They arrived in the evening, and everyone wanted to go out and have fun—especially Tony, who was adamant about it. Liam wanted to refuse, but then he remembered how his parents had confided in Tony about their concerns regarding his behavior. How could he tell them that their son had died and that he wasn't the same person anymore?
He felt guilty about it and decided to spend more time with his family—to alleviate that guilt. They went into full shopping mode, with Pepper leading them through all the luxurious stores. As the CEO now, she decided to splurge on herself and everyone present.
Of course, the four women were thrilled, while the men suffered in silence. Even Tony couldn't protest and simply carried shopping bags for a while before handing them off to Happy.
The only sensible one was Natasha, who showed no interest in buying anything for herself. Yet, even without an expensive dress, she looked stunning—so much so that even the fathers stole a few glances at her.
A beautiful woman with brains—who wouldn't be intrigued? Even Chris, despite being underage, couldn't help but stare a little. Liam, however, remained completely unfazed.
Natasha, being one of the best agents in the world, noticed immediately. She even attempted to strike up conversations with Liam, only to be met with indifference or short, uninterested replies.
The Grand Prix started the next day, and Liam had specifically asked Yinsen to carry the portable armor—just in case. He wouldn't interfere unless absolutely necessary, but he would keep an eye on things.
The surprising part? Even though Tony went off-script and entered the race himself, the infamous Ivan Vanko never showed up. That made Liam frown. Something else was brewing.
This wasn't what he expected. But it was a welcome change.
Unsurprisingly, Tony actually won the Grand Prix—much to the disgust of the racer whose car he had commandeered. Pepper wasn't pleased and gave him an earful upon his return.
"He's becoming more erratic," Yinsen observed.
"Death isn't scary. Waiting for death is. I'll fix it," Liam replied.
"You know how?" Yinsen asked, hopeful that Liam's mysterious organization might help. Tony had told him that the technology behind BT was at least fifty years ahead of its time. If they could create something like that—and if they could give Liam superpowers—they might be capable of anything.
"Something like that," Liam answered vaguely.
The Next Day
They found themselves on a massive, luxurious yacht. Today was Liam's birthday, and Pepper had gone above and beyond to make sure he felt welcome. Since they knew he didn't like loud music, they kept the atmosphere calm and relaxing.
Tony, of course, wasn't happy about the arrangement. He felt there should be girls and booze, but since minors were present, he had to swallow his complaints.
The best chefs had been hired, and the party started early in the morning. By the afternoon, Liam had received all his gifts—even Natasha had gotten him something: a bracelet.
Liam decided he'd store it in a Faraday cage once he got home. Who knew what kind of spy tech she had hidden inside?
But it was Tony's gift that truly moved him.
During the party, Tony pulled Liam aside and handed him a small box. Liam, curious, opened it to find a wristwatch.
"What is this?" Liam asked.
"Put it on and find out," Tony said.
"This isn't some kind of proposal, is it?" Liam teased.
"What kind of school are you going to that makes you think like that?" Tony shot back, bewildered.
Liam chuckled but did as Tony instructed. As soon as he put on the watch, its screen lit up. Tony also handed him a Bluetooth earpiece.
The moment everything connected, a voice spoke in his ear.
"Hello, Liam Woodworth. My name is E.D.I.T.H. How may I assist you?"
"You made an AI for me?" Liam asked, genuinely surprised.
"Calling it an AI would be a bit of a stretch," Tony admitted. "At best, it's a highly functional natural language UI. But that's not the surprise. Why don't you take a look for yourself?"
Liam was already impressed, but as he scrolled through the watch's functions, he quickly realized what this truly was. He had arrived at the same place Peter Parker did in Far From Home.
Tony had given him access to everything—his entire legacy. The satellites. The databases. Even a brand-new suit designed specifically for him.
For the first time in a long while, Liam felt truly moved.
"I… You shouldn't have done this," Liam murmured, his voice tight with emotion. "Why are you giving me all this?"
Tony smirked. "Why? Oh, come on, you know why. You deserve this—every bit of it. Look at me, standing here, still breathing, still cracking jokes, all because you gave me a shot at something I had no business surviving. That cave? Yeah, that was supposed to be my curtain call. But you and Yinsen? You rewrote the script. You sent me back out into the world with a second chance, and I don't take that lightly.
"You've got a mind that could change the world and a heart big enough to make it worth saving. So do me a favor—don't lose sight of that. Keep moving forward. No detours, no self-doubt. And hey, let's dial down the waterworks, alright? I'm trying to have a moment here, not star in a soap opera."
Liam wanted to protest, to return the gift. It felt too much, too final—like Tony was leaving behind his last legacy. But refusing would have been disrespectful.
So, in the end, he accepted it.
The rest of the party, Liam was in higher spirits. He even toasted Tony with a glass of Coke while the others indulged in expensive wine and champagne.
---
They had arrived home after spending 2 more days in Monaco after sight seeing. The reason why they were back a bit early was because Tony was craving Pizza from New York, so everyone had to pack and leave in order for their sponsor to satiate his hormonal cravings.