Chapter 9: The Family Man
Hell's Kitchen. The Lucky Dragon.
"We need to hire some staff." Ethan stared at the CLOSED sign hanging on the front door. "Every time we take a big job, the restaurant has to shut down. That's not sustainable."
He turned to the older man standing behind him, still looking a bit shell-shocked by the neighborhood.
"Dr. Yinsen — welcome to the Lucky Dragon. This is the restaurant. It's also where we eat most of our meals. The door on the right leads to the elevator and the apartments upstairs. Have a seat for now — I'll take you up to pick a room in a bit."
He spread his arms. "Make yourself at home. The building's pretty empty right now. I know it's Hell's Kitchen, but... give it some time. Things are going to get better around here."
"WE'RE HOME, BABY!" Wade burst through the door, arms spread wide. "Payday! Time to split the loot! I'm hitting the bar next door — hopefully the cute bartender missed me!"
"You eat my food, drink my drinks, and sleep under my roof for free." Ethan pushed past him. "Everything's coming out of your cut. And it looks like your sister's not back yet, Pietro."
He ran a finger along the bar counter and grimaced at the dust. "Place is filthy. Everybody grab a rag."
"You really need to hire a waitress, Ethan. You're the cheapest boss I've ever worked for." Wade grabbed a broom with theatrical reluctance. Deadpool Dog and Pietro nodded in agreement.
While Ethan's crew cleaned the restaurant, across town, Tony Stark was holding a press conference.
Some people simply aren't built for a normal, quiet life.
Tony Stark was one of them. What he'd seen in Afghanistan — what he'd done, what his weapons had done — had broken something open inside him. And what came out was a decision that would shake the global economy.
Ethan leaned against the bar counter, eyes on the TV mounted on the wall. The press conference was airing live.
On screen, Tony had done something unexpected — instead of standing at the podium, he'd sat down on the floor in front of it, cross-legged, like a man who'd decided formality was a waste of his remaining time on earth.
No cheeseburger this time. He'd already eaten on the plane.
"Everybody sit down. Relax. Don't be so stiff."
Behind the crowd of reporters, Pepper Potts stood at the edge of the room, a quiet smile on her face — proud, relieved, watching the man she'd fought so hard to bring home.
A man in a plain suit approached her.
"Ms. Potts?"
She turned. "That's me."
"Could I have a moment?"
"I'm sorry, I'm not part of the press conference. If you have questions, Tony Stark is right there." She gestured. "You'll have to wait in line."
The man produced a business card. "I'm not a reporter. My name is Phil Coulson. I'm with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."
Pepper glanced at the card. "That's... quite a name. You guys ever think about an acronym?"
"Is there something you need? The Department of Defense and the FBI have already debriefed us on Tony's kidnapping. Can't you people share files with each other instead of making me repeat myself?"
"Or does your... Homeland Whatever Division... not have the clearance to access those reports?"
"We're a separate agency," Coulson replied mildly. "We handle things that fall outside the usual scope. We're particularly interested in the details of Mr. Stark's rescue — and the individuals who carried it out. A man named Ethan Cross and his associates. Any information you could share would be greatly appreciated."
Pepper's expression went cold. "Your department sure has a wide jurisdiction. Funny — Tony was missing for a month and I didn't see any of you. Now that he's safe, you show up asking questions about the people who actually did something?"
She straightened her blazer. "I'll pass along your request to Tony. Whether he wants to talk to you is his call."
"Of course." Coulson smiled pleasantly, as if the barely concealed hostility had passed right through him like a warm breeze. "We'll look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time, Ms. Potts."
On screen, Tony finished recounting his experience in Afghanistan.
Then he dropped the bomb.
"Effective immediately, Stark Industries is permanently shutting down its weapons manufacturing division."
The press room erupted.
Back at the Lucky Dragon, Wade shot to his feet like he'd been electrocuted. He crossed the room in three strides, dropped to his knees in front of Ethan, and wrapped both arms around Ethan's leg.
"ETHAN! My beloved! My dearest! You shorted the stock, didn't you?! You did the thing! PLEASE TELL ME YOU DID THE THING!"
"Get OFF me." Ethan tried to shake him loose. "I told you to buy in with me. You said no. You don't get to cry about it now."
"Please please please pleeeease — Ethan, you're the best, you're so smart, you're so handsome —" Wade was literally on his knees, shuffling forward, rubbing his masked face against Ethan's leg like a cat begging for treats.
"FINE! I won't dock your commission from this job. That's it. That's all you get. Now let go of my leg."
Ethan peeled Wade off and turned to the TV.
Pietro was staring at the screen, his expression complicated. "He actually did it. He really shut down the weapons division."
"Yeah." Ethan's voice softened. "Look — a lot of what happened might not have been Tony's call. I'm not going to insult you by telling you to forgive and forget. Nobody has the right to say that. I just don't want you getting manipulated by someone using your anger against you."
Ethan wasn't the type to preach about letting go. Someone killed your family? That rage was yours. He just wanted Pietro to have the full picture before making any decisions.
Pietro was quiet for a moment. "I won't kill him. Not right now. I'll give him a chance to make things right. See how he does." His jaw set. "But if he disappoints me... I'll decide then."
"Fair enough."
"So..." Pietro pivoted to the question everyone was thinking. "How much did you make? From the short?"
Even Yinsen leaned in with unconcealed curiosity.
Ethan took a sip of tea. "Oh, nothing crazy. Just a small target. A hundred million, give or take."
The room went silent.
"A HUNDRED — " Wade was back on his knees. "ETHAN, PLEASE. I'm BEGGING you. I've had my eye on a pink sports car. Just a small loan. Tiny. Basically a rounding error for you now —"
Ethan ignored him completely and turned to Pietro. "By the way — I invested a cut for you and Wanda. Put it away for your future. Wedding fund, maybe. Or a down payment on a place of your own someday."
Pietro stared at him. The anger from the press conference, the complicated feelings about Stark — all of it faded for a second behind something simpler.
"Ethan... thank you."
「DING!」
「Congratulations, Host! Pietro Maximoff's Friendship Level has reached MAX (★★★★★★ — six-star cap)!」
「Congratulations, Host! Pietro Maximoff has become your FAMILY!」
「You have gained ALL of Pietro Maximoff's skills. Pre-existing skills have been automatically upgraded by one level.」
「Future skill improvements gained by your family member will be automatically shared with the Host.」
「Congratulations on reaching your first MAX Friendship! Bonus Title Unlocked: Family Man Lv.1 (upgradeable)!」
「Family Man Lv.1: When one family member is present in combat, Host's fighting power increases by 10%. Family member's fighting power increases by 5%.」
Ethan's pulse quickened. This was huge.
"System — 'Family Man'? That's the title you're going with? Can we get something that sounds a little more... heroic? Also, what does 'upgradeable' mean?"
「Host is encouraged to continue building friendships. Only MAX-level friends qualify as family. As the Host accumulates more family members, additional functions will unlock — including exclusive skills and enhanced abilities. Reminder: do not focus solely on making new friends. Nurture your existing relationships as well.」
Right. Quality over quantity. Got it.
Ethan was still processing the implications when his phone rang, cutting through his thoughts.
He glanced at the caller ID. His expression shifted.
"Uncle Fisk. Been a while. What's the occasion?"