Washington D.C. – Senate Hearing
Peter adjusted his tie, hands tucked neatly in front of him. Tony Stark leaned back, the perfect picture of smug confidence. Pepper Potts sat behind them, elegantly poised but occasionally muttering underp her breath.
The committee room buzzed. Senators shuffled papers, whispered amongst themselves, and occasionally shot pointed glances at the pair. Presiding over them was Senator Stern.
"Mr. Stark, Mr. Parker," Stern began, his voice sharp. "Your respective technologies have the potential to alter the balance of power in the world. Are you prepared to submit all blueprints, designs and operational controls to congressional oversight?"
Tony smirked, casually spinning a pen in his fingers. "Well, first off, that's adorable. You think a bunch of men in suits can comprehend quantum entanglement in a fighter craft capable of Mach 8 in the atmosphere and orbital maneuvering when even I needed a night to understand half the things this kid crammed into that plane."
Peter cut in, his voice calm but firm. "With all due respect, Senator, the EXO-45 Patriot Mk. II is powered by a miniature pinch fusion reactor. It integrates a railgun-plasma hybrid cannon with missile pods, all housed in Lithium Triteride armor. Its materials are literally stronger than Vibranium which I tested against pure Vibranium bullets. Even if I handed you a schematic, none of you could manufacture it or safely operate it. Even if you could manufacture Lithium Triteride the entire USA would go bankrupt.
Not to mention, I'm already selling my equipment to the U.S. armed forces at a reasonable price. Should I receive approval, I'd even be willing to provide it to U.S. allies."
A senator slammed the gavel. "We're talking about national security. These are not toys! And you don't even have a proper cybersecurity division to safeguard your secrets."
Peter's gaze stayed steady. "I'm well aware of the destructive potential of my creations but no one understands that better than me. If a threat appears, we won't have the luxury of playing catch-up. We need parity, readiness and careful control. Which is why the designs stay in capable hands mine and Tony's. Also, we have unmatched cyber security."
Tony leaned forward, lips twitching with amusement. "Exactly. And let's not forget the facts, people. Vibranium. Lithium Triteride. Cold-fusion cores. These aren't weekend projects. You don't get to hold the world hostage with a pocketbook and a subpoena. If Parker wanted, he could've taken his tech to China or Russia and been crowned hero of communism. But he stayed here to benefit the U.S. despite knowing how annoying the Congress could be."
Another senator hissed, "Are you implying this is above congressional authority?"
Peter raised his hands slightly, calm but pointed. "I'm implying that security isn't about politics it's about people. Civilizations won't wait for debates or hearings before they act. We prepare now, or we fail later. And frankly? I don't care which defense giant goes out of business because of me."
Pepper's eyes flicked between Tony and Peter. Both radiated calm certainty, like they'd done this before and meant every word. The senators, speechless and slightly intimidated, could only glare.
Tony leaned back, grinning. "Facts. Truth. And a little Stark flair. Any more questions, or are we done here before someone accidentally blows up the cafeteria?"
Stern cleared his throat. "Very well. Mr. Parker's case is closed. But now we must address Mr. Stark's standing. Mr. Stark, do you or do you not possess a weapon of mass destruction called the Iron Man suit?"
Tony raised an eyebrow. "It's not a weapon of mass destruction it's a prosthesis."
"I'd like to bring forth a weapons expert. Mr. Hammer."
Tony groaned. "Oh, you can't be serious."
Peter shrugged. "His guns don't explode too often. That's… good, I guess?"
Justin Hammer strutted in. "Gentlemen, I know I'm no expert compared to you two, but I'd like to present some evidence."
A TV screen flickered to life, showcasing armored suits walking and firing weapons.
Peter, already tired, hacked the feed with a thought, thanks to his AI core chip. The screen instead displayed the real test footage: suits failing spectacularly, collapsing mid-stride, exploding engines, even one that spun 360° with the pilot still inside.
Peter faced the senators. "Iran, China, North Korea and Russia are twenty years behind in servomotor precision. Software? Seventeen years. Hardware? Ten. Power source, thirty. Thruster tech, twenty-five. Guidance systems... God have mercy... forty years away from where Mr. Stark is now. Hammer Industries? Double those numbers. And that's me being generous."
