The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 528, 972, and 973: A Roast Session
Because the upper platform is right next to Tony Stark's private studio, it is not very large, only about 30 or 40 square meters.

There wasn't much decoration here; just a set of stylish white leather sofas and a long, low table in the center.

Several members of the Avengers, including Captain America, along with a few others who knew Tony Stark, were sitting together, chatting happily.

"Hey, you'll never guess..."

Colonel James Rhodes, the "War Machine," who was invited to the event, held a glass of amber-colored Macallan 30-year-old in his hand. With a slightly tipsy smug look on his dark face, he loudly boasted about his "heroic deeds" in front of the group.

"That day I was in South Africa, wearing my Steel Patriot, and after taking down a group of arms dealers, I discovered that their mastermind, the general, had gone into hiding. Guess what I did?"

He paused deliberately, keeping everyone in suspense, and then eagerly surveyed the group of people sitting around him—

[Hawkeye] was sipping his beer, listening with great interest.

Captain America, with his brows furrowed and looking somewhat absent-minded,

Black Widow, with a languid posture and a languid gaze, looked at the somewhat restrained and tired Bruce Banner beside her.

Jonathan Stone, the Human Torch, is a newcomer who is very outgoing and always eager to interrupt conversations between Black Widow and Bruce Banner.

And Ben Grimm, the "Stone Man" who looks huge and has a bad temper.

And of course, there's the host of this party, Tony Stark himself, who has just returned!
Seeing that he had successfully attracted the attention of the vast majority of people, James Rhodes became even more beaming with joy:
“I flew straight to their tank camp and lifted a T-72 tank with one hand… Yes, you heard right, with one hand!”

"Then they flew all the way to the villa where the terrified general was hiding..."

He vividly demonstrated a downward throwing motion, "I 'bang!' smashed that T-72 tank right into his yard, flattening his Rolls-Royce parked there, and then..."

He then dramatically opened his visor, mimicking a deep voice, and said, "I opened my visor and said to the old guy who almost peed his pants in fright, 'Excuse me... are you looking for this?'"

James Rhodes recounted his peacekeeping mission in South Africa with such vivid detail, and his expressive body language gave him the illusion that his story was incredibly cool.

however……

The bursts of laughter and applause he had anticipated did not materialize.

The audience members on the sofas reacted as follows:
Tony Stark wore a nonchalant expression that said, "I'll just watch you show off."

Captain America nodded perfunctorily, but it was clear from his still furrowed brows that his mind was not on the story he had just heard.

Black Widow, who was chatting enthusiastically with Bruce Banner, gave a faint smile, which could be considered a polite response.

Hawkeye raised an eyebrow, took a sip of beer, and seemed to be saying: 'That's it?'
The most enthusiastic reaction came from [Thunderbolt], who immediately whistled. However, no matter how you looked at it, it seemed more like he was just blindly joining in the commotion than that he thought the story itself was particularly exciting.

The most outrageous one had to be the [Stone Man], who muttered in a deep voice, "Lifting a tank with one hand? Anyone with hands can do that, right?"

Quiet.

An awkward silence ensued.

The situation became extremely awkward.

James Rhodes' smile froze instantly. He looked around at the group of expressionless superhumans and super soldiers and suddenly realized what a huge mistake he had made.

His audience was no longer civilians, but battle-hardened 'super soldiers' who were already used to all sorts of things that happened in war.

So no matter how eloquently he told his story, he couldn't move these guys at all.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, James Rhodes slapped his forehead in frustration and lamented, "Oh, damn it, I'm insane! Why did I have to tell this to a bunch of weirdos with these strange abilities?!"

"If this were any other party, anyone who heard this story would have burst out laughing, clinging to my leg and saying, 'Colonel Rhodes, you're so cool! War Gear is awesome!'... But in front of you guys? I feel like a complete idiot selling telescopes outside NASA."

"Hahaha, that's good..." [Thunderbolt] clapped his hands and cheered like a big fool: "You told a good joke at the end."

The others were finally amused by James Rhodes's self-deprecating remark and the silly antics of the Human Torch, and let out a soft chuckle.

