[Marvel : Spoiling Spider-man] Chapter 231 - 235

Chapter 231: Death of Obadiah

[Tony managed to climb up, gripping the edge of the glass roof, but Obadiah didn’t immediately attack him. Instead, he took his time, smashing the surrounding glass in a cruel game of cat and mouse.]

[Pepper, watching in horror, screamed his name. Meanwhile, Obadiah sneered. "How ironic, Tony!"]

["You tried to eliminate weapons from the world… yet you invented the greatest weapon of all!!!"]

[Tony braced himself against the railing and shouted, "Pepper!!!"]

[Obadiah, oblivious to Tony’s plan, continued his monologue. "And now… I’m going to kill you with it!"]

[He launched a missile from his left arm’s missile bay—but due to his malfunctioning targeting system, the missile veered wildly off course and struck a nearby wall instead.]

["Damn it! You actually disabled my targeting system!" Obadiah roared, glaring at Tony.]

["Press the button!!!" Tony ignored him, shouting desperately to Pepper below.]

[Pepper hesitated, unwilling to press the switch. "You said you'd wait until you were clear!!!"]

["Don’t just stand there, damn it!" Obadiah growled, firing another missile. This one also missed spectacularly.]

["PRESS IT!" Tony yelled louder. He knew that his suit wouldn't conduct the electricity, meaning he wouldn’t be harmed. But Pepper didn’t know that.]

["You'll die!!!" she cried, refusing to press the switch.]

[Obadiah launched yet another missile. This one came closer—but still missed its target.]

[The impact shook the roof violently. Tony lost his grip on the railing, now holding on with only one hand.]

["PRESS IT! NOW!!!"]

[Pepper hesitated for a second longer, then, trusting Tony, she slammed the switch and immediately ran for cover.]

[A massive surge of energy burst from the Arc Reactor, releasing a blinding beam of blue-white electricity that shot into the night sky.]

[Tony was blown sideways by the explosion, while Obadiah’s Iron Monger suit, lacking proper insulation, was instantly overloaded.]

[Electricity surged through the metal frame, paralyzing him completely.]

[The entire night sky lit up as the intense energy beam illuminated New York, the blinding light visible for miles.]

[Finally, the reactor’s energy was depleted, and the beam vanished.]

[Obadiah, now completely incapacitated, plummeted downward, crashing directly into the Arc Reactor below.]

[The moment he hit, the reactor exploded.]

[On the roof, Tony instinctively turned away from the blast, shielding himself from the fiery shockwave.]

[As the explosion settled, Tony collapsed, unconscious.]

[His old-model Arc Reactor flickered, sparks crackling weakly—then, slowly, the dim light of the reactor reignited.]

[In the distance, Pepper's voice echoed through the destruction. "TONY!!!"]

"Wow… that was insane," George muttered, still processing what he had just witnessed.

"But why did Tony, who was closer to the explosion, survive… while Obadiah died?" He furrowed his brows in confusion.

Tony had taken a direct hit, yet walked away with minor injuries. Meanwhile, Obadiah, despite standing further away, was fried to death.

He glanced at the people around him, but none seemed to have an answer.

George sighed. He considered asking his daughter, Gwen, when he got home—but admitting he didn’t understand something was a little embarrassing.

Fortunately, when he got home, his youngest son asked the exact same question.

Gwen, without hesitation, explained the science behind Tony’s plan.

George finally understood why Tony kept yelling for Pepper to activate the switch—he already knew he would survive.

[At a press conference, Rhodey stood at the podium, keeping a straight face as he spoke complete nonsense with absolute confidence.]

["Everyone has received the official explanation regarding last night’s incident at Stark Industries!"]

["According to unconfirmed reports, a prototype robot malfunctioned, causing significant damage to the Arc Reactor!"]

["Fortunately, a highly trained security specialist—equipped with Stark’s top-secret technology—was able to neutralize the threat!"]

[Tony, sitting at home, casually flipped through a newspaper while watching Rhodey spin the story on live television.]

[Pepper, standing beside him, carefully covered the scars on his face with makeup.]

[The front-page headline of the newspaper read in bold letters: "WHO IS IRON MAN?"]

