X-GENE OMNITRIX

The cacophony of the Midtown High cafeteria was a special kind of hell Alex had been forced to endure. It was a chaotic symphony of shouting teenagers, the clatter of plastic trays on Formica tables, and the vaguely disconcerting smell of mystery meat and industrial-grade disinfectant. He sat at a circular table near the back, pushing a piece of questionable-looking Salisbury steak around his plate with a fork, his expression one of sublime, practiced indifference.

"I'm telling you, it's impossible," Leo was saying, his voice thick with the dramatic despair only a sixteen-year-old can truly muster. He slumped forward, his forehead nearly touching his tray. "Completely sold out. I checked every official vendor, every resale site. Scalpers are asking for two grand a ticket. For one day."

Maya, meticulously picking the croutons off her salad, sighed. "He's right. I tried to see if my dad's corporate account could pull any strings. No dice. The Stark Expo is the hottest ticket on the planet. Has been for months."

"My uncle said he tried to get in and the line for the public lottery was, like, ten blocks long," Mark Chandler added, mid-chew of a hamburger that was mostly bun. "This sucks! The Hall of Armor, the new clean energy display… we're going to miss everything!" He looked at Alex, his eyes wide with a plea for sympathy. "Can you believe it, Alex? We're gonna miss the greatest technological showcase of our generation!"

Alex finally looked up from his plate, a single, perfectly arched eyebrow conveying his utter lack of surprise. He took a slow sip of his water, then set the cup down with deliberate care. He let the silence hang for a beat, enjoying their collective misery just a little.

He exhaled, a long, weary sound, as if the weight of their trivial high school problems was an immense burden upon his shoulders. "Okay," he said, his voice flat. "You guys don't need to be so disappointed."

The three of them looked up at him, their expressions shifting from despair to confusion.

"I have a VIP pass for the expo," Alex stated simply, as if commenting on the weather. "A corporate box. It has room for a few more people. If you guys want, you can come with me."

Stunned silence descended upon their table. Leo's jaw actually dropped. Maya's fork paused halfway to her mouth. Mark looked as if Alex had just announced he could breathe fire.

"Wait, wait, wait," Leo finally stammered, his eyes wide. "A VIP pass? To the Stark Expo? Alex, we know you're rich, man, but that's not just rich. That's… that's like, secret-society-that-runs-the-world rich. Only major business partners and people with serious government connections get those. How… how rich are you, exactly?"

Alex picked up his fork again, prodding the Salisbury steak. "Stop thinking about unnecessary things." He looked at them, his eyes holding a glint of amusement. "Do you want to come, or not?"

The response was instantaneous and synchronized.

"YES!" the three of them shouted in unison, their voices a sudden, explosive burst of pure, unadulterated joy that cut through the cafeteria's dull roar.

Every head at the surrounding tables snapped in their direction. Conversations halted. A hundred pairs of eyes fixed on them. The three friends, realizing their outburst, immediately slumped down in their seats, faces flushing crimson with embarrassment. Mark tried to pretend he was intensely interested in a stain on the table.

Alex shook his head slowly, a small, genuine smirk finally touching his lips. "That's one way to attract attention."

The next day, the sleek, matte-black Maybach purred through the streets of Queens, a silent predator in a river of yellow cabs and city buses. Inside, the world was muted, the city's chaotic soundtrack reduced to a faint hum. Alex sat staring out the tinted window, already wearing the impeccably tailored dark suit he'd be expected to wear at the pre-show reception. Mark, Leo, and Maya sat opposite him, their own dress clothes looking stiff and unfamiliar on them. They were vibrating with an energy that was equal parts excitement and nervous awe, their faces pressed against the windows as they approached the massive, sprawling grounds of the Stark Expo in Flushing Meadows.

Elara, in her human guise, sat in the driver's seat, navigating the congested traffic with a calm, focused efficiency that suggested she was far more than just a corporate chauffeur. She pulled the Maybach out of the main flow of traffic and into a private, heavily secured lane marked VIP & Presenter Access.

As they approached the drop-off point, a formidable checkpoint manned by serious-looking men in dark suits with earpieces, the kids' excitement turned to pure wonder. They tumbled out of the car, their eyes wide as they took in the soaring, futuristic architecture of the Unisphere and the massive, glowing Stark Industries logo atop the main pavilion. Other limousines and high-end sedans were depositing impeccably dressed men and women who moved with the easy confidence of the world's power players.

A security chief, a man with a jaw like a cinder block and eyes that missed nothing, approached their vehicle, his hand hovering near his sidearm. Elara simply lowered her window and presented a slim, metallic pass. The security chief scanned it with a handheld device, his eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and he immediately straightened up, waving them through with a crisp, respectful nod.

The car glided to a stop directly in front of the main entrance. Elara turned in her seat. "The reception for corporate sponsors is in the main rotunda. The public exhibits will open in approximately two hours."

Alex looked at his friends, who were still gawking like tourists who had accidentally wandered into Olympus. "Okay, guys," he said, getting their attention. "You can roam around here, check things out. The expo itself doesn't officially start for a bit, but your passes should get you into most of the preliminary showcases." He paused, fixing them with a serious look. "If anything happens, if anyone gives you any trouble, tell them you're with AlexCorp International. And if someone is still blind enough to be a problem after that, call me."

He handed Mark a sleek, featureless black card. "Don't lose this. It'll get you into any food vendor or merch shop you want. My treat."

Mark took the card like it was a holy relic. "Dude… thank you!"

"Yeah, man, this is… insane," Leo added, still looking around in a daze.

"Just try not to cause an international incident," Alex said dryly. "I have to go meet the host. It's considered basic etiquette."

They nodded enthusiastically, then, with a final wave, scrambled off towards the nearest massive, glowing exhibit, their excited chatter fading as they were swallowed by the sheer scale of the event. Alex watched them go for a moment, then turned to Elara. "Let's get this over with."

They moved through the throng of people, a silent bubble of purpose amidst the schmoozing and networking. They had just entered the main VIP reception area when a familiar, efficient voice cut through the murmur.

"Mr. Alexander, so glad you could make it."

Pepper Potts approached them, looking poised and powerful in a sharp, elegant business dress. She radiated a confidence that was holding Stark Industries together by sheer force of will. A step behind her, as always, was her assistant, "Natalie," whose placid expression and watchful eyes seemed to see everything.

"Ms. Potts," Alex said, offering a polite nod. "You can just call me Alex."

"Pepper, then," she replied with a professional smile, though Alex could see the fatigue around her eyes. "I trust your journey was pleasant?"

"It was adequate," Alex said. "Is Mr. Stark not gracing his own party with his presence? I would have thought he'd be the main event."

A flicker of something—frustration? worry?—passed over Pepper's face before her CEO mask snapped back into place. "Tony was… unavoidably detained with some urgent R&D matters. He sends his deepest apologies, of course."

She couldn't tell him the truth. Couldn't tell this vital new business partner that Tony was, at that very moment, probably locked in his workshop, spiraling, after the U.S. government, in a panic after the Whiplash incident in Monaco, had all but demanded he turn over the Iron Man suit. She couldn't tell him that Lt. Colonel Rhodes had been forced to essentially confiscate one of the armors—the "War Machine"—to appease the military and keep them at bay, a move Tony had, shockingly, agreed to without much of a fight. It was as if he didn't have the time or energy to worry about it, as if he was racing against a much more personal, much more terrifying clock.

"I see," Alex said, his expression giving nothing away, though he could sense the evasion, the carefully constructed corporate lie. "A shame. I was looking forward to discussing our shared interests."

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