In a high-end clothing store, Happy, who was used to frequenting upscale venues with Tony, led Alan and Gwen to the finest clothing shop in New York City.
The store only sold clothing to members, and each piece was guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind worldwide. Using Tony's membership, Happy ensured they received the highest level of service.
Alan stood before a large dressing mirror, carefully tightening the black tie around his neck. There was no denying it—when it came to suits, you got what you paid for.
Despite its high price, this suit exuded a luxurious quality, especially on Alan. The combination of the suit's premium fabric and Alan's handsome features gave him an air of sophistication and power.
Together, they created a perfect blend of elegance and strength.
Alan's appearance was so striking that even other customers in the store couldn't help but steal glances at him. Satisfied with how the suit looked on him, Alan turned to the sales associate and said, "I'll take it, this one."
The sales associate, a beautiful young woman, quickly responded, "Mr. Hogan mentioned that the payment can be charged directly to Mr. Stark's account."
Alan nodded and thanked her. Why refuse something when it's free?
Next, it was time to wait for Gwen. Alan stood near her dressing room, feeling a bit excited. The reason he had insisted on Gwen attending the party with him was that he wanted to see her in an evening gown.
After a moment, the sound of a zipper being pulled echoed from the dressing room. As the door opened, Gwen stepped out in a pure white long gown, looking like an angel under the overhead lights.
The dress was entirely white, without any unnecessary embellishments, perfectly highlighting Gwen's best features. Additionally, her hair was styled in a simple high ponytail, which complemented her overall look beautifully.
Gwen's appearance was even more captivating than Alan's earlier. Alan took a step forward and said softly, "Are you ready? Let's not keep Happy waiting."
Gwen's natural elegance and noble demeanor surfaced as she lightly took Alan's arm. Together, they walked out of the store, attracting the admiring gazes of everyone around them.
Happy, who had been waiting outside, was stunned when he saw them. If it weren't for their familiar faces, he might not have recognized them.
"You two will definitely be the center of attention at the party tonight," he remarked. "We should get going; you've spent quite some time picking out your outfits."
By now, the sun was almost setting.
Not long after they left, a luxury car slowly pulled up in front of the clothing store. Norman and Harry Osborn stepped out, both dressed in formal attire, followed by Peter Parker, who was dressed casually.
"Harry, do we really need to be this dressed up?" Peter asked.
As a native New Yorker, Peter was well aware of how upscale and expensive this clothing store was. Harry, pulling Peter along, replied, "Don't worry, my dad's covering it."
Earlier that afternoon, Peter had been working on an experiment with Norman in the lab when Norman received an invitation to a party hosted by Stark Industries.
After accepting the invitation, Norman invited Peter to come along so they could keep each other company. That's how they ended up here.
Peter, who had never been exposed to luxury goods before, was hesitant to step into the store. But Norman reassured him, "It's okay, Peter. You'll be attending events like these more often in the future. Today is just a chance for you to get used to it."
"Go in and pick out something. Consider it a gift from me to celebrate our collaboration."
With some encouragement from the Osborns, Peter mustered up the courage to enter the store. Not long after, he emerged in a red-and-black tailcoat.
Norman, waiting outside, took one look and said, "Not bad. Now you look like my partner."
"Let's go. The party's about to start."
...
Inside the dressing room, Tony had changed into a formal suit while Pepper, dressed in a sky-blue evening gown, was adjusting his hairstyle.
"Pepper."
"Don't talk, Tony."
"Talking to you will interrupt my work."
Tony could only stand quietly with his arms outstretched. "Actually, I wanted to say that you look beautiful tonight."
Pepper, who was focused on arranging Tony's appearance, smiled slightly upon hearing this, though Tony did not see it. Assuming Pepper was ignoring him, he didn't continue with the compliments.
"Hey, Tony. How do I look?"
"Rhodey, you look good. Slightly better than me," Tony said, though he really didn't want to admit it. The ability to wear black and blend in as if not wearing anything at all was indeed a unique advantage of theirs.
"I'll head down first. Everyone is waiting for you."
Tony looked around his office and asked, "Where's Happy?"
Pepper, finally done with Tony's look, stood up and said, "Wasn't he supposed to invite Alan Ford?"
"Alan Ford?"
"It's taking a bit longer than expected."
Pepper, satisfied with her work, continued, "He just called back. He's helping Mr. Ford and his companion choose evening wear."
"I had him use your membership."
Tony raised an eyebrow. With so many places in New York where he had memberships, he had no idea which one it was. So he decided not to dwell on it.
"Pepper, are we ready?"
Pepper nodded, "Yes, let's go."
Tony turned and naturally bent his arm for Pepper to take. He then scratched his head and said, "Well, I think you'll need a dashing... companion tonight..."
"And I... need a female companion..."
Pepper, knowing Tony wouldn't have the courage to ask her directly, stepped forward and linked her arm with his.
"Let's go then."
At the party, celebrities from various social circles mingled and chatted. Tony and Pepper descended the stairs, and many people began approaching Tony to offer their toasts.
Although Tony didn't really know these people, he still nodded politely in acknowledgment. If it had been the old Tony, the scene would not have been so harmonious.
"I don't know these people," Tony whispered to Pepper.
Pepper whispered back, "This is the last time, Tony. If you want me to manage the company for you, you'd better make a good impression tonight."
