After emphasizing the criteria for recommending candidates and the positions available, Charles concluded the meeting. During the post-meeting dinner, Ginny prepared Uzumaki Naruto's identity information.
At the banquet, Ginny inquired about Naruto's information from Sasuke and Lee. When she learned of Naruto's abilities, Ginny was greatly impressed.
She initially wanted to bring a mechanical engineer into the fold to bolster her team, but the boss didn't seem interested.
This left Ginny somewhat at a loss, but she still focused on her upcoming work, rebuilding the agency and establishing the base.
…
On the other hand, Tony Stark was conducting flight tests of his latest invention.
"3, 2, 1."
As the thrusters fired up, Tony was propelled outward and seemed destined to collide with the laboratory wall.
Just when it appeared to be a near-certain crash, Parker suddenly darted out and blocked Tony from crashing into the wall, saving him from a painful impact.
However, Tony still crashed on the ground.
Parker's quick reflexes prevented a collision, but he couldn't catch Tony mid-air since he has no hands. Regardless, Tony managed to avoid a full-on impact with the wall.
Despite the hard landing, Tony was grateful. "Thanks, Parker!"
Parker, hanging upside down on the wall, replied, "No problem. My job is to protect you."
Once Tony was back on his feet, he resumed his work. He had been focusing on perfecting the propulsion system and believed it needed to combine both foot-based thrust and handheld stabilization.
Meanwhile, Pepper Potts arrived at Tony's underground lab. She put the passcode and entered, holding a magazine, a small box, and a cup of coffee.
"I've been calling you for a while, didn't you hear?" Pepper questioned as she entered.
Tony was occupied with his work and replied, "What did you say?"
Leaving her things on a nearby table, Pepper responded, "Obadiah is upstairs."
Upon hearing that, Tony promptly replied, "Alright, alright. I'll be up there in a moment."
As she left his work station, Pepper asked, "What should I tell him?"
Tony donned the mechanical arm he had just built.
Seeing Tony's new invention, Pepper said, "I remember you saying you wouldn't make weapons anymore."
Tony explained, "That's right, this isn't a weapon. This is a flight stabilizer. It won't hurt anyone."
He then activated it with a sound. A loud bang echoed through the lab as Tony was propelled backward. He was about to crash into the wall once again, but this time, Parker was there to stop him in mid-air.
The mechanical arm stabilized Tony as it reacted to the force of its propulsion. It prevented him from colliding with the wall but didn't avoid a rough landing.
Seeing that Tony was blocked by a dog, Pepper exclaimed, "Tony, when did you get a pet?"
Tony apologized, "Sorry, I didn't anticipate this."
Pepper, covering her ears due to the noise, inquired, "How did you suddenly become a dog owner?"
Clearly, Pepper Potts had no idea that Parker existed. This was her first encounter with him.
Parker remained silent, and apart from his current employer, Tony Stark, he had never displayed his speaking ability in front of anyone.
Noticing Parker's silence, Tony explained, "Pepper, this isn't my pet; he's my partner and bodyguard."
"Bodyguard?" Pepper Potts exclaimed. She immediately thought of how Happy had been replaced by a dog, wondering if he would be heartbroken when he found out.
However, considering Parker's impressive performance moments ago, Pepper was curious. She asked, "Is this your mechanical dog that you've developed? It looks remarkably like a real pet."
Tony, understanding her confusion, clarified, "Pepper, he's not a mechanical dog. His name is Parker, and he's quite remarkable."
"Parker, Pepper is one of us, you can speak to her; she won't reveal your existence."
Responding to his employer's request, Parker glanced at Tony and then at Pepper Potts. He then spoke, "Hello, Miss Pepper Potts, I'm the ninja dog, Parker."
Pepper Potts was taken aback by this sudden revelation. She looked at Tony and asked, "You said it wasn't a mechanical dog, yet it can talk. Is J.A.R.V.I.S. controlling it?"
In the basement, J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice responded, "Miss Pepper Potts, Parker is a ninja dog with the ability to speak. He is not a mechanical dog, and I am not controlling him. He is a naturally evolved life form."
Upon hearing J.A.R.V.I.S.'s explanation, Pepper exclaimed in amazement, "Tony, he can really talk! This is so unbelievable."
Parker, who was lying on the ground, felt somewhat resigned. Every time he encountered humans in this world, it was always the same reaction. He had grown accustomed to it.
Tony shrugged and spread his hands, saying, "This is Charles Doyle's ninja dog. You asked him to save me, but you didn't know about his abilities."
"Wow!" Pepper Potts held her hand to her mouth, displaying a bewildered expression. This was way beyond her comprehension.
However, Pepper quickly composed herself and said, "Tony, I'll go ahead. Please come upstairs once you're ready; Obadiah has been waiting upstairs for a while."
"Okay."
After watching Pepper leave, Tony began to tidy up his lab and took off his mechanical arm. He then headed upstairs with Parker.
As they ascended from the underground lab, upon reaching the top of the stairs, Tony spotted Obadiah playing the piano.
"How's it going?"
Tony approached the sofa where Pepper was seated. He noticed she was checking the company's stock prices on her tablet.
He commented, "It doesn't look too good from the looks of it."
Obadiah looked at Tony and said, "It might get better if you go in person."
Tony took a slice of pizza brought by Obadiah and tossed it to Parker, who was right beside him, and retrieved another slice from the box for him.
He took a bite and turned to Obadiah, saying, "You told me to keep a low profile, and I've been following that. You're in charge of everything."
Obadiah gazed at Tony's sidekick, Parker, for a moment with a hint of surprise. However, he didn't dwell on it too much and walked over to Tony. Then he spoke, "I meant in front of the general public and the media."
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