Stark was discharged from the hospital in the afternoon. He had hardly stayed for twelve hours when, restive as a cat on a hot tin roof, he raced back to Stark Group's lab.
Tony Stark may not be adept at strategic politics, but he always had a touch of genius, fuelled by spontaneous inspiration and wit.
Instinctively, he felt that his immediate priority was not hustling aimlessly among the crowds, but to retreat to the lab and construct his previously conceived Intelligent Battle Armour.
Common sense would suggest that every jailbreak is a result of advantageous machinations, but Stark believed the battle suit might be key to his plan.
However, just before he was ready to quickly get started, he received news from Pepper that Erik, the mercenary who had saved him previously, had arrived in New York and wanted to meet him.
Upon hearing this news, Stark furrowed his brow.
People often say not to bind others morally to acts of selfless giving, and that heroes should receive rewards. Yet, people instinctively praise those heroes that seek no return and selflessly give.
Stark, struggling with a hero complex, was somewhat caught in this moral bind. When he wasn't leading by example, he would project his idealised hero onto others, and now that he truly intended to save the world, he unavoidably scrutinised others through a critical lens.
When Stark's astute mind began buzzing again, instinctively, he noticed things off about Erik.
Firstly, his appearance was coincidentally timed. Erik showed up as soon as Stark was attacked. But that wasn't the only thing; what raised Stark's suspicion the most was that at the time, Erik appeared alone without any comrades in tow.
Yet, Erik wasn't a lone mercenary; he belonged to an organization. But his mercenary organization had no combat assignments nearby, and their base was also quite far from here, so what was Erik doing here?
Secondly, after the second attack, he ran off, but then returned to save Stark, which was fine, a testament to him being a persistent good person.
But it was suspicious when he returned for the third time. There was some conflict in his logic.
Based on Erik's scenario of leaving then returning, it suggested a high level of risk-aversion, opting for the safest course of action in extreme circumstances. Hence, he chose to drive away and then return for rescue, rather than using his concealed weapon for on-the-spot combat and taking the risk of taking out the kidnappers.
Anybody would acknowledge that this third return came with great risk. If Erik was willing to take risks, he could have chosen not to run at the beginning, but if he was truly risk-averse, why did he come back a third time?
This contradictory behaviour raised Stark's alarm.
Of course, Stark still admitted that Erik saved him the first time. However, once a negative impression is formed about something, it can significantly affect future choices.
After a moment of pondering, Stark said to Pepper, "Have him wait for me in the reception room. I'll be there in five minutes."
Upon being escorted to the reception room, Erik meticulously concealed his disappointment, playfully looking around with a curiosity.
He was somewhat nervous, initially thinking that he would be invited as a special guest directly into Stark's lab, only to find himself treated just like any other guest, waiting in the reception room.
But the Stark Group was impeccable with its etiquette. On one side, someone guided Erik on a tour, and on the other, someone served him champagne and cheese. A black department manager even stopped by to say hello, chatting with Erik about African customs, displaying profuse enthusiasm.
After entering the reception room, Stark immediately gave Erik a big hug. He patted Erik on the shoulder, joyfully saying, "So glad you're back, I was wondering how I would find you in Afghanistan. I don't want to go back to that Godforsaken place. Is your mercenary organization okay?"
Erik immediately put on a mournful, regretful look, shook his head, and said, "They're dead. Part of the reason why I returned to America is to investigate this."
"What happened?" Stark immediately asked anxiously, "Who killed them? Are you hurt? Did you see the murderer?"
Erik shook his head again, he looked up at Stark and said, "I... I'm so sorry, Tony. I couldn't save you, but fortunately, you were saved in the end."
"However, I am somewhat relieved." Erik suddenly said, "If I had taken you with me at that time, I surely would have brought you back to our base. Had the enemy arrived then, I might have endangered you."
His words were sincere, and Stark sighed, patting Erik on the shoulder, before saying, "God bless you, my brother. You had a narrow escape".
"But don't worry, Erik, nobody can hurt you here. I'll protect you."
Erik seemed a bit crestfallen, he turned and walked over to sit on the sofa, while Stark sat on the other side. He heard Erik say, "Thank you very much, but I can't stay here for long. They might be coming for me, Tony. This could pose danger to you."
"What do you mean?" Stark asked.
"I've mentioned before, I am from Wakanda, but I was exiled by my own kin, which led to me becoming a mercenary," Erik covered his face, sighed deeply and said, "They're still unwilling to let me go. I've already caused a lot of people trouble."