Hell's Kitchen, in front of the "Good Luck" restaurant.
"It seems like it's time to hire some help. Otherwise, we'll have to shut this place down every time a major mission comes up," Alex Ray said, eyeing the "Temporarily Closed" sign hanging on the door.
"Dr. Yinsen, this is the place. This is where we usually eat. The apartment is just behind the elevator at the main entrance, to the right. Take a seat here for a bit—I'll take you upstairs to pick a room."
"Make yourself at home. Not many people live in the apartment right now. This is Hell's Kitchen, after all. But I believe things will pick up soon," Alex explained to Yinsen.
"Let's go home and split the cash. Now that I've got money, it's time to hit the bar next door. I wonder if the bartender missed me!" Deadpool cheered.
"You eat and drink on my dime every day. I'll be deducting it all from your commission later. Looks like your sister still isn't back yet, Pietro," Alex said as he pushed open the door.
"You've been gone for days. Hurry up and clean the place—it's covered in dust," Alex instructed them.
"You really should hire a server, Alex. You're so stingy," Deadpool complained, and the two dogs—Deadpool's and Pietro's—nodded in agreement beside him.
As Alex and his group busied themselves cleaning the restaurant, Tony Stark was holding a press conference elsewhere.
Some people are just incapable of living a quiet, ordinary life.
Tony Stark was one of them. His ordeal in Afghanistan had changed him, prompting his decision to shut down Stark Industries' weapons division.
Naturally, that decision sent the company's stock plummeting—just like a certain stock from Alex's past life.
At the restaurant bar, Alex looked up at the TV, where Stark's press conference was being broadcast live.
On screen, Tony sat under the podium. Unlike in the movie, he didn't pull out a hamburger—he was probably full from the plane.
"Everybody sit down and relax. Don't be so stiff."
Pepper Potts stood among the reporters with a small smile, watching Tony at the podium with pride.
A man approached her. "Ms. Potts."
She turned toward the voice. "That's me."
The man looked her in the eyes. "Would you mind talking for a few minutes?"
"Sorry, I'm not participating in the press conference. If you have questions, ask Tony Stark—he's right there. But you'll have to wait in line," she replied, dismissively.
The man clarified, "I'm not a reporter. My name is Phil Coulson. I'm with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."
He handed her a business card.
Pepper glanced at it and remarked, "Your department name is quite a mouthful."
"What's going on with you people? The DoD and FBI have already contacted us about Tony's kidnapping. Why don't you share your intel? Making me go through all this one by one—it's a waste of time," she snapped.
"Or maybe your agency just isn't authorized to access these files?"
"We're from a different branch. This is our specialty," Coulson replied calmly. "We're here to gather more information about how Tony Stark escaped and about Alex Ray and his group, who were involved in the rescue. If possible, we'd appreciate your cooperation."
Pepper's expression turned cold. "Your department sure loves butting in. You weren't there when Tony was missing, but now that he's safe, suddenly you care? I'll pass your message along to him. Whether he chooses to meet with you is his business."
"Understood. We'll wait to hear from you. Thank you," Coulson said with a smile, ignoring the sting in her words.
Back at the restaurant, the press conference was still playing.
Tony recounted his ordeal in Afghanistan and publicly declared the permanent shutdown of Stark Industries' weapons division.
Deadpool abruptly stood up, dropped to his knees in front of Alex, and clung to his leg dramatically. "Oh, Alex, my dearest Alex! I know it was you! You helped us short that stock, didn't you? Right?!"
"Get lost. I told you not to buy in, but you didn't listen. Now you're dreaming," Alex said, disgusted, and kicked Deadpool away.
"No, no, Alex, you're amazing!" Deadpool crawled back on his knees, rubbing his masked face against Alex's thigh.
"Alright, enough. Go away. I won't deduct your commission this time," Alex muttered, trying to shake him off.
"I can't believe he actually shut down Stark's weapons division," Pietro said, looking conflicted.
"Well, there are a lot of things Tony Stark might not know. I'm not telling you to forgive him—I just don't want you to be manipulated. I'm not some self-righteous saint trying to convince you to forget who killed your adoptive parents," Alex said.
He didn't want Pietro acting rashly without knowing the whole truth.
"Fine, I won't kill him—for now. Let him live and atone. I'll see what he does next. If he disappoints me, I'll decide then," Pietro replied.
"How much did you make this time?" Pietro asked curiously. Yinsen, sitting nearby, perked up with interest too.
"Not much. Just hit a small goal," Alex said nonchalantly.
"How much?!"
"Come on, Alex, give me a little! I just fell in love with this pink sports car," Deadpool whined.
"Pietro, I invested some money for you and your sister. I'm saving it for your dowry. When you get married one day, you can buy a little house outside," Alex said, ignoring Deadpool's antics.
"Thank you, Alex," Pietro said sincerely.
Ding.
"Congratulations, host. Pietro Maximoff's favorability has been raised to maximum (six stars)."
"Pietro Maximoff has become your family member."
"You have gained all of Pietro Maximoff's abilities. Existing skills have been upgraded by one level."
"As your family members' skills improve in the future, yours will also improve automatically."
"First full-star family member acquired. You've been awarded the title: Family Hero Lv1 (Upgradeable)."
Family Hero Lv1: When a family member is present on the battlefield, the host's combat power increases by 10%. The family member's combat power increases by 5%.
Alex's eyes lit up at the generous reward. He asked the system mentally:
"This title—Family Hero—sounds a bit lame. Can we rename it? And what does 'upgradeable' mean? How do I level it up?"
The system replied: "Host, your friendship levels determine upgrades. Only those at full stars count as family. The more family members you have, the more exclusive skills and features you'll unlock. Don't just seek out new people—remember to care for your old friends too."
Alex fell into deep thought.
Ring, ring, ring. His phone vibrated, interrupting him.
He looked at the caller ID and quickly answered.
"Uncle? What's going on?"
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Phil Coulson --->
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