Tony shrugged, "You're in charge."
While Tony was handling the crowd, a wave of excitement came from the entrance. Tony looked toward the door.
A distinguished couple walked in, drawing many eyes at the party. Tony, curious, asked, "Pepper, who are they?"
Pepper shook her head, "I don't know..."
Before she could finish, she saw Happy behind them. Pepper corrected herself, "I think I know who they are."
"Who?"
"Mr. Ford and his companion."
Pepper hadn't expected Alan to be so young. Beside him, Gwen appeared composed and at ease.
"Have you attended events like this often?" Alan asked curiously.
"At school, I was invited to various parties," Gwen replied. "I think it's pretty similar to those."
Alan nodded. It was indeed quite similar—just dealing with people.
Gwen pointed to the nearby bar, "Let's go get a couple of drinks."
"Sure."
Alan ordered two slightly chilled drinks, and he and Gwen began to enjoy them.
"Will your dad be coming?" Alan asked.
Gwen shook her head, "Don't worry, he hates these kinds of events. Besides, after the trouble Stark Industries caused last night, he probably dislikes them even more."
As Alan sipped his drink, he noticed Tony and Pepper making their way through the crowd toward them.
"Hello, Mr. Ford. I'm Pepper Potts. This is Tony Stark."
"The host of this evening's event."
"Hello."
Tony raised his glass in a toast.
Alan also gave a nod in Tony's direction, feeling a bit of admiration for the future savior who would snap his fingers and save half of the world(universe's life?).
"Enjoy yourselves. We'll go entertain other guests."
Alan and Gwen continued their conversation, and soon, they heard someone calling their names.
"Gwen, Alan."
They looked toward the voice, wondering if there were others at the party who knew them. Seeing the person, Gwen smiled, "Harry."
Alan also smiled and gave a nod. It was Harry Osborn, whom he had met briefly at the Osborn Industries science exhibition.
Harry approached Gwen, "Gwen, you look beautiful tonight."
Gwen thanked him and clinked glasses with Harry. "Are you here with Mr. Norman?" Gwen asked.
"Yes, but he's currently introducing his new assistant and collaborator to others," Harry pointed to a direction.
Gwen looked over and exclaimed in surprise, "Peter?"
Harry smiled, "Yes, he's now my father's new assistant."
With Harry's explanation, Gwen understood the situation.
Alan nodded as well, realizing that many things had shifted, at least partially, due to his presence.
"Who's the person talking with your father?" Gwen asked curiously.
In her memory, Norman was very arrogant and difficult to approach. Yet now he seemed to be chatting amiably with a young person who was not much older than them.
Harry glanced over, "That's Reed Richards. He's the Chief Scientist at NASA and is said to be leading an experiment on cosmic storms."
"Beside him is his girlfriend, Susan Storm. She's an excellent astronaut."
Gwen nodded, understanding that they were both geniuses. No wonder they got along so well.
Alan, who hadn't paid much attention before, now looked in the direction of Norman, connecting the names and the imminent events with a superhero team in his mind.
He realized that Earth might face a major disaster soon, even without the purple alien. It was clear that he needed to improve his strength urgently.
Harry then pointed to another person, asking, "Do you know who that is?"
Gwen followed Harry's gesture and saw a woman pushing a wheelchair. The middle-aged man in the wheelchair seemed very talkative, interacting with everyone, chatting and shaking hands.
Upon seeing this person, Alan's pupils contracted slightly.
A name immediately popped into his mind: Charles Francis Xavier, the founder of the X-Men and their leader, commonly known as Professor X. An Alpha-level mutant, he possessed the strongest telepathic powers on Earth.
Harry's next words confirmed Alan's suspicion, "My father told me that person is apparently the leader of the mutants."
"Try not to get too close if you can avoid it."
At this moment, Alan had to reassess the party. Who knew what heavyweight figures might be here? He didn't fully understand all the heroes in the Marvel world.
In the distance, Professor X had just seen off a group of people, but it was clear from their expressions that there was some hostility and discomfort towards him.
The woman pushing Professor X, Jean, sensed the change in mood and said, "Professor, don't you feel like we're putting ourselves in a difficult position?"
"Professor, these people clearly don't like us. Why are we here trying to please them?"
In today's society, mutants faced blatant discrimination, with almost no normal people looking at them with respect, as if they were a scourge.
Professor X sighed and continued, "Jean, you know our situation."
"It's not that I want to be here; it's that I have to."
"Tony Stark has invited these people, each of whom has significant influence in society."
"If we can make friends with even one or two of them, it would be a big help for us and for mutants in general."
Jean's expression softened a bit with Professor X's explanation. She understood that the situation for mutants had become dire and even worse, exacerbated by the recent events where Magneto and his followers had taken many high-ranking officials hostage and nearly turned them into mutants.
Anti-mutant rhetoric had been rampant. This was why the White-haired General, who had nearly been turned into a mutant himself, was eager to initiate the 'New Captain America' program. To many high-ranking officials, it seemed that mutant development had reached a point where it had to be eradicated.
Knowing the severity of the situation, Professor X had been busy trying to find contacts. His gaze suddenly shifted toward Alan.
"Oh?"
Professor X's eyes lit up, "Jean, let's go over there..."
...
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