Chapter 87

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As for Coulson, he might treat it as if Tony Stark never existed, but from Tony Stark's side, it's impossible to pretend he's never met Coulson.

After returning to his lavish Malibu mansion, Iron Man fell deep into thought.

Why would S.H.I.E.L.D. agents appear in the Arctic?

To be precise, they appeared near the crash site of Captain America's plane at the very moment the diary hinted that Captain America was not yet dead.

The timing and location pointed towards something quite obvious.

It was no longer a simple coincidence that could explain their presence, so naturally, Iron Man's thoughts began to wander.

"Could it be that I'm not the only one who knows Captain America is still alive?"

Tony Stark was quite perplexed. "But the diary clearly states that Captain America wasn't discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

So, were Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. agents not there for Captain America?

They seemed to be scouting something near the crash site, apparently on some kind of mission.

Unrelated to Cap?

And after completing their mission, they would withdraw, never having discovered Captain America?

Would they really allow Captain America to remain lying within the vast icy wilderness, only to be eventually found by a Russian oil squad?

If this were the case, it would be an exceedingly convenient coincidence!

"From the perspective of probability, the chance of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents coincidentally being at such a particular time and place is indeed unlikely."

"But, sir, you understand that low-probability events can still occur."

The voice of the caring AI butler Jarvis chimed in, rationalizing his view from a scientific angle.

Naturally, Tony Stark knew this too.

And it was precisely for this reason that Iron Man had to temporarily accept, given that the information from the diary had never been wrong, that the appearance of Coulson's team was a coincidence.

Despite it being too much of a coincidence, the diary had indeed never been wrong!

However, if this was the case, Tony Stark's plans to find Captain America would be somewhat affected.

After all, even though S.H.I.E.L.D. was an intelligence organization founded by his father, it wasn't really related to Tony Stark.

Tony Stark didn't want to get tangled in the affairs of intelligence agencies and invite unnecessary trouble.

"Forget it!"

"Let the Captain continue his hibernation a bit longer."

"After all, he's been asleep for so long; a little while longer won't make a difference."

After some contemplation, Tony Stark made such a decision.

After S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents retreated, it wouldn't be too late for Tony Stark to make another trip to the Arctic.

And for now?

It was better to deal with some other matters first.

What matters?

Naturally, it was investigating Ivan Vanko as hinted in the diary and whether the Winter Soldier was indeed Bucky Barnes.

Both of these issues were of significant interest and importance to Tony Stark.

Especially the latter, which was something Tony Stark couldn't stop thinking about and felt compelled to resolve.

Tony Stark had devoted all his energy to this matter, yet there hadn't been any real progress.

After all, Bucky Barnes had been 'dead' for seventy years, leaving hardly any trace behind.

The same was the case for the elusive ghost known as the Winter Soldier.

Aside from some scattered information, there was nothing concrete to follow.

Whoever was behind Winter Soldier ensured that all traces were meticulously erased, leaving Tony Stark, even with advanced AI like Jarvis, unable to find much.

But what Tony Stark didn't know was that, aside from doing missions, the Winter Soldier was frozen just like Captain America.

There were very few traces left behind.

Moreover, during missions, the Winter Soldier usually wore a mask.

Instances like the assassination of Howard and his wife which were recorded on surveillance were very rare.

Considering all these factors, even for someone as technologically advanced as Tony Stark, it was unrealistic to expect significant findings in a short period.

The situation was similar with Ivan Vanko.

Because Ivan's background in America was even cleaner than that of the Winter Soldier.

At least Winter Soldier left some fragments that Jarvis could look up; Ivan Vanko truly had nothing.

In the movies, after attacking Iron Man and being captured, officials couldn't find anything even from the fingerprints they collected.

What about Ivan Vanko's father, Anton Vanko?

He had already passed away before Tony Stark went public with the identity of the man in the Iron Suit.

As a result.

It seemed more unlikely for Tony Stark, through Jarvis, to locate Ivan Vanko than to find the Winter Soldier.

So although Tony Stark had ordered Jarvis to vigorously pursue the investigation, he still faced a very frustrating reality:

As days passed, aside from the successful organization of the Stark Expo by Pepper Potts, with everything smoothly progressing, there were no other developments.

Of course, this was only the case for Tony Stark.

For Nick Fury, the intelligence chief, things were much smoother.

In just a month, Agent Hill had already located Ivan Vanko and uncovered everything about him.

They knew even the color of his underwear, all accurately reported to Nick Fury.

"Anton Vanko once tried to profit from the arc reactor technology and fell out with Howard, which led to his deportation back to the Soviet Union."

"And upon discovering that Anton had no value, the Soviets immediately sent him off to Siberia."

"Anton Vanko spent most of his wretched and downtrodden life there."

