A small Turkish kebab restaurant several blocks away from the ruins of Stark Tower had become an unlikely venue for what might be the most important conversation in recent SHIELD history.
Tony Stark and Nick Fury sat across from each other at a corner table, each holding half-eaten pieces of grilled meat that had long since grown cold. The food's quality left much to be desired—even the neighborhood stray dogs would have turned their noses up at it—but the restaurant's main advantage was its proximity to the disaster site and the fact that it could be easily cleared of other customers.
The destruction of Stark Tower had reduced it to little more than a hollow shell—arguably in worse shape than Oscorp Tower after its own recent incident. At least Oscorp's interior hadn't been scorched by the fire man, and its roof was still structurally sound.
Given the circumstances, finding a nearby location for their discussion had been a practical necessity, even if the cuisine was questionable at best.
Fury pushed his plate aside with obvious distaste and glanced at Natasha, who was still working on rehydrating after her ordeal in the building's ventilation system.
"So this flame-man that appeared at Stark Industries," Fury began, "he specifically claimed to be an 'intergalactic law enforcement organization' called the Plumbers?"
"That's exactly what he said," Tony confirmed, using a napkin to clean the grease from his fingers before taking a sip of water to wash the taste from his mouth.
He was still wearing his armor, having nowhere else to go since his workshop had been completely destroyed. The suit required specialized equipment for removal, and that equipment was currently buried under several tons of rubble.
"If you want detailed info on this event, you should probably talk to Norman Osborn," Tony said, pulling up a series of photos on his phone.
The images showed a clear progression of escalating threats: the lizard creature that had terrorized Williamsburg, the larger dinosaur-man that had attacked Midtown High School, and finally the prehistoric chimera that had nearly leveled Stark Tower.
Each photograph was more disturbing than the last.
"Biotechnology and genetic manipulation are Oscorp's specialty," Tony explained with the detached air of someone discussing a competitor's product line. "Stark Industries used to focus on military applications, but we've since transitioned to clean energy development."
He set his phone aside and leaned back in his chair with obvious satisfaction.
"I've already decided to file a compensation claim against Oscorp for the destruction of my building."
While Tony certainly had the personal wealth to absorb the financial losses, that didn't mean he was willing to be taken advantage of. His building had been destroyed as a direct result of Oscorp's failed research, and he saw no reason to shoulder the burden alone.
"I'm afraid Oscorp won't be in a position to pay compensation to anyone," Fury replied, shaking his head.
As SHIELD director, he had naturally initiated a full investigation into the Oscorp situation the moment the first reports came in. What he had discovered was a company in complete chaos.
"Norman Osborn has been effectively removed from the board of directors," Fury explained. "The remaining executives are trying to shift all responsibility onto a researcher named Dr. Curt Connors."
Fury's expression darkened as he continued, "Unfortunately, Dr. Connors has disappeared along with all of his research data. That kind of dangerous technology should be in SHIELD custody, not floating around uncontrolled."
In Fury's worldview, any organization or technology that operated outside SHIELD oversight represented a potential threat that needed to be contained. The idea that intergalactic law enforcement organization might be operating on Earth without his knowledge or permission was particularly disturbing.
While he had never heard of the Plumbers before tonight, that didn't prevent him from treating them as a hostile organization until proven otherwise.
"Regardless of this 'Plumbers' organization's stated intentions," Fury said, "we need to be prepared for the possibility that they could become enemies."
He studied Tony's expression carefully, suspecting that the flame man might be extraterrestrial in origin. When he returned to headquarters, he planned to review any intelligence the Skrulls might have left behind about this intergalactic law enforcement organization.
However, he kept these suspicions to himself for now.
"In any case," Fury went on, "if we're going to be on the same side, we should start being more open with our intel."
Tony nodded with apparent sincerity while carefully omitting any mention of his previous encounter with Dino-Boy or better known as XLR8.
When two master manipulators attempted to work together, the result was often an intricate dance of half-truths and strategic omissions.
After another hour of carefully worded conversation, the two men parted ways without having reached any formal agreements. Tony's recruitment into the Avengers remained stalled, primarily because Fury's superiors hadn't yet approved the initiative's budget and operational parameters.
"Return to base, Agent Romanoff, Agent Barton," Fury commanded, adjusting his signature black coat as he walked toward the waiting Quinjet.
