"Kurohane? Who exactly are you?"
Tony, despite his curiosity, kept the flamethrower aimed. An instinctive whisper told him Kurohane wasn't a threat. Actually, it wasn't so much that he was unwilling to hold it, but rather that the power reserves of this makeshift armor were severely limited. Right now, the suit was no longer protection, but a steel cage confining him tightly.
Tony: (Awkwardly scratching the inside of his helmet) (⌒_⌒;)
"Um... look, if you don't mind? Could you help me out of this thing?"
Kurohane shrugged nonchalantly. Together with Yinsen, who had been hiding behind Tony all along, they both helped Tony detach the crude armor piece by piece.
Once Tony felt the freedom to move, Kurohane curiously tapped the miniature arc reactor on Tony's chest and asked,
"What's this thing? A time bomb the Ten Rings group planted on you? Need me to help defuse it? I'm quite skilled with bombs!"
Tony's brow furrowed. The joy of being freed from his steel prison instantly evaporated. Right, he had always been on the verge of death. The shrapnel lodged in his body could take his life at any moment. What was the difference between that and carrying a bomb around all the time?
"It's not a bomb, it's... a medical device."
Tony touched the reactor with a soft voice, a melancholic tone coloring his words.
However, Kurohane's attention was clearly focused elsewhere. He pulled out a notebook from seemingly nowhere.
"If it's a medical device, does it have medical device marketing authorization? Furthermore, since it's imported medical equipment, you must have customs clearance proof and have paid the taxes, right? And who was the doctor who performed the surgery on you? Do they have a medical practice license?"
Ignoring the bewildered gazes of the two men, Kurohane turned to Yinsen beside him.
"Sir, you were the one who operated on Tony, weren't you? Could you show me your medical practice license?"
Tony: (Eyes blinking rapidly) (.?_?)
Yinsen: (Head tilted, uncomprehending expression) ゛('◇')?
Is this guy seriously ill? In such a critical moment, he's still worried about things like that?
Seeing the two men freeze like broken computers, Kurohane felt a surge of annoyance!
I went through all that trouble for half a day, and instead of a thank you, they're now being uncooperative with my investigation? Just by looking at them, I can tell they're definitely criminals!
"Since the two of you are unwilling to cooperate with the investigation, don't blame me if I follow procedure!"
Without hesitation, Kurohane drew his M9 pistol and pointed it at the two still-astonished men, then pulled two pairs of handcuffs from his pocket.
"Hands on your heads and squat down!"
...
When James Rhodes and Phil Coulson arrived at the location by helicopter, the scene that greeted them was Kurohane engrossed in writing and drawing in his notebook, and two figures with their hands cuffed behind their backs, lying helplessly on the hood of an SUV!
The Ten Rings' stronghold had now transformed into a raging sea of fire, with small explosions still occasionally audible. Thick black smoke billowed high into the sky, visible even from several kilometers away!
Before the helicopter had even landed completely, Rhodes and Coulson had jumped out in a hurry.
"Kurohane, Tony is..."
"Report, Agent!" Kurohane saluted Coulson with a swift and sharp movement, cutting him off, then pointed to the two figures lying on the hood. In a loud voice, he said, "The rescue mission was a complete success. Tony Stark is resting on the hood of that car. Coincidentally, I also apprehended a quack doctor practicing without a license and a wealthy individual attempting tax evasion!"
Coulson and Rhodes followed Kurohane's pointed finger and found that one of the figures lying there looked extremely familiar. If it wasn't Tony, then who else could it be?!
"Tony?! How could you be handcuffed? Who did this?!" Rhodes strode towards Tony and found that his friend had lost consciousness. His lips were dry, and he looked severely dehydrated, as if on the verge of death!
"Kid, if you know what's good for you, unlock those cuffs now. If anything happens to Tony, I won't let you get away with this!" Rhodes growled in a threatening tone.
"Agent, do you want me to unlock these suspects? Without my superior's orders..." Kurohane was still being formal and following procedure, but before he could finish speaking, Coulson silenced him, snatching the handcuff keys from Kurohane's hand and tossing them to Rhodes.
Then, Coulson pulled Kurohane aside and whispered in a low and slightly desperate tone,
"Have you been blown away by sandstorms for the past three months? We're here to rescue people, not arrest criminals! Why did you handcuff the hostage?"
"A kidnapped hostage can also be a criminal suspect, there's nothing wrong with that! I'm just carrying out my duty as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent!" Kurohane maintained his formal demeanor, as if nothing could sway him.
Seeing Kurohane's rigidity, Coulson felt a headache coming on and could only keep lowering his voice.
"That's Tony Stark! The famous playboy, the biggest arms dealer in the United States. Not only do congressmen in various states know him, but even the President can talk to him. Even if you arrest him now, he'll probably be out of the police station in ten minutes!"
"Oh, I see!" Kurohane nodded with a serious expression. "The United States does have its own national conditions. Capitalists not only don't need to be hanged from lampposts, but they can also manipulate politics."
Without any extra movement, he directly reached for the assault rifle on his back!
"Capitalists and politicians collude. Only violence can give them the punishment they deserve. I will shoot them according to your orders!"
Coulson: (Eyes wide in disbelief) (′?w?)?
What did I just say? This Asian guy really has an extraordinary talent for misunderstanding!
"GET BACK HERE!" Coulson pulled Kurohane back with a headlock, immediately disarming him. "Even if you can't stand seeing a speck of dust in someone else's eye, you still need to learn to respect your superiors!"
"Before I came to Afghanistan, I already investigated your superior, Nick Fury. He has transferred a large amount of funds within S.H.I.E.L.D., and you, my esteemed superior, there are indications of your involvement as well, although I haven't found concrete evidence yet. And now, I want to go home first! You two can deal with your own mess!"
Kurohane took off the tactical vest he was wearing and simply handed it to Coulson. He stared sharply at Coulson's seemingly innocent bald head, then turned around and strode towards the helicopter.
Coulson: (Speechless, stunned expression) (?_?)
There's an old saying in the East: inviting a god is easy, but sending him away is difficult! If only I had known Kurohane was this rigid, I would have let him rot in solitary confinement forever!
Coulson certainly knew about the misappropriation of funds. Director Nick Fury had secretly used S.H.I.E.L.D. funds to begin construction of the Helicarrier without approval from his superiors. However, the secret project wasn't even completed yet and had already been sniffed out by this overly righteous and hot-tempered agent!
With a heavy sigh, Coulson reached for his phone and called Nick Fury.
"Director, it seems you're in big trouble! Kurohane is coming home soon!"
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