Atreus noticed a slight unease on Gwen's face, and with a quick glance at the corner of his eye, he saw the little spider basking in the praise from his classmates and the affection of the girls.
This was Peter finally letting loose after holding back for so long.
Compared to their little conflicts, Atreus was more curious about what would happen next.
The timeline was definitely messed up.
Normally, the event involving the Vulture would occur in a different timeline, after Tony Stark had recruited Peter for the battle. But now, in this chaotic world, it seemed to coincide with the appearance of the second Green Goblin. And when Harry Osborn was causing trouble, it was always a two-for-one deal.
This was going to be interesting.
However, Atreus was confident he could handle the situation.
"This is what youth is all about!" Atreus smiled as he left the school.
This grand party first caught the attention of Peter's Uncle Ben and Aunt May. When Aunt May heard that her handsome nephew had caught the eye of a well-connected beauty, she was overjoyed and personally helped him dress up, preparing a suit and everything.
But there was one problem: the Parker family didn't own a car.
New York City's public transit system is fairly limited in coverage, and getting to Liz's suburban villa wasn't something that could be done by bus. Peter usually hitched a ride with Uncle George, but the thought of going to a hot girl's house party and having Uncle George drive him there...
Peter was afraid Uncle George would kill him.
Just then, Peter received a phone call.
"Harry?"
"Yo! Dude, struggling to find a way to the party?"
Peter immediately realized something: "You giving me a lift?"
"Of course, man!"
Peter chatted with Harry for a bit, hung up the phone, and let out a long sigh of relief.
On the afternoon of the party, Harry showed up in a McLaren and drove Peter to the location.
Theoretically, Harry would be the most dazzling presence at the party.
With his perfectly styled hair and expensive designer outfit, the young heir of the Osborn family stunned the crowd of teens at the villa's entrance.
Clearly, Peter, the poor kid, was just his foil.
Harry enjoyed being the center of attention.
"Oh! Peter, you look great today." Liz's beautiful figure appeared at the door. She wore a delicate white long dress with a high slit that perfectly showcased her legs.
Harry and Peter were both awestruck.
Unfortunately for Harry, Liz walked up to hug Peter, leaving him feeling a bit sour.
At that moment, a convoy caught everyone's attention.
Two bulletproof Lexus SUVs flanked a familiar Rolls-Royce, which Peter recognized.
First, bodyguards got out and opened the car door, and then an old acquaintance, Atreus, appeared.
But when Atreus politely helped a stunning lady out of the car, Peter was stunned: "Gwen?"
Yes, it was Gwen!
Today, Gwen was radiant. She wore a white dress too, but hers had an X-shaped halter top and a backless design that would be hard for a less endowed girl to pull off.
Dressed to impress, Gwen immediately outshone Liz.
Seeing Gwen naturally link arms with Atreus, Peter felt a pang of discomfort.
"Hi, Mr. Atreus, Gwen..." Peter started to greet them, only to notice something thoughtful.
Because from the back of the SUV, the bodyguards helped down a group of girls—Mary Jane, Michelle, and basically all the pretty girls who had been hanging around Peter and were invited by Liz to the party.
They all rushed over to greet Liz, then surrounded Peter.
Atreus raised an eyebrow: "I'm just here to help."
Gwen suddenly got annoyed: "Did you plan this?"
"Maybe."
Before they could bicker, Harry stepped up.
"Harry Osborn."
"Atreus."
They introduced themselves.
"I hear Mr. Atreus is also venturing into genetic engineering?" Harry's words were clearly probing.
They didn't know each other, but whether it's Gotham or New York, the wealthy circles are small. Each industry is dominated by one or two families. If Atreus wanted to invest in genetic engineering, he couldn't avoid the Osborn Group.
"Perhaps." Atreus was noncommittal.
"Although we're meeting for the first time, I'd like to offer you a word of advice."
"Hmm?" Atreus raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead, I'm listening."
"Outsiders with no foundation shouldn't mess around. Otherwise, you might end up burning all your money." This wasn't a probe, it was a threat: "And one more thing, stay away from my buddy Peter, or you'll regret it."
