"Just revealing his identity like that? He's so bold!" Second-Generation Spider-Man, Peter, couldn't help but admire Tony Stark's actions.
"Yeah! Maybe it's because he enjoys being in the spotlight? And he's rich, so he doesn't have to be afraid of anything," Gwen nodded, agreeing with Peter.
The two of them were in the campus gym, watching the football players on the field.
Although the students had eagerly invited Peter to join the game, he had politely declined. With his strength, even a casual bump could send an ordinary person flying. He had no intention of accidentally injuring someone. Besides, there was no point in playing competitively—it would just be unfair and would interfere with their training.
George squinted as he watched Tony on the screen. He could somewhat understand Stark's reasoning, but at the same time, he was puzzled. Didn't Stark fear retaliation?
Even with his immense wealth, without his armor, he was just an ordinary man. Even the President of the United States had assassination attempts on his life—how could a rich man like Tony Stark be any different?
But this was Stark's choice, and George was merely a bystander. Fortunately, from what the Sky Screen had shown, Tony Stark only seemed to care about Pepper's safety. That made things easier—George would just need to ensure her protection.
Unlike Peter, whose only known weaknesses were his aunt and uncle, George had to worry about the safety of his entire family. Now that both Peter and Gwen had been exposed by the Sky Screen, he had no choice but to enhance their security measures.
Fortunately, Peter had already done an excellent job protecting his identity and had gained fans all over the world. In addition, most terrorists and criminals that posed a threat to society had already been apprehended by him, allowing him to enjoy some peace for the time being.
[That night, Tony returned home and called out, "Jarvis!"]
["Welcome home, sir!" Jarvis' voice greeted him. Tony walked into the living room, only to find a dark figure standing by the glass window.]
["I'm Iron Man. Do you think you're the only superhero in the world? Mr. Stark, you've become part of a much larger universe… You just don't know it yet."]
[Tony frowned at the unexpected visitor. "Who are you?"]
["Nick Fury. Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the man stepped forward from the shadows, his single eye locked onto Tony.]
["Oh." Tony responded nonchalantly.]
["I'm here to talk to you about the Avengers Initiative," Nick Fury stated, a slight smile playing on his lips.]
"That's it? That's all they're showing?"
The watcher frowned as the Sky Screen abruptly stopped broadcasting. They had expected to see more. However, their curiosity quickly shifted to how exactly the Sky Screen selected its clips.
Nick Fury, on the other hand, remained unfazed. Since the Sky Screen had already exposed S.H.I.E.L.D., he figured the agency wouldn't be able to operate from the shadows anymore. Perhaps it was time to consider creating a new organization… though funding would be a problem, considering he didn't have much money at the moment.
"The Avengers!"
Spider-Man (Second-Gen Peter) immediately recognized the name. "I remember now! The Sky Screen mentioned this before—it said that the reason Tony Stark would eventually seek out the third-generation Spider-Man was because of internal conflict within the Avengers!"
"Tony Stark only looked for the third-generation Spider-Man when he needed help!"
The revelation made Peter frown. "Superheroes fighting among themselves? That sounds terrifying! The situation must be serious if Tony Stark himself ends up needing assistance."
"If he's willing to recruit a high school kid, that means he must be desperate!" Gwen added, her expression filled with concern.
She had considered the possibility before but hadn't mentioned it since she didn't personally know Tony Stark. Without any concrete evidence, it seemed pointless to speculate.
But after witnessing Tony's actions and the Sky Screen's emphasis on him, Gwen believed that while Tony had a strong personality that might cause occasional friction with others, he still had a clear sense of right and wrong.
If a conflict had erupted within the Avengers, it had to be over something significant. There had to be an irreconcilable difference at play.
Peter listened to Gwen's reasoning and found himself agreeing. But since the full details hadn't been revealed yet, he decided not to jump to conclusions. The Sky Screen would surely provide more answers later.
This time, the Sky Screen remained silent for only a brief moment before suddenly playing consecutive clips from Iron Man 2, Thor, and Steve Rogers: The First Avenger with no interruptions.
The world was left in shock.
Especially regarding the existence of Asgard—the entire world was shaken by the revelation.
They also recognized Thor and Jane Foster, both of whom had been mentioned by the Sky Screen before.
Public reaction varied—some were outraged when they saw the government trying to take away Tony Stark's armor. Others laughed when Justin Hammer was humiliated.
When they saw Tony struggling with palladium poisoning, they worried about whether he would survive.
And when they watched Ivan Vanko and Justin Hammer get what they deserved—one dead and the other imprisoned—the audience felt deeply satisfied.
Later, when they saw Steve Rogers's unwavering bravery, they couldn't help but feel sorrowful that he missed his date with Peggy Carter.
When Steve Rogers's plane crashed into the ice, Rhodes couldn't help but ask him, "Why didn't you jump out of the plane back then?"
Hearing this, Steve Rogers remained silent.
Tony was astonished.
Up until now, the Sky Screen had only broadcasted short clips, seemingly following a specific pattern. He had never expected it to suddenly play entire movies back-to-back.
More importantly, the events shown in Iron Man 2 and Thor didn't perfectly align with reality.
Could this be the future that would have unfolded without the Sky Screen's intervention?
A certain purple-skinned Titan narrowed his eyes at the sight of Odin, who had fallen into a deep sleep. He appeared to be deep in thought…
Meanwhile, Tony, Bruce Banner, and several others arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. The entire agency was bustling with activity.
Inside Nick Fury's office, Alexander Pierce sat across from him, engaged in a serious discussion.
Tony strode into the meeting room, where Steve Rogers, Natasha, and others had already gathered.
Looking around, he realized that Rhodey was nowhere to be seen.
He thought he had arrived late, but apparently, Rhodey was even later than him.
A few minutes later, Rhodey finally rushed in.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Traffic jam?"
Rhodey let out a tired sigh. "Phew… don't even get me started. Ever since the Sky Screen exposed my past perjury to cover for you, the taxpayers have been outraged. A protest almost broke out."
"And?" Banner asked, intrigued.
"And I had to issue a public apology," Rhodey replied helplessly. "You'll probably see it broadcasted soon. Oh, and they also deducted my annual bonus. Thankfully, I wasn't demoted."
Tony chuckled, clearly amused.
On the side, Natasha smirked at Rhodey's misfortune.
Seeing her reaction, Rhodey shot her an exasperated look. Natasha quickly stifled her laughter.
At that moment, it became apparent—Thor and Carol were absent from this meeting as well.
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