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  Nero and his group of seven walked through the crowded pathways of the Stark Expo ter. The pce was a noisy blend of fshing lights, eborate dispys, and tethusiasts milling about. Holographic projectors showcased everything from flying cars to robotic exosuits, while corporate representatives handed out promotional material with forced smiles.

  Anthony stopped near a booth dispying a sleek piece of body armor, tilting his head. “Looks sturdy enough. Wonder how it handles kiiergy.”

  Diego leaned closer to the suit’s dispy, smirking. “You’re already scheming how to turn it into your personal fashion statement, aren’t you?”

  “Practicality over aesthetics, Diego,” Anthony replied, crossing his arms. “Not everyone’s obsessed with appearances.”

  “Obsessed? That’s riing from you,” Diego shot back. “I’ve seen how long it takes you to decide on a tie.”

  Anthony ignored him, turning his attention back to the dispy.

  Sofia was already a few steps ahead, standing in front of an iive s featuring a voice-activated AI assistant. She tapped through the demo, testing the system’s respoimes. “This thing’s got potential, but they’re overplig the interface. You shouldn’t need five ands just to pull up a file.”

  Maria stood nearby, idly examining a booth selling high-tech jewelry. She lifted a bracelet and squi the embedded microcircuitry. “Tech disguised as fashion? Bold move. Too bad it’s ugly.”

  Donald chuckled, his attention caught by a medical tech booth dispying a pact ser. “This could be a game-ger in field diagnostics. Portable, effit... They would kill for one of these back at the hospital.”

  Nero gave a shh. “You’re really going to geek out over a ser at a Stark Expo?”

  “Hey, priorities,” Donald said. “You think saving lives isn’t weeking out over?”

  “Fair point,” Nero admitted, moving to join Sofia at the AI dispy. He tapped the s experimentally. “So, what’s the verdict?”

  “Too much fluff,” Sofia replied without looking up. “Stark Tech likes to dazzle people with unnecessary features. If they streamlihe system, it’d be twice as effective.”

  “Send them your resume,” Diego quipped, sidling up beside her. “I’m sure Tony Stark would love to hire you after that glowing review.”

  Sofia smirked. “I’d just end up fixing all his mistakes.”

  As they moved deeper into the expo, a demonstration caught their attention—a robot perf plex acrobatics while wielding a pair of ser swords. A small crowd had gathered, cheering as the mae executed a fwless series of flips and strikes.

  Nero looked over his shoulder at Nigel, his voice just loud enough to cut through the buzz of the crowd. "This is Hammer, right?"

  Nigel nodded, his gaze lingering on the robotic demonstration ahead. "It is. Did some digging—everything checks out. After Ivan, there shouldn’t be another Drone War. Hammer’s public profile ed up a lot after the fallout.”

  “Anything uhe radar?” Nero asked, looking at the dang robot.

  “Not that I found. He’s ying low, pying the ‘reformed genius’ ahe old man responded with a shrug.

  “Guess we’ll see how long that sts.” Nero gnced back at the robot, its glowing swords cutting arcs through the air in a well-rehearsed sequence.

  Donald looked at the robot as it pleted a series of backflips and posed with its glowing swords. “Seems too… rehearsed?”

  Sofia g the mae, nodding in agreement. “It’s just programmed to execute certain moves within desigimeframes. There’s some basiviroal reition in the code, but it’s worse than Stark’s public AI over there.” She gestured toward the voice-activated assistant they’d passed earlier. “This thing ’t even be called intelligence.”

  The group nodded collectively, though they all kark’s true AI systems were leagues beyond what the public got to see. This was more a fshy showpiece than actual innovation.

  Diego crossed his arms, his lips twisting into a smirk. “So, Hammer’s putting on a magic trick for tech-heads who don’t know better. Cssic.”

  Anthony tilted his head as the robot struck a final pose, basking in the crowd’s appuse. “It’s showmanship. Not useless, but not practical either. You’d ake something like this into the field.”

  “It’s Hammer,” Maria said with a shrug, her attention drifting to another nearby booth. “What do you expect? The guy’s entire brand is smoke and mirrors.”

  Nigel watched the se with a detached air, “Still, it serves its purpose. Keeps the iors ied, which is all he needs right now.”

  “Iors don’t fight wars,” Nero said, his gaze lingering on the robot as it fis overly theatrical routine. “When it es down to it, funality beats fsh every time. The army isn’t stupid; they’ll see through this a mile away.”

