To be honest, Nick Fury didn't care much about how many people died—or who died.
Over the years, he had witnessed too much death.
Many of those deaths were even orchestrated by him.
But Tony Stark was different.
Arrogant, selfish, a playboy—utterly unlikable.
Yet, his father was Howard Stark, one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D.
After Howard and Maria Stark died that Christmas night,
Nick Fury felt that, as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he had a duty to ensure Tony's survival.
Besides, Aunt Peggy was still alive.
But if being kidnapped—suffering some hardship without life-threatening danger—
could ultimately make him "grow" and become a superhero…
Well, Nick Fury thought it was worth it.
At least, that was what Howard and Maria would have wanted.
So regarding Tony Stark's impending kidnapping,
Fury decided to set it aside for now.
What interested him more was Natasha Romanoff's upcoming first meeting with Su Che—
the mysterious traveler from a parallel universe, the owner of the black-gold diary.
Perhaps that would bring some unexpected surprises.
Or perhaps Fury was just distracting himself from that absurd suspicion growing in his mind.
Even if he couldn't fully trust the diary's contents,
It didn't hurt to be prepared.
Early the next morning.
Manhattan, across from Stark Industries.
Inside the Peach Blossom Grove Café.
"Good morning, Boss!"
"Morning, sir!"
As Su Che entered, the staff greeted him warmly.
They didn't mind that their workplace had changed from an ice cream parlor to a café—
especially since their weekly pay had gone from $130 to $200.
"Good morning!"
Su Che returned their smiles one by one.
The café was spacious—after all, in a place like Manhattan where real estate was precious,
A small ice cream shop wouldn't have survived long.
Rent, utilities, and salaries for six part-time college students added up.
"The usual, Boss?" Selena asked with a sweet smile.
"Of course."
"One black coffee, no sugar—coming right up!"
After more than half a month, the staff were familiar with their boss's preferences:
black coffee, no sugar, always sitting by the window where the sunlight poured in.
They liked him—he was generous, never assigned extra work, never criticized unfairly,
and certainly never harassed them.
Plus, he was handsome.
It was only natural to judge character by appearance sometimes.
The only pity was that he didn't seem interested in any of them.
Otherwise, going on a few dates wouldn't have been so bad.
A young man who could open a café in Manhattan surely came from money—
Catching him would mean decades less struggle!
"Hey, Superman—did the sun recharge your Kryptonian powers today?"
Pepper Potts walked into the café and smiled at Su Che, who was sitting by the window sipping black coffee and soaking up the sun.
As Tony Stark's personal assistant and secretary,
She worked at Stark Industries every day and often visited what used to be an ice cream parlor—now a café.
Over time, she'd become acquainted with Su Che, the owner.
As an "elite" professional, Pepper enjoyed spending her rare leisure time in cafés.
She was curious about Su Che: though young—over a decade younger than her—
He carried himself with a maturity and depth that didn't match his age.
There was a world-weariness in his eyes, as if he'd seen and understood everything.
Women found that intriguing—Pepper included.
Hence the nickname "Superman"—after all, who else basked in the sun so much?
Not that it implied anything romantic.
"I'm not sure about transforming into Superman," Su Che laughed, "but I do know you're skipping work today."
"Who says I'm skipping?" Pepper took a sip of her coffee. "I already clocked in at Stark Industries."
"So technically, I'm at work. How can you call that skipping?"
"Fair enough—clocking in means you showed up."
Su Che smiled. "But I suppose Mr. Stark's trip to the desert to showcase his weapons has given you some personal time?"
"Otherwise, you wouldn't be here so early."
"You have no idea," Pepper sighed in agreement. "Tony going to the desert really is a relief."
"Otherwise, having to clean up after a man-child every day—dealing with all his mess—isn't exactly pleasant."
Tony's absence had indeed given Pepper a much-needed break.
At least now, she could enjoy a quiet morning at the café.