Chapter 55: Repaying a Favor

**

Link gently stroked Jessica's hair before scooping her up and heading to the gym. The chaos outside no longer concerned them. Their battle was heating up, and the rubber flooring of the gym absorbed the noise, keeping their intensity private.

…

The scene had been cordoned off, but Tony Stark hadn't yet instructed Pepper Potts to destroy the arc reactor. Things were still manageable.

Agent Coulson approached Stark, speaking up, "Mr. Stark, can we talk now?"

"Maybe next time…" Stark began to deflect.

"Mr. Stark, we need to provide an explanation for what happened here," Coulson interjected. "My colleague just shot and killed Obadiah Stane. We need an official cause of death for Mr. Stane."

"Fine, tomorrow then," Stark agreed, realizing he couldn't dodge this. The sky was swarming with helicopters, ensuring there was no escaping the public's eye.

"That works. We'll handle the scene," Coulson nodded.

The area was quickly secured. Stane's Iron Monger armor had not been destroyed, but Stark had removed its power source, rendering it useless. Coulson didn't take the armor right away; instead, they carefully placed it back in the factory. The armor wasn't what they truly wanted.

Nick Fury wasn't short-sighted. His plans were always ambitious, though often lacking the means to execute them. His final play was always somewhere far off in space, rarely returning to Earth.

At the press conference the next day, Tony Stark famously declared, "I am Iron Man." Link and Jessica watched the broadcast from their villa, curled up together on the couch.

Jessica asked, "Will the stock go up?"

"It will. It's going to skyrocket in the future. We've struck gold," Link laughed. "But it's time to pack up. We're heading back to New York."

"Got it! I bet the foundation's affairs have piled up," Jessica quickly got up and rushed to pack.

Meanwhile, Link picked up his phone and called Coulson. "How's the situation?"

"It's a mess, but it's under control. I finally had a chance to talk with our new 'Iron Man,'" Coulson replied. "Now that we know how he escaped, it's up to the Director to make the next move."

Link responded, "I'm heading back to New York."

"Stark wants to meet you. He won't admit it, but you did save his life," Coulson mentioned.

"I don't mind. It's been a while since I've seen him anyway," Link said casually.

Coulson added, "He's planning to give the suit Stane built to S.H.I.E.L.D., but he's only offering the finished product, not the method of power generation. Do you think we can get our hands on that?"

"Or at least reverse-engineer it?"

"Don't even think about it," Link quickly dismissed the idea. "The power source is the real treasure, so he won't hesitate to part with the suit. He probably doesn't care much about it anymore, so using it to repay a favor is the perfect solution."

"Good point," Coulson agreed, trusting Link's insight. "Stark's hosting a lunch tomorrow at his house. 10 a.m. sharp, and feel free to bring your girlfriend."

"Sounds good," Link said before hanging up. He hadn't expected Stark to gift him the suit, but it was a pleasant surprise. It added a new dimension to his combat options. "Jessica…"

He rushed to find her, stopping her from packing everything. "Hold off for now. We have a lunch appointment tomorrow!"

…

The next day, Link drove with Jessica to Stark's mansion. As they arrived, the gates automatically opened, and their car pulled up to the front of the villa, where Pepper Potts was waiting for them.

As they got out of the car, Pepper raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is this Miss Jones?"

"Yes, Ms. Potts," Jessica replied, extending her hand with a smile. "I manage my boyfriend's charitable foundation."

"Ah, I see. Welcome! Please, come in," Pepper led them inside, where Tony Stark sat on the couch with a drink in hand.

When he saw Link, Stark seemed surprised, "Lin?"

"It's me, Tony," Link greeted him. "After Las Vegas, I got recruited. It seemed like an interesting job, so I took it."

"Well, that's a shocker!" Stark exclaimed.

Pepper, equally stunned, asked, "You two know each other?"

"Oh, by the way, this is Mr. Link, the owner of a charitable foundation, and their fund holds 10% of Stark Industries' stock," Stark added with a tone of amazement.

"Wow!" Stark exclaimed. "Let's sit down and talk. You're full of surprises!"

Once seated, Pepper poured drinks for everyone, and Link gave a brief introduction of himself.

After listening, Stark said, "Aren't you wasting your talents as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent?"

"Not at all. I enjoy the work; it's interesting," Link replied. "With stock in Stark Industries, I don't need to worry about money. I can focus on doing what I love, and this job is full of excitement."

"And thanks for the gift, by the way."

"Don't mention it!" Stark waved dismissively. "Now that I know you're a major shareholder, giving you the suit seems like the right choice. At least it's staying in the family."

"You've got great instincts," Link said. "I believe in you and will continue to support you. The foundation will transfer its voting rights to you for the board."

"Smart decision. Now, let's enjoy lunch!" Stark said, clearly pleased.

After lunch, Link and Jessica left, driving home. They didn't discuss the suit much—Link wasn't too interested in it. Taking possession of it would likely lead to more complications.

He'd joined S.H.I.E.L.D., and perhaps one day, the Avengers, but not to become a superhero. He just wanted to stay informed.

As for the suit, Link figured Nick Fury would probably hand it over to Phil Coulson. That was the best outcome, after all. Fury trusted Coulson the most, and enhancing Coulson's combat capabilities might even pave the way for him to join the Avengers.

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(End of Chapter)