Chapter 114: A Showdown with Tony

On Fifth Avenue, the streetlights began to flicker to life as dusk settled in.

By the roadside, a group of children huddled together with Luke at their center. He was busy distributing rewards.

"Anaka, here is yours, keep it safe." Luke pulled a crisp, green Benjamin from the stack in his hand and handed it to her. He chuckled, "Good job. That’s your allowance for tomorrow."

"Thank you, General! The General is the best!" Anaka beamed, her face lighting up with joy.

"Don't rush, don't rush, everyone gets a share. Here you go, Roxana, Amita, Obia..." Luke handed out a hundred dollars to each of them as a symbolic gesture of encouragement. He was very pleased with their acting performance just moments ago.

Peter Parker received his share as well. After tucking it away happily, the young Spider-Man said excitedly, "Hey, buddy, I took so many photos. Close-ups, long shots—everything is crystal clear! You’ll definitely be satisfied!"

When it was the turn of the "Violent Birds" trio, Luke didn't hold back, handing each of the three troublemakers a hundred dollars.

The three boys were immediately overwhelmed with delight. This was a "massive fortune" beyond their wildest imaginations! Before they arrived, they hadn't expected Luke to actually pay them.

And so, following in Peter Parker's footsteps, the Violent Birds trio successfully joined the ranks of the propertied class at Dowse Elementary.

The little Black boy carefully tucked the Benjamin into his pocket, his expression earnest and thrilled as he mumbled, "Hey man, you're our big brother from now on. We're with you!"

Being able to get paid without having to take a beating—the boy was quite adept at reading the situation.

*A sharp kid with a bright future,* Luke thought. He smiled, patted the boy on the shoulder, and said with an air of seasoned maturity, "Don't worry, I never mistreat my own people."

At his words, the Violent Birds trio simultaneously cupped their hands in a salute and bowed deeply: "Greetings, Big Brother!"

Luke was left completely stunned... Where the hell did they learn that?

Not far away.

Tony watched the scene with a strange expression. Pepper Potts stood beside him, looked at Luke, and asked Tony something. Tony quickly offered an explanation.

A short distance away, Happy was still spitting as he explained that he definitely had not been involved in international money laundering, while Christina seemed to be enjoying the game.

Having finished paying his actors, Luke’s gaze met Tony’s.

He decided to stop while he was ahead. The reason he had made such a dramatic scene was purely to irritate Tony and soothe the resentment he felt over having his materials snatched away.

Next, he intended to have a real conversation with Tony.

The old adage of "the sword first, the courtesy later"—that was exactly his approach.

Tony leaned over and whispered something to Pepper. She nodded, and Tony began walking toward Luke.

Luke told the "little short-legs" to wait for him nearby, then stood his ground, watching Tony approach.

Tony stopped in front of Luke.

With his hands shoved into his trouser pockets and his shoulders slightly slumped, Tony said with a nonchalant air, "I’ve always thought you were my biggest fan, but I didn't expect it to be true. However, your way of expressing that enthusiasm seems to have some issues."

Tony pointed to his own head.

"I’ll return the favor: Natasha was right, you’re an egomaniac," Luke retorted, curling his lip.

The last time Luke said that in Monaco, Tony hadn't known who the Black Widow was. Now, at least, he knew: a bunch of liars.

"What does Nick Fury think about this? Has he known about you all along?" Tony asked Luke.

He seemed completely devoid of anger, chatting with Luke as if they were old acquaintances. The fact that Luke had just made a fool of him seemed to have been forgotten.

"When did you realize it was me?" Luke asked, ignoring the question, his interest piqued.

Tony looked around casually and said, "The photos of the delivery boy showed up in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. You guys didn't even try to hide it?"

In truth, he had realized the reality the moment he saw that photo of Luke. It was just that his inherent pride had made him unwilling to admit it at the time.

But he had to accept it—he had been led around by the nose by a child. Self-deception was useless. From the bottom of his heart, he had already begun to view the Apostle as an equal opponent.

He just hadn't expected the truth to be so stinging.

"Egg-head knew before you did," Luke shrugged.

"Egg-head?" Tony raised an eyebrow, his expression peculiar.

At that moment, two uniformed patrol officers began walking slowly toward them from the street. Tony glanced at them casually, unbothered. Luke, however, noticed the officers and frowned.

"I want you to return those materials to me," Luke turned to Tony and said.

"What's your offer? I don't think you can afford it," Tony grinned with a hint of smugness. Whenever money was involved, it was his home turf. As far as he knew, this kid had no money.

Luke's expression darkened. If Tony refused to give them back, he really would be in a bind. Was he really going to have to resort to force?

"What conditions do you want? We can make a deal. I have some technology you might be interested in," Luke said, his little face sour.

Just as he finished speaking, he frowned again, looking toward the roadside.

Dozens of meters down the street, several more uniformed police officers had appeared, all walking toward them. It seemed normal enough. However...

Suddenly, the hair on the back of Luke's neck stood up!

A deep, inexplicable sense of danger flared within him. Spider-Sense!

Tony seemed to notice the abnormality too. He turned his head, his expression freezing. Why were there so many police officers out at night? Wasn't the number a bit high?

As the two of them looked at the officers, the officers seemed to be looking right back at them.

Just then, one of the officers, while staring at them, lowered his head and spoke into his radio. Suddenly, the surrounding officers swiftly drew their weapons from their holsters and sprinted toward them.

Simultaneously, they aimed their guns directly at Tony and Luke!

The street was still crowded; this was, after all, the most bustling part of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, with a constant stream of pedestrians and vehicles.

When some pedestrians realized the police had drawn their weapons, they began to scream in terror. A chain reaction followed, and within the next second, half the street was in chaos.

The moment the weapons were revealed, Tony and Luke both reacted with agility, diving for cover.

*Pop-pop-pop!*

Under the cover of night, the gunshots were exceptionally loud and chilling.

The spot where the two had been standing—strictly speaking, the spot where Tony had been—was immediately riddled with bullet holes.

"Flank them!" the lead officer shouted. His voice was cold and devoid of hesitation; they were clearly well-trained.

*Pop-pop-pop-pop!*

Tony huddled in a wretched state behind the rear of a car. Bullets peppered the car body and the ground in front of him. He shielded his head, his eyes wide, while frantically fumbling for his phone to make a call.

Luke was much calmer. He hid behind a street corner, observing the situation. Behind him was the group of "little short-legs." The Four Roses peeked out curiously.

*Who are these people? They definitely aren't police. Are they here for Tony? Or for me?* Luke’s mind raced.

He heard Christina’s voice in his ear: "Master, the War Lord will arrive at the scene shortly. Please hold on for five minutes."

The street was in utter turmoil, filled with the sound of constant screaming.

Luke saw that several unlucky bystanders had already fallen into pools of blood.