["Iron Man… Huh. That’s an interesting name!" Tony mused, smirking. "I mean, it has a nice ring to it!"]

["Technically inaccurate, though. The suit is a gold-titanium alloy—not iron."]

["But hey, people will believe what they want."]

[As he spoke, Coulson suddenly entered the room.]

[Without a word, he handed Tony a small card.]

["Here’s your alibi."]

[Tony blinked, taking the card. "Okay?"]

["According to official records, you were on a yacht at the time. We have port documents proving you spent the night in Avalon Harbor."]

["Fifty eyewitnesses have signed off on it."]

[Tony raised an eyebrow. "You know… we could just say that Pepper and I were alone on an island that night."]

[Hearing this, Pepper yanked the eyebrow stickers off Tony’s face. He winced in pain.]

[Coulson, unfazed, continued, "This is your official statement. Just read it."]

[Tony frowned, flipping through the three small cue cards. "Hey, wait a second—there’s no mention of Stane here."]

[Coulson’s expression didn’t change. "We’re handling it. He went on vacation. You know how dangerous small aircraft can be."]

[Tony narrowed his eyes slightly but let it slide. "And the fabricated bodyguard? He’s… me. I mean, that’s a pretty big weak link."]

[Coulson smirked. "This isn’t my first rodeo, Mr. Stark. Stick to the script, and you’ll find that people will believe whatever we tell them."]

[Then, glancing at Pepper, he added, "You have 90 seconds before the press conference."]

[With that, he turned and left.]

[Pepper called out to him, "Agent Coulson! I just wanted to thank you—for everything you’ve done."]

[Coulson gave a small chuckle. "Just doing my job. You’ll be hearing from us. We’ll be working together again soon."]

["Your organization… what was it again? Strategic Homeland Defense—"]

[Coulson cut her off with a smirk. "It’s called S.H.I.E.L.D."]

[Pepper’s eyes lit up. "Oh, good! Finally! Something easy to remember!"]

Chapter 232: Iron Man 1 End

"S.H.I.E.L.D.? What kind of organization is this? Why have I never heard of it?"

"This is too blatant! Are they just trying to fool the public?!"

"Typical government playbook—something goes wrong, and they cover it up with a fake excuse!"

"Are we seriously funding these guys with taxpayer money? This is the second time they’ve pulled this stunt!"

"Wait… wasn’t Tony Stark announced he was Iron Man in that conference? Why is it different here?"

The American public was outraged. Many felt deceived and demanded answers from this so-called S.H.I.E.L.D. Others were simply confused, finding the events unfolding different from what they had expected.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury sat in his office, watching as online discussions about S.H.I.E.L.D. spread like wildfire. His expression remained unreadable, but his headache was very real.

He had hoped to keep S.H.I.E.L.D. under the radar—but with the current situation spiraling out of control, that was looking impossible.

[After Coulson left, Pepper turned to Tony with a playful smile. "Let’s put on a show, shall we?"]

["You know, this really isn’t so bad. Although… I don’t think I’m Iron Man." Tony smirked as he walked over to her.]

[Pepper helped him put on his coat, returning his smirk. "Of course, you’re not Iron Man."]

["I am." Tony corrected, enjoying the title.]

["No, you’re not." Pepper countered, knowing exactly how Tony’s mind worked. She suspected he might go off-script, and she wasn’t about to let that happen.]

["Okay, fine, it’s up to you," Tony relented. Then, with a teasing smile, he added, "But imagine if I were Iron Man… and my girlfriend knew my real identity."]

["She’d be terrified every day, worrying that I’d get myself killed… but at the same time, she’d be so damn proud to call me her man."]

[As he spoke, he casually bit the corner of the cue card in his hand, his eyes locked onto Pepper’s.]

["She’d feel conflicted, you know? Because knowing my real identity would only make her fall for me even more."]

["Tell me, Pepper… you’ve never thought about that night?"]

["Which night?" Pepper arched a brow, looking up at him.]

["You know which night."]

[Pepper narrowed her eyes, her expression turning less amused.]

["You mean the night we danced? When we went up on the roof, and I asked you to go downstairs and get me a drink? And then you just… left me there?"]

[Tony hesitated, suddenly realizing his mistake.]

[Pepper scoffed. "Thought so."]