He folded his arms. "Sleep well, senators. Unless someone inherits a miracle, no one's catching up to our level any time soon."
He and Tony stood, chairs scraping back. The room fell silent. The hearing adjourned, leaving the senators looking like they'd just been schooled by a high-school genius and a billionaire playboy at the same time. Which, of course, was exactly what had happened.
Monpaco – Legacy Grand Prix
The Mediterranean sun glinted off the Monaco coastline as Tony Stark stepped out of his car, his shades reflecting the gleaming yachts in the harbor. Peter and Gwen followed with Pepper, both looking slightly uneasy.
At first, the grandeur overwhelmed them. But soon, it was replaced with boredom.
"Is this the rich person's definition of fun?" Gwen groaned, loud enough to turn heads.
"Seems like it." Peter muttered.
Suddenly, Justin Hammer burst in. "Hey, boy wonder! How's the champ and his lady friend doing?"
"Bored." Peter and Gwen said in unison.
Tony muttered under his breath, "Just… ignore Hammer."
Justin waved enthusiastically. Tony rolled his eyes. "Ugh. If charm were money, this guy wouldn't need investors."
Peter smirked. "True."
Tony's attention snapped to a screen broadcasting the Monaco Legacy Grand Prix. His grin widened. Peter instantly understood what he was thinking.
"You realize you don't have training for that, right?" Peter deadpanned.
"I'll learn on the fly. I'm a genius." Tony replied, already moving.
"And I thought Peter had a bigger ego than you." Gwen muttered with a laugh.
Peter sighed. "This is going to be more interesting than this snoozefest. Honestly, no wonder every rich guy is a scheming scumbag. Because backstabbing is the only fun thing left in their life. Except Tony. Tony's too egotistical to scheme."
"Amen to that." Said Tony while raising his glass of Champagne.
The Grand Prix
Engines roared across the track as Tony slipped into a racecar. Gwen and Peter watched amusedly from the sidelines.
Barely one lap was completed.
Then...CRACK. An arc of electricity snapped through the air, slicing Tony's car clean in half.
A figure emerged. Metallic exoskeleton with electrified whips sparking in both hands. Ivan Vanko. His gaze was locked on Tony.
Tony was running around trying to shake the him off. Gwen and Peter were helping with the evacuation.
As Tony was about to be vivisected by the arc whips, Pepper and Happy barreled onto the track in the Rolls-Royce, swerving through chaos and slamming into the assailant. Pepper shoved the briefcase out the door toward Tony. In a smooth motion, he deployed the armor, plating unfolding across his body. The crowd gasped.
Peter's eyes narrowed. "He's using arc technology. Low yield, but it's an arc reactor. No doubt about it."
Tony's grin sharpened. "Yep. And I brought a bigger toy."
Vanko's whips lashed across the pit lanes, slicing through cars and barriers. Sparks flew as Tony countered, the briefcase suit's energy shielding absorbing each strike. With surgical precision, Tony landed blow after blow until Ivan collapsed, defeated and sprawled on the track.
The crowd roared in disbelief.
Peter shook his head. "Every time, Tony. Every time it's the same thing. You air your secrets to the whole world. I'm taking his arc reactor could be useful for other projects as I'm allergic to making mediocre things."
Gwen snorted and Pepper just shook her head.
Tony dusted off his hands. "Lesson one, kid. Never underestimate a man with a grudge and bad taste in armor."
Pepper rolled her eyes. "Lesson two. Stop making me deliver your toys."
Peter smirked. "Lesson three. Profit whenever you can."
Gwen punched him in the arm. "Lesson four. Make time for your needy girlfriend."
Peter laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist.
Later
As the sun set over the Mediterranean, Peter leaned against a balcony railing, Gwen tucked against his side with her arms wrapped around his.
"We leave tonight," Peter murmured. "Wanna have some fun, baby?"
"Better be the kind I'm thinking of." Gwen teased, her hands exploring his chest as she smirked up at him.
Peter just smiled, the chaos of the day fading behind the promise of tonight.Thank you for being a part of my ongoing journey. I hope you the very best for your future.
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