Peter was very astute and noticed that Stark's mood was troubled. He knew now wasn't the best time to discuss things, but he had already started, so he had no choice but to continue.
"I know the defense system on the shuttle is crucial to ensure the safety of all passengers. Chief George's condition is severe due to an existing heart problem. Maybe, he'll be okay after some time in the hospital for treatment..."
"But, I also encountered the criminal who recklessly rushed onto the shuttle with an explosive device at the hospital. He was a marginalized, unemployed bus driver."
"He told me that he had made the explosive himself—it had a small blast radius and wasn't enough to destroy the entire shuttle. The reason he ran towards the front of the shuttle at high speed was because he just wanted to destroy the control system, forcing the shuttle to stop."
"He was aware of the shuttle's crash-protection mechanism. He didn't want to kill anyone, just to disrupt these advanced systems for a week or two. After all, he had to work for a full month to collect his full wages."
Peter took a deep breath and said, "He mentioned that this wasn't his idea alone. He doesn't have a family, but his colleagues were all waiting to buy Christmas presents for their children."
"All he wanted was a few hundred dollars, his full wages…" Peter said, pressing his lips together: "He's bad yet good, clever yet foolish, just like me."
"You think the intelligent system I designed is still far from perfect, don't you?" Stark cornered himself, "I've done everything possible to take all aspects into account, making sure everyone, including unprivileged groups, could enjoy the same conveniences."
"In the AI service center, a blind person doesn't need to operate anything. They just have to tell the AI service robot what they need, and the robot will handle everything."
"There's a dedicated text communication system for the deaf and mute, covering hundreds of languages, and a special sign-language robot to serve them."
"Even a stray dog that wanders in, the intelligent service robot can issue a special travel pass for it, to prevent any airborne intelligent transport routes from rejecting the dog's owner."
"Everyone can enjoy the convenience brought by the new era. What's wrong with that? I don't need reimbursement or honor, or anyone to validate my effort. I'm just trying my utmost to bring everyone into a promising and convenient future..."
Stark took a deep breath handling his emotions, "When Howard was drunk, he used to drag me into praising the last era, saying those people were different, noble, pure, hard-working, diligent…"
"Yes, and the epitome of all he described was Steve." Stark's muscles underneath the armor twitched, his tempo sped up, "He said every American of that era was like Steve. It was their effort that brought this country to its glory."
"He belittled us, saying that the glory days would never come back, but I have to prove to him, every generation has its glory; the human race is always advancing."
"I would prove that my era, the one I represent, is much better than the one he cherished, and that I can accomplish more than he did."
But immediately after, Stark fell silent, a sense of decay radiating from his being as though his bravado was blown away in the wind. After a moment, he said: "But it seems the biggest difference between him and me is that what he did for me, I can never do for him."
"Tony..." Peter rarely called Stark by his first name. He preferred to mute his tone and remain polite when talking to the older generation like Stark, Shiller, or Steve, never cracking an inappropriate joke—perhaps this was a reflection of his uncle's teachings.
But Peter was more than just their junior; he was their comrade, who had the right to converse with them as an equal. So he said: "I often wonder if the advancement of time must be accompanied by the sacrifice of the ordinary people."
"The train of time moves too fast; some people just can't catch up. I know I tend to be sentimental and unrealistic. I know I can't save everyone left behind by time, but I always want to."
"Because if I hadn't become Spider Man, I might still be a poor kid from Midtown. Maybe I and my family would be those abandoned by time."
Peter looked at his own hands and said, "Last night at dinner, my uncle said he was getting old and couldn't learn as fast as young people. He still hadn't learned how to operate an elevator made by the previous generation of Stark Industries, and a new generation of devices was already coming out."
"He said when he was young, his father, my Grandfather, was also one of those left behind by the time. He said they weren't as lucky as some to catch the wave of progress; otherwise, he would have been able to provide me with a better life…""
Peter's tone was always very calm, much calmer than Stark's, as if he was talking about someone else's matters.
But Stark knew if he were in Peter's position, hearing his uncle say those words, he would probably break down in tears.