A Rider Kick in Marvel Rewrite

In the fluorescent-lit classroom, Ace Ukiyo sat near the back, his biology textbook open but his attention elsewhere. His fingers subtly tapped his phone screen, hidden beneath the desk. The teacher's voice droned on about cellular mitosis, a topic Ace had already mastered during his travels.

A notification caught his eye. Breaking news: Tony Stark hosting an unexpected press conference.

The classroom faded into background noise as Ace focused on the small screen. The video feed showed a bustling press room, reporters packed tightly, cameras flashing. Tony Stark stood at the podium, looking thinner than before his disappearance, but with an intensity that commanded attention.

Ace focused on the press conference, forgetting he was still in class.

The teacher's voice cut through Ace's concentration. "Mr. Ukiyo, is there something more interesting than cellular division?"

Ace quickly looked up, a practiced apologetic smile on his face. "No, sir. Just checking the time."

But his eyes drifted back to the phone, watching Tony Stark prepare to speak.

The press room fell silent as Tony Stark sat down, gesturing for the reporters to do the same. In his hand, a half-eaten cheeseburger—a seemingly casual prop that contrasted with the gravity of the moment.

"My father," Tony began, his voice steady, "was a brilliant man. But I've been thinking about something recently." He took another bite of the cheeseburger, chewing slowly before continuing.

The reporters waited, their collective breath held.

"I used to ask him about our company. About the weapons we made." Tony's gaze seemed to look beyond the room, into a memory. "I'd ask him how he felt. Did he ever have doubts about what Stark Industries was doing?"

He set the cheeseburger down, his fingers tracing its wrapper.

"I've seen young Americans—kids, really—killed by weapons we created to supposedly defend and protect them." The statement hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotion. "And I realized something profound. I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."

The room remained absolutely still, every journalist hanging on his every word.

A reporter near the front raised her hand. "Mr. Stark, what exactly happened during your time in captivity?"

Tony's eyes flickered with a momentary intensity. "I saw firsthand how our weapons were being used. Not to protect, but to destroy. My eyes were opened to the fact that I can offer something more to this world than just creating things that blow up."

He leaned forward, his voice clear and resolute. "Effective immediately, Stark Industries will be shutting down its weapons manufacturing division. I will be taking time to reassess our company's future—to develop a direction that I'm comfortable with, one that serves the highest good for our country."

The press room erupted. Journalists started shouting questions, their voices a cacophony of confusion and excitement. Cameras flashed rapidly, capturing every moment of this unprecedented announcement.

Tony simply stood, gave a brief nod, and walked off the podium. The reporters continued calling out, desperate for more details, but he remained unmoved. As he exited, the room continued to buzz with the magnitude of his declaration.

Ace watched the press conference unfold, a knowing smirk playing across his lips. Tony Stark's dramatic announcement about shutting down Stark Industries' weapons division was exactly the kind of pivotal moment Ace had been anticipating.

He's starting to change, Ace thought. The journey to becoming Iron Man has officially begun.

In his mind, Ace was already calculating the financial implications. The Stark Industries stock was guaranteed to drop in the coming weeks, creating a prime investment opportunity. He pulled out his phone, quickly opening his investment tracking app and making a few careful notes.

"Nico's going to love this," he muttered to himself, thinking about his friend's keen interest in financial markets. The stock was likely to dip significantly, making it an ideal time to buy and hold.

Tony Stark continued fielding questions, his confident demeanor unchanged despite the bombshell he'd just dropped. Ace knew that within a month, Stark would likely begin upgrading his first Iron Man armor, transforming from a weapons manufacturer to a technological superhero.

The press conference continued, but Ace had already seen enough. He closed the video stream and started making mental calculations about potential stock purchases, his mind already strategizing how to turn this moment of corporate transformation into a financial opportunity.

As the classroom emptied, Ace, Nico, and Berto walked together through the bustling hallway. Nico turned to Ace, her gothic accessories jingling slightly with her movement.

"Did you catch Tony Stark's press conference?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

Ace nodded. "I watched the whole thing."

Nico scoffed, shaking her head. "What an idiotic move. Shutting down the entire weapons manufacturing division? That's corporate suicide." Her fingers traced the edge of her dark jacket as she spoke.

But then her expression softened slightly. "Though... I guess maybe he had his reasons," she continued, her voice becoming more contemplative. "I can only imagine what kind of horrors he must have experienced during his captivity."

Ace glanced at Nico with a mischievous grin. "Wait a minute," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Are you actually showing a hint of sympathy for Tony Stark? The same Tony Stark whose weapons company you've criticized countless times?"

Nico's eyes narrowed immediately. "Absolutely not," she retorted, her voice sharp and defensive. "I'm just stating an objective observation about human experience. Don't twist my words."

Berto, walking alongside them, chuckled at the exchange. "Sounds like sympathy to me," he teased, joining Ace's playful assault.

"I do not have a soft spot for Tony Stark," Nico declared firmly, her gothic accessories jangling as she crossed her arms. "Not even close."

Nico's eyes narrowed, her gothic aesthetic radiating defiance as she launched into her critique. "Look, just because Stark had some dramatic revelation doesn't mean he's suddenly a saint," she said, her voice cutting through the casual atmosphere. "He's probably just rebranding. Companies do this all the time—create a sympathetic narrative to pivot their image."

She ticked off points on her fingers. "First, weapons manufacturing is incredibly profitable. Stark Industries didn't just make guns; they were a global arms dealer. One press conference doesn't erase decades of profiteering."

Berto listened intently, while Ace watched her with mild amusement.

"Second," Nico continued, "this could be a strategic move. Clean energy and tech development are the next big markets. He might be positioning the company for future growth, not out of some moral awakening."

Her third point came with a sardonic laugh. "And let's be real—Tony Stark's ego is legendary. This dramatic transformation? It's probably more about controlling his own narrative than actual change. He wants to be seen as a reformed weapons manufacturer, a tech visionary."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "You've thought about this a lot."

"I read," Nico retorted. "Someone has to be skeptical in this world."

Ace leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a mix of excitement and calculation. "With Tony's announcement about shifting Stark Industries away from weapons, the stock is definitely going to drop," he said confidently. "We've been planning to buy in when the price dips, remember?"

Berto nodded enthusiastically. "I'm totally still on board. This could be our chance to get some cheap shares."

Nico rolled her eyes, her skepticism evident. "Are we seriously going to waste our money on this?" She crossed her arms, the silver bracelets on her wrist jangling with the movement.

"Trust me," Ace said, his tone soft but firm. "This is going to work."

Nico studied Ace's face, trying to understand the source of his confidence. She couldn't quite pinpoint where his certainty came from, but something in his expression made her hesitate.

After a moment of contemplation, she sighed. "Fine. I'm in."

Berto grinned and high-fived Ace, while Nico just shook her head, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

***

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Advance chapters are in my P@|r3on - Najicablitz