In the spacious press hall of Stark Industries, Tony Stark strolled in, holding a hamburger, his arrival sparking an uproar below where a horde of reporters had gathered. His safe return had clearly set off a media frenzy.
Meanwhile, Kurogai and Yinsen stood quietly on the second floor, observing from above. Neither of them had any interest in appearing before the cameras. Kurogai preferred to remain in the shadows, and Yinsen, likewise, had no desire to face the public eye. Though they were present at the press conference, they chose to remain spectators rather than take to the spotlight.
"Tony, welcome back! I was so worried. Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention? What happened? Why were you even targeted?"
Standing beside Stark was a bald man with a forced smile, his tone filled with feigned concern. It was Obadiah Stane, one of the major shareholders of Stark Industries—and a man who had a hidden agenda. Unseen behind his cordial demeanor was a deep sense of dissatisfaction.
Obadiah had orchestrated the ambush on Tony, intending for the captors to extract Stark's cutting-edge tech. But everything had spiraled out of control. Stark had escaped. Worse yet, he'd returned alive. Still, Obadiah kept his composure—at least outwardly.
"I'm fine, Obadiah. Everything's under control," Stark said casually.
Ever since Kurogai's warning, Stark had been connecting the dots. He now strongly suspected Obadiah's involvement in the attack and wasn't about to reveal anything more than he needed to.
Obadiah, clearly disappointed, tried to continue pressing him. "Well, I still wanted to ask—"
"Let's just get through this press conference first," Stark interrupted, his tone firm as he took a seat on the podium's edge, facing the swarm of reporters below.
Obadiah's smile faltered briefly, but he held back, signaling the conference to begin.
"Mr. Stark! You were reportedly kidnapped—why are you suddenly back at home? Was the whole thing staged?"
"I was indeed kidnapped," Stark answered, his tone serious. "And I owe my survival to two men. Without them, I wouldn't be standing here."
As he addressed the reporters, Stark left out the more sensitive details. Some things were best kept from the public eye.
Down below, a sharply dressed man in a dark suit watched Stark carefully. He wasn't a reporter—he was someone far more deliberate. It was Agent Phil Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D., and when his eyes flicked to the second floor and saw Kurogai, his expression tightened.
"Director Fury," Coulson said into his comm discreetly, "we have a situation. Kurogai, the 'Eyed One,' is here. I've spotted him at Stark's press conference."
Kurogai was a special case for S.H.I.E.L.D. Past incidents involving him had proven he wasn't someone to take lightly. In fact, he was arguably the most problematic anomaly the agency had dealt with—and even Nick Fury treated him with extreme caution.
"What? Kurogai's there?" Fury snapped over the comm. "Why? What's he doing? Coulson, I want answers—and be careful. We don't need anything jeopardizing Stark right now."
"Understood," Coulson replied, voice steady but alert.
With a deep breath, he made his way up to the second floor. Though security personnel blocked the area, Coulson presented his S.H.I.E.L.D. identification and was promptly granted access.
Approaching cautiously, he stood before Kurogai and Yinsen.
"Mr. Kurogai," Coulson said directly, "I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Fury sent me to ask about your presence here."
He wasn't about to waste time with subtlety—Kurogai wasn't someone to play games with.
Kurogai turned to him, his gaze sharp and composed.
"Phil Coulson?" he said calmly, recognizing the agent at a glance.
The acknowledgment made Coulson's heart skip. He hadn't expected to be recognized so easily.
That realization struck hard. Had he tried to approach disguised or stealthily, Kurogai likely would have seen through it instantly—and things could've gone very badly. Coulson suddenly felt thankful for playing it straight.
"Relax," Kurogai said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just keeping an eye on things."
His voice was low and unthreatening, but carried the weight of assurance. This was all part of an agreement with Stark—he had no ill intent today.
"That's… good. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day."
Relieved, Coulson gave a half-bow and retreated to report back to Fury. Whether the Director would be satisfied with this explanation, though, was out of his hands.
"Mr. Kurogai… you really are mysterious," Yinsen murmured beside him, unable to hide his awe.
He didn't fully grasp what S.H.I.E.L.D. was, nor did he understand their dynamic with Kurogai. But he could clearly sense the tension Coulson had displayed just moments ago. Anyone who could make an agent that serious nervous had to be someone beyond ordinary.
And that mysterious power Kurogai had shown in the cave… it lingered in Yinsen's mind like a shadow.
Kurogai, however, didn't offer any explanation. He simply turned his attention back to the podium. Stark was speaking again—this time, with a declaration that shocked the entire venue.
"I intend to shut down Stark Industries' weapons division."
A moment of silence hung in the air—then came the uproar.
The show had officially begun.
_