It wasn't just the shout.
From the corner of his eye, Luke saw a flash of red light flicker from the direction of the grocery store.
His spine stiffened instantly.
Uh-oh. The little witch is losing it.
That wasn't just Wanda yelling, she was activating her powers.
The Scarlet Witch kind.
Luke's survival instincts kicked in hard. He didn't even turn to look, just flung himself into the Camaro like it was a life raft.
Without waiting for any instruction, Bumblebee growled to life and peeled out from the curb like it, too, wanted no part in Wanda's meltdown.
In the passenger seat, Sharon glanced nervously through the rearview mirror, a soft whoosh of displaced air still lingering behind them.
She pressed a hand to her chest. "Boss… are you sure she's not going to burn the grocery store down?"
Luke exhaled and adjusted his glasses with a single finger, heart still racing.
"Nah," he muttered. "In her eyes, I may be replaceable… but that store makes too much money."
Back inside, Wanda stood frozen at the door, staring down at her clenched fists, red light flickering in them.
She hadn't meant to yell.
It had just slipped, bubbled up from somewhere deep.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Why do I always feel like I'm being left behind? she thought. Why do I always have to stay?
For a split second, she imagined herself breaking the world in half. Splitting the pavement with a whisper. Shattering every window in a scream.
But she took a deep breath.
And stuffed the feeling back down.
After all, Luke was coming back.
He always came back to her.
At Stark Industries Press Conference
By the time Luke and Sharon slipped into the venue, the press conference had already begun.
Tony Stark stood at the podium, gripping a neatly typed script, courtesy of his friend, Colonel James Rhodes, but his eyes weren't on the paper. They drifted, glazed and distracted, as though his brain were working through an entirely different problem.
Rhodey leaned in, whispering behind gritted teeth. "Tony. Please. Just read the damn manuscript."
Tony gave a tiny nod.
"The truth is…" he began, ignoring the bullet-pointed talking points.
Rhodey's eyes widened in alarm.
The words dropped like a bomb.
The press room exploded. Flashes popped. People leapt to their feet. The sound of dozens of reporters yelling questions at once became a roar of white noise.
Rhodey visibly deflated, his exasperation on full display. "Oh, for the love of…fuck!"
Pepper Potts, watching from the back with her arms crossed, blinked in stunned disbelief. "You weren't supposed to say that…"
But Tony? He looked like he'd just won an Oscar. He basked in the attention, soaking in the surge of adoration like it was pure sunlight.
This was what he lived for. Applause. Fame. Being the smartest, boldest man in the room.
Down in the press gallery, reporters jostled to be heard.
"Mr. Stark, is the Iron Man robot mass-producible?"
"Mr. Stark, are you the only one with access to this technology?"
Amid the chaos, one young intern reporter waved frantically, catching Tony's eye.
Tony pointed at him. "You, go ahead."
The intern's eyes went wide with awe. "Mr. Stark, I-I'm your biggest fan!"
Tony flashed his signature grin, that cocky blend of charm and smugness. He nodded encouragingly, already imagining how the clip would look on tomorrow's front page.
"Mr. Stark," the intern blurted out, practically shaking, "I just wanted to ask, how did you control that shapeshifting robot car during the battle last night?"
Tony's smile wavered slightly.
The intern continued, oblivious: "You know, the yellow one, the one that turned into a robot and sliced that guy in half? Was that your Iron Man suit? Or was that like, Iron Car 2.0 or something?"
The crowd suddenly leaned in, microphones trembling with excitement.
Wait a second. That wasn't his suit. That was that other thing, whatever the hell it was, that had shown up during the chaos and completely stolen his thunder.
They think that robot was mine? The one that transformed midair and flew with wings? The one with the sword?!
The panic began to set in.
His cool smirk faded into visible confusion.
"Uh…" Tony stalled, eyes darting to Rhodey for help, but Rhodey's arms were crossed, shaking his head like you dug this hole, man.
From the sidelines, Sharon elbowed Luke with a snort.
"Looks like someone's getting upstaged."
Luke, casually flipping through a brochure like he wasn't the owner of said robot, smirked without looking up.
"I almost feel bad for him," he said. "Almost."
Meanwhile… back in the podium.
Tony took a sip of water, trying to regain his composure. The cameras were still rolling, but the air had changed.
He forced a tight laugh. "Actually, that… wasn't my project. I mean, I do have some advanced robotics in development, but that one? Let's call it an… independent initiative."
The intern blinked, confused. "So… it's not yours?"
Tony grinned awkwardly. "Let's just say I don't like to take credit for someone else's toys."
And that was when the panic truly set in.
Because Tony Stark, billionaire genius inventor, had just admitted, in front of the whole world at that, that there was a more advanced, autonomous, flying, sword-wielding robot out there… and it didn't belong to him.
His ego cracked ever so slightly.
In the back of his mind, a voice whispered:
You're no longer the smartest man in the room.
And he hated that feeling, could this be how Hammer feels all the time?.