Although no one could explain the connection between eating vegetables and becoming wealthy, the child silently decided that eating more vegetables was probably a good idea after seeing four grown men squeezed into a single taxi.
As for Axel, he had already claimed the front passenger seat. Turning around, he looked at the three men crammed into the back.
"You guys really make life harder than it has to be.
Why couldn't you just listen to me once and borrow a car from someone?
We're not keeping it. We'd return it before we leave this universe.
See? I'm sitting comfortably while the three of you are packed together. Do superheroes have to make themselves uncomfortable just to prove a point?"
He smiled directly at Lex.
Being the slimmest of the three, Lex had ended up in the middle, squeezed between Bruce and Clark.
Before Lex could answer, the white taxi driver burst into laughter.
"Buddy, you call that borrowing? That's robbery.
I've heard people brag before, but never like this. Besides, you don't even look like someone who'd rob anybody."
Still laughing, he pressed the accelerator.
Lex, Bruce, and Clark immediately stiffened.
All three instinctively looked toward Axel.
Sure enough, Axel had already drawn his pistol.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Axel!"
Clark reacted instantly, knocking Axel's arm aside.
The bullets narrowly missed the driver, grazing past his nose before shattering the driver's side window.
The blast of wind alone was enough to make the driver tremble uncontrollably.
His hands shook violently on the steering wheel.
Axel glared at him.
"What exactly did you just say?
Looks like I've been too nice.
You're alive because I need you to drive. Now shut up and take me to Stark Tower."
Thud!
He struck the driver's forehead with the pistol grip.
The terrified driver nodded frantically.
"Yes, Boss! Right away, Boss! I'm sorry, Boss! I'll drive! Please don't kill me!"
His survival instincts were impressive.
Meanwhile, one of the stray bullets struck a nearby vehicle, causing the startled driver to slam on the brakes.
A chain reaction followed.
Several cars collided, traffic behind them immediately came to a standstill, while vehicles ahead accelerated to escape the chaos.
Watching the pale driver continue through traffic, Clark sighed.
"Axel, let it go. He just said something stupid. That's no reason to kill him.
Besides, stealing a car serves no purpose. We'd abandon it anyway.
If you really need to rob someone, Tony Stark is a much better target. Doesn't that sound more satisfying?"
"It's useless, Clark," Bruce said with a helpless smile.
"Axel's a complete lunatic."
Leaning forward, Bruce carefully took the pistol from Axel's hand after several attempts.
The driver finally relaxed enough to breathe.
He didn't dare speak again for the rest of the trip.
When they arrived at Stark Tower, he immediately stopped the taxi.
He didn't even ask for payment.
Bruce sighed, tossed the pistol into the driver's lap, and opened the door.
"Keep it as your fare.
Come on, Axel. Holding a grudge against a taxi driver is beneath you."
"Hmph."
Axel snorted.
Before getting out, he casually slapped the driver across the face.
Then he stepped onto the plaza outside Stark Tower.
Looking at the still partially damaged building, Axel stretched lazily.
"The last time I came here, the Avengers had just assembled.
Loki and Thanos' forces invaded New York.
You already know the rest.
I helped stop the nuclear missile and even robbed Wakanda afterward.
My reputation's... complicated, but I'm still well known around here.
Just follow me. Stark Tower's reception should let us through."
Bruce nodded.
"You've traveled between worlds far more than we have.
We'll follow your lead."
The four of them walked confidently into Stark Tower.
At the reception desk, Axel leaned casually against the counter and smiled at the brown-haired receptionist.
"Hello there.
I'm Axel.
I'm here to see Tony.
I shouldn't need an appointment."
The young woman's expression froze.
"Axel... Axel... Axel...?!"
Her entire body trembled.
She immediately grabbed the nearest phone and dialed an internal extension.
"Quickly notify Miss Pepper and the Boss! Mr. Axel is..."
"Hey."
Axel snatched the phone from her hand and crushed it effortlessly.
Then he rested a hand on her shoulder.
"So, everyone knows who I am.
Does that mean I can go in?"
"Y... yes...
Mr. Stark only instructed us to notify him if you arrived.
He never ordered us to stop you.
Please take the VIP elevator to the sixty-second floor. Mr. Stark will meet you shortly."
Her voice shook uncontrollably.
Very few ordinary people knew Axel's identity.
Stark Industries was an exception.
Over time, unofficial stories about Axel had spread throughout the company.
The larger the company, the harder it became to keep secrets.
As the receptionist nervously shifted in her chair, Axel simply turned away.
He led Clark, Bruce, and Lex into the VIP elevator.
