To Be An Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D (Marvel)(MCU)

According to S.H.I.E.L.D protocol, this mission made no sense. He was too close. Too involved. He couldn't accept an operation like this now.

So what exactly did Coulson want?

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James called Tony Stark directly. "Hey Tony, I just got a new mission."

"New mission? Right… you're still an agent. But why are you still an agent? Is it even ok to be telling people this?" Tony asked, bewildered.

"It's my hobby," James replied dryly. "Anyway, the mission is to establish contact with you. Which means I'll be tailing you from tomorrow onward."

"What? That's it? Weird mission. You think they forgot we're partners already?"

"Beats me. Not my job to question it. Orders are orders. I'm just following you around now."

"Well, then meet me at the Expo's main hall tomorrow," Tony said. "You still owe me a publicity plan. And you're overdue for rehearsal."

"No worries. I've got everything prepared. We'll go over it then." James hung up, letting the message sink in: 'This wasn't personal, but he was still going to get the job done — no lies needed for a friend.'

The next morning, James didn't leave until ten. He drove straight to the Expo grounds in his Audi R8 and found Stark near the stage.

"So, how are we promoting the company?" Tony asked, sipping a green drink.

"What is that?" James squinted.

"Chlorophyll. Keeps me going. I'm running on fumes these days. But the show's ready. Tell me your plan."

James didn't press on the health topic — he knew Stark's situation was worsening, but it wasn't time yet.

"Here's the flow: You make your flashy entrance. Deliver your opening lines. Then the documentary on your father's plans. After that, you return and introduce me. I will take over from there. That's it. No rehearsal needed."

"Perfect. Geniuses don't rehearse." Tony grinned.

For the next few days, James shadowed Tony during final preparation until opening day.

Stark's grand entrance was pure spectacle — blasting in from the sky with fireworks and blaring music, flanked by dancers. James watched from the side, slightly amused. 'Looks like a circus… but the crowd eats it up.'

Tony landed in his Iron Man suit, decoupling his armor with flair, struck a few poses, and let the cheers wash over him.

"How'd I do?" he whispered to James during a quiet moment.

"You didn't do anything. Just some spins and struts. I expected a dance routine."

"Jealous, huh? You heard that crowd."

James smirked. "Alright. Showtime."

The lights dimmed. A documentary on Howard Stark began rolling. When it ended, Tony stepped up again.

"The Expo is now officially open," he announced. "If you missed today's event — don't worry — the fair runs all year. But before you go exploring, let me introduce another genius. My new partner: James Gibson."

The applause was polite but clearly for Stark. The name James Gibson meant nothing to most of them.

James stepped forward with a grin. "Thanks for the applause — though let's be real, that was for Iron Man."

The crowd chuckled. He had their attention.

"But you will remember me. I promise. As Tony's new partner, some of you might've heard what I do. I'm the chairman of League Games, a brand-new tech and game company. But what we're launching goes far beyond games."

The massive screen behind him lit up with the sleek interface of Samira.

"Some of you already use it. Some of you haven't seen it yet. Samira is a real-time communications platform. No ads. No promotions. No marketing. Yet in just one month of silent release… it gained five million users."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

James continued, "Samira connects your life — music, movies, shows, gaming, blogs, forums, video calls, work tools… all in one place. Mostly free. Always fast, and totally intuitive."

Tony jumped in with a grin, "Can it give us an Iron Man?"

Laughter erupted.

James nodded. "Glad you asked."

The screen shifted again — now showing gameplay footage from League of Legends.

"This is our flagship title. A tactical battle arena game. Its champions come from legends across the globe. And launching today, a brand-new champion: Iron Man."

The feed rolled a sleek in-game Iron Man blasting through jungle monsters, executing perfect combos, jet-dashing across the map.

"Handsome, right?" James asked.

"Handsome!" The crowd cheered.

"Want to be that handsome?" James teased. "Starting today, one year from now, we will launch the first global League of Legends Championship. Teams from around the world will compete for glory. The final 16 will face off in our soon-to-open League Games eSports Arena, and the champion will take home…"

He paused. "Five million dollars."

The crowd erupted again.

"Explore the fair. Enjoy the tech. But just remember, you're now living in my world. My name's James Gibson, remember it!"

Cheers followed him off stage.

"Told you they'd remember me," James said to Tony as they slipped through the crowd.

"You're getting good at this, Ace."

Outside, they were mobbed by fans, but for once, it was orderly.

"No chaos today," Tony said, adjusting his sunglasses. "Maybe the world's finally calming down."

James didn't answer. He just watched the crowd — calculating, processing, already planning the next move.