[After helping him adjust his suit, she shot him a glare. "Are you done, Mr. Stark?"]

["Yes, Miss Potts."]

"Hahahaha! Tony Stark, you idiot!"

Otto slapped his thigh, laughing at Tony’s horrible timing. Did he seriously just bring up the one night that pissed Pepper off the most?!

"No wonder Pepper was annoyed!" Rose chuckled. "High IQ, but zero emotional intelligence."

"But putting aside Tony’s dumb move…" Otto mused, his face turning serious. "I think S.H.I.E.L.D. is in deep trouble. They’re probably getting roasted alive by taxpayers right now."

"Yeah. Repeated deception like this destroys public trust," Rose nodded. "And since Tony Stark is too respected to take the blame, they’re redirecting their anger toward S.H.I.E.L.D."

"In other words, Fury’s got a PR nightmare on his hands."

[“Next, Mr. Stark has prepared a statement but will not be taking any questions,” Rhodey announced, handing the stage to Tony.]

[Tony strode onto the podium, holding the cue card in one hand. He glanced at the packed press room before smirking. "You know, it’s been a while since I was in public."]

["I’ll just read from my script."]

[The reporters chuckled, enjoying his casual approach.]

[Tony cleared his throat and began reading: "Some people have speculated that I was personally involved in the highway incident and the Stark Industries rooftop battle."]

[He had barely finished two sentences before Christine Everhart cut him off.]

["Sorry, Mr. Stark, but do you really expect us to believe that the man in armor was a bodyguard? I mean, he appeared conveniently, wearing your tech, and you—"]

[Before she could finish, Tony interrupted.]

["I get it. You’re questioning the official statement. That’s fine."]

["But let’s not jump to conclusions and just call me a… superhero."]

["I never said you were a superhero!" Christine quickly denied.]

["Oh, good! Because that would be ridiculous!"]

[For some reason, her denial triggered a rebellious impulse in Tony. He paused, contemplating something for a moment.]

[Then, he smirked, leaning slightly forward. "I mean, let’s be real. I’m not exactly the hero type."]

["Too many personal flaws. Too many mistakes."]

["Bad influence. Bad habits. Bad decisions."]

[Rhodey, realizing where this was going, subtly nudged Tony. "Stick to the script."]

["Yeah, yeah… I got it." Tony picked up the cue card again. "In fact…"]

[He paused.]

[A slow grin spread across his face.]

[Then, without hesitation—he threw the card away.]

["I am Iron Man."]

[The room exploded.]

[Reporters shot up from their seats, scrambling to ask a million questions at once.]

[Amid the chaos, Christine Everhart remained seated, calmly observing Tony.]

[She had suspected this the moment she handed Tony the photos of Gulmira. Not long after, the terrorists who captured him were attacked by a mysterious armored figure.]

[Then, Stark Industries was attacked last night, and the same figure showed up again.]

[Christine had been putting the pieces together. Given Tony’s personality, she had a hunch he wouldn’t just sit back and follow the official narrative.]

[And she was right.]

[Instead of sticking to the script, Tony Stark had done what only Tony Stark would do.]

[He had told the world the truth.]

Chapter 233: Avengers Initiative

"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.

Chapter 234: Wanda and Vision

["We have finished covering a portion of Tony Stark’s story, so let’s return to the main topic. Tony recruited 3rd Gen Spiderman, but the opposing side also found their own allies!"]

[That night, inside the Avengers Tower, Vision remained on standby when suddenly, flames erupted outside the window. Reacting instantly, he phased through the floors and arrived at Wanda’s side.]

["What’s going on?" Wanda asked in confusion as she looked outside.]

["Please stay here!" Vision said calmly before passing through the wall and leaving. Wanda stared at the flames in a daze, then suddenly snapped out of it. She used her abilities to control a fruit knife.]

[The knife shot toward Barton’s forehead in an instant. Fortunately, Wanda recognized him at the last second and stopped the attack just in time. Barton merely shrugged and pushed the knife aside.]

["Guess I should’ve knocked on the door."]

["Oh my God! What are you doing here?!" Wanda gasped, stepping toward Barton.]

["My kid's going to be disappointed," Barton muttered as he moved swiftly, firing arrows to the left and right, setting up small traps.]

