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Chapter 252: Hello, Mr. Stark
🕑 Added 2025-07-20 05:38:03 +0000 UTCNoah wasn’t sure if Fury was gloating or not, but in any case, Noah was just talking casually.
However, the amnesiac agent really piqued Noah's interest. He felt the situation was familiar, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t remember where he had seen it before.
Of course, if there was a hint, Noah might have figured it out, but he didn’t think it would matter. If you solve a problem on your own, you should understand what the key to that problem is. This was Noah’s current style.
But if Noah didn’t want to play anymore, he could always turn the table. He wasn’t the type to be stumped by a problem.
"Let’s do this, Fury. He’s no longer of any use to you. Why don’t you help me find him?" Noah suggested, thinking it over.
The person who could leave an impression on him must be a good guy. Let Fury and his team search for him, satisfying Noah’s curiosity while Fury worked on it. Meanwhile, Noah could think about the answer in peace.
"Why do you want him? You’re a magician, and that guy’s an agent," Fury said, a little puzzled. He neither agreed nor disagreed. He couldn’t quite figure out what Noah was thinking.
"I’m in London now," Noah explained. "Sometimes I need someone to help me deal with things in the ordinary world. It’s not like I can call you or Coulson every time, right?"
Noah spread his hands. "Although it makes me feel proud to assign you tasks, I'm afraid we won’t be able to stay friends if this continues."
"Friends?" Fury raised an eyebrow, eyeing Noah with suspicion.
Noah wasn’t bothered by Fury’s look. Friends come in different levels. For instance, close friends and distant friends were two very different concepts.
To Noah, Fury was a friend, though perhaps a distant one. Still, a friend.
"Alright, friend, I can help with this," Fury said with a smile. "It just happens to align with some troubles in my old unit, but there is one thing..."
"Don’t worry, I’m not interested in your secrets," Noah interjected. "Even if I know them, what can I do about it? If I want to do something, can you stop me?"
"Please, please don’t keep saying threatening things around us all the time, okay?" Coulson, who had been mostly silent, shook his head. "We’ll start feeling sorry for you if you keep this up, sir."
"I’m just stating the facts, Phil," Noah smiled indifferently. "Don’t you see that your new director doesn’t care at all?"
"Is it useful for me to care?" Fury responded darkly, staring with his signature “dead fish” eyes. "You draw a circle and appear where you want to appear, then wave your hand, and boom, it’s magic. What I say is really that useful?"
Noah smiled. It was true, but he wasn’t dumb enough to offend ordinary people in this world. If he did, he might not be able to stay in the magical community. That being said, it didn’t mean he couldn’t throw out some harsh words.
"Okay, let’s stop with the nonsense," Noah waved it off. "Just remember to help me find that guy. And congratulations again on your promotion, Mr. Fury. I hope you don’t lead SHIELD into the abyss."
"Thanks for your blessing, Mr. Magician. Actually, you should say it’s getting better and better," Fury replied with a smile. "By the way, are you heading back to England later?"
"Not for the time being," Noah said, shaking his head. "I’m going to find Mr. Tony Stark later."
"Uh, what do you want with him?"
"Some things need his help."
"Isn’t SHIELD capable of handling that?"
"Possibly, but it would only take a few hours for him to complete it, while it may take you much longer."
Fury was left speechless.
Although Noah’s words were a bit harsh, they were undeniably true. The two phrases "Not everyone is Tony Stark" and "Because he is Tony Stark" had definitely stuck in people’s minds.
Fury was surprised that Noah was seeking Tony out, especially since he had just mentioned him with no real interest. But after hearing Noah’s reasoning, Fury almost rolled his eyes—Noah’s purpose in visiting Tony was to get him to develop social software.
This left Fury at a loss for words. A magician needing social software? What did that even mean?
But Fury was too lazy to ask more questions and simply suggested that either he or Coulson accompany Noah. Noah readily agreed—it wasn’t a big deal, and having someone lead the way suited him just fine.
After leaving the bar, Fury drove back to SHIELD on his own, while Coulson became Noah’s driver.