"He blamed everything on Howard Stark and directed all his hatred towards the Stark family."

"Because of this hatred, Anton Vanko and his son, Ivan, secretly returned to America, intending to take revenge on Stark."

"Director, they indeed possess some technology that seems to be related to the Iron Man suit, at least the power source is the same, since Anton also participated in creating the arc reactor.""But from my investigation, it seems they do not possess the technology to manufacture an Iron Man suit, and Ivan Vanko hasn't even completed the miniaturization of the reactor."

In the office.

Agent Hill stood before Director Fury, reporting all the intelligence on Ivan Vanko.

Director Fury maintained a poker face, but internally, he couldn't help but ponder.

From Agent Hill's report, it was clear Ivan Vanko was planning to create something to use against Stark.

It matched with the diary that described him as Stark's second enemy, possessing Stark's technology—it was a match! Unconsciously, Director Fury's trust in the diary grew stronger.

Of course, there was no need for Agent Hill to know these thoughts.

Director Fury quickly refocused on Agent Hill.

"Is Ivan Vanko only at the reactor stage? Any other progress?"

Agent Hill responded, "As of now, he has only researched the reactor."

"I see. Continue to keep an eye on Ivan Vanko. Monitor every move he makes, but don't startle him prematurely."

Director Fury swiftly made a decision and gave Agent Hill the order.

Agent Hill, without any further words, promptly undertook the task.

She understood her superior's intention—clearly, they were waiting for the day Ivan Vanko's technology was mature enough to be picked like low-hanging fruit.

But such things would not yield immediate results. Not everyone was a genius like Tony Stark.

Director Fury understood this well and was prepared for a long battle.

As predicted, there was no movement from Ivan Vanko in the following two months.

Instead, it was in the Arctic that Coulson discovered something significant.

"Boss, I think we've found what we've been looking for!"

In the Arctic, a desolate corner surrounded by ice and snow.

A team of SHIELD agents was gathered around a partly buried warplane, its majority concealed by ice, with just a "tip of the iceberg" visible, their expressions a mix of shock and delight.

At last, after enduring over three months of harsh cold and blizzards, there was a discovery.

"Yes, that's what we were looking for!"

Coulson carefully assessed the exposed wing of the warplane, made his judgment, and nodded.

It seemed to match the model of the plane Captain America had crashed in, and it was within the estimated crash site perimeter—it had to be the right one.

"We need a crane, cutting tools, I need to get inside this thing as quickly as possible."

"We might also need a medical team on standby, prepare them too."

"Right away!"

Coulson wasted no time giving orders.

Soon, the tools and equipment were brought in, creating an opening in the plane's shell.

Coulson, along with two SHIELD agents, descended on ropes into the interior of the warplane.

"Sir, do you really believe Captain America is still alive?"

One SHIELD agent couldn't help but voice his skepticism, even now finding the idea absurd.

"I hope so," Coulson replied.

"Look sharp!" another agent interjected.

Quickly approaching, they saw beneath the snow a familiar shield lying quietly.

It was unmistakably the iconic shield of Captain America.

"Search thoroughly!"

Coulson's spirits lifted as he and the agents meticulously scoured the vicinity.

And indeed, they made another discovery.

Close to the shield, under the snow, lay a figure with golden blond hair, donning the familiar star-spangled uniform, his chest threatening to rip through the fabric.

It was Captain America. And astoundingly, he was still breathing, alive after all these years, without a sign of age as if he'd stepped straight out of the 1940s.

"Unbelievable, truly unbelievable."

"He really is Captain America, just like on TV!"

"This is incredible!"

Even the seasoned SHIELD agents, accustomed to extraordinary sights, couldn't help but exclaim.

Captain America was, indeed, alive.

"It's excellent; the captain is really alive."

Coulson displayed a genuine smile as he heard more excitement.

"Carefully, get the captain up; be gentle!"

"And don't forget his shield!"

As Captain America was being evacuated, Coulson dialed Fury's number on his satellite phone without waiting to come up himself.

"Boss, we've found the captain."

"Just as you said, the captain is still alive."

Captain America was alive, as recorded in the diary!

On the other end of the call, Director Fury was immediately struck by this news.

The confirmation of Ivan Vanko's identity as Stark's enemy and the accurate prediction of Captain America's survival had greatly elevated the diary's importance to Fury.

Setting aside the assumption that Tony Stark was also a diary holder, as Natasha had said, everything in the diary had been verified without exception.

Could the assumption about Tony Stark himself holding the diary hold any accuracy?

If the early capture of Stane and the appearance of the "Destroyer" weren't enough evidence, Iron Man's appearance in the Arctic was a strong corroboration!

So, indeed, from the current clues it seems that... the diary has not been wrong!