Inside the elevator, Bruce finally asked,
"When you told us about your history here...
Did you leave anything out?
Why is even the reception staff terrified of you?"
Axel shrugged.
"Nothing important.
You'll understand soon enough.
Tony and I have an excellent relationship."
Lex laughed.
"I can believe that.
You two have more in common than either of you would ever admit."
"Exactly.
Tony respects me.
His wife respects me even more."
Grinning, Axel casually changed the elevator's destination from the sixty-second floor to the eighty-second.
Meanwhile, on the eighty-second floor...
Tony hurried Pepper into an unused laboratory.
Helping her into a chair, he handed her a glass of wine.
"Don't worry.
I have no idea how that bastard found his way back here.
But he'll never guess I hid you in an abandoned lab on a random floor.
Stay here.
I'll deal with him."
Before he could finish...
Whoosh!
The laboratory door flew open.
Footsteps echoed through the room.
Tony's face darkened.
"Damn it."
He gripped Pepper's shoulders.
"He found us already.
Don't worry.
I won't let him humiliate you again."
He activated a hidden switch.
Three walls rotated, revealing twelve Iron Man suits stored inside.
Without hesitation, Tony placed Pepper inside one of the suits.
He guided the armored figure toward the window.
"Fly anywhere.
Just don't let him find you."
"I understand. Be careful, Tony."
Pepper activated the suit and launched toward the window.
Just before she reached it, a burst of flame flashed through the room.
Axel appeared directly in front of her.
Elsewhere in the building...
Bruce frowned.
"Didn't Axel say we'd arrive together?
Where did he go?"
Lex looked around.
Bruce's expression changed instantly.
"Is he planning to attack Tony?"
"I don't know," Lex answered, "but we'd better hurry."
Clark immediately grabbed both Bruce and Lex.
The three burst through several doors in rapid succession before arriving inside the laboratory.
They found Axel gripping the shoulder of a light blue Iron Man suit.
Nearby stood Tony Stark, staring at him with open panic.
Lex blinked.
"That's Tony Stark?
He's much shorter than he looked in the comics."
Bruce ignored the observation.
"Axel!
What's going on?"
Axel waved without looking back.
"Nothing serious.
I'm just catching up with an old friend."
Then he reached behind the Iron Man suit.
"No!"
Tony shouted.
Axel ignored him.
Holding the armor steady, he deliberately turned its back toward Tony.
Inside the armor, Pepper gasped.
Before she could react, Axel tore away the rear section of the armor with brute force.
Metal screeched apart.
The force also ripped part of Pepper's skirt, exposing the purple underwear beneath.
The damaged Iron Man suit hung open at the back.
Bruce, Lex, Clark, and Tony all turned green.
Smack!
Axel casually slapped the exposed area once.
Smack! Smack!
Two more playful smacks followed.
Completely satisfied, Axel released the armor.
"Much better.
Tony, your wife's not exactly stunning, but she certainly has a smooth backside."
He even pretended to smell his own hand.
Tony's expression twisted with fury.
He rushed over, helped Pepper out of the damaged armor, removed his suit jacket, and wrapped it securely around her waist.
Only after covering her torn clothing did he finally look back at the visitors.
Bruce exchanged helpless glances with Lex and Clark.
So this...
was what Axel had meant by "getting along."
Clark stepped forward awkwardly.
"I'm... sorry.
Our boss has a rather unusual personality.
Please accept my apology on Axel's behalf."
"I don't want your apology!"
Tony exploded.
"I just want every one of you out of my company!
And you, Axel!
You shameless bastard!
I thought you worked alone!
Who are these three?
Did you actually bring an audience so they could watch you humiliate my secretary right in front of me?
You unbelievable, shameless bastard!"
While shouting, Tony carefully checked the damaged armor.
Fortunately, only one modular section had been destroyed.
The suit itself remained functional.
After making sure Pepper was safe, Tony turned toward Bruce, Lex, and Clark with an icy expression.
Bruce swallowed.
This was not a conversation he had ever expected to have.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward.
"I'm sincerely sorry.
We had no idea your history with Axel involved... this.
If we'd known, we would have stopped him.
At the very least, we would have tried to spare your wife this embarrassment.
My name is Bruce Wayne.
These are Lex Luthor and Clark Kent.
Despite the circumstances...
It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tony Stark."
Tony stared at them in disbelief.
"What?
What the hell did you just say?
Bruce Wayne?
Lex Luthor?
Clark Kent?
Axel, what kind of nonsense is this?
Who are these three supposed to be?
Are you all doing some kind of cosplay?!"