This Is What Your Father Left for You

"Director, I'm sorry. I was exposed in the end."

In the director's office at S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha reported her failure to Xia Ling and brought Tony with her.

Natasha had never expected Tony to attack her so suddenly. She'd subdued him on instinct.

That had exposed her exceptional skills. A lowly secretary wouldn't have been able to move like that.

"It's all right. Tony Stark is a genius, one of the most brilliant people in the world. It was no small feat to keep the truth from him for as long as you did."

Hearing Xia Ling say that, not only Natasha but Tony as well breathed a sigh of relief.

He hadn't been able to bring himself to lick Natasha's little feet. His self-respect wouldn't allow him to do such a thing.

So he'd suddenly lost it and attacked her. The result was predictable: Natasha had subdued him in a single move.

Still, he'd achieved his goal. Natasha could no longer keep up her disguise, so she came clean and invited him to meet her director.

Tony was surprised to learn that she was an agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.

After a little thought, Tony agreed. He'd also brought the Gh'gth Revelations with him to show the director.

After all, his father had written in the letter that the director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division could be trusted, even though the agency had since been renamed S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Director Xia, you—"

"Mr. Stark, you don't need to say it. This is about your palladium poisoning, right?"

Xia Ling interrupted Tony and got straight to the point.

"Mr. Stark, your father left some things for you with S.H.I.E.L.D. One of them happens to be something that can solve your problem."

A flicker of surprise crossed Tony's eyes, along with a hint of displeasure.

Why had his father left pieces of his inheritance all over the place, but not given them to him? Obadiah had some, and now S.H.I.E.L.D. had some too. How much had his father left behind?

"Then why did you—"

"Mr. Stark, don't rush. Hear me out first."

Xia Ling interrupted Stark again as he voiced his question.

Stark just wanted to know why they'd waited until now to give it to him. Xia Ling wasn't taking the blame for that.

The former director could bear the burden a little longer and take the blame for one more thing. After all, it was his responsibility anyway.

"Nothing could be done. The former director was too busy lining his pockets to handle any actual business, so your matter slipped his mind. I only took over S.H.I.E.L.D. recently.

"It's been a struggle just keeping this mess afloat. I only found this thing a few days ago, and was just thinking about when to bring it to you. That's why I had Natasha come clean."

Natasha, standing to the side, was speechless. Director Xia was quite the operator. With a few casual words, he'd neatly shifted all responsibility off himself.

Still, he wasn't wrong. He hadn't been in the job long, and pinning the whole thing on him would be a bit much.

"So, Natasha—"

"Natasha was also sent to keep an eye on you by Nick Fury. I personally think that if we're going to work together, we should be honest with each other. That's why she came clean after only a few days."

Tony was left speechless. It was a perfect answer. Even if he'd wanted to pick a fight, he couldn't find anything to fault.

Besides, he was the one who'd come to them asking to work together. Picking a fight was out of the question.

"All right, Director Xia. I accept your explanation. But since you already know what's going on with me, what do you plan to do now?"

There was a little more seriousness and anticipation in Tony's voice.

Xia Ling smiled faintly, stood up, and walked over to the desk. He pressed a button, and the desktop slowly opened to reveal a refined safe.

He entered the combination. The safe clicked open, revealing a flat, rectangular box and a three-dimensional architectural model.

"These are the things your father left with us. This three-dimensional model is a vessel concealing crucial technological secrets. Supposedly, it can be used to create an energy source more powerful than palladium, without any of its drawbacks. Your father hoped you would carry this technology forward and bring change to humanity's future.

"This box contains your father's technical notes, research materials, some of his thoughts, and his last words. Your father loved you, Mr. Stark."

Tony's gaze lingered on the open safe for a long while, as if he could see his father's kind face and unfinished dreams in those objects.

"Director Xia, I—"

"Your father was also one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders."

Before Tony could ask, Xia Ling answered him directly.

Everything was clear now: why his father had said he could trust S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, and why he'd left Tony an inheritance at S.H.I.E.L.D. It was because his father had been one of its founders.

At Xia Ling's words, most of the doubts in Tony's heart vanished, and a complicated feeling welled up inside him.

"Director Xia, are you the Lord's emissary?"

"What? The Lord's emissary? Me? Of course not. At least, not now. At the very least, I haven't received any divine revelation from Him, and His son, Hong Xiuqing, hasn't guided me either.

"Nor has a beautiful angel descended from heaven to deliver the Lord's mission to me."

"I see. So you aren't Yahweh's emissary either. Then who is?"

The corner of Xia Ling's mouth curled into a smile. Of course he wasn't going to admit that he was the person behind this persona he'd been given. That would be far too beneath him. It would make this prophet seem worthless, as if he were just some charlatan swindling people.

"Who knows? Before Yahweh's will is revealed, how could anyone know who the prophet will be? Be patient, son of Howard. You still have a long road ahead of you."

What's the punishment for acting like a big shot?

Death?

Anyone? I need an answer, fast!

Watching this director of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was younger than him, put on airs of seniority in front of him, Tony felt a toothache coming on.

He wanted nothing more than to throw a punch right then and there and teach him to respect his elders—his middle-aged elders.

But Natasha standing beside him made Tony abandon the idea. Teaching her director a lesson in front of her would just get him beaten up again.

This woman could subdue him in a single move. She was not someone to mess with. Unless he was wearing his suit, he shouldn't even think about it.

"Let's change the subject. Do you have a way to deal with those two deities?"

"No."

The blunt answer only made Tony lose his mind. If Xia Ling had no way to deal with them, what had Tony even come here for?

"Don't worry, Tony. It's come to this, and getting worked up won't help. Are you hungry? Let's eat first."