"Uh, is that all?"

Finally, Tony Stark, as a friend, suppressed a laugh and tried to save face for his old friend. He raised his glass and said in an extremely exaggerated tone:

“Oh, Rhodes, your story is… wonderful, full of twists and turns, captivating, and even powerful… um, what’s that word again? Oh, right, diplomatic wisdom!!”

Faced with his friend's sarcastic remarks, James Rhodes rolled his eyes at him, giving him a look that said, "I don't believe you, you playboy, you're really wicked."

Seemingly to ease James Rhodes' embarrassment, Hawkeye timely changed the subject. He first glanced around, then half-jokingly looked at Tony Stark and teased him:
"Hey Tony, where's our prince from Asgard? Did you forget to send Thor an invitation?"

"He's the first in line to inherit the throne of the future God Realm. Be careful he doesn't come here next time and smash your bar with a hammer."

Tony Stark shrugged, swirling the ice in his glass. "Come on, Barton, do you think I'm that kind of person?"

"It's not that I don't want to invite him, the problem is that I simply can't get in touch with him..."

"Ever since Thor returned to Asgard, even Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. have been out of contact with Asgard for a long time."

He lowered his voice slightly, his tone becoming a bit more serious, "I heard that something big has happened in Asgard... but the details are unclear, though it's definitely not good news."

However, as he spoke, he keenly noticed a subtle change in Captain America's expression when he mentioned the words 'Nick Fury,' 'S.H.I.E.L.D.,' and 'mess.'

So they didn't dwell on the issue any further, lest the atmosphere become heavy.

He immediately changed the subject, turning his gaze to Captain America on the opposite sofa, whose face had been tense and serious since the start of the party. He raised his glass towards him and said with a smile:

"Hey Captain, how's it going? Did you find a place you like in Brooklyn? Need me to introduce you to a few reliable real estate agents?" "Sure, given your 'retro' taste, I guess you might prefer the kind with fire escape stairs and old-fashioned brick walls?"

Captain America smiled helplessly upon hearing this. Having grown accustomed to Tony's good-natured teasing during their previous encounters, he responded casually:
"Thanks, Tony, but you should probably save your breath... With housing prices in Brooklyn these days, even if I combined all my retirement savings and S.H.I.E.L.D. subsidies, it would probably only be enough to buy a bathroom."

“What’s more…” He paused, a hint of mockery on his face, “Fury has already ‘thoughtfully’ arranged accommodation for me. It’s fully equipped, ready to move in with just my bags. Except for… well, there might be a few ‘listening devices’ in some inconspicuous corners of the room, it’s practically perfect, with no other flaws.”

"Pfft—Hahaha!!!"

These words were like a fuse that ignited a laugh, instantly causing everyone present who had received special "care" from Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. to burst into knowing laughter.

Because this is indeed Nick Fury's style, and only this ruthless guy could do such a despicable thing.

However, most people just dare not speak out against it.

Once the conversation started, the previously silent group, emboldened by alcohol, began to criticize Nick Fury's various actions.

“Oh God, this is so much like what Fury would do.”

Even Hawkeye, a die-hard fan, couldn't help but slap his thigh and joke, "I bet he even keeps a record of the brands of beer in your fridge!"

"More than that!"

[Thunderbolt] immediately chimed in, his tone tinged with youthful arrogance and discontent, "When I first joined, he actually sent people to interrogate every single temporary girlfriend I brought home each night. They were incredibly thorough, which made it so that no girl dared to spend the night with me for a while..."

The Stone Man also said indignantly, "That bastard deliberately used me to capture Reed. I really want to punch his bald head off."

Even the usually composed Black Widow couldn't help but rub her forehead, a wry smile playing on her lips as she looked at Bruce Banner beside her and said softly, with a meaningful tone:
"Believe me, Bruce... and everyone else, compared to the so-called 'social missions' and 'necessary evils' he assigned me, wiretapping is just the mildest and most basic operation in S.H.I.E.L.D."

