Tony didn't even stop to think. He slapped his chest plate so hard it rang with a metallic thud.
"No problem! I promise to convey your demands to those old fossils in the Pentagon, word for word.
Furthermore, I'm personally giving you my guarantee! If they dare break the rules again, you won't even need to lift a finger.
I'll be the first one to blast them.
Beside him, Colonel Rhodes, who was the official liaison for this mess, felt his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.
I appreciate you not treating me like a stranger, Tony, Rhodey thought, but I'm starting to feel like you don't treat me like a human being either!
To prove his heart was in the right place, Tony ended the call by inviting Peter to his press conference this Saturday. Peter, however, declined. His reason? He had a date.
In truth, Peter was going on a date, but the location was the Stacy household. He planned to use the night of Tony's big reveal to finally lay his cards on the table with George Stacy.
Tony wasn't offended by the rejection. On the contrary, it only confirmed his belief that he and Peter were kindred spirits.
After the call, Peter didn't slack off. Since there was no longer a need to hide his activities from Uncle Ben and Aunt May, he skipped school and headed straight to Parker Technologies.
Everything was in place. Unicorn Generation 1 had cleared all hurdles, and factories across the globe were running triple shifts.
Herman, the lead engineer, presented Peter with five finished units—sleek, polished, and running a version of the OS that was even smoother than the prototype Peter had tinkered with at the Osborn estate.
Of course, the battery life had been slashed in half.
This was Norman Osborn's suggestion. He argued that the original battery was "too good" and would hinder Parker Tech's ability to "squeeze the toothpaste" (release incremental upgrades) in the future.
Peter could only sigh; his conscience was still a bit too heavy for the tech industry.
Harry had also taken the day off to discuss marketing strategies. Peter's advice was simple and brutal:
"Send a hundred units to Tony. Tell him to show them off during his press conference and distribute them to his... 'inner circle.'"
Tony's exes numbered in the hundreds and spanned every industry. A few celebrity endorsements here, a few glowing reviews from tech journalists there, and the brand would explode overnight.
With Stark and Osborn backing him, and billions in Kingpin's liquidated "black assets" in his pocket, Peter wasn't worried about the competition. He had the tech, the funding, and the connections.
This was a "Dragon Riding the Face" scenario. The competition wasn't just losing; they were being steamrolled. In a world of predators, the strong didn't owe the weak any courtesy.
Time ticked away as "Unicorn" teasers began to saturate the internet. Finally, Saturday evening arrived.
The American media was in a frenzy. Tony Stark had officially announced a press conference to address the "terrorist attack" at Stark Tower.
A sea of reporters, cameras at the ready, blocked the entrance to Stark Industries, hungry for a scoop.
At the same time, in a quiet two-story house in Queens.
Peter, dressed in a sharp suit, sat at the Stacy family dinner table. The atmosphere was warm, yet strangely tense.
The tension wasn't coming from Peter. It was Gwen.
George Stacy looked at Peter, who was smiling and composed, appearing as comfortable as if he were in his own home. Then he looked at his daughter, who was fidgeting and glancing around nervously.
A giant question mark formed in George's mind. He knew he'd been neglecting Gwen lately, and he knew she'd insisted on this dinner so they could officially announce their relationship.
But... why did it feel like Peter was the one interviewing the parents? Why did Gwen look like the nervous groom-to-be? Which one of you is my child?!
Amidst George's confusion, "Grandma" Pauline brought out four plates of lemon sea bass.
"Alright, dinner is served!"
The meal began. Since George and Pauline had watched Peter grow up, the conversation was easy. Even when Peter casually mentioned, "Captain, Gwen, and I are together now," George only paused his fork for a second.
Pauline beamed. "That's wonderful news. I've always loved this boy. You have my blessing."
With his mother's approval, George could only mutter a gruff "Mmhmm" of acknowledgment. After a long pause, he added a stern warning: "Don't get her into trouble, and don't let her down, or I'll shoot you myself."
Just as the dinner was winding down in its odd harmony, the television in the living room caught their attention. The Stark Industries press conference had reached its climax.
Colonel Rhodes had prepared a script for Tony, but Tony read exactly two lines before tossing the cards aside. He looked into the flashing lights of a thousand cameras and gave that iconic, roguish smile.
"The truth is... I am Iron Man."
Pffft—!
George, who was sipping cream of mushroom soup, choked and began coughing violently.
In that exact moment, Peter and Gwen shared a silent, knowing look. It was time.
"Actually, Captain," Peter said, his voice calm as he laid his hand over Gwen's. "Tony isn't the only one with a secret.
I'm the Arbiter. And Gwen... she's Ghost-Spider. We're laying our cards on the table, too."
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