"Wow, it took him half a day just to come up with the number five. Hahaha!" Otto burst into laughter at Tony's struggle.
"Hmm! You act like you could've done any better!" Rose rolled her eyes at him, teasing.
"Hey! That kind of thing is easy to remember, but I usually just read it off the card! I carry it with me anyway, so why bother memorizing it?" Otto retorted.
Rose shook her head, speechless at his logic. Still, she couldn't argue—it was convenient enough just to have the card on hand when needed.
Meanwhile, 1st Gen Uncle Ben guiltily scratched his nose. He couldn't remember his number either. Luckily, Aunt May didn't say anything—she already knew without asking.
[The two stepped outside, and Pepper shifted uncomfortably. "This is so weird!"]
[Tony, calm as ever, replied, "Not surprising at all."]
["Actually, it's the exact opposite of what you think! All my... colleagues are here!" Pepper touched her flushed face.]
["We're just dancing! No one's watching," Tony insisted, dismissing her concerns.]
["No! You don't understand!" Pepper sighed. Tony, being who he was, simply didn't grasp how others would perceive the situation.]
["I think you're overthinking this. It's just a dance," Tony reassured her.]
["No, it's not just a dance! Because you are you! You don't get it!" Pepper argued, frustrated. She hesitated before continuing, "Everyone knows your reputation. They see you as a playboy, and while there's nothing wrong with that…"]
["But me? I'm your assistant. If people see me dancing with you like this… they'll think I'm someone who's willing to do anything to get ahead."]
["I really didn't expect you to worry about that," Tony admitted. He finally understood what she meant, but he simply didn't care about those kinds of things.]
["Here I am, in this ridiculous dress, and we're dancing like this…" Pepper muttered, shaking her head.]
[Tony looked at her, their faces gradually drawing closer. Pepper closed her eyes slightly, as if preparing herself—]
[Then, just as they were about to kiss, she suddenly opened her eyes and blurted, "I want a drink!"]
["Okay, no problem!" Tony agreed instantly and turned to get one for her.]
[Pepper took a deep breath and added, "Vodka martini. Make it strong. And extra olives—at least three!"]
[Tony walked to the bar, ordered two vodka martinis, and relayed Pepper's request to the bartender before slipping a crisp green bill into the tip jar.]
"Handsome boss and beautiful assistant! Her worries aren't unreasonable. Rumors can be awful," 1st Gen Gwen commented knowingly.
Even she, despite her complicated relationship with 1st Gen Spider-Man—especially after the events revealed by The Sky Screen—had experienced similar gossip when they reunited in real life.
Many women who thought highly of themselves had aggressively pursued 1st Gen Spider-Man, hoping to win him over. Gwen had found it frustrating, but thankfully, Peter had ignored them all.
Despite everything, these trials had only strengthened their relationship, making them inseparable—something that made plenty of people envious.
George and Helen had also noticed the attention their daughter received, but they had unwavering trust in 1st Gen Spider-Man. After knowing him for so long, they were confident in the kind of person he was.
[As Tony waited for the drinks, a familiar voice called out to him. "Tony Stark! Nice to see you here!"]
["Oh! Hey!" Tony turned to look at her but couldn't remember her name for a moment. "Uh… Kelly!"]
["Christine!" She corrected him immediately.]
[They both spoke at the same time, and luckily, the names sounded similar enough that she didn't realize Tony had gotten it wrong.]
["Right!" Tony's mouth twisted slightly. If I don't feel embarrassed, then she's the one who'll feel awkward.]
["You seem pretty carefree tonight," Christine noted, watching him closely.]
[Tony's expression faltered. "You could at least pretend to like me," he quipped.]
["Panic! I feel very panicked!" Tony immediately responded, turning to the bartender. "Drinks! Hurry up!"]
[Christine tilted her head, studying his reaction. "Because I called out your company's involvement in that atrocity?"]
["Look, I'm just here because I was invited. I don't know anything else," Tony dismissed her.]
["I actually believed you when you said that," she replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.]
[Tony's eyes narrowed. "I've been gone for two months. Maybe you didn't know that."]
["Is this what you call being responsible?" Christine countered, pulling a stack of photos from her bag and handing them to Tony. "This is Gulmira. Ever heard of it?"]
[Tony's gaze darkened as he flipped through the images. The photos showed the Ten Rings occupying a small village—his company's weapons littered everywhere.]
["When were these taken?" he asked gravely.]
["Yesterday," Christine replied, her eyes locking onto his.]
["I didn't authorize any transactions," Tony muttered, but his words felt empty.]
["Your company did." To her, there was no difference—Stark Industries selling weapons was the same as Tony Stark selling weapons.]
["My company is not me!" Tony snapped, frustration lacing his voice. But his anger wasn't directed at Christine.
[It was directed at himself.]
[Because Gulmira was Yinsen's hometown.]
[The place where his savior had lived.]
[And now, that very place was being devastated—by his weapons.]
"Anyone selling weapons to terrorists deserves to die!"
"Tony Stark may have stopped making weapons, but someone inside Stark Industries is still secretly selling them."
Seeing the tragic scenes in the photos, and the abundance of Stark weapons in the hands of terrorists, the world was outraged.
"Damn Obadiah! He has to be behind this!!!" 2nd Gen Uncle Ben clenched his fists in fury. This kind of crime was unforgivable!
"Poor Tony Stark… he keeps taking the blame for things he never even did," Aunt May sighed, shaking her head.
"I hope he can put an end to this," 2nd Gen Spider-Man said seriously. "Selling weapons to terrorists? That's insane!"
Gwen nodded in agreement. If it weren't for criminals like Alexei, why would her father constantly be in danger?
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