Once the conversation started, especially with the help of alcohol, everyone's long-suppressed resentment towards Nick Fury found an outlet, and they began to complain.

From Nick Fury's elusive whereabouts and unpredictable conversation style to his astonishingly dirty tricks and his ruthless, no-holds-barred approach to achieving his goals...

As everyone chimed in, the atmosphere became more harmonious and intimate, fostering a special bond of shared fate and a quiet, profound connection that blossomed during the venting session.

Tony Stark watched the lively scene and took a satisfied sip of his drink.

But his keen eyes never left Captain America. He noticed that even in this atmosphere, there was still a subtle sense of seriousness between the other man's brows.

Holding his wine glass, Tony Stark rose and sat down in the empty seat next to Captain America. He nudged the man lightly with his elbow, lowered his voice, and asked with a rare seriousness:
"Hey, Captain, seriously, you seem a bit off tonight... You've been sullen ever since you came in, which isn't like you."

"What's wrong? Are you still worried about the housing prices in Brooklyn? Or are you having trouble adapting to the party style of the new century? If you want to find someone to dance a ballroom dance from the last century, I think there are plenty of 'grandmas' downstairs who would be willing to join you for one."

Captain America smiled slightly, hesitated for a moment, and seemed to be considering whether to mention the news of Strick Pantecost's death at the party.

Although the noise of the party still echoed in his ears, the image of Steker Pantecost's resolute yet ultimately despairing face lingered in his mind.

"call……"

Captain America took a deep breath, turned his head, and lowered his voice even further, speaking in a barely audible whisper:

"Tony, General Steker Pantecost committed suicide by jumping off his house last night..."

puff--! ! !
Tony Stark's reaction far exceeded Captain America's expectations. As if struck by lightning, he suddenly spat out the mouthful of expensive whiskey, the golden-brown liquid splashing onto the polished marble slab.

But Tony Stark no longer cared about maintaining his image; his eyes widened, and his voice, filled with surprise, suddenly rose by more than ten decibels, almost drowning out the murmurs of the crowd:
"What did you say?! Steker Pentecost committed suicide?! This... how is this possible? I just saw him a few days ago!"

The exclamation was like a mute button being pressed, instantly drawing the attention of everyone who had been chatting and laughing nearby.

The laughter abruptly stopped. Hawkeye, James Rhodes, Human Torch, and The Thing all turned their heads in unison. Even Black Widow, who had been relentlessly teasing Bruce Banner, stopped and looked at the bewildered Tony Stark and Captain America with a helpless expression that said, "I knew this would happen."

Seeing this, Captain America rubbed his temples, knowing that he couldn't hide it anymore.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he could only give a general account of what he knew and his "homicide" speculation based on Stark Pantecost's personality and situation.

Why do we say 'roughly'?

Because he had to omit the part about Nick Fury.

After all, he'll still have to work for Nick Fury in the future.

"...That's how it is. Everything happened very suddenly. I think Natasha probably knows the specific details better."

In the end, Captain America cleverly passed the "ball" out.

This wasn't about 'betraying his teammates,' but rather that he was never good with words, and Black Widow had known about this before him and knew more about the situation.

Swah——

Immediately, everyone's attention shifted back to Black Widow, who tossed her long red hair with a flirtatious air, first giving Captain America a reproachful look, as if to say, 'Captain, you really know how to cause me trouble.'

Then, she took the martini that Bruce Banner handed her at the opportune moment, took a sexy sip, and then, under the expectant gazes of everyone, used her unique, slightly cold yet magnetic voice to give a general account of what she knew.

The initial on-site investigation revealed signs of suicide, but also subtly mentioned certain illogical details…

Her narration was very objective, calm, and even somewhat detached, perfectly befitting her status as a top agent.

Of course, most importantly, her version of events was also censored... especially the part about Nick Fury asking her to secretly investigate the real culprit.

However, for some people present, like Tony Stark, who knew some of the inside story, especially those who were well aware of the immense pressure the PPDC organization had been under recently and the complex power struggles behind it, the conclusion of "suicide" seemed incredibly weak and simply untenable.

(End of this chapter)