I Am

After digging through the deep snow, the two of them found Iron Monger frozen solid. Feeney couldn't help thinking of Captain America, who was in a similar state somewhere else.

But unlike Captain America, Obadiah hadn't been injected with Super-Soldier Serum. He couldn't survive being frozen.

After a great deal of effort, they finally pulled Iron Monger out of the ice. Tony opened the armor's face mask and looked at Obadiah, whose mouth was stuffed with a 'Sumire's Fried Chicken Roll.' He was at a loss for words.

"At least he got to eat something this good before he died. He can't complain."

After offering that assessment, Tony put the Face Mask back on. Then he and Feeney carried Iron Monger back to the mansion.

Seeing Obadiah dead left Feeney feeling a little conflicted. He was the first person Feeney had killed. Come to think of it, Obadiah seemed to have died without ever learning who Feeney was.

I guess he died without knowing the truth.

Feeney thought it over, but didn't dwell on it. The Marvel universe had all kinds of incredible ways to bring people back, but someone of Obadiah's standing wouldn't have access to any of them. He was dead, and this time, he was really dead.

After taking the Miniature Arc Reactor out of Iron Monger's body, Tony set him aside and asked Feeney, "An agent wanted to meet you last night. Are you planning to talk to him?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D.!?"

Feeney raised an eyebrow.

"That's a good name. Easy to remember." Tony nodded in agreement, then said, "I think so. Some kind of Strategic... Homeland... whatever agency. His name was Phil Conison, right?"

"Phil Coulson, maybe?"

Feeney gave Tony an exasperated look, then asked curiously, "He came to see you yesterday? What did he say?"

Since Feeney had gotten involved this time, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't had much contact with Tony. He couldn't help wondering how things were unfolding.

"He asked me about what happened yesterday!"

"You admitted it?"

From Tony's expression, Feeney guessed he must have told him something.

"I had to let the military know something." Tony shrugged, then said seriously, "What about you? Are you going to keep living like this?"

"???"

Feeney stared at him in confusion. "What do you mean, 'living like this'?"

"If Sorcerers are here to protect the world, why not do it through some kind of official channel?"

"Ahem..."

Feeney nearly spat out the tea he'd been drinking. Was Tony asking him to become a public figure too!?

He stared at Tony speechlessly, then explained, "You're used to living the life of a Rich Genius. You're used to danger lurking around every corner, and to having the whole world watching you."

"But I'm just an ordinary little Sorcerer. I get nervous just standing at the front of a classroom. Besides, our responsibilities are different. Ordinary people can't even detect things like a Dimensional Invasion, so why spread the word and make them panic?"

"Also, you're practically a loner. You only have Miss Pepper to keep you company. I have a lot of family, plus my master and Senior Brothers. What if an enemy who can't find me decides to take revenge on them instead?"

"So don't make a fuss. The world needs heroes, but it doesn't have to be me!"

Of course, Feeney knew all of that was just an excuse. The real reason was simple: he wasn't strong enough. If he had the power to ignore every danger and handle every problem, he wouldn't care whether his identity was hidden.

Tony fell silent. Yinsen's last words kept echoing in his mind. Perhaps his life no longer belonged to him alone, as Feeney's did. Besides, he'd made too many mistakes that he needed to make up for.

"That's about it for this matter. I should get going!"

Seeing Tony lost in thought, Feeney stretched and put on a lazy air. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "As for S.H.I.E.L.D., you can still get to know them a little for now. They have something to do with your future."

Because of Feeney, Tony hadn't had much contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. That worried Feeney. What if Nick Fury couldn't recruit Tony into the Avengers in the future? Until he was sure he could handle the dangers to come, he still wanted the Superheroes to grow stronger.

The two of them got along pretty well, and Feeney also hoped to rely on Tony's Iron Armor to farm experience in the future. So he didn't mind dropping a few hints. It might even help put the story back on track.

"My future!?"

Tony snapped out of his thoughts. Not understanding what Feeney meant, he frowned and asked, "Are they after my technology too?"

"Uh..."

Feeney stopped in his tracks. That was the downside of revealing the future: it could end up changing everything beyond recognition. If he didn't explain, the next thing he knew, Iron Man might be fighting S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.

"Not exactly. You remember the poisoning, right? They have some clues about how to solve it."

With no other choice, Feeney revealed a little more.

Only then did Tony remember that he still had a major problem to deal with. But he didn't feel any urgency yet. First, he hadn't tested the solution. Second, having Feeney as a safety net put him somewhat at ease.

"Anyway, you can get to know them, but don't trust them too much."

In the end, Feeney still cautioned him. Hydra had deeply infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. The previous director had even been one of them, which showed just how bad things had gotten.

So Feeney didn't want Tony to trust S.H.I.E.L.D. too much. That would only give Hydra a chance to grow stronger.

"I'm an adult. Kids don't need to worry so much."

Seeing Feeney fussing over him like a mother, giving him advice and warnings, Tony couldn't resist making another snide remark. Feeney's age was usually overlooked when he was around other people, but for some reason, that never seemed to happen with Tony.

Feeney flipped Tony the universally recognized gesture, then opened a portal and returned home. Iron Man had been born, and the other dangers of the future were on their way too.

Not long after Feeney left, Pepper, who'd been hounded by Coulson and the reporters for ages, finally caved under the pressure and called Tony.

"Fine. Let's hold a press conference. I'll be there soon."

After listening to the questions over the phone, Tony gave her a clear answer.

After hanging up, Tony looked at the bullet-ridden Mark II and Iron Monger beside it. He let out a breath, changed into a fresh set of clothes, found his bodyguards outside, and headed to the press conference.

As soon as Tony arrived, Coulson came over and handed him a sheet of paper. "You were on a yacht at the time. There'll be evidence that you drifted around Avalon Harbor all night, along with statements from fifty guests."

Looking at the prepared statement, Tony curled his lip and replied, "You might as well say it was just Pepper and me on the island."

"We can't make things up!" Coulson joked along, then added, "Just read what's on the page."

"Why doesn't it mention Obadiah?"

Tony glanced over the statement and saw no mention of Obadiah at all.

"We arranged for him to go on vacation." Coulson smiled faintly. "You know how unsafe small planes can be."

"But do you think they'll believe this? Such a... flimsy explanation!? And the bodyguards!?"

Tony frowned as he continued reading the statement.

"Trust me, this isn't my first time doing this. Just read it as written." Coulson looked confident. "It'll be fine."

And so, a few minutes later...

"I am Iron Man!"

Hmm... If I keep asking you for votes like this every day, you'll get tired of it too. What new trick should I try!?