New York City citizens might rave about the red figure swinging between skyscrapers, but if one were to truly discuss the city's real top celebrity, everyone's answer would be the same—Tony Stark.
Yes, that's the man who, clad in gold and red armor, openly declared "I am Iron Man" in front of the World's media.
Billionaire, inventor, Chairman of Stark Industries, physicist, philanthropist, and a core member of the Avengers, he has countless titles.
He is not only a regular on newspaper headlines but also, in a sense, a symbol of this city; even authoritative media like The New York State Journal always reserves a special place for him on its pages—this isn't a privilege, it's a given.
In contrast, Spider-Man's appearances are relegated to the Daily Bugle; the two are simply not in the same league.
Even the Osborn Group, another business giant, whether it was the late Norman Osborn or the current helmsman Harry Osborn, never enjoyed such attention.
Tony Stark, the name itself means news; wherever he appears, swarms of media professionals flock to him.
And at this very moment, he was hovering above a heavily guarded military Base, his gold and red armor reflecting a cold and dazzling sheen in the setting sun, with a dense array of Stark drones behind him like a swarm of bees, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Iron Man!!"
Captain Lister, who was commanding on the ground, practically gritted out the name.
His face was extremely pale; despite his efforts to remain calm, his taut jawline and slightly twitching eye betrayed him.
The era of Mutants might be waning, but the X-Men are still active, and the Mutant Brotherhood continues its activities in the shadows. The "research" being conducted in this Base must never be exposed.
"Dr. Rice, Iron Man has discovered our Base. What should we do?" Captain Lister asked in a hushed voice, his gaze fixed on the suffocating swarm of drones in the sky.
He tightened his grip on the rifle in his hand, yet he knew clearly that this weapon was meaningless in the face of Stark's technology.
Tony Stark is not Spider-Man; that kid in the spandex suit at most does some street justice and deals with bank robbers.
But Stark? He represents capital, technology, political influence, and everything symbolized by that damned "Avengers" title.
Provoking him is akin to provoking trouble from an entire system simultaneously.
Rice did not answer immediately; instead, he took a deep breath before quietly giving the order not to let Iron Man know about the research institute, and to send him away if possible.
As a clear-headed person, Captain Lister strictly followed Dr. Rice's instructions. He forced a smile that wasn't really a smile, looked up, and shouted:
"It's the famous Iron Man. I regret to inform you, the Spider-Man you're looking for is not here. Also, this is a military controlled zone; any unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering. Please leave as soon as possible."
Tony, hovering in the sky, scoffed, his voice amplified through external speakers, exaggerated and dramatic:
"Wow, a military controlled zone? Unauthorized entry prohibited? How—terrifying." He deliberately drew out his tone, and anyone could hear the sarcasm in it.
With a gesture, Tony commanded: "Jarvis, send the little thing we just acquired to this Officer's phone. Let him take a look too."
"Yes, Mr. Stark." The AI butler Jarvis's response was calm and swift.
In less than a second, it had completed face recognition, identity confirmation, and found Captain Lister's private number, a process that could be described as precise and efficient.
Ding—
Captain Lister's phone rang. He looked at it, and the screen was filled with dense experimental data, dissection photos, gene sequences—all the deepest, darkest secrets of this Base.
Tony remained casually suspended in the air, as if he were merely engaging in an afternoon tea chat.
"By the way, I got this little gift without applying for any 'authorization.' But I'm confident that by tomorrow morning, no, perhaps even in a moment—it will be on the front page of every news outlet in the World."
Captain Lister's face turned from ashen to deathly White. Without even asking Dr. Rice, he knew how immense the impact would be if this information got out.
He knew better than anyone that there were only a few people in the entire World who could silently infiltrate the Base's core database in such a way. And Tony Stark was definitely one of them.
After more than ten seconds, Captain Lister and Dr. Rice both chose to yield.
"Mr. Stark," Captain Lister took a step forward, his tone much softer, "it seems we made a mistake. Spider-Man... is indeed inside the Base. However..."
At the end of his sentence, he changed his tone, asking with a probing voice, "I'm a bit curious, you and Spider-Man don't seem to be particularly good friends. Taking such a big risk for this unrelated Mutant doesn't seem to benefit you much."
Mutant?
Tony, clad in his armor, raised an eyebrow. Peter Parker a Mutant? This was probably the least funny joke he had heard all year.
"Buddy, if you can prove I'm a Mutant, then I'll believe Spider-Man is a Mutant. Perhaps you might be a Mutant too, you just don't know it."
