Marvelous Pals #54

The restaurant's usual buzz was conspicuously absent, replaced by an unsettling silence. I watched Tony Stark devour his shawarma wrap with gusto, a stark contrast to the tension hanging in the air. Despite his objections, the restaurant had been emptied out, surrounded by his own security detail and agents handpicked by Nick Fury himself.

Tony finished eating, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and looked at me with an expression that was equal parts curiosity and impatience. "Alright, it's about time I heard what the hell is going on."

I leaned back in my chair, studying him for a moment. "Do you know what SHIELD is?"

Tony nodded, a faint smirk on his lips. "I hacked into their database by accident some time ago. Bunch of spooks operating above the law." He paused, as if trying to recall more details. "I lost interest and moved on pretty quickly...."

I leaned forward, my gaze steady. "They're a lot more interesting than that, especially to you, considering the part your father played in creating the organization."

Tony's frown deepened, both skeptical and irritated at the mention of his father. "What the hell are you talking about?"

I shrugged, keeping my tone casual. "You could find an old box among your father's belongings. Inside it is a recording that will tell you all you need to know about Howard Stark and his connection to SHIELD."

Tony's eyes narrowed, suspicion evident in his expression. "I feel like you're trying to pull my leg. But I'll look through my old man's stuff just in case."

He scanned the area, taking in the numerous SHIELD agents surrounding the place, their presence both a comfort and a reminder of the seriousness of the situation.

His gaze returned to me, filled with a mixture of curiosity and frustration. "Why the sudden interest in me?"

I leaned forward, resting my arms on the table. "Because not long ago, you were just a billionaire playboy. Then you got kidnapped, and somehow created a 250-pound death machine, powered by a mini arc reactor. A lot of people would find that fascinating, especially SHIELD, considering how deep in shit they happen to be right now."

Tony frowned, leaning back in his chair. "SHIELD is in deep shit? What makes you say that?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Fury probably wouldn't like me airing SHIELD's dirty laundry, but luckily for you, I don't care what he thinks."

Tony grinned, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "A man after my own heart. So what's happening? Did they lose funding or something? Some deep-state shenanigans? Intelligence agency quarrels?"

I shook my head, my expression growing serious. "It's far worse than that. HYDRA is back. In fact, it reformed after the Cold War, and now a group of Nazis is in almost full control of the world's biggest intelligence agency."

Tony's eyes widened in shock. "Well, shit... And I assume the favor you want to ask has something to do with that?"

I shook my head again, a small smile playing on my lips. "As I've said, I'm a private contractor. I sell intel to SHIELD and help them whenever I feel like it, but I'm mostly in it for myself." I leaned back, my smile widening. "The favor I have in mind is personal, one that I think you'll find very interesting."

Tony's curiosity was piqued. "Alright, you've got my attention. What's this favor?"

I raised my hand, a blue crystal materializing within my palm. Before Tony could get a better look at it, I tossed it toward him. He caught it mid-air, inspecting it with a keen eye.

After a moment, he turned to me with a puzzled expression. "What is this?"

I shrugged. "It's Paldium, an ore that exclusively appears in a certain region. An ancient civilization made it the cornerstone of their technology, using it to create constructs that defied the laws of physics and common sense."

Tony couldn't help but smile at my words. "Now I know you're trying to pull my leg."

I said nothing, simply retrieving a Pal Sphere and hurling it at the ground. A Lamball emerged from within it, its innocent face looking around as it tried to adjust to its new surroundings.

The bodyguards and agents instantly flinched, preparing to take action, but upon seeing the Lamball's harmless demeanor, they awkwardly cleared their throats and pretended nothing had happened.

I grinned at their reaction before turning back to Tony Stark. Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved another Pal Sphere, an empty one, and rolled it over the table toward him. "These contraptions can trap and maintain a living being many times the size of a human, and the main ingredient in creating them is Paldium."

Tony alternated his gaze between the Paldium fragment and me, his skepticism melting into intrigue. "So this isn't a joke..." he muttered, sighing as he raised the fragment. "Alright, what do you want me to do with it?"

"I want you to study it," I replied, leaning back in my chair. "Figure out what you can do with it. In exchange, I want a cut of the profits if you come up with a marketable product or a copy of whatever tool you create for personal use."

Tony paused, tapping the fragment against his palm as he contemplated. After a moment, he gave me a nod. "Why not? I'm a bit intrigued, but..." He trailed off, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I'll need a steady supply if I'm to have any success studying Paldium or producing any products."

I nodded, understanding his concern. "I can provide a limited supply for now, but in the future, I should be able to provide more."

Tony raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Limited supply, huh? And how exactly are you planning to increase that supply?"

"Let's just say I have my sources," I replied with a smirk. "I never bothered to get more Paldium than I needed, but I can easily get more. For now, you'll have enough to get started."

Tony studied me for a moment, then nodded again. "Alright, you've got a deal... don't expect any miracles though. I'm still not sure if this shiny rock is as miraculous as you say-- even if it is, I'll need some time to figure out how it works..."

"I understand," I say, standing up and extending my hand. "But I have a feeling you'll figure it out sooner than anyone else could."

He shakes my hand, a confident grin spreading across his face. "I have a feeling you and I will get along just fine. Flattery will get you everywhere."

As we left the restaurant, the SHIELD agents fell into step around us. Tony glanced at me one last time, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Guess I'll be seeing you around, then."

"Count on it, Stark," I replied, matching his grin. "Count on it."

...

Dugan stood before Nick Fury's desk, his expression a mix of frustration and begrudging respect. "The long and short of it is that we've been duped," he began, his voice steady. "Vito handled the rescue mission on his own and made first contact with Stark."

Fury's eye twitched, a spark of anger flashing through his gaze, but he held it in check. He turned sharply to one of his subordinates, who was engrossed in a computer screen. "What do we know about their conversation?" Fury demanded.

The subordinate looked up, his face pale under the weight of Fury's glare. "Sir, we couldn't plant bugs on either Tony Stark or Vito Moretti. The ones we had in the restaurant went offline from the moment Stark walked in until he left. However," he added hastily, "we used surveillance footage, agent reports, and the help of lip readers. It appears they discussed something called Paldium and came to some sort of agreement about it."

Fury's jaw tightened, his frustration palpable. "Paldium?" he echoed, the word rolling off his tongue with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. "What the hell is Paldium?"

The subordinate shifted uncomfortably. "We don't have much on it yet, sir. It’s something Stark is apparently interested in, and it seems to be valuable."

Fury was on the verge of snapping, his temper fraying at the edges. Before he could unleash his ire, another subordinate hurried into the room, looking both urgent and cautious. "Director Fury, we have news from Captain Rogers. Sergeant Bucky Barnes seems to have finally awakened."