From Harry Osborn's point of view, all he saw was an endless black hole forming in front of the two older men, sucking everything in. That kind of pressure could only come from people at the very top.
But it wasn't actually as serious as Harry imagined. Tony and Bruce were just waiting to see who would be the first to break the ice. Both were playboys, both were rich with bad tempers, and both cared about their pride. Whoever greeted first would look like they were trying to curry favor—like they weren't as good as the other.
So everyone could feel a competitive tension in the air, and people started to sweat. Were they about to witness a clash between two legendary playboys? Would this spark a brutal rivalry between two empires? Would the stock market crash, unemployment soar, and the government step in? In just an instant, everyone's minds filled with wild scenarios.
Of course, none of that was going to happen, because Tony had Pepper and Bruce had his old butler.
The two hard-working souls stepped up. "Sir, this is the head of Stark Industries," said Alfred.
Pepper added, "Tony, this is Mr. Bruce Wayne."
"Hello."
"Hello."
With their assistants paving the way, the two finally shook hands.
Whew—everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Looked like the American economy wasn't going to collapse after all.
After the handshake, the atmosphere at the party instantly relaxed. Bruce spoke up, "Thanks, everyone, for coming to my yacht's jewel exhibition. Alfred, bring out the gemstone."
"Right away, sir." The old butler left and soon returned carrying a tray covered with a red silk cloth.
Bruce lifted the cloth, and an eight-sided green gemstone sat quietly on the tray. "This is the Sophia jewel, now targeted by Kaitou Kid. It was named after the discoverer's sister—a legendary stone said to bring good luck to whoever owns it. I plan to make it into a necklace and give it to my favorite movie star."
Hearing Bruce so shamelessly throw money around, everyone felt like they were bleeding inside. But Bruce could make money even faster than he could spend it—what could they say?
Everyone looked at Tony, wondering how he'd react. Ever since Tony became Iron Man, he hadn't splurged like that for any beauty. Would he rise to the challenge this time?
Tony looked totally relaxed, but his eyes showed a hint of respect. "Bruce, you're almost as shameless as I used to be. Gotta say, I admire it."
Pfft!
Everyone expected Tony to call Bruce out, but he just started a one-upmanship contest instead. Could shamelessness really be a competition?
Pepper covered her face—Tony was way too shameless. Did he really think those wild years were something to brag about?
Bruce almost choked but covered it up with a smile. "Tony, you really do have a sense of humor." Then he added, "Actually, what I said was just the plan. If Kaitou Kid's show tonight impresses me, I might just give him the jewel."
All in all, the mood between these two rich guys was complicated.
On the yacht, the socialites chatted happily and made new connections, not knowing that danger was quietly closing in.
"I smell decay. They'll never understand that some things matter more than money—like life itself." Bane was as usual, looking down on the rich. His loyal League of Shadows assassins were behind him.
Back on the yacht, Alfred, holding the gemstone, suddenly got a warning from the crew on the bridge—something was approaching. The old butler quietly walked over to Bruce and whispered a few words in his ear.
Bruce nodded. So Bane really had come—it just wasn't clear where Kaitou Kid was now. "Alright, start the plan."
The butler nodded, glanced at the tray in his hands, took a couple steps, and shoved the tray into Pepper's arms. "Miss, could you help me out for a moment? I need to step away."
"Oh, sure." Pepper looked at the butler's back with a wry smile. He'd just handed such a valuable gem to someone else. Holding a hundred-million-dollar jewel, even with the tray, this was a first for Pepper. It was still one hundred million dollars.
Tony saw this and laughed. "Pepper, do you actually like jewels? If you want, I'll buy the Sophia gem off that Bruce guy for you."
"Tony, do you really think I'd be happy about that? I don't want to end up on the front page of some gossip magazine over this."
Just as they were chatting, everyone saw the crew entering the ballroom too. Bruce tapped his glass and said, "I invite the entire crew to join us for some fun. Let's all have a toast together."
So many arrangements—people thought Bruce was overdoing it. But hey, Bruce made the rules on his own yacht. If he wanted everyone to drink together, so be it. No one noticed Bruce quietly slipping away, leaving only the butler behind to chat with everyone.
The ballroom doors closed. There was even an iron gate outside, locking everyone inside the ballroom. It was safe inside—the outside was about to become Batman's battlefield.
Bruce hurried to his room, opened his closet, and inside was another hidden layer holding his Batman powered armor. The dark suit gleamed with a metallic sheen.
Outside, the white-clad Kaitou Kid circled the yacht, which put Bane's worries to rest. Without delay, a small boat docked with the yacht and the terrorists boarded.
In a flash, all the key players had boarded this luxury ship.
"Kaitou Kid." Bane looked up and saw Kid standing on the very top edge of the yacht.
Kid grinned at Bane. "New look for you, Bane."
"To defeat you, I've gone through the worst pain. No—being beaten by you was the worst pain of my life." Bane said, "I'm not the vengeful type, but you have to die. Kaitou Kid, come down here and face your end."
"I'm a thief, not a fighter. If you want a fight, you'll have to face your real opponent."
Just then, Batman stepped from the shadows, clad in his gold-trimmed power armor, making Bane frown.
So it was a trap—a setup by Batman and Kaitou Kid. But Bane wasn't scared. "Look at that, our Batman has arrived." Bane sneered. "So you built a new toy to beat me, but what can a bat in a metal can even do? I'll rip you open like a tin can."
"Try it, if you can." The bat suit gave a deep turbine whine, and Batman leapt several meters forward, tackling Bane hard.
Kaitou Kid made his move too, firing his card gun at the assassins.
Rat-a-tat-tat—gunfire echoed, but inside the ballroom, no one heard a thing—the soundproofing was too good. Soon, though, they'd realize the jewel was gone—and so was Tony.
Kaitou Kid had disguised himself as Tony. After reading the butler's lips, he made his move. The moment the doors closed, he snatched the jewel. At that exact time, the butler was telling a joke. Everyone politely turned to the butler and didn't even notice the missing gem.
Kid switched back to his true form, then, carried by the sea breeze, did a couple dramatic laps around the yacht—playing bait to perfection, and successfully luring Bane into the trap.