Tony blinked, his gaze shifting from the projection back to Aryan. "Hold on. You're giving me fifty? As in, fifty Steve tier units just to watch my lobby?"
Aryan nodded, his expression remaining flat. "Yes."
Tony let out a short laugh, leaning back until his chair creaked. "That's… a lot, Aryan. Even for me. That's more security than the President used to get for a foreign summit."
"You're a public figure now, Tony," Aryan said, "You're Iron Man, a founding Council member and the face on every screen on the planet. That makes your company, your engineers and anyone close to you a primary target for anyone who wants to destabilize the illuminati."
Tony's smile faded, the reality of the security detail sinking in. The humor left his eyes as he considered the logistical weight of having a small army of super soldiers embedded in Stark Industries. Then, he scoffed, trying to reclaim the room's energy.
"First of all," Tony said, pointing a finger across the table, "I haven't officially accepted that name yet. 'Iron Man' is a media invention."
Aryan's eyes locked on Tony's. "Tony, your face has been broadcast in more languages than most world leaders. The world named you months ago. You're just the last one to stop fighting it."
Tony huffed a laugh, looking at Wanda and T'Challa, who both watched him with a knowing patience. "So I don't even get a press conference? No dramatic walk on music? Just a memo?"
"You can announce it whenever you want," Aryan replied dryly. "But at this point, no one will be surprised. They're already waiting for the merchandise."
Tony shook his head, a genuine grin breaking through despite the loss of his 'reveal.' "Great. I lost my privacy and my dramatic reveal in the same year."
"I don't want to read about an attack that could've been prevented," Aryan continued, cutting through the banter. "Those soldiers are there so you don't have to lose anyone because you stood in the open. Pepper, your staff, your R&D labs… they are too important to the Federation's long term goals to leave to chance."
Tony exhaled, the weight of the gesture finally landing. He looked at the projection of the fifty units assigned to him, realizing they were a shield he hadn't realized he needed. He nodded slowly. "You really don't do things halfway, do you? Most people would have sent a specialized alarm system."
Aryan allowed a rare smile to touch his lips. "I take care of my friends, Tony."
Tony shook his head, looking down at the table, amused and quietly appreciative of the loyalty. "Yeah… still generous. I'll clear the barracks space at the Malibu facility."
…
The Federation representatives behind the glass exchanged looks as the numbers sank in. The air in the observer gallery was thick with the silent calculation of power.
"Fifty to the Federation," one of the observers said carefully, his voice amplified by the room's internal comms. "Directly under our roof."
"For headquarters security," Aryan confirmed, "Permanent rotation. Defensive mandate only. They are there to ensure the continuity of government, not to enforce domestic policy."
The Leader spoke. His voice was anchored in the pragmatic reality of a man who had spent his life navigating the vulnerabilities of power. "That's necessary," he said, his eyes scanning the data on his screen. "The Federation represents the face of civilian governance. If its headquarters can be threatened or compromised, then everything we've built becomes symbolic instead of functional. A government that cannot protect its own halls has no authority to protect its citizens."
He folded his hands lightly on the table, "We've centralized global law, the economy and logistical coordination here in Geneva. That makes this building the single most important target on the planet by default… politically, ideologically and strategically. Without a elite security layer, we'd be asking diplomats, data analysts and civil servants to stand on the front line of the next global crisis. That is an unacceptable risk."
Tony nodded, leaning back and looking up at the ceiling as if visualizing the physical security grid. "He's right. If someone takes a shot at the Federation, they're attacking the infrastructure of global stability. They're trying to restart the chaos we just finished ending."
"Exactly," the Leader replied, his gaze meeting Tony's. "Those soldiers are here to ensure that no single strike, no matter how sophisticated, can decapitate the system. They are the guarantee that the lights stay on and the laws remain in effect."
…
The military advisers were more focused on the 850. That was enough to decapitate any conventional army on the planet in a single night.
"You're keeping fifty for yourself," Tony noted.
"I am," Aryan replied, "Umbrella's data centers and medical hubs are the world's most critical infrastructure. If those server banks go dark, the umbrella's logistics collapse in a day. I have a global R&D staff and thousands of researchers who are now primary targets for anyone wanting to blind the new world."
He looked directly at Tony. "Just like you, I am a public figure now. Everyone knows who leads Umbrella. My company will not be defenseless while it carries the weight of the planet's data. These fifty units ensure that even if the world's most sophisticated actors attempt a strike, our headquarters remains an unbreakable vault."
The Leader nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the "850 UNITS" figure. "The EDF became the most potent military force in human history overnight. With this distribution, we provide a deterrent that makes traditional warfare look like a relic."
Bucky Barnes stared at the projection, his mind already calculating the training requirements for a thousand men with Steve Rogers' physical baseline. "We need to move them into the EDF training pipeline immediately," Bucky said, his voice dropping the skepticism. "If they're going to be the face of the EDF, they need to be perfect."
Sharon Carter's fingers moved across her slate, finalizing the transfer protocols. "The transfer of 850 personnel to EDF operational control is logged. Deployment begins at 06:00 tomorrow."
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