[Then, he grabbed Wanda’s wrist. "I was supposed to take them water skiing! But the Captain needs our help! Let’s go!"]

[Just as they were about to leave, Vision phased through the wall, appearing in front of them. He turned toward Barton and spoke with a steady voice: "Clint."]

[Vision looked at Barton, his tone unwavering. "You shouldn’t have come."]

["Really? I’ve only been retired for five minutes, and the world’s already in chaos?" Barton turned to face Vision, raising an eyebrow.]

["Please consider the consequences of your actions," Vision advised.]

["Yeah, yeah. I’ve thought about it," Barton replied nonchalantly before triggering the electric trap from his previous arrow. A surge of electricity surged through Vision, temporarily paralyzing him.]

[Seeing Vision momentarily restrained, Barton turned around and sprinted toward the exit. "Alright, we’re leaving!"]

[But Wanda remained frozen in place. Barton glanced back at her in surprise. "This way!" He pointed toward the exit, urging her to move.]

["I've already caused enough trouble," Wanda hesitated, her voice filled with guilt.]

[Barton sighed before running back to her. "You wanna make amends? Then help us! If you’re feeling down, go to school, take some classes or something!"]

["But if you really want to make things right—then act! Damn it!" Barton was about to continue when Vision broke free from the electricity holding him down.]

[Vision fired a beam from the Mind Stone in his forehead, instantly disabling Barton’s trap. He then stepped toward them. Barton immediately raised his bow, readying an arrow.]

[He fired—but the arrow phased straight through Vision’s intangible body. Vision effortlessly grabbed Barton’s bow and, with a single motion, knocked him to the ground.]

[After landing, Barton quickly adjusted his stance and pulled a short baton from his back. "I knew I should’ve stretched first."]

[With that, he lunged forward, swinging his weapon at Vision. But the strike passed harmlessly through Vision’s intangible form. Barton wasn’t discouraged and immediately raised his right arm in defense, blocking Vision’s movements before launching another strike with his left hand.]

[Once again, it phased through Vision’s body, missing completely. The two engaged in close combat, but Vision had the clear advantage. With minimal effort, he intercepted Barton’s next attack, effortlessly grabbing his swinging arm.]

[Barton didn’t stop. He threw a right hook, but Vision remained unshaken. Then, he brought down his baton onto Vision’s face—the one part of his body that hadn’t phased into intangibility.]

[The baton snapped in half. Vision remained unharmed.]

[Barton looked at the broken weapon in his hands, clicked his tongue, and tossed it aside. "Well, that’s just great."]

[He launched a swift kick toward Vision, but Vision phased through it and countered, grabbing Barton by the throat and lifting him off the ground.]

["Clint, you cannot win," Vision stated calmly.]

["Yeah, I know," Barton choked out. "But she can."]

[He gave Wanda a meaningful look. Vision’s expression changed slightly as he turned to her.]

[Wanda’s hands trembled as red energy crackled from her palms. She met Vision’s gaze with cold determination. "Vision. That’s enough. Put him down. I’m leaving."]

["I cannot let you go," Vision responded firmly.]

[At his refusal, Wanda’s eyes darkened. Chaos magic flared as she unleashed a powerful telekinetic force, gripping Vision’s body and holding him in place.]

[Vision’s arm began to lose form, and Barton, still in his grasp, started to drop to the ground. "I’m sorry," Wanda whispered before clenching her fist, intensifying her magic.]

[The overwhelming force caused the floor beneath them to crack. Vision struggled against her power, his voice calm but warning: "If you do this, the world will never stop fearing you."]

["I can’t control their fear," Wanda said softly, "but I can control myself."]

[With a final surge of power, she sent Vision crashing through the floor. He plummeted downward, smashing through multiple levels of the building until he disappeared into the darkness below.]

[Barton climbed back to his feet and peered down into the abyss. "Oh, come on… There’s another stop after this?"]

Barton: "??? I was part of the Civil War? And who the hell are those two? Vision and Wanda? Never heard of them!" Barton looked at the Sky Screen in shock.

Tony squinted at the Avengers Tower. This meant that Vision and Wanda were inside their headquarters.