Captain Lister was speechless. He pursed his lips and had just picked up his communicator to notify the control center to release the person when an anxious, almost breaking, report came from the other end:
"Officer Lister, bad news! The data room has been infiltrated! It's Spider-Man! He seems to be copying all the experimental data."
Good, very good. Iron Man and Spider-Man, a powerful team-up, is it?
"Tsk, that kid's getting smarter," Tony chuckled lightly after Jarvis informed him of the situation. "It seems three years of catching criminals wasn't entirely useless."
...Inside the research institute's data room.
Peter Parker had just stuffed the last hard drive containing copied data into his makeshift backpack.
Perhaps it was because his luck had truly improved, they just happened to find the data room when looking for a room to rest. He knew that sometimes these cold data were more useful than dozens of lives, so he naturally had to keep a backup.
While copying the data, he quickly browsed some files.
Just one glance made his stomach churn; the so-called "research" on Mutants was far more cruel than he had imagined, even darker than the records he had seen in S.H.I.E.L.D. files.
Just then, the previously dark computer screen in front of him suddenly lit up, and a large, gold and red metallic face filled the entire screen.
"Wow! It's Iron Man!" a child exclaimed.
Peter, however, was so startled that he did a backflip and stuck himself to the ceiling.
"Oh! An electronic ghost!... Alright, it's Iron Man." He sighed in relief, but still maintained his upside-down posture, unable to resist complaining, "But Mr. Stark, how did you get into this big-headed computer? That's pretty cool, but next time, could you give a heads-up?"
"Alright, Pajama Boy, humor time's over." Tony's voice on the screen was fast. "I've cleaned up your mess outside, now get the kids and all of you come out."
"Wait!" Peter quickly stopped him. "Mr. Stark, you need to prove you're the real deal first. Just a helmet doesn't say much. Just last week, I ran into a group of bank robbers, and it wasn't just someone cosplaying the Green Hulk and the guy with the hammer, but Iron Man too."
"...That's enough." Tony's voice held a hint of helplessness. The next second, his faceplate clicked upwards, revealing his globally recognized face, his eyes seemingly saying, "I'm really done with you."
"Is this good enough? Do you want me to strike a classic pose or make an official statement or something?"
"No, no!" Peter quickly waved his hand.
To be continued…
Chapter 9 The person who really has the say enters the scene
"It's Iron Man. It seems the X-Men haven't arrived yet. Is it really okay for us to go out?"
Gabriela's question was filled with worry. She wasn't afraid for her own safety, but rather for the children.
"I think it should be fine. Don't worry, I'll go first," Peter didn't feel there was any danger.
He checked the time. According to the distance from Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the X-Men should be arriving soon.
Since Spider-Man said so, Gabriela felt she should trust the two superheroes.
Spider-Man's reputation goes without saying. As for Iron Man, aside from his less-than-stellar reputation in a certain area, he was generally reliable and trustworthy.
"Children, let's go out."
They were already close to the exit, so it wasn't long before Spider-Man, who was leading the way, climbed out. The bag that had been stuck to him, acting as clothes, had already disappeared.
"Seriously, Mr. Stark, I never expected to run into you here. I mean, this place isn't even searchable on food delivery apps!"
Peter Parker's voice came through his mask, full of the youthful exuberance typical of a young man, perhaps due to the adrenaline rush of surviving a close call, or perhaps due to a subconscious prejudice from his previous life. The name he blurted out had a peculiar pronunciation deviation.
"Wait, Pajama Boy—" Tony's closed faceplate suddenly rose, revealing a slightly weary face. "Did you just add a… uh, uniquely flavored suffix to my last name?"
Jarvis's electronic voice timely sounded inside the armor: "Sir, voiceprint analysis shows that this pronunciation has a 90.7% similarity to an elderly delivery man you encountered in 2014 when you and Colonel Rhodes ordered takeout. According to database records, that old gentleman once called you 'Tony Stank' using a creative pronunciation."
"Oh, God…" Tony massaged his forehead, the armored palm colliding with his forehead plate with a crisp sound. "Jarvis, I order you to delete that memory backup immediately! And why do you remember this so clearly?"
The AI's voice was unperturbed: "Apologies, Sir. My core protocols require me to retain all records related to your safety. And as a reminder, Colonel Rhodes once stated that this pronunciation 'unexpectedly fits some of your characteristics'."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Pajama Boy, it's not a good habit to address your guide like that."
"Sorry, Mr. Stark," Peter rubbed the back of his head. It was truly an unintentional slip.
Well, the other party had admitted his mistake, so what more could Tony say?
He certainly wouldn't quibble with a teenager in a homemade suit over a pronunciation issue.
