight him. Preparing any number of plans would be useless.
If it weren't for Hulk's unique nature and Banner's own request, Tony wouldn't have even bothered with the Hulkbuster.
After all, who would idly sit around imagining their teammates going crazy?
Darian shook his head in disappointment: "A pity. I wanted to see you beat up the Avengers, or the scene of them beating you up. It would definitely be spectacular."
Tony: "....."
Jarvis, create an Anti-Darian contingency plan for me!