Noah looked at Coulson, noticing his unchanged hairline. He found it amusing but also observed that Coulson seemed more tense and cautious than he would be later—far from the experienced and cheerful version he’d become.
"Phil, why do you always look so tense?" Noah asked, feeling a little bored in the car.
"Uh, sorry, it’s part of the job," Coulson said, putting one hand on the steering wheel and awkwardly rubbing his nose with the other.
"Actually, you don’t have to keep a straight face around me. Look at your director."
"Okay, I’m just a little uncomfortable. You superheroes are so scary."
"Superhero?" Noah raised an eyebrow. "That’s interesting. Have you ever thought about forming a superhero alliance in SHIELD?"
"This..."
Noah looked at Coulson’s increasing embarrassment with a playful expression. He knew the answer already.
It seemed the Avengers Initiative was Fury’s idea all along. Even ten years ago, before Fury became the director, he had been preparing for it. It was clear that Fury had a very forward-thinking mind.
Noah couldn’t help but complain, though—why should magicians be counted among superheroes? Magicians are magicians. What were they doing?
And Noah wasn’t Strange—he had no interest in joining the Avengers Initiative.
In fact, Noah didn’t think Doctor Strange ever truly joined the Avengers. He cooperated with them mainly to protect Earth, in a way similar to Thor. While Thor and Strange came to an understanding over time, it wasn’t the same as a full commitment.
Of course, these were just Noah’s guesses. The real outcome didn’t matter to him. Who could really predict the future?
Under Coulson’s guidance, it took almost an hour to arrive at Tony Stark’s mansion.
To be honest, Noah felt a little jealous after seeing the mansion. It was absolutely luxurious on the outside—facing the sea, surrounded by blooming spring flowers. Noah knew immediately it was a high-end place.
He even considered whether he should try to acquire such a mansion for himself.
But then he remembered: he had no money, and he had responsibilities tied to his role as the guardian of the temple. It was better to forget it for now.
"Mr. Finnell, I’ll go talk to Tony, though I apologize for disturbing you so late," Coulson said, noticing Noah’s gaze lingering on the mansion.
Noah thought Coulson assumed he was wondering how to enter. But he quickly realized, remembering that Noah was a magician.
"No need," Noah said, waving his hand. A golden door suddenly appeared before them. "Let’s go. I hope Mr. Stark won’t be too angry. Is his room that way?"
"Yes, but I’m afraid this might backfire," Coulson replied with a wry smile, following Noah inside.
Tony was lying on the bed, eyes closed, with a beautiful woman beside him.
Suddenly, Tony felt a strange sensation, like a throbbing in his chest. He slowly opened his eyes, looking around, but found nothing.
This made him uneasy—his strange feeling hadn’t gone away. In fact, it was growing stronger.
"What’s going on?" Tony thought, frowning as he sat up.
He was about to ask his bodyguard if he had noticed anything, but as he pulled on his pants, a golden halo suddenly appeared in his room, spinning and emitting strange runes.
"What the hell is this?"
Tony immediately sensed something was wrong. Before he could react, the space around him seemed to shatter, but it didn’t last long—everything returned to normal.
"Am I dreaming?" Tony muttered uncertainly.
Soon, the sensation of it being a dream became undeniable as the golden halo grew larger. What was even stranger was that two men slowly emerged from it.
Tony was left stunned. What the hell was going on?
"I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, but I’m afraid you’re not dreaming."
One of the men, a young man with a soft voice and a distinct London accent, spoke up.
"Damn, what is this? Space technology? Space jump technology? Have you all researched this? Who are you guys? Don’t you know you’re trespassing?"
After confirming that the two men were human, Tony’s focus shifted. But he couldn’t help but ask who they were.
"This isn’t science and technology," the young man replied, grinning weirdly. "This is magic."
The young man spread his hands, and two flames, emitting terrifying heat, appeared in his palms. "Tony Stark, you’re coming with us."
"Go? Where?" Tony was even more confused. What the hell was magic?
"You’ll find out soon enough," the young man smiled.
Tony frowned, turning his head slowly, and his mouth fell open in shock. He saw another version of himself lying on the bed—this one with a twisted face and dilated pupils.
Tony was completely stunned.