Obviously, if Harry really cared about Peter, he should've advised Atreus not to interfere with him and Liz. Harry could see that Atreus was here to stir things up.
Atreus blinked, laughing inside: The Green Goblin standing up for Spider-Man? Oh, Peter, cherish your friendship while it lasts.
At that moment, Atreus, Gwen, and Peter all sensed something, and the crowd began to stir.
It was Iron Man.
The strange metal figure, red and gold, descended from the sky.
Feeling the jet's power and hearing the crowd's excited screams, everyone realized who the true star of New York City, and indeed the entire United States, really was.
"Oh my God, Tony! I love you—" Several of the girls who had been around Peter, along with other girls, rushed towards where Iron Man was landing.
"Oh, back up a bit, ladies, I don't want to hurt you." Iron Man's helmet opened, revealing Tony's charming face, immediately triggering a second wave of screams from the girls.
But no one expected Tony to ignore everyone, step out of the Iron Man suit, and walk straight to Atreus.
"Yo, buddy, can we have a private chat?"
At that moment, countless people were shocked.
Gwen suddenly remembered Atreus's earlier introduction, where he mentioned being a shareholder in Stark Industries. Could it be true?
Harry Osborn's face turned pale. He had just threatened Atreus, and now his powerful connections were showing up?
Isn't this the ultimate slap in the face?
Compared to Stark Industries, which could influence the Department of Defense, the Osborn Group was second-rate. Harry swallowed his words.
Liz, who was a perceptive girl, came forward as one of the hosts: "Would you two like to talk in private? Please, this way to the guest room."
In the guest room, Tony reached out, activated a special device, and a green screen unfolded, securely enclosing the two of them within a three-meter radius.
"Don't worry, it's just a gadget to prevent eavesdropping. It temporarily disables all electronic devices, including recording equipment."
"Well, Mr. Stark, nice to meet you."
Before Atreus could finish, Tony plopped down on the sofa, crossing his legs: "Cut the act. Ethan says thanks."
Atreus was momentarily taken aback, then relaxed: "Oh, how is he?"
"He's now my most trusted assistant. I thought you'd try to deny it."
"How did you find out?"
"Come on, the Department of Defense monitors Stark's stocks. You set up a few shell companies, but used Stark's name to get around. When I saw that the majority shareholder of that holding company was you, how could I not figure it out?"
"How do you feel now?" Atreus sat comfortably, resting his cheek on his hand, with a look that said he was enjoying the show.
"Not much. Some people in the Defense Department aren't thrilled about Stark partnering with Wayne Enterprises, but I handled it. After all, you're just collecting dividends, not controlling the company."
Wait a minute!
Did you just say Wayne Enterprises?
Tony's words left Atreus completely stunned.
Things had been going so smoothly for him lately that he had almost forgotten about investigating who his biological father was, especially since he had what seemed like an unlimited cash flow at his disposal. Who wouldn't love that?
It wasn't that he hadn't tried to find out, but clearly, this was something beyond his reach.
Now, it turned out that after he saved Tony and acquired Stark's shares using dirty money, the Department of Defense had managed to dig up his background.
Speaking of which, there are only a handful of influential families in Gotham City. Besides Batman's family and the Kane family, known for Batwoman in the comics, most of them are somewhat tainted by crime.
The fact that the original owner of this body's biological father is Batman is both exciting and frustrating.
Batman is famously strict and impartial, and as someone with a lot of money and power, it's no wonder that all he does for his illegitimate child is provide money, without any other involvement. There's also a high probability that if Atreus ever gets into trouble, Batman would be the first to show up and "deliver justice" by turning him in.
But thinking back on it, Atreus couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. After all, he's Batman's son, yet when Black Mask was hunting him down, the guardian of Gotham didn't even show up to save him? If it weren't for his Godslayer system, he would've been dead!
Thinking of this, Atreus felt a deep sense of grievance: "I am me, and he is him. If circumstances allow, I wouldn't mind severing all ties with Wayne Enterprises."
Tony paused for a moment: "Okay, I can understand that."
(End of Chapter)