-----
-----
As Jiro walked down the center aisle, a young congresswoman in the front row suddenly stood up.
"Mr. Jiro!" Her voice cut through the silence like a knife.
"I... I just wanted to say thank you. That subway accident in New York yesterday—it was you who saved my little sister."
Jiro paused for a moment, nodded slightly, and kept walking.
That small gesture seemed to unlock something. People in the gallery started to stand and clap.
By the time Jiro and Tony pushed open the doors to the congressional chamber, thunderous applause and cheers were erupting behind them.
Senator Stern stood alone on the podium, his gavel frozen mid-air before slowly lowering it in defeat.
The hearing ended in an eerie silence.
As Jiro and Tony walked out of the Capitol, a huge crowd had already gathered.
They were holding up signs supporting Superman, and the cheers never stopped.
"Can I have your autograph?" a little girl asked timidly, holding out her notebook.
Jiro crouched down and took the pen. "What's your name?"
"Alice," she replied shyly, her cheeks turning red.
Jiro wrote:"To Alice – With great power comes great responsibility,"and signed his name.
Tony raised an eyebrow beside him. "Quoting someone else's line?"
"The original guy won't mind," Jiro replied, standing up and giving a quick nod to the crowd. Then, escorted by security, he and Tony headed to the Audi R8.
As the car doors closed, Tony let out a big sigh of relief. "God, for a second I thought you were gonna laser-eye the whole Senate."
Jiro buckled his seatbelt. "They're not worth it."
The engine roared to life, and the sports car sped away from Capitol Hill.
In the rearview mirror, the crowd was still cheering, camera flashes lighting up like stars.
"So..." Tony said as he turned the wheel. "What's next? Saving the world or grabbing coffee?"
Jiro looked out at the blur of passing buildings. "First, your tower. Then I'm heading home. Wanda's still waiting for her training session."
Tony whistled. "Wow, already hiding girls in your secret villa?"
"She's a mutant," Jiro said flatly. "Strong, but she needs guidance."
"Mutants, alien tech, magic…" Tony shook his head with a sigh."My life's been a mess since I met you."
Jiro rolled his eyes. "But you're loving it."
Tony didn't deny it. He just floored the gas, sending the R8 tearing through the streets of Washington.
Stark Tower Lab
The silver elevator doors slid open. Pepper Potts stepped out, arms full of files, heels clicking crisply on the marble floor.
She was scanning her data pad, her blonde hair tied into a neat bun.
"Tony, I've got the quarterly report you asked for right—"
She stopped mid-sentence when she looked up and saw someone else in the lab besides Tony.
Jiro stood with his back to her. His sharp profile under the lab's lighting was almost magnetic.
He turned when he heard her voice, his eyes reflecting a soft golden hue under the lights.
Pepper's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh, Pepper!" Tony popped up from behind his workstation, still holding a sparking circuit board."Perfect timing. Let me introduce our new shareholder—Jiro."
Jiro gave a polite nod and smiled. "Miss Potts."
Pepper quickly adjusted her expression into a professional smile. "Mr. Jiro, I've heard a lot about you. Tony talks about you all the time."
"Hopefully nothing bad," Jiro replied gently.
"Quite the opposite."
She set the files on the desk, her eyes briefly resting on Jiro's suit."He says you're the smartest person he's ever met."
Tony threw up his hands dramatically. "I never said that!"
Pepper shot him a look, then turned back to Jiro. "Even though you're a shareholder, you never get involved in company decisions?"
"I'm not really into business," Jiro said casually."I'm more interested in the tech itself."
Pepper nodded approvingly. "Good. One less stubborn board member like Tony for me to deal with."
Tony clutched his chest dramatically. "Hey! How am I stubborn?"
"Want me to make a list?" Pepper raised an eyebrow."Since you came back, you shut down our entire weapons division. And last week you—"
"Okay, okay!" Tony cut her off and winked at Jiro."See? This is why you don't mess with women. They're terrifying."
Pepper huffed, picked up her coffee, and took a sip. "I'm just here to drop off the reports. You two carry on. Oh, Tony—are you still going to Monaco for the race on Thursday?"
"Depends if I'm done here," Tony replied vaguely.
She nodded politely at Jiro and walked toward the elevator.
Once the doors closed, Tony let out another long breath and leaned against the central console. "Women... I'll never understand them."
Jiro glanced at the elevator thoughtfully. "She's sharp."
"Too sharp," Tony muttered, fingers flying across the holographic keyboard."Sometimes I think she's the real CEO."
A new set of armor schematics lit up on the projector.
Unlike his usual sleek designs, this one was bulkier, with sharper edges and vibranium joints that could expand and contract.
"New prototype for the Mark series. Nano-tech, Uru metal you gave me, and a little something from Asgard. Energy transfer efficiency's up by 40%, and it's only a tenth the weight of the last version."
Jiro stepped closer, scanning every layer of the projection with his enhanced vision."Shoulder joints need reinforcement. Too much heat during high-speed movement."
"Already handled." Tony pulled up a submenu."Added a liquid cooling system, but it'll take up 3% of the energy output."
"Swap in Uru metal," Jiro pointed to the shoulder section."Asgard's energy circuits can handle the excess heat."
Tony's eyes lit up. "Why didn't I think of that?!"
He immediately updated the design. Uru patterns formed intricate runes across the shoulders.
The two of them dove into the technical details, time flying by without notice.
Eventually, Tony paused, leaned against the table, and looked at Jiro."Before Pepper came in, you mentioned that girl, Wanda. You said she had something to do with me?"
Jiro closed the projection, hands in his pockets."Her parents died in an explosion in Sokovia. The weapon that killed them was a Stark missile."
Tony's face instantly went stiff.
"She and her twin brother hid in the rubble for three days," Jiro said quietly. "There was a dud right in front of them, with your name printed on it."
Tony's hands clenched unconsciously.
"Obadiah," he muttered darkly."Figures. That batch must've been sold off behind my back. I had no idea."
"Does she know that?"
Jiro shook his head. "Would it even matter if she did? The fact remains."
The lab went quiet, the hum of machines the only sound left.
"When she's more stable, I'll try to talk to her. Even though technically, this isn't your fault."
Tony looked at him. "You think she'll listen?"
"She's tougher than you think," Jiro said as he walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows."Hatred clouds judgment, but the truth always finds a way."
Tony nodded slowly, deep in thought. Then he suddenly asked, "Why are you helping her?"
Jiro smiled, mysterious and unreadable. "Take a guess."
He raised his hand, golden sparks forming a perfect circle in the air. On the other side was the living room of a Long Island villa.
Wanda was on the couch reading. She looked up as the portal opened.
"See you tomorrow, Tony," Jiro said as he stepped through and disappeared into the golden light.
Tony stood alone in the lab, the blue hologram light washing over his face.
He was silent for a long time—then suddenly slammed a fist onto the table.
"JARVIS, start the clean energy project."
"All of it, sir?"
"All of it," Tony said with more resolve than ever."Shut down every weapons line. Redirect all funding to medical tech and energy.
And reach out to the families of the victims. Especially those in Sokovia."
He stared out at the night skyline of New York, eyes shining with determination.
This time, he'd make things right his way.
"....."