Considering how Wanda had mentioned that she had already "caused enough trouble," it was likely that she had made a grave mistake, and Vision had been assigned to watch over her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have told her to stay put when the fire broke out, nor would he have tried to stop Barton from taking her away.

Rhodes turned to Tony with a questioning look. "This Vision guy… He’s connected to you, isn’t he?"

"I don’t know," Tony admitted. "But it seems possible. He doesn’t look like a carbon-based life form. More like a silicon-based one. In other words—a robot. But he seems... different."

In just a short clip, Vision had demonstrated several incredible abilities. His phasing made him nearly impossible to hit. His energy blasts were formidable. And his physical durability was extraordinary—Barton’s attacks had zero effect on him, and his reinforced baton had shattered upon impact.

"But it looks like I’m on Cap’s side," Barton muttered, glancing toward Steve Rogers. Among the Avengers, the only one who could truly be referred to as "Captain" was him.

Steve Rogers frowned slightly. What could have caused the rift between him and Tony? Their relationship had never been perfect, but it wasn’t bad enough to lead to an outright war.

Tony was also deep in thought. What could have led to such a severe disagreement? However, with the limited information available, it was impossible to reach a conclusion just yet.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury and Tony had already begun searching for information on Wanda and Vision.

It didn’t take long before they found results—Wanda Maximoff, and her twin brother, Pietro Maximoff. Tony immediately started looking for their whereabouts.

But Vision?

There was no record of him. It was as if he had never existed.

Wanda stared at the Sky Screen, feeling a mix of disbelief and shock.

She was in the Avengers Tower? And she knew this Clint guy well enough to trust him?

That wasn’t the only thing that stunned her. The sheer strength she had displayed… She had effortlessly overwhelmed someone as powerful as Vision!

If she could master this power—she could finally take revenge on Tony Stark.

But something felt off.

Pietro…

Why wasn’t her brother by her side?

Chapter 235: Sharon and Steve Rogers

["We’ll find him sooner or later! Our satellites are running facial recognition, biometrics, and behavioral pattern scanning!"]

[Leading the way was Okoye, the head of the Dora Milaje, with the new king of Wakanda, T’Challa, following closely behind. Natasha stood in front of a car, waiting for them.]

[Okoye approached her without hesitation, speaking bluntly: "Step aside, or I will move you myself!"]

[T’Challa smirked at her remark and held out a hand. "That would be interesting, though."]

[Natasha locked eyes with T’Challa. "Do you really think you’ll find him?"]

[With a calm expression, T’Challa walked to the car and opened the door. "My resources are considerable."]

[Natasha turned slightly and said, "Yeah… It took the world seventy years to find Barnes. So you can probably find him in half the time."]

[At those words, Black Panther immediately sensed a hidden meaning. His expression became serious. "You already know where they are."]

["I know someone who does," Natasha admitted with a nod.]

"What’s going on? Why am I up there?"

T’Challa—still a prince at the time—stared at the Sky Screen in confusion. He had no idea why he and Okoye were featured, especially alongside Natasha. Though he seemed to know her, they weren’t close.

At that moment, Wakanda’s king, T’Chaka—still alive—was equally surprised to see Okoye and T’Challa together.

Something significant must have happened. Otherwise, Okoye, as the captain of the Dora Milaje, wouldn’t have been traveling with his son for no reason.

"It seems Wakanda’s secrecy won’t last much longer," T’Chaka sighed. If T’Challa had already made contact with Natasha, then Wakanda’s Vibranium technology and the power of the Panther Goddess would eventually be exposed to the world.

He needed to reconsider Wakanda’s future.

Natasha, too, was caught off guard. She didn’t even know T’Challa yet, but that didn’t matter. Tony had already started digging into his identity.

"The prince of a small African nation… T’Challa," Nick Fury murmured as he read the information Tony had uncovered, his mind racing with possibilities.

The identities of Okoye and the unknown third person were eventually discovered, but Tony had no idea who this "Barnes" they were searching for was.

Steve Rogers, however, froze in place. It took him a few seconds to process before he muttered, "Barnes… Bucky Barnes?"

"Who?"

Barton, sitting beside Steve Rogers, turned to him with curiosity. "Do you know him, Cap?"

Hearing Barton’s words, everyone’s eyes turned to Steve Rogers.