  Before anyone could respond, two figures appeared, weaving hurriedly through the crowd. Mary Jane’s bright red hair was unmistakable as she sprioward them, with Peter Parker trailing close behind. She broke into a grin as she reached Maria, throwing her arms around her in a tight hug.

  “Sis! You’re here!” Mary Jane’s voice cut through the ambient noise of the expo, her excitement palpable.

  Maria staggered slightly from the impact but ughed, returning the hug. “Of course I’m here. It’s the Stark Expo—half the city is here.”

  Peter stopped a few steps away, scratg the back of his neck. “Uh, hey, everyone.”

  “Peter,” Diego said with a teasing grin, leaning slightly toward him. “Still doing the ‘awkward teen’ bit, huh? It’s been, what? A few years now?”

  Peter flushed slightly but managed a small smile. “I’m twenty-one, for the record. And no, I’m not awkward. I’m just... polite.”

  Anthony chuckled, folding his arms. “Polite doesn’t mean standing like you’ve been caught stealing cookies. Rex.”

  “o see you, Peter,” Nero said, cutting through the pyful jabs as he stepped forward. “What brings you two here?”

  MJ rolled her eyes, her arm still hooked around Maria. "Peter’s a huge nerd, so he had to see the biggest expo of the millennium. And, of course, his idol’s going to be on stage."

  “Idol?” Maria asked, raising an eyebrow as she disentangled herself from MJ’s grasp. “Please don’t tell me it’s Stark.”

  Peter fumbled with his words. “Well, I mean, he’s... inspiring? The guy built his first suit in a cave. With a box of scraps. That’s impressive.”

  Diego snorted. “Right, because genius billionaires are so retable. , you’ll tell me you want to name your firstborn Tony.”

  Peter looked indignant. “It’s not like that! He’s just—look, you wouldn’t uand.”

  Anthoured at the expo around them. "It’s not just about Stark, though. The whole thing is impressive, even with the showmanship. You ’t deny it."

  "Sure," Maria chimed in. "If you’re into overpriced gadgets and overplicated tech. Stark’s good, but he’s not that good."

  "Yeah," Sofia muttered from the AI dispy, "and half his tech is unnecessarily voluted. But hey, energy’s great."

  Peter stepped forward, clearly trying to steer the versation ba track. "Anyway, we’re here because MJ wao check out the fashion-tech se, and I couldn’t say no to seeing Stark in a."

  MJ gave him a pyful shove. "Don’t bme me. You were the one who begged to e. I just tagged along to make sure you didn’t embarrass yourself."

  The group exged looks as Peter shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Despite knowing his secret, they still couldn’t fully recile the image of Spider-Man with the nervous young man standing before them.

  Diego was the first to pounce. “So, Pete, how’s life as a freence photographer? Must be tough juggling all that inteion.”

  Peter blinked, caught off guard by the tone. “Uh, it’s fihe Daily Bugle’s a bit demanding, but I make it work.”

  “Demanding?” Diego’s grin widened. “You meaween chasing leads and hanging... out?”

  Peter chuckled nervously. "Yeah, it keeps me busy." He scratched the back of his head.

  Nero smiled at them but gestured toward the row of booths. “Let’s move.”

  MJ grabbed Maria’s hand and dragged her off toward a se where a group of uy students were showing off their gadgets, leavier trailing behind the main group. The gang moved in a loose formation, casually taking in the sights while keeping a for anything unusual.

  Peter jogged slightly to catch up, falling in step beside Donald. “So, what do you think of the pce? Pretty coht?”

  Donald g him. “It’s impressive, but most of it feels like it’s built to sell a pitch more than solve problems.” He motiooward a nearby holographic dispy touting a medical exoskeleton. “That one’s promising, though. With real-world application, it could cut recovery time for certain injuries in half.”

  “Yeah,” Peter said, noddihusiastically. “Stuff like that’s why I wao e. It’s inspiring to see how far tech has e, even if it’s all... ercialized.”

  Diego, walking just ahead, snorted. “You mean inspiring, like a certain billionaire’s gadgets? Face it, Pete, you’re fangirling.”

  Peter flushed slightly but stood his ground. “It’s not fangirling. I just think he’s—”

  “A genius? A visionary?” Diego interrupted, spinning to walk backward as he grinned. “I mean, sure, but he’s also a guy who charges a fortune for tech that doesn’t even make it out of his inner circle.”

