[Third Person's PoV]
"I'm going to be honest, kid. I don't trust you," Nick Fury said, his single eye fixed on Tony.
"Why? Do my good looks intimidate you?" Tony replied, stroking his chin with a sleazy grin.
Nick opened his mouth to retort, but Tony held up a hand to stop him. "No, no, I get it. I'd be intimidated too if I were in your shoes. I don't blame you. But I hope you can come to see there's more to me than my good looks. After all, they say, 'Never judge a book by its cover.' Though, to be fair, this cover is an enticing piece of art." He gestured dramatically to himself. "Worry not, for the content inside is equally captivating."
He finished his monologue by looking off into the distance, as if lost in a trance.
Peeking at Fury for a reaction, Tony found the man staring at him, completely unamused.
"Are you done?" Fury asked, his tone flat.
Tony clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Come on, not even a smile?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you trying to be funny?" Fury shot back dryly. "I thought you were trying to be annoying. If so, mission accomplished—impressively so."
"Ouch!" Tony exclaimed, clutching his chest in mock offense. "Geez, man! I thought we were throwing friendly banter, not trying to commit murder. You're brutal—and to a kid, no less!"
Fury scoffed. "I only banter with friends. We're not there yet."
"That's a damn lie, and you know it," Tony retorted. "You're a spy. I bet you're too suspicious of your own shadow to have any friends."
For a split second, a faint smile tugged at Fury's lips, but it vanished just as quickly. "Anyway," he said, dismissing the jab, "you're still suspicious. Both you and that girlfriend of yours."
"Okay?" Tony shrugged nonchalantly. "Cool. Be suspicious. Doesn't change anything. I'm still going to do what I plan to do."
"Which is?" Fury asked, narrowing his eye.
"Beat Ultron and go home. Back in my world, it's Sunday—a school night. I still have class, believe it or not," Tony said casually.
Fury gave him a baffled look. "Why?"
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Why what? Complete your sentences, man. It's rude to chop them up like that. I'm not a psychic, you know."
"I don't understand," Fury clarified, his tone more measured. "You're from a different universe. Why are you so invested in something that doesn't concern you? Ultron is our problem."
Tony raised two fingers. "First, where I'm from, it's a world of heroes and villains. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the essence of being a hero is sticking your nose in places that don't concern you."
For the first time, Fury's expression betrayed a flicker of respect. Tony's tone had turned serious, and the conviction in his words was hard to ignore.
"And second," Tony continued, "you ever sit in class as a kid, bored out of your mind, and your brain starts daydreaming about crazy scenarios? Like, what if terrorists attacked the school or some gunman showed up, and you imagined yourself saving everyone? This," he gestured around dramatically, "is that for me. I'm a teenage boy, and there's a killer android on the loose. This is my school terrorist-attack daydream—come to life! It's a freaking wet dream!"
Fury blinked, opening and closing his mouth, clearly at a loss for words.
Tony smirked, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I seem to have that effect on people. It's a blessing and a curse," he said with a wink, effortlessly slipping back into his teasing nature.
Fury let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "I'm keeping my eye on you, kid. Your intentions might seem genuine, but you're still dangerous. I'd dare say even more dangerous than Stark."
Tony chuckled. "Careful, don't let Stark hear that. His ego won't take it. He might do something reckless just to prove you wrong."
For the first time, Fury let out a faint laugh. "That, I don't doubt."
A few minutes later, Stark appeared in the doorway, freezing as his gaze shifted between Fury and Tony.
"Did you lure a little boy into a barn—" Stark began, only to be cut off by Fury's scoff.
"Do not even go there," Fury interrupted. "One of you is already enough to give me gray hairs. I don't need two."
Both Tony and Stark's gazes drifted upward, settling on Fury's bald head. Slowly, they turned to look at each other, smirking. No words were needed; the joke wrote itself.
Fury's eye twitched, fully aware of their shared thought.
Stark handed a communicator back to Tony. "Here. Looks like your parents still want a word with you." He then turned to Fury. "Meanwhile, I need to have a chat with him about PR training and how it looks to find you alone in a barn with a kid. Now off you go, junior."
Tony rolled his eyes and walked off, muttering under his breath as he exited the bar and found himself a spot away from everyone. Holding out his arm, he activated the communicator, and a hologram of his parents, Howard and Maria, appeared.
"'Ello," Tony greeted in an exaggerated British accent.
Maria smiled warmly. "First off, Tony, what you did for that man was very kind. We're proud of you."
"Even if it was a bit awkward, it probably meant more to him than you realize," Howard added with a small nod.
Maria's smile dropped instantly. "But you're still grounded."
"What?!" Tony exclaimed, his expression incredulous. "Grounded? Why? I can't be grounded! I'm ungroundable!"
Maria scoffed. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you somehow managed to end up in another universe?!"
Howard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Tony, I hate to say this, but gentle parenting isn't going to cut it this time. It's bad enough you're in this situation, but dragging Melissa into it? That's another level entirely."
"But—" Tony stammered, trying to defend himself, but Maria cut him off with a sharp look.
"Tony, we let you get away with far more than most parents would ever dream of. You should be grateful we haven't put our foot down sooner. But this? This is crossing a line. Melissa may not be our daughter, but she's still your responsibility—and by extension, ours. If something happened to her, and we couldn't reach you because you're in another universe, what do we tell her father? What do we tell David?"
"I've set up countermeasures—"
"Tony," Howard interrupted, his tone stern, reminding Tony that beneath the jokester of a scientist was a father who could still command respect. "You're missing the point. You could have a million contingency plans, and it wouldn't change the fact that you exposed yourself and Melissa to enormous danger."
Howard's expression grew grim. "You've opened the door to the multiverse, Tony. Do you even understand what that means? There's an infinite amount of danger out there. No matter how prepared you think you are, it will never be enough. Maria is right—this is a line you shouldn't have crossed."
"I didn't mean to…" Tony muttered, his voice quieter, his gaze dropping to the floor. "It's not like I wanted to end up in another universe… We were just exploring the Quantum Realm."
Howard and Maria exchanged a glance, their expressions softening.
"We know you didn't mean to, sweetheart," Maria said gently. "But that doesn't make it any less dangerous. That's what we want you to understand."
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