In the sky, a helicopter painted in camouflage landed near the trio. The American flag on it made it easy to guess that it likely belonged to the U.S. military.
After the helicopter touched down, a soldier jumped out and opened the cabin door for the three, though it was mainly for Tony.
Tony turned back, waved at Raiden and Yinsen, and then walked straight onto the helicopter.
Raiden smiled and was about to follow when a hand firmly grabbed his arm from behind. Raiden turned to see it was Yinsen.
"Yinsen? What's wrong?" Raiden asked.
Yinsen was silent for a moment, then looked up into Raiden eyes and said
"Raiden, I hope you can keep this secret for me... Don't tell anyone that I've eaten human flesh..."
Raiden quietly looked at Yinsen. Those eyes felt familiar to him—pleading, pitiful, humble, yet helpless. Raiden might have seen those eyes before, he must have seen them somewhere. But just as Raiden was trying to recall where he had seen those eyes, Yinsen interrupted him.
"Raiden, can you do that?"
Raiden snapped back to reality and looked at Yinsen, answering somewhat absentmindedly
"Okay."
"Thank you!" Yinsen patted Raiden shoulder.
"Mm," Raiden nodded and was about to board the helicopter when Yinsen pulled him again.
Raiden turned around once more, his face full of questions.
Yinsen whispered, "And don't tell Tony... okay?"
A faint smile appeared on Raiden face as he nodded firmly.
"What are you two doing? Come on up," Tony said, reaching out from the cabin door.
"Coming, don't rush," Raiden gave Yinsen a reassuring look, then turned and grabbed Tony hand to board the helicopter.
...
New York City, the most bustling city in the United States, is the economic center of the country.
In the Marvel Universe, it holds even more significant importance. Among the most representative and iconic landmarks is the Stark Industries Tower, belonging to Tony Stark, which is also the future Avengers Tower.
The helicopter carrying the three of them flew directly to the helipad on the top floor of the tower, unimpeded along the way. It was clear that Tony had already informed the security personnel in the building.
After the helicopter landed on the helipad, Tony led Raiden and Yinsen down. The floor below the helipad was Tony office. Of course, Tony rarely visited this office, as Pepper usually handled the daily heavy workload for him.
Although Tony didn't come often, he was very familiar with the office, as it was built entirely according to his preferences.
Once inside the office, Tony first had Raiden and Yinsen sit on the sofa.
"Hey, you two sit here and rest for a while. If you want something to drink, there's a fridge here," Tony said, patting the fridge beside him. Then, as if explaining something, Tony said to the two
"I don't like people entering my office casually. You two rest here, I... will be away for a while."
After saying this, Tony walked into another room nearby.
Raiden and Yinsen exchanged glances, tilting their heads slightly. Though they didn't know what Tony was up to, sitting here for a while won't hurt. It wasn't like
Tony was going to sell them off, right?
"Yinsen, do you want something to drink?" Raiden walked over to the fridge and asked Yinsen as he opened the door.
"Whatever's fine," Yinsen replied, glancing around the room.
"Alright then," Raiden nodded thoughtfully, casually grabbing a bottle of drink from the fridge and tossing it to Yinsen. He picked one for himself as well, sipping it while walking toward the window.
Standing by the tall floor-to-ceiling window, Raiden looked down at the bustling city of New York. The dazzling lights and indulgent atmosphere were a true reflection of the city's essence. Raiden stood there quietly, gazing out the window, lost in thought—or perhaps he was simply daydreaming.
"Hey," Tony returned. Turns out, he had gone to change into a rather flashy suit.
"Oh, Tony, honestly, that tight suit you were wearing earlier was pretty cool" Raiden turned around, pointing at Tony outfit with a smirk.
Tony walked toward Raiden, patting Yinsen shoulder as he passed by. He then stood in front of the window, spreading his arms and addressing both Raiden and Yinsen,
"Welcome to New York. But now, we need to go somewhere."
After saying that, Tony waved at the two and headed toward the door.
"Let's go, Raiden," Yinsen chuckled as he followed.
From the office to the lobby, people kept greeting Tony along the way. Downstairs, a car was already waiting for the three of them.
In the car, Raiden suddenly asked Tony,
"What's the driver's name, Tony?" Clearly, this driver wasn't Tony usual chauffeur, Happy. Tony didn't even recognize him.
"Hey, kid, what's your name?" The driver looked like a young man, probably in his early twenties.
Hearing Tony question, the young man seemed nervous and quickly replied
"My name's Wayne, Mr. Stark. I just joined Stark Industries this year. I'm one of the drivers in the company chauffeur team."
Wayne glanced at the rearview mirror, but a curtain blocked his view, preventing him from seeing Tony expression. Tony, however, didn't care about any of that. He just wanted to answer Raiden question.
"He said his name's Wayne. I'm sure you heard that, Raiden. But why do you ask?" Tony said as he pulled a bottle of champagne from the car mini-fridge.
"I just thought I might need a driver." Raiden replied with a smile.
Tony handed a glass of champagne to Yinsen and nodded
"Then I can have him—uh, Wayne, right? Yeah, Wayne—be your personal driver."
…
In the driver seat, Wayne was visibly nervous. Mr. Stark hadn't spoken to him again. Did he say something wrong earlier?
Suddenly, the curtain between the driver seat and the back compartment was pulled open, and a head popped out, startling Wayne.
"Hey, Wayne, your name's Wayne, right?" Raiden asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir, my name is Wayne," Wayne replied cautiously. Although he didn't know who Raiden was, he could imagine that anyone who walked alongside Tony Stark must be someone important.
"Alright, Wayne, from now on, you're my personal driver," Raiden said.
"Sir, this... would require approval from the company. Of course, if Mr. Stark agrees, it could be arranged," Wayne responded.
"Hey, Wayne, starting today, you're his driver. I'll inform the company about it," Tony voice came from the back seat.
Wayne quickly agreed repeatedly.
Raiden smiled and patted Wayne on the shoulder, sayin
, "My name is Raiden. Congratulations, you've essentially been promoted. I'll make sure Tony gives you a raise. Here's my phone number—uh, actually, I'll have someone contact you."
Raiden suddenly realized halfway through that he didn't actually have a phone.
"I've already prepared phones for both of you. By the way, Yinsen, do you need a driver?" Tony asked.
Yinsen shook his head.
Raiden glanced at Yinsen and then turned to Tony, saying
"Though I might need a financial advisor or something. Tony, you still owe me nearly a hundred million dollars."
"Oh, alright," Tony nodded reluctantly, a hint of a bitter smile on his lips.
The car stopped at one of Tony mansions on the East Coast of New York, which was also Tony only home.
Tony got out of the car with Raiden and Yinsen. Before leaving, Wayne whispered to Raiden,
"Sir, I'll be waiting for your message."
Raiden turned back with a smile and gave a thumbs-up.
In front of the luxurious, magnificent, and ingeniously designed mansion, Tony put his hand on Raiden and Yinsen shoulders and said.
"Welcome home."