Second-Gen Spider-Man gazed down at the dazzling lights of New York City, the familiar skyline stretching beneath him. As the cool night breeze passed by, he instinctively wrapped his arm around the waist of the beauty beside him.
"Cheeseburgers! Looks like Tony Stark and I have the same taste!" Second-Gen Gwen giggled. "I love them too! But… ugh, I'd get fat."
"If you want one, I'll buy it for you. Just work out afterward!" Second-Gen Spider-Man grinned at her.
"NO! Losing weight is too hard! If I get fat, no one will want me!" Gwen huffed, grabbing his arm and snuggling into his chest.
"Well, I will." Second-Gen Spider-Man chuckled, looking down at her. "No matter what."
"Really?" Gwen gazed up at him, her expression softening. Slowly, the two of them leaned in toward each other…
Until—
WEEEOOOO WEEEOOOO!
The blaring sirens shattered the moment.
"Oh, come on!" Second-Gen Spider-Man groaned, turning toward the flashing police lights.
Since last night, he had stopped more zero-dollar shopping incidents than in the past month!
Gwen smiled, planting a quick kiss on his lips before pulling her mask down.
With a sigh, Second-Gen Spider-Man did the same. The two exchanged a knowing look—then dove off the rooftop together.
[Happy drove Tony to the press conference venue. A massive crowd had already gathered after hearing the news, cheering as he arrived. Armed soldiers stood at the roadside, maintaining order.]
[Obadiah Stane rushed forward, a broad grin on his face as he eagerly opened the car door for Tony.]
[Tony wiped his mouth and stepped out. Obadiah pulled him into a hug. "Tony! I thought I'd have to visit you in a hospital! Let me get a good look at you!"]
["NONONO! I'm fine!" Tony waved him off, glancing at Happy. The driver walked around the car, standing behind Tony as he reached into a bag and pulled out one last cheeseburger.]
[Obadiah raised an eyebrow, amused. "A cheeseburger? Seriously? After all that, this is what you're craving?"]
["Well, yeah!" Tony unwrapped it casually.]
["You really want a burger? You got one for me?"]
["There's only one left," Tony teased, smirking.]
[With Obadiah by his side, Tony walked into the venue, still munching on his burger. As he finished the last bite, he turned to greet the assembled reporters.]
[Pepper trailed behind them, still struggling to believe that Tony had actually returned.]
["Miss Potts! A quick word?"]
[A voice suddenly called out beside her, making Pepper jump. She turned to find a man with a receding hairline smiling at her.]
["…I—I'm not here for interviews," she stammered. "And the press conference is about to start!"]
["I'm not a reporter," the man corrected with a polite smile. "I'm Agent Coulson, with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."]
[Pepper stared. "That is… a lot of words."]
["Yeah, we're working on simplifying it," Coulson admitted, handing her a business card.]
["The Department of Defense, FBI, CIA—they all want answers about Tony's escape," Pepper muttered, glancing at the card. "Why you?"]
["We operate… independently from them. This case falls under our jurisdiction. We need to know everything about Stark's escape."]
["I'll pass along your message," Pepper replied, stuffing the card into her pocket.]
["Thank you," Coulson said with a nod.]
[Meanwhile, Obadiah stepped onto the stage, motioning for the crowd to settle down. He then turned to Tony, who was casually leaning against the counter.]
[Tony reached into his pocket—and pulled out another cheeseburger.]
["Hey! Can everyone sit down? Yeah? That way, you all get a good view! And I get to order whatever I want."]
[Grinning, he took another bite. The reporters chuckled, some choosing to squat down instead of standing. Even Obadiah plopped down next to Tony.]
"Wait a minute—didn't he say there was only one left?!" Rhodes asked, incredulous, as he and Banner helped Tony move some things in his workshop.
"There was only one left," Tony replied smoothly. "After I ate that one. Any problems?"]
Rhodes blinked. "What?"
"Never mind," Banner chuckled, shaking his head.
Rhodes sighed in defeat. "Fine. Whatever. It's not like you were gonna save one for me anyway."
"Next time," Tony promised, flashing a grin. "Both of you—burgers on me. But first—a drink."
At his gesture, a small robotic arm wheeled out a cart full of wine.
Tony lifted his glass. "To Yinsen. And… to me."
Rhodes and Banner exchanged looks.
Respecting Yinsen made sense—but himself?
Banner shrugged and downed his drink without comment.
Rhodes hesitated—then sighed and followed suit.
[Rhodes, still puzzled about Tony's sudden press conference, turned to Pepper. "What's going on?"]
["Don't ask me!" Pepper sighed. "I don't know what he's thinking!"]
[Up on stage, Tony held his burger and casually turned to Obadiah. "You know what? I'm happy, Obie."]
["Me too!" Obadiah grinned, assuming Tony was just relieved to be alive. He patted him on the back.]
[Tony's next words, however, caught everyone off guard.]
["I never got to say goodbye to my dad."]
[His voice was calm—too calm. He repeated it, louder this time, making sure every reporter in the room heard him.]
[He placed his half-eaten burger aside and continued, "I still have questions for him. I want to ask him what he really thought about this company. If he ever had doubts—or regrets."]
[Obadiah's smile faltered. His eyes subtly narrowed. He knows.]
["Maybe Howard Stark wasn't the man we thought he was," Tony went on. "Because I saw something with my own eyes—young men dying." His voice dropped. "Killed by the very weapons I designed to protect them."]
[Obadiah remained silent, carefully masking his reaction. But internally, his mind was racing. Tony must've seen the weapons I sold.]
["And I realized something," Tony continued. "I became part of a system that is completely irresponsible."]
[The room fell dead silent. Then, like a ripple, every reporter raised their hand.]
["Mr. Stark!" one called out.]
[Tony pointed. "You—go."]
["What happened out there?" the reporter asked, curiosity burning in his eyes.]
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