As they looked around, they came across a young kid who seemed to be all alone and appeared lost. Bonnie felt bad and stepped forward. She bent her ko keep her forehead at the same height as the kid's and asked,

  "What's your name, kid? Where are your parents?"

  "I... I've been told that I shouldn't talk ters," the kid replied.

  "That's correct. But are you lost?" Bonnie asked, impressed by the kid's awareness.

  "I... I came here by flying with my aunt. you find my aunt for me?" the kid asked.

  "Sure, what's your aunt's name? I have them announce her name so she e a you," Bonnie said.

  "I... I don't remember her name. I call her Aunt May," the kid replied.

  The moment the kid spoke those words, Liam looked deeply at him. Yup, he was the child version of Peter Parker. The st he remembered, this kid was saved by Iron Man at the Expo when the robots came for him while he was wearing the Iron Man mask, being a big fan of his.

  Now, in this imeline, Iron Man hadn't yet decred to the world that he was Iron Man, which meant that this kid had e all the way from New York just to see the Expo. Yeah, he was a born nerd. Meanwhile, Boold Peter to wait while she directed their bodyguard to find Aunt May and announce her o the people around.

  In around ten minutes, a quite beautiful middle-aged woman came running in and hugged Peter. She was relieved to see her nephew safe and well, as she had feared that she had lost him. She also thahe trio for helping them. Liam proceeded to give her his business card.

  May didn't think much at first, but when she read through the card, she was dumbfounded.

  "Oh my... I-I'm so sorry! I had no idea you were the founder of Marvel and a sponsor of this event. I didn't even reize you!" May said, flustered.

  "Spht be a bit of an exaggeration," Liam replied with a small smile. "Stark Industries just did us a favor by adding our o the event. Our product's showcase is at the end of the day—hope you'll stick around. And if your nephew ever decides to look for a job iure, I'd love for him to sider our pany."

  "You really thihat bright, huh?" May asked with a chuckle.

  "Absolutely," Liam said.

  "Well, if he ever chooses that path, I'll make sure he keeps your pany in mind. Thank you again," Aunt May said before thanking them once more and heading off.

  "You probably scared her off with the job offer," Boeased. "The kid's way too young to even know what he wants yet."

  "Haha, trust me. That kid's going to be something special," Liam said.

  "Yeah, I doubt that," Bonnie smirked.

  "Let's make a bet," Liam said.

  "..."

  Evening.

  The stage at the Stark Expo radiated with bright, shifting lights as thousands of spectatathered in eager anticipation. The air buzzed with excitement, a blend of curiosity and sheer admiration for the genius that was Tony Stark.

  And tonight, he wasn't alone.

  "Ladies alemen, the future is here! Please wele… the visionary, the one and only—TONY STARK!" A booming voice echoed across the venue.

  The crowd erupted in cheers as Tony strolled onto the grand stage with his signature fidence, dressed in a sleek dark suit with a smirk that could charm the entire front row.

  "And," the show host tinued, holding up a finger, "I'm not the only one bringing something revolutionary tonight. Because, folks, let's be real—every great mind needs ao challe. To push boundaries."

  "Please wele, Liam Woodworth!"

  As Liam stepped onto the stage, a wave of murmurs swept through the audience. He was retively unknown to the public, but the ones who had followed Stark Industries closely knew him as a prodigy, a rising for advaeology.

  "Now, I know what you're thinking. 'Tony, what kind of mind-blowing tech are you about to show us this time? Is it a flying car? 'A toaster that also makes coffee?'" The narrathed. "No, my friends. This is something far more important. Something that ge the ndscape of defense as we know it."

  "For decades, shields have been used as a means of prote. But what if defense… wasn't just about stopping an attack?"

  The giant s behind them lit up, showing a sleek, transparent e colored shield prototype mounted on a testing rig.

  "Ladies aleme me introduce to you the test i-geion defeeology. A shield that doesn't just block bullets and missiles…" He paused, grinning. "It sends them back." Tony added.

  Gasps rippled through the audience.

  With a nod, Liam gestured to the s, initiating the live demonstration. The footage cut to a trolled test site. A meical turret locked onto the shield and fired a barrage of bullets. The moment they struck the surface, an intricate energy yer flickered alive, abs the forly for the bullets to reverse trajectory and be flung straight back to their in with deadly precision.

  The camera then pao a sed test: a missile unch. The projectile soared toward the shield, only for its energy field to curve the missile's path mid-air, ung it back toward a dummy target aonating on impact.

  "As you see," Liam tinued, "this teology is more than just defe's a deterrent. A means to ehat any attached is an attack returned."

  "And before you ask—no, this isn't some sci-fi gimmick. This is real. This is happening. And soon, we'll be w to implement it where it matters most. I have said and I have kept my word to stop the Stark Industries from making any ons, but that doesn't mean that the Stark Industries wouldn't add to it's defense."

  The crowd roared in approval as the two men stood before the world.