I kept walking, not too fast, not too slow. The black car didn't move, but I could feel the driver's eyes scanning the street. They were searching for me.
I turned the corner and ducked into a convenience store. The moment I stepped inside, I checked the store's security mirror. No one followed. Good.
I grabbed a drink from the fridge, pretending to browse while thinking. Who the hell was after me? If S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted me, they'd send agents—obvious but direct. This guy? Too subtle for government work.
The system had warned me—an unknown individual was watching. If it wasn't a hero, then… was it a villain?
A chill ran down my spine.
My comics weren't just stories anymore. They were predicting the future. If a villain realized that, they wouldn't try to stop me—they'd want to use me.
I paid for my drink and walked out, blending into the crowd. My apartment wasn't safe anymore. I needed a new place to work.
As I moved through the city, a new system notification popped up.
[New Event: An Inventor Has Been Inspired By Iron Man.]
I froze. Another one?
I opened the details.
[Status: Early Prototyping. Resources: Limited.]
So… someone was actually trying to build a suit?
This was getting out of hand. Fast.
I checked my engagement stats.
[Iron Man: 15,284 Readers. Spider-Man: 32,910 Readers.]
The numbers were rising. The more people read, the more the world changed.
I needed to be careful about what I released next.
But first—I needed to figure out who was hunting me.
And why they hadn't made a move.
Yet.