The Malibu sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling into the living room of the mansion.
Tony Stark was directing several mechanical arms, holding various high-precision scanners, to scan Lin Huai from head to toe. The screens flickered with nothing but meaningless garbled code.
"Hey, Jarvis, how about we just slice him up for research?" Tony joked half-heartedly, but a scientist's fervor flickered in his eyes.
Lin Huai didn't bother to respond. The spirituality of a [Seer] allowed him to clearly sense that several uninvited "guests" were currently inside this heavily fortified mansion.
Just then, the private elevator leading to the underground lab opened with a "ding." Jarvis, the omnipresent electronic butler, gave no visitor announcement.
Nick Fury walked out, followed by Natasha and Coulson.
Tony's expression darkened instantly. "Jarvis? I don't recall issuing a VIP pass to S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Apologies, sir. I did not detect any access requests outside of authorization." For the first time, Jarvis's voice carried a hint of confusion.
Fury ignored Tony's sarcasm and walked straight to the center of the living room, his single eye locked firmly onto Lin Huai on the sofa.
"Mr. Lin Huai." Fury's voice was raspy and steady. "I believe it's time to fulfill the agreement between us."
He directly used the first "weight": "My question is, what is the 'principle' behind all the mysterious phenomena that appeared during the Battle of New York?"
Lin Huai smiled. "Principle? Director Fury, you're using the wrong word. That wasn't some kind of science; it was a play dedicated to my Lord, titled 'The Fool.'"
He tossed out the "Theater Theory," "Prayer Theory," and "Boon Theory" in a charlatan-like tone, causing Coulson's lip to twitch and Natasha's gaze to turn solemn.
In Fury's single eye, his pupil contracted sharply. Theater, prayer, boons, divine kingdoms... this pointed to a conclusion he least wanted to face—behind Lin Huai stood a real, existing... God capable of granting "Authority"!
"I understand." Fury nodded slowly, having received an answer that would keep him awake all night.
Just as he was preparing to leave, Lin Huai turned his gaze toward Coulson beside him.
"Agent Coulson, it's time for our deal to be fulfilled as well."
Lin Huai closed his eyes, pretentiously whispering a few words of unintelligible Hermes Language. Then he opened his eyes and handed a note with latitude and longitude coordinates to Coulson.
"A ghost forgotten by history, a banner slumbering beneath the ice. I believe S.H.I.E.L.D. needs a true spiritual symbol right now."
Boom! Fury's single eye widened abruptly, and for the first time, an uncontrollable shock appeared on his face! Captain America! The value of this intel far exceeded that first weight from earlier!
"This... fulfilled promise, I accept on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D." Fury took a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil in his heart. He gave Lin Huai a heavy nod and walked quickly into the elevator.
The elevator doors slowly closed.
"Shit! Fuck!"
Tony's suppressed cursing suddenly erupted. He slammed a fist onto the sofa's armrest, the movement pulling at his wounds and making him grimace in pain.
"That Cyclops! He just walked right in!" he roared at the air. "Jarvis! Tell me how that bastard bypassed my firewall! Give me a path analysis immediately!"
"Sir, analyzing... analysis complete." Jarvis's voice took on an unusual gravity. "The party did not intrude. They used a highest-priority reserved channel. The authorization protocol was signed by... Howard Stark."
Tony's roaring stopped abruptly. He stood there stunned, the anger on his face instantly replaced by a more complex emotion—a mix of bewilderment, confusion, and a hint of annoyance at being kept in the dark by his father.
Lin Huai watched him, waiting for him to digest the fact before slowly speaking.
"Tony, I performed a divination for you."
Tony snapped his head up to look at him.
Lin Huai's expression became inscrutable. "In that forest called S.H.I.E.L.D., most of the tree roots have already been corroded by an invisible Darkness. If you want to find a few trunks you can still lean on..."
He paused, speaking softly in a tone of sharing a secret:
"...Remember these names: Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Natasha Romanoff, and that archer named Clint Barton. Their 'threads of fate' are still clean for now."
Tony's pupils shrank. He etched these names, along with Lin Huai's eerie metaphor, deep into his mind... Over the next few days, while Tony Stark was recovering peacefully in his Malibu mansion, the outside World had completely exploded.
New York Times Front Page: ["Iron Man" Descends? A Midnight Street War!]
On Fox News, the host was shouting over a blurry cell phone video of the battle: "We don't know who he is exactly! But citizens are affectionately calling him 'Iron Man'! According to eyewitness accounts, this was a war of a righteous Guardian against an evil giant!"
On Twitter, the #Iron Man hashtag topped the global trending list within just twelve hours. Countless people were discussing whether that red-and-gold figure was a secret Military weapon or the private bodyguard of some hidden billionaire.
Stark Industries' stock price experienced a terrifying roller coaster ride in this storm of public opinion. The board of directors' calls nearly blew up Pepper's phone, demanding she immediately clarify if Stark Industries was involved in the night's destruction.
"No! We must hold a press conference!"
Pepper slammed a stack of newspapers and printed online comments onto the coffee table, speaking to Tony, who was still leisurely drinking juice, her face full of anxiety.
"Look at the outside World! If we don't speak up, the whole World will think Stark Industries is secretly developing War Machines!"
Not far away, Agent Coulson was leaning against the wall, signaling to him with a pre-prepared script in his hand.
Tony nodded absentmindedly. He knew the time for evasion was over... At the Stark Industries press conference.
Tony changed into a sharp suit and stepped onto the podium. Flashbulbs instantly submerged him.
Reporters, like sharks scenting blood, scrambled to ask questions.
"Mr. Stark, what exactly was that steel Monster that night?"
"Mr. Stark! Is that person in the video you?"
Tony looked at the countless curious, searching, and excited faces below the stage, then looked down at the script in his hand, meticulously written by S.H.I.E.L.D. and filled with lies.
He thought of the cave in Afghanistan, he thought of Yinsen, he thought of Lin Huai's mystical yet incredibly accurate prophecy, and he thought of that line: "The dust of history has yet to be brushed away, but a new storm is already brewing."
He suddenly felt that all of this should have a conclusion.
A real conclusion.
He tossed aside the script in his hand and looked directly into the camera, a signature smile—a mix of conceit and determination—appearing on his face.
"I've thought about it, and it's just not my style."
"The truth is..."
He paused slightly, enjoying the moment as the whole World held its breath for him.
"I am Iron Man."
"End of Volume One"