Eddie set his phone down on the nightstand, a grin spreading across his face. Anne looked up from where she sat cross-legged on the bed, her laptop balanced on her knees.
"Thanks to my boss, Smith Doyle," Eddie said, stretching his arms above his head. "He's our real lucky charm."
Anne closed the laptop with a soft click. "So you're really going through with it? Selling the Dragon Ball?"
"I'll handle it tomorrow. The sooner we sell it, the sooner we can put this whole thing behind us." Eddie walked to the window, looking out at the New York skyline. "Then we can buy that nice villa in Greenwich you've been eyeing."
Anne's expression softened, though a flicker of concern crossed her features. "Just... be careful, okay?"
"Always am," Eddie replied with a wink.
In the living room, water sloshed against the sides of the bathtub as a goldfish circled near the surface. The fish's movements were erratic, almost agitated.
Damn Eddie, Venom's voice echoed inside the small creature's mind. We're supposed to be partners. Life and death, remember? And he kicks me out just so he can—
The fish dove underwater, bubbles streaming upward.
This is humiliating.
Across town, in Tony Stark's Malibu villa, Pepper Potts stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the Pacific waves crash against the rocks below. She turned to face Tony, who was hunched over a holographic display, his fingers dancing through streams of data.
"Tony, are we still collecting stones?" she asked.
Tony waved his hand dismissively, and the holograms winked out of existence. "You can stop now. The Dragon Balls have reactivated. The second tournament is coming up, and I've already got one."
Pepper's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, you actually got a Dragon Ball from all those stones we collected?"
"Turns out random collection can pay off." Tony leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk playing at his lips. "Sometimes you get lucky."
"So you're going to participate again?" Pepper moved closer, perching on the edge of his desk.
Tony nodded, his expression growing more serious. "I want to see who's competing this time. Aren't you interested? It's not every day you get to watch gods and monsters fight over cosmic wish-granting orbs."
Pepper considered this for a moment. The last tournament had been extraordinary, even terrifying at times. But with Smith Doyle guaranteeing participant safety, she had to admit the spectacle held a certain appeal.
"I'm interested," she admitted. "I'm just wondering who'll win this time."
Tony's grin widened. His thoughts drifted to the improvements he'd made to his armor systems. The modular separation and remote delivery combination wasn't quite ready, but he'd achieved something almost as good. Three fully armed suits now sat in low-Earth orbit, ready to drop on command. If his current armor took too much damage, JARVIS could rain down a replacement in minutes.
The only vulnerability was the gap during suit changes, but tournament rules would give him time between matches. Plenty of time to swap out damaged equipment.
"No need to wonder," Tony said, confidence radiating from every word. "It's going to be me this time."
Pepper tilted her head. "And what will you wish for?"
Tony's expression shifted, becoming almost contemplative. "Wishes?" He shrugged. "I don't really have any. Anything I need, I can create with my own hands."
Smith's words from months ago still echoed in his mind. Your parents lived full lives, Tony. Bringing them back won't give you what you're looking for. The obsession with resurrection had faded. If he did somehow win, maybe he'd ask Shenron something interesting. Or maybe he'd just give up the wish entirely.
"Tony, that's a dragon that can grant any wish," Pepper said, her voice rising slightly in disbelief.
"And I'm Tony Stark," he replied simply.
Pepper opened her mouth to respond, but JARVIS interrupted.
"Sir, someone has posted a listing on the dark web. They're offering to sell a Dragon Ball."
Both Tony and Pepper froze. The casual atmosphere evaporated instantly.
"Someone's actually selling one?" Pepper breathed.
"Last tournament, people bought and sold them all the time," Tony said, his mind already racing. "John Wick even bought multiple balls. JARVIS, contact the seller. If it's genuine, I'll buy it on the spot." He paused, then added, "And trace their IP. Let's see where our mystery seller is located."
"The other party has minimal security protocols," JARVIS reported after a moment. "IP address traces to New York."
Tony's eyebrows rose. "New York? That's convenient. I thought they'd be halfway around the world."
"The seller has responded to your inquiry, sir," JARVIS continued. "They're requesting transaction details."
"Ask them to name a time and place," Tony instructed.
Eddie's laptop chimed with a notification. He opened the encrypted message, scanning the buyer's response. They could be in New York quickly. Eddie typed out his reply: 4 PM today, coffee shop one block from Fraternity headquarters. Price remained at one hundred million dollars, but it had to be clean money, after taxes.
The response came almost immediately.
Agreed.
Eddie sat back, feeling a knot of tension ease in his shoulders. Clean money meant no IRS problems, no questions about sudden wealth. Just a simple, legal transaction.
Well, as legal as selling a wish-granting artifact could be.
Tony read the seller's requirements and location, a slow smile spreading across his face.
"The place chosen by this seller is interesting," he mused. "Right next to Smith's headquarters. I wonder if that's coincidence or intentional."
Pepper's expression turned worried. "Tony, is this safe? Should you wear the suit when you make the deal?"
Tony considered this. The seller's request for clean, after-tax money suggested someone trying to stay legitimate. Not the profile of someone planning an ambush. Still, Dragon Balls attracted attention from powerful beings. Caution wasn't unreasonable.
"The seller wants everything above board," Tony analyzed. "That's not typical for dark web transactions, which actually makes me think they're genuine. But you're right. I'll wear the suit, just in case."
Pepper's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Thank you."
Tony's mind was already moving ahead, calculating probabilities. Two Dragon Balls in his possession. If the tournament rules remained the same as last time, his odds of winning just improved significantly.
4:00 PM.
Eddie pulled into the parking lot thirty minutes early, his Harley rumbling beneath him before falling silent. He dismounted, pulled off his helmet, and ran a hand through his hair. The café was a quiet place, the kind of spot where nobody asked questions.
Inside, the smell of roasted coffee beans filled the air. Eddie ordered a cappuccino from a bored-looking barista and claimed a corner table with a clear view of the entrance. The first sip of coffee was rich and slightly bitter.
So, Venom's voice spoke in his mind, who do you think the buyer is?
"Rich," Eddie murmured quietly, knowing Venom would hear him even if he just thought the words. "Very rich."
One hundred million after-tax without blinking, Venom agreed. I still think your price is too low. You should have asked for a billion. A billion is definitely enough money. You could never spend it all.
Eddie took another sip of coffee, watching pedestrians pass by the window.
Besides, Venom continued, these are Dragon Balls that can grant ANY wish. A billion isn't expensive for something like that.
Eddie couldn't really argue with Venom's logic.
But Eddie didn't have grand ambitions. One hundred million after taxes was enough. More than enough. He and Anne could live comfortably for the rest of their lives. Buy that villa. Maybe start a family. Live without looking over their shoulders.
Raising the price invited complications. There were other buyers on the dark web, but one hundred million was the highest solid offer. Push too hard, and the buyer might decide they didn't want to pay at all. They might decide they just wanted the goods.
Eddie had seen enough of the world's extraordinary side to know that plenty of powerful beings would take what they wanted by force if the price got too high. Better to take the sure money and walk away clean.
Better to survive.