  Anthony g Diego. “You’re oo talk about exclusivity. Last I checked, you’re not sharing your wind tricks with the masses either.”

  “Touché,” Diego said, ughing as he turned back around.

  Sofia had stopped by a booth featuring a sleek, bck droh neon blue ats, examining the specs listed on the digital dispy. “They’re boasting a lot about adaptability, but this thing’s not even modur. If one po fails, the whole system goes down. Useless in the field.”

  The group had just begun moving past a booth showg a miniature holographic city yout when their senses collectively shifted. Observation Haki fred across Nero and his group, a warning that prickled at the edge of their perception. Simultaneously, Peter paused mid-step, his Spider-Seingling like a persistent buzz that wouldn’t stop.

  “Anyone else feel that?” Donald asked, leaning towards the gang. He looked around, sing the bustling expo, but nothing stood out.

  Maria frowned, subtly shifting her posture. “It’s like static. I ’t pinpoint it.”

  Peter coughed lightly, looking around with an air of exaggerated nonce. “Um, I o go to the restroom.”

  “Right,” Diego muttered under his breath, smirking faintly as he shot Nero a quice.

  Nero didn’t respond, his eyes already sweeping the expo floor. Instead, he caught Nigel’s gaze. The older man gave a faint nod before taking a step bato the crowd. A blink ter, he was gone, his movement so smooth and deliberate that no oiced him vanish, not even MJ, who was now chatting animatedly with Maria about some new gadget.

  “Stay close,” Nero said simply. The group uood immediately. They had been through enough to know what those words meant. Without drawing attention, they spread out subtly, keeping close to civilians while sing the crowd. Everyone moved naturally, but their awareness was razor-sharp.

  Diego sidled up to a food cart, snagging a napkin and pretending to examiray of pastries. “Think it’s serious?” he murmured, eyes darting around.

  “Always is,” Sofia said under her breath, her fiapping a small devi her pocket. She stayed near a booth showg holographic maps, her posture casual. “That buzzing we felt? It’s not random.”

  Donald walked a few paces behind them. “Aice the increase in security he main stage?”

  “Not security,” Anthony corrected, his voice low but steady as he sed the area. “Private tractors. Their formation’s too loose, and they’re not coordinating with the expo staff.”

  Sofia's voice broke through the group's link. "It’s the army."

  Dieghtened slightly, sing the crowd again. "Why the fuck are we feeling a threat from the army? Did someone decre martial w and fet to tell us?"

  Nero closed his eyes briefly, the faint pulse of Observation Haki sharpening the sense of uhat rippled through the expo. When he opehem, he figured the ploy out. "They’re here to create chaos and pin the bme on Tony. The goal is to pressure him into handing over his suits. Spread out, take dowhreats, and protect the civilians. Masks on. Maria, take MJ and the others out of here. Use your illusions."

  The group moved instantly, each slipping into position without a word. Maria oward MJ, pg a steady hand on her shoulder. “Hey, sis, e on. I’ve got something cooler to show you. Trust me, you’ll love it.”

  MJ looked fused but followed, shooting a gnce where Peter va. "Where did he go?"

  Maria didn’t wait for her to protest, leading MJ toward the exit. Behind her, mist began to curl around the crowd, subtly redireg people toward safe zones as Maria maniputed their perceptions.

  Diego moved toward a gathering group of soldiers dressed as civilians, his steps unhurried as he casually slipped behind a nearby food stall. His sharp eyes picked out the earpieces and military-grade boots peekih their pants. “Guess they missed the memo about blending in,” he muttered, flig his wrist as a faint swirl of wind began to gather around his fiips.

  One soldier barked into his earpiece, “Teams two and three, move into positiohe stage. We ark in the crossfire.”

  Diego smirked. “Guess that means you’re team one.” He stepped into view, hands in his pockets, his wind twisting subtly at his feet. “Hey, fels. You lost, or is this the world’s worst undercover op?”

  The soldier turned, his face a mix of fusion and annoyance. “Get out of here. This is a restricted—”

  Diego’s foot shed out, a precise arc of wind catg the man’s knees and sending him sprawling. Before the others could react, Diego followed with a sharp flick of his wrist, disiing their radios into a fine mist.

  “Whoops. My bad.” He grinned, sidestepping as one lu him, only to trip over a sudden gust that knocked his bance. “Should’ve goh Bluetooth.”