Natasha felt considerably better after rehydrating, though the experience of being trapped in a ventilation duct while a living furnace fought directly below her had been thoroughly unpleasant. The intense heat had left her feeling like a piece of food in a convection oven, and she was grateful to finally be breathing cool air again.
Tony watched the SHIELD aircraft disappear into the night sky, then spent several minutes considering Fury's warnings. Regardless of the man's obvious ulterior motives, his central point was valid—if this flame-man ever became hostile, Tony needed to be prepared for the encounter.
"Jarvis, create a new file," he commanded. "Begin developing countermeasures for extreme thermal threats."
Meanwhile, Ben had returned to Queens carrying Dr. Animo's genetic manipulation device, arriving home to find Peter already waiting at the dinner table with Ben, Sr. and May.
"What a terrifying day," May said, her voice trembling slightly as she pulled Ben into a tight embrace. "I was so worried when we heard about the attack on your school. Thank goodness you're both safe!"
Her wrinkled hands shook as she wiped tears from her eyes, the relief of seeing Ben unharmed finally allowing her emotions to surface.
"Spider-Man rescued both Peter and me," Ben explained, sticking to the cover story he and Peter had agreed upon. "He got us to safety before the building came down."
"It sounds like he really is one of the good ones," Ben, Sr. observed thoughtfully.
Spider-Man had only been active for a few days, and most media coverage had been skeptical or outright negative. But Ben, Sr.'s opinion of the web-slinger shifted immediately based on Ben's testimony.
"I hope you boys will learn from his example," Ben, Sr. continued with the earnest tone he used for important life lessons. "Always do your best to help people in need, no matter the personal cost."
"It's fine to help others," May interjected quickly, "but I don't want either of you trying to fight monsters like Spider-Man does! That's far too dangerous!"
She guided Ben to sit beside her at the table, her protective instincts clearly activated by the day's events.
The family shared dinner together, talking about lighter topics and carefully avoiding any detailed discussion of the day's traumatic events. Afterward, Ben helped with the dishes while Ben, Sr. settled into his favorite chair with the newspaper, still searching for employment opportunities using traditional methods.
Later, when Ben had retreated to his room, Peter followed him upstairs to get the full story of what had happened after they separated.
"Dr. Connors is completely human again," Ben reported, which caused Peter to visibly relax.
"That's a huge relief," Peter said, throwing himself down on Ben's bed. "So what's the plan now? School's going to be closed for at least a few days while they assess the damage. Want to come web-slinging with me?"
"I can't tomorrow," Ben replied. "I've got other stuff to handle."
He paused, remembering something important. "Actually, you should make time to visit Dr. Connors soon. He wants to give you his camera equipment to replace what was destroyed."
Peter's original camera had been damaged during the lizard attack, and Connors felt responsible for the loss. Despite being stored in a sewer, his professional photography equipment was still top-quality gear.
"That's incredible!" Peter exclaimed. "Now I can get back to documenting Spider-Man's adventures!"
Their conversation was interrupted by May's voice from downstairs.
"Ben! Peter! Mary Jane is here to see you!"
"She's probably here for you," Peter said with a knowing grin, heading for the door.
He went downstairs to exchange brief pleasantries with Mary Jane before tactfully excusing himself, leaving Ben to handle what was clearly going to be a personal conversation.
Mary Jane stood in the Parker family's modest living room, her vibrant red hair catching the warm light from the table lamps. Her characteristic dimples were visible as she offered a nervous smile, though her hands betrayed her anxiety as they fidgeted with the hem of her jacket.
"I saw your bedroom light was on," she said awkwardly, clearly struggling to find the right words.
While they had spoken on the phone earlier to confirm everyone's safety, Mary Jane had felt compelled to see Ben in person, to reassure herself that he hadn't been injured during the school attack.
"I'm completely fine," Ben assured her, repeating what he had told her during their phone conversation.
"That's... that's good," Mary Jane stammered, the words coming out in a rush. "I just needed to check for myself, you know? After everything that happened today..."
She trailed off, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her impulsive decision to visit so late in the evening.
"I should probably head home," she said, taking a half-step toward the door.
"Would you like to come up to my room?" Ben asked. "We could talk more privately there."
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