Shaking his head instinctively, he responded, "No! That’s impossible. Bucky died a long time ago. He was killed in that battle… There’s no way it’s him!"

Nick Fury narrowed his eyes. Something clicked in his mind, but without concrete proof, he kept his thoughts to himself.

[On the other side, Steve Rogers stepped out of a small car. Sharon Carter followed suit.]

[She smirked and teased him, "I don’t think you quite understand the concept of a ‘getaway car.’"]

[Unfazed by her teasing, Steve Rogers simply replied, "This car is low-key."]

["Right. Because low-key is exactly how I’d describe it," Sharon said sarcastically, opening the trunk to reveal a Vibranium shield and Falcon’s equipment inside.]

[Inside the car, Falcon (Sam Wilson) and the Winter Soldier (Bucky Barnes) sat waiting. Bucky suddenly asked, "Can you move the seat forward a little?"]

[Sam, without even looking back, deadpanned, "No."]

[Meanwhile, Steve Rogers continued talking to Sharon. "I owe you another favor."]

[Sharon pursed her lips. "I’m keeping track."]

[Bucky, having given up on the seat situation, shifted slightly to get a better view of the conversation. But his movement caught Sharon’s attention. She glanced at him and spoke calmly: "He tried to kill me before."]

[Steve Rogers sighed, offering an apologetic nod. "Sorry. I’ll remember that too."]

[Sharon smiled slightly at his words before turning her head, her expression unreadable. Steve Rogers looked at the equipment in the trunk.]

["They’ll come after you," he warned.]

[Sharon shrugged but remained unfazed. "I know."]

[Steve Rogers met her gaze, his expression filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Sharon."]

[Sharon held his gaze for a moment before, without warning, she leaned in and kissed him.]

[Their foreheads touched briefly as Sharon whispered, "This feels so…"]

["Late," Steve Rogers finished for her.]

["You’re right," Sharon chuckled, before playfully tracing her hand over his chest. "I should go."]

[Steve Rogers nodded. "Okay."]

[As they parted, Sam and Bucky—still sitting in the car—exchanged knowing smiles, looking at Steve with amused expressions.]

[Seeing their grins, Steve Rogers, who had been smiling himself, suddenly looked at them with mild exasperation.]

"Oh my God! What should I do?!"

Sharon Carter buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed by embarrassment. She had actually kissed her great-aunt Peggy Carter’s man! How was she ever going to face her again?

On the other hand, Peggy Carter, lying in her hospital bed, squinted at the Sky Screen, watching the kiss unfold. Then, she turned her head toward the elderly man sitting beside her.

"I don’t remember you ever mentioning this little romance with my niece," she said pointedly.

The old Steve Rogers gave a bitter smile but remained silent.

He knew what fate had in store for Sharon. She had been among those turned to ashes by the Infinity Gauntlet. Looking back now, it had taken him a long time to move past that moment.

After the war, he had traveled back in time, found Peggy again, and fulfilled the dance he had once promised her. He had chosen to stay in that era, living out his life beside her.

But the Sky Screen…

It changed everything.

Everything he had known, everything he had experienced—it was all different now.

He had considered warning everyone about what was coming, but the Sky Screen had blocked him from doing so. Other than Peggy, he couldn’t tell anyone. Not even in writing.

Compared to his older self, the younger Steve Rogers was visibly emotional. He had seen Bucky on the Sky Screen!

His best friend—his brother—was alive.

Tony, noticing Steve’s reaction, immediately started searching for Bucky Barnes. There was no way a living person could survive in modern society without leaving some kind of trace.

Meanwhile, Sam stared at the Sky Screen, stunned.

At that point in time, he had still been working with veterans in Washington, yet here he was—alongside Steve Rogers and some long-haired stranger in the backseat.

As for Bucky, Sam was sure he had never met him before.

Elsewhere, deep within a hidden facility, an artificial intelligence activated a monitoring system.

Dr. Arnim Zola, his consciousness now residing within a vast network, watched the feed with keen interest.

The Winter Soldier… Bucky Barnes…

It seemed his control over him was slipping.

Zola's digital presence flickered as he calculated possible countermeasures.

Bucky could not be allowed to escape.