Several hours later, Washington Military District Airport, Washington, D.C.
As the rear cabin door slowly lowered in front of them, Jones glanced at Tony beside him and said softly, “Mr.
Stark, I understand that the first thing you want to do after returning to America is hold a press conference, but there’s something I don’t quite understand.
Why do I have to go with you?”
Hearing Jones’s question, Tony raised an eyebrow.
His gaze remained fixed ahead, as though he were waiting for something.
Only after Jones finished speaking did Tony finally answer without turning his head.
“Don’t you want an official identity in America?
I’ll introduce you later as the person who rescued me from that hellhole.
That way, even if your identity gets investigated, some people will take my influence into consideration and won’t cause you trouble.”
As he spoke, Tony turned his head toward Rhodes on the other side and said softly, “I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Tony…”
Seeing what Tony was doing, Rhodes couldn’t help shaking his head and saying softly, “You should know what the relationship is between the U.S.
military and terrorists.
If you do this, I can’t guarantee that the military won’t draw some unfavorable conclusions about you.”
Rhodes had already learned Jones’s identity.
He had found out less than an hour after Jones and Tony were rescued yesterday.
That was also why Jones had been restricted to a single floor and wasn’t allowed to leave.
This incident made Jones clearly realize that this was the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it wasn’t a movie.
Even without considering the superheroes, America’s power was still not something to underestimate.
Fortunately, however, Tony hadn’t revealed his deal with Jones.
As a result, Jones was still regarded as Tony’s lifesaver, so no one had given him any trouble for the time being.
…
Hearing Rhodes’s words, Tony’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
Instead, he turned his gaze directly toward Jones.
“You heard him, right?
I went to quite a bit of trouble for your sake.
Maybe you should feel at least a little grateful toward me!”
“Heh~~”
Hearing Tony’s words, Jones curled his lips and said nothing.
He admitted that if Tony really intended to do this, it would indeed provide him with an additional layer of protection.
However, it would also become a form of restraint.
At the very least, the military would undoubtedly keep him under surveillance, while his public profile in America would rise dramatically.
If he wanted to do anything, he would also be under the watchful eyes of the public and the media.
That…
should be part of Tony’s intentions.
Judging from the original story, although Tony was a playboy, he still had quite a strong sense of responsibility toward the public.
After all, he had brought a terrorist into America, so naturally, he would use some means to restrict him.
Otherwise, if this terrorist did something, Tony would feel guilty about it as well.
Jones didn’t know whether Tony had any deeper motives, nor did he want to know.
Since he had already decided to use Tony to leave the desert and enter America, he had mentally prepared himself for this.
Turning his gaze forward, Jones saw that the plane’s rear cabin door had now opened completely.
Looking at the slender figure standing not far away, a smile appeared in his eyes.
“Tony…
I think the first thing you should do after getting off the plane is go to bed!”
“What?!”
Tony was stunned by Jones’s words.
But the next moment, his gaze followed Jones’s line of sight and landed on Pepper Potts.
Seeing Pepper’s figure, Tony immediately understood what Jones meant.
“You’re thinking too much!
We’re just in a completely innocent superior-subordinate relationship!”
Tony instinctively tried to defend himself, but his feet had already begun carrying him toward Pepper.
“Romantic entanglements really are difficult to understand.”
Looking at the woman who would dump Iron Man several times in the future, a strange smile appeared in Jones’s eyes.
“Everyone has a limited amount of leverage eventually.
She…
should also be one of Tony’s weak points, right?”
With that thought flashing through his mind, Jones also stepped off the plane and walked toward Tony.
Passing Tony, who was injured yet still didn’t forget to flirt with women, Jones walked directly to the car waiting to pick Tony up.
He opened the front passenger door and sat inside.
“Sir?!”
Seeing Jones’s actions, Tony’s rather interesting bodyguard froze for a moment before instinctively looking toward Tony.
Jones had changed into a different outfit today.
Dressed in a suit and leather shoes, with a sharpness in his eyes that made him look formidable, the bodyguard didn’t dare underestimate him in the slightest.
Of course…
the most important point was that Jones had walked off the plane together with Tony.
“It’s fine!”
Hearing his bodyguard, Tony finally pulled his gaze away from Pepper.
“He’s going the same way as us!”
Hearing Tony’s words, the bodyguard nodded and said nothing more.
However, a puzzled expression appeared on Pepper’s face beside Tony.
As Tony Stark’s chief assistant, Pepper knew practically everyone Tony knew.
Yet she had never seen Jones before.
“Could he be a friend Tony made during these three months?
How is that possible?!”
Filled with confusion, Pepper followed Tony into the back seat of the car.