Especially when this young man had just narrowly escaped from an illegal Mutant laboratory.
After a brief interlude, Peter glanced at the drones above, confirming that Iron Man had the situation under control, and decisively blew a loud whistle.
"Hey, it's safe out here, you can all come out now."
Upon receiving the signal, the institute's heavy blast door suddenly reopened from the inside. First, dozens of mercenaries streamed out, each with their hands raised high, their eyes hiding an undisguised fear and unease.
Leading them was Donald Pierce. Compared to his initial arrogant demeanor, his face was now filled with dejection and shame.
Only after the mercenaries came out did the Mutant children follow, emerging from the institute, led naturally by Gabriela, who was holding a shotgun.
It was hard to imagine a group of professional mercenaries being escorted out like captives by a group of children and a woman.
"Wow, this scene looks like a military exercise conducted by two opposing forces. It's so vivid."
Peter exclaimed, looking at the tanks and armored vehicles outside, then nimbly swung to a vantage point, counting on his fingers: "Drone formations, heavily armed soldiers… Seriously, are you guys looking for a producer?"
"Stop with the humor, Pajama Boy. I should be drinking cocktails in the Maldives right now, not fishing out some Spider who got blown away by a Rocket in an illegal lab," Tony said, shaking his head helplessly.
"Strictly speaking, it was an illegal kidnapping after being accidentally hit by a Rocket. Speaking of which, my back still hurts a bit," Peter corrected, while secretly glancing at the distant sky, observing for any sign of the X-Men.
"Spider-Man, what did you do with X24-1?!" Captain Lister suddenly roared after communicating with Donald. His voice was torn by anger. "I know you definitely killed him, you tight-suited Mutant freak!"
At that very moment, the mercenaries outside instantly aimed their firearms at Spider-Man. Peter dramatically raised his hands: "I knew something bad was going to happen. Mr. Stark, is this what you call safe?"
Tony Stark frowned and slowly descended into the vacuum zone between the two parties. "Captain Lister, I suggest you don't make trouble for this Spider."
His tone was relaxed, yet full of menace. "After all, you wouldn't want me to reveal those… uh, experimental data that don't quite conform to scientific ethics, would you?"
"Do you think a few drones and releasing some data can really threaten us? Mr. Stark, you have no idea who is supporting this project." Captain Lister seemed to have some backing, and his confidence was evident.
Who was supporting it? It went without saying, it must be those disgusting politicians again. However, before Tony could retort, Peter, seeing his target appear, spoke up:
"I don't know who is supporting this project, but now the people who truly have a say are entering the scene." His gaze turned to the distant sky. "And they're right on time."
A booming sound like a sonic boom came from the horizon, and the clouds seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force.
A completely black fighter jet ripped through the sky, like a sharp blade tearing through reality. One second it was a black dot hanging in the distant sky, and a few seconds later, accompanied by the swirling wind, it had hovered directly above the battlefield.
"X-Jet…" The knowledgeable Captain Lister's face changed dramatically. He pointed at Spider-Man. "You… you actually called the X-Men."
The Impact of the Blackbird jet's vertical landing stirred up a large cloud of dust. When the hatch opened with a metallic grinding sound, all the muzzles that had been aimed at Spider-Man unconsciously slowly moved away.
Knowing that the X-Men were arriving, if they still aimed their guns at a Mutant, wouldn't that be seeking death?
The first to emerge was the highly recognizable Wolverine Logan. He wore the X-Men's standard uniform, his eyes sharp, a unlit cigar in his mouth. Everyone who met his gaze felt as if they were being stared at by a wild Beast.
Following him was Cyclops Scott, his red quartz glasses particularly striking.
Then came Storm Ororo with her White hair, Iceman, Pyro… When Professor Charles Xavier appeared in the hatch, operating his hover wheelchair, everyone on the entire battlefield instantly focused their gaze on this legendary figure.
This bald old man in a wheelchair needed no weapons; his very existence was the strongest deterrent.
"I am Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men." His voice was calm yet resonated in every corner. "We received an alert about illegal Mutant experiments. According to Article 7, Section 3 of the Mutant Rights Act, I have the right to demand the immediate cessation of all research activities."
The Mutant Act was the precondition for cooperation between the X-Men and the U.S. government, a superficial cover. Although many high-ranking politicians paid no mind to it, as long as it had not been abolished, its legal effect was binding on every U.S. citizen.
"The X-Men are really here to pick us up."
"Fantastic!"
The Mutant children cheered like a tsunami, and Gabriela was so excited she almost jumped for joy.
To be continued…