Marvel: As Security Guard

"Ah~! Feels good!" Tony sprawled out on the sand, soaking up the sun like he was at a beach resort instead of the middle of a war-torn desert. In one hand, he lazily swirled a glass of beer, watching as the golden liquid magically refilled itself in a tiny, swirling vortex.

"Alright, whether or not you're actually a Stark Industries security guard, I've made up my mind—I'm officially hiring you. How about becoming my personal bodyguard? My other bodyguard, Happy, would definitely like you."

Originally, Tony had planned to get the hell out of there as soon as possible, knowing full well that some pissed-off terrorists might still be lurking around. But after hearing from Yinsen about some of Shane's interesting abilities, he decided, screw it—let's take it easy for a bit.

Shane smirked. "If I accept, wouldn't I be stealing Happy's job? You sure he'd still like me then?"

"Uh…" Tony hesitated, picturing Happy's ever-diligent, no-nonsense attitude. Yeah… probably not.

Shane took Tony's silence as an opportunity to change the subject. "By the way, do you guys want cheeseburgers?"

Tony's eyes lit up instantly. "Oh! Hell yes!"

Nearby, Yinsen—who had been imprisoned even longer than Tony—sat up like a reflex action. "Yes, please!"

And so, while the three of them kicked back in the middle of the desert, enjoying magically conjured beer and burgers, two armed helicopters were racing toward them at full speed.

---

Onboard one of the helicopters, Colonel James Rhodes was tense. He had spent nearly three months worrying about Tony, imagining the absolute worst. Was he injured? Starving? A changed man? The anticipation gnawed at him, and he kept barking at the pilots to go faster.

But when they finally arrived at the marked location…

Rhodes and his soldiers stared in stunned silence.

"...Sir, are you sure they're not on vacation?" one of the heavily armed soldiers muttered, watching the bizarre scene below.

There, in the middle of the scorching desert, three men were lounging in the sand, looking like they were at a backyard barbecue. One of them—Tony Freaking Stark—was lazily waving up at them, a beer in hand.

Rhodes' face darkened as he jumped out of the helicopter. "Are you guys insane?! Just sitting here like this, not worried about terrorists coming back for you? And—" He gestured wildly. "Where the hell did you even get beer and burgers?!"

Tony, now slightly tipsy from his never-ending beer supply, swayed as he grinned. "Don't sweat the details, Rhodes~ Wanna drink?"

Rhodes shot him a look of absolute disgust. "Get. On. The. Damn. Helicopter."

He reached out to help Tony up, but just as he was about to lift him, Tony suddenly pushed him aside.

"Wait."

Rhodes stiffened. "Wait for what?" His eyes darted around, scanning the area, half-expecting an ambush.

Tony, meanwhile, was fumbling with his pants like a man on a mission.

Shane took one look at the scene and deadpanned, "He probably needs to pee."

Rhodes turned to Shane, appalled. "You can't be serious—"

Shane shrugged. "Drank a little beer, already needs to go? Weak kidneys."

Rhodes spun back to Tony, who had indeed begun "drawing maps" in the sand, completely unbothered.

Rhodes groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear to god, I'm gonna kill him myself."

Yinsen had been considering joining Tony but immediately froze when he heard Shaun's comment. His legs instinctively clamped shut as he awkwardly looked around.

After the group was transferred to an airbase, they finally made it back to the U.S. Pepper and Happy were already waiting for them at the air force base, having been notified of Tony's return.

Freshly changed into clean clothes, Shaun, Tony, and Yinsen stepped off the plane. As soon as Tony spotted the medical team rolling out a stretcher for him, he waved them off without a second thought.

What a joke—he felt great!

Tony walked straight toward Pepper. Even though they'd been all lovey-dovey over the phone earlier, neither of them seemed eager to show their emotions now that they were face-to-face. Both of them acted all serious, which made Shaun click his tongue in amusement from the side.

After teasing Pepper a little, Tony turned to Yinsen and asked if he'd be willing to join Stark Industries, promising excellent pay and benefits.

"No, Tony," Yinsen replied with a serious expression. "I've already lost my family. I thought I was going to die in that hellhole, and honestly, that would've been a relief. But getting the chance to save the great Tony Stark before I go? That's already more than enough."

