The name Gwen Stacy was something Batman had known about as early as the third day after his crossover.
It was just that back then, Gwen had only been known to Batman in her capacity as the daughter of Police Captain George Stacy.
At that time, Batman had simply sought to understand Captain George's family as a way to validate his own judgment regarding the captain, ensuring that the criminals he apprehended and delivered could safely be handed over to a trustworthy commissioner.
On top of that, when the incident at Oscorp occurred, Batman had visited Empire State University once to apply for a patent on his memory fibers, and had accidentally caught a glimpse of Gwen in the hallway.
Batman had instinctively grown vigilant back then, subsequently conducting a series of observations on Gwen.
Therefore, even though only a few days had truly passed since Batman and Gwen formally met, Batman was already intimately familiar with Gwen's personality, hobbies, habits, and a host of other traits.
This was why Batman hadn't needed to put Gwen through another round of observation and assessment before bringing her into the Batcave; those steps had long since been completed.
"Really? That's exactly what I need," Gwen cried out joyfully. "When do we start?"
"Starting tomorrow," Batman said. "Gwen, you'll have a full day after you head back to calm down and thoroughly rethink what I said."
Gwen nodded.
"If past midnight tomorrow you still remain steadfast in your current choice, meet me on Roosevelt Island," Batman said.
Before Gwen could finish speaking, she was cut off by Batman:
"Listen to me, Gwen. Go back and give it some serious thought."
The next morning, while Tony Stark was tinkering with a heap of complex machinery in a vest inside an air-conditioned room, an unexpected individual reached out to contact him.
It was Jack Russell, the Werewolf by Night among the Avengers:
"Mr. Stark, I'm formally requesting to resign from the Avengers."
Clack!
Tony set down the tool in his hand, used the towel hanging around his neck to wipe the sweat and grime from his face, and asked with a deep frown:
"Why?"
"I cannot reconcile myself with your ideology," the Werewolf by Night stated.
"Which aspect are you referring to?" Tony braced himself for a heart-to-heart talk, even though that wasn't his strong suit.
"Bucky," the Werewolf by Night said. "If Bucky murdered my family, regardless of whatever justification he might have, I would make him pay with his life at any and all costs. I've mulled it over for days, and I realize I simply cannot understand your way of thinking. Therefore, I am applying to withdraw from the Avengers."
"Request granted," Tony replied without missing a beat.
"You're not even going to try and keep me?" The Werewolf by Night was genuinely taken aback.
"Did you submit this application specifically to fish for a retention plea from me?" Tony Stark countered.
"Mr. Stark, you said it yourself—I certainly didn't do this looking for you to talk me out of it," the Werewolf by Night chuckled. "I'll handle evil my own way. Let's just hope we don't end up locking horns down the road."
Tony Stark's expression remained unchanged as he simply slammed the phone down with a sharp clack.
He picked up his tool to fiddle with the machinery for a good long while, before suddenly hurling the tool away in a heavy toss, dropping heavily onto the sofa with a dull thud, his fists clenched so tight that his knuckles turned white.
"Sir, shall I help you contact Peter Parker?" Jarvis chimed in.
It would have been fine if he had stayed quiet, but the moment he spoke, it thoroughly irritated Tony:
"Peter! What good would contacting him do right now?!"
"At the very least, he is one of the few close friends you have," Jarvis noted.
"The Werewolf by Night's ideology diverges from ours; we were destined never to work together," Tony sighed. "Help me patch through to Captain America."
"Sir, the absolute last person you should be contacting at a time like this is Captain Steve Rogers," Jarvis hesitated.
"He's gone to Sokovia," Tony sighed once more. "I need to know if he requires backup."
"And Captain America's answer is guaranteed to be 'no,'" Jarvis made a final, token attempt.
"Jarvis!" Tony Stark raised his voice.
Jarvis fell silent for a moment before speaking up again:
"Sir, although both Mr. Peter and I have adamantly tried to discourage your drinking habits, I strongly advise that you pour yourself a drink first."
Tony Stark decisively chose to take the advice, standing up to pour himself a full glass of vodka.
He rarely drank hard liquor, but today was an exception.
Before he could finish the glass, Tony marched right over and dumped it straight down the wet bar's sink, exorbitant as the three-figure price tag of that single pour might have been.
"Steve?" Tony connected the encrypted communication link with Captain America.
"Tony Stark," Captain America's tone carried a stiff edge. "I am in Sokovia, so whatever you have to say, you'd better make it quick."
Tony Stark was knocked off balance by the captain's frosty tone, choking back his words for a long stretch before finally blurting them out right as Steve let out an impatient sigh:
"Nearly half the population of Sokovia is Hydra..."
"Why else do you think I came here?" Captain America retorted.
"..." Tony fell silent.
The encrypted call ended with both parties thoroughly dissatisfied with each other's attitude.
"Jarvis, I've decided to follow your initial advice," Tony said. "Help me contact Peter."
"Coordinates?"
"...Never mind, no need to contact him. I'll go find him directly," Tony abruptly changed his mind.
A dozen minutes later, Tony Stark—encased in the Mark VIII armor—slammed down onto Bat Island with a resounding thud.
The Parker Estate here was gradually taking shape, though it remained some distance away from full completion.
Recalling the scene when he had arrived here immediately following the conclusion of the Battle of Manhattan, Tony Stark searched for the entrance leading into the Batcave.
He had barely spent a few minutes searching when Alfred's projection materialized right before his eyes:
"Master Stark," Alfred greeted Tony with a warm smile. "If you are here to see Batman, I would suggest returning at a later hour, or I can inform him of your visit upon his return."
Tony Stark felt as though today was simply cursed with bad luck:
"He's not here? Where is he?"
"He is currently spending time with the twin siblings in his identity as Peter Parker," Alfred said.
Tony Stark felt even more depressed, knowing full well that the twin siblings Alfred referred to were none other than Wanda and Pietro—the very same pair he had hauled out of Sokovia in the first place.
Whatever Batman was currently doing amounted entirely to cleaning up Tony's mess.
"You appear to be in less than high spirits, Master Stark," Alfred observed indifferently.
"No, I've never been in a better mood," Tony instinctively denied.
"Trust my judgment, Master Stark," Alfred said. "Mind if we chat for a moment? I believe, given your discernment, you can tell that I am not your ordinary artificial intelligence."
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