  Anthony, meanwhile, had moved closer to the stage, weaving through the crowd. He tapped his unicator. “I t eight he VIP se, armed but keeping it low-key. Two are setting up something uhe main ptform.”

  “Ha,” Nero replied through the s.

  Anthony didn’t respond, slipping into a service corridor that ran parallel to the stage. He emerged behind the VIP se, his sharp gaze log onto two men crouched he ptform, their hands busy with what looked like small explosive devices.

  “ly subtle,” he muttered. In one smooth motioepped frabbing the first man by the colr and yanking him back. The ma out a grunt of surprise, but Anthony silenced him with a swift elbow to the jaw.

  The sean barely had time to react before Anthony’s foot swept his legs out from under him. The would-be saboteur hit the ground hard, gasping as Anthony k and dismahe device with practiced efficy.

  “You should really i in a hobby,” Anthony said, his tone dry. “Bomb-making’s overrated.”

  Sofia perched he expo’s tral security hub, her fingers flying over a small sole she slipped into the system. The ss around her flickered briefly as she bypassed the firewall, pulling up a map of the expo. “I’ve got a yout. Heat signatures are showing clusters he south a exits. They’re trying to block escape routes.”

  “Not for long,” Nigel’s voice came through, cool and steady. “I’m on the east.”

  “South’s mine,” Donald added.

  Sofia smirked faintly, isoting the feeds he security stations. “And I’ll make sure they don’t have a backup pn.”

  Nigel moved through the east corridor, his es splitting off seamlessly to fnk the group of soldiers. He stepped into view just as they raised their ons. “Gentlemen. I suggest you resider your options.”

  The leader sneered. “Who the hell are you supposed to be?”

  Nigel’s response was a flick of his hand, his Cloud Fmes multiplying into three exact replicas of himself. The es moved with lethal efficy, disarming and subduing the group in seds.

  “I’m the man who keeps things from getting messy,” he said calmly, stepping over the unscious bodies.

  Donald approached the south exit where a group of soldiers was corralling civilians away from the doors. He grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, his Thunder Fmes sparking faintly as he hurled it into their midst. The extinguisher burst on impact, filling the area with a thick cloud of smoke.

  Using the fusion, Donald closed the distance, his movements swift as he incapacitated the soldier with a swift strike to the temple. The others fell just as quickly, their ons rendered useless.

  He turo the frightened civilians, motioning for them to move. “Go. Stay low and head for the mais.”

  Nero had positioned himself he expo’s main hall, his Sky Fmes subtly influeng the flow of the chaos around him. As civilians hurried toward safety, he kept his focus on the rger picture, coordinating his team through the link.

  “Maria, status?”

  “MJ’s clear,” Maria replied. “Most of the civilians are in the safe zone. A few stragglers, but I’ve got them covered.”

  “Good. Diego?”

  “ing up nicely,” Diego said, the sound of wind and chaos punctuating his words. “They brought toys, though. One of them just pulled out some kind of shock baton. Cute, but pointless.”

  “Don’t get cocky,” Nero warned. “They’re still military.”

  Diego’s ugh crackled through the link. “Please. They’ve got nothing on us.”

  By the time the st of the soldiers were subdued, the expo had desded into a chaotic blend of panid fusion. Nerrouped with his team he tral hub, the faint hum of Maria’s illusions still lingering in the air to keep the civilians calm.

  “Report,” he said simply.

  “East is clear,” Nigel replied. “No casualties.”

  “South’s secure,” Donald added. “Civilians are moving out.”

  “Stage area’s handled,” Anthony said. “Devices are ralized.”

  Diego leaned against a nearby booth, dusting off his hands. “Let’s just say they’ll think twice before trying this again.”

  Nero nodded, his gaze shifting to Sofia. “Anything on the feeds?”

  Sofia’s face turned grim as her fingers moved quickly over her portable sole. "Bombs," she said sharply. "A lot of them. And vehicles—dozens, no, hundreds approag. My estimate? We’re looking at a full-scale assault."

  Nero’s frown deepened as the group turheir attention to her. "Donald," he said, his tone clipped. "I want an EM blo the area. Fry everythironic within range. Our s are immune, so don’t hold baigel, you’re oactics—do whatever you to slow them down. Diego, make it big and showy. Maria, pull them away with illusions. Let’s move."

  --

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