He glanced at Shaun, who stood quietly nearby, before continuing, "Since fate decided to spare me, I want to use the time I have left to save more people. And you should do the same, Tony. Don't waste this second chance."

With those heartfelt words, Yinsen stepped forward and gave Tony a hug. After that, he embraced Shaun to say goodbye and whispered softly, "Thank you."

Then, turning away, Yinsen followed the base personnel toward the exit.

Tony watched Yinsen's figure disappear, recalling how selflessly Yinsen had charged out of the cave to buy him time. His gaze shifted to Shaun—if it weren't for him, Yinsen probably wouldn't have made it out alive.

"This time, I really have to thank you for hiring the right security," Tony said to Pepper.

"Of course, I always have an eye for talent," Pepper replied confidently, before turning to Shaun. "Shaun, I can't thank you enough for saving Tony."

"Hey, I saved myself, alright?" Tony interjected, but when he saw the look Pepper gave him, he could only sigh and pout in defeat.

"No need to be so formal," Shaun said with a wave of his hand. "Just make sure to pay me."

"Let's go," Pepper said, redirecting the conversation. "I've already scheduled a hospital check-up for you."

"Check-up? What check-up?" Tony protested, frowning. "I feel amazing! After being locked up in that hellhole for three months, there's only one thing I want to do."

Pepper, well aware of Tony's past with women, immediately jumped to the conclusion that he was probably planning to invite some models. She shot him a look that said it all—annoyed and unimpressed. "You've got to be kidding me."

Tony smirked at her, clearly enjoying the teasing. "What? What are you thinking? I said press conference, Miss Potts. My, my, someone's got a dirty mind."

Pepper rolled her eyes and ignored him, focusing instead on opening the car door and motioning for him to get in.

"You're coming with us too," Tony added, pointing at Shaun. "As the company's head of security, it's your job to keep things in check and make sure nothing goes sideways at the conference."

Shaun shot a quick glance at Pepper, looking for some sort of confirmation. She was usually the one who took care of Tony's arrangements, after all. But since Tony was technically in charge, and she could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't backing down, Pepper gave a reluctant nod.

With a deep sigh, Shaun opened the passenger door and slid into the seat. Well, since I'm already stuck in this, guess there's nothing else to do.

Thanks to Happy's smooth driving, they arrived at the packed press conference venue in no time.

Obadiah, having rushed over as soon as he caught wind of Tony's rescue, was already there. He stood alongside the reporters, wearing his best "fatherly" smile, even though internally he was cursing up a storm.

When Tony stepped out of the car, looking unusually energetic and well-rested, Obadiah fought to keep his composure. The emotions bubbling up inside him were hard to hide, but he pasted a warm, welcoming smile on his face and walked up to greet Tony.

Then Shaun stepped out of the front seat, flashing Obadiah a smile that seemed a little too knowing. Obadiah's heart skipped a beat.

'Isn't this guy one of Pepper's friends?' Obadiah wondered, narrowing his eyes at Shaun. 'What's up with that smile? Could he know something? Does he know about me hiring someone to take Tony out?'

For a brief moment, a hundred questions swirled in his mind. But before he could let himself get too lost in paranoia, the reporters went wild at the sight of Tony. There wasn't any more time to overthink things. Obadiah forced his suspicions down and hurried forward, leading Tony and the others inside the venue.

Once inside, Tony got ready to take the stage. Meanwhile, Shaun positioned himself on the perimeter, scanning the crowd. Old habits kicked in, and he instinctively checked for threats. But when he didn't spot anything suspicious, he lost interest and let his gaze wander.

'Ooh, pink… white… sky blue... Oh, and this one's got a little edge—black with thin lace!'

His thoughts were interrupted when a strange four-sided figure caught his attention.

He looked up, locking eyes with a man standing right in front of him. The guy was sporting a smile that could be described as almost unreasonably warm—a spring-like kind of smile. And with his perfectly polished, gleaming bald head, Shaun didn't need a second to recognize him.

"Hello, Mr. Hunter. I'm Agent Phil Coulson."