Ace returned to Midtown High, his friends Nico and Berto relieved to see him back. As he approached them in the hallway, they rushed over, their faces etched with concern.
"Ace! Where have you been?" Nico asked, her usual sarcastic tone replaced with genuine worry. "We were so worried when you disappeared."
Berto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, man. Pops was a wreck, and we had no idea what happened to you."
Ace offered them a sheepish smile. "I'm really sorry, you guys. I got caught up in an accident and had to stay in the hospital for a bit. But I'm all good now, I promise."
Nico studied him for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "An accident, huh? You sure you're not just pulling our leg?"
"No, I'm serious," Ace assured her. "I wouldn't lie about something like that." He paused, his expression turning more somber. "I'm really sorry I made you all worry. That wasn't my intention at all."
Berto placed a hand on Ace's shoulder, his usual playful demeanor replaced with genuine concern. "We're just glad you're okay, dude. Don't scare us like that again, alright?"
Ace nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. "I won't, I promise. Thank you for being such great friends."
The trio fell into a comfortable silence, the tension dissipating as they simply savored the fact that Ace was back, safe and sound. Ace knew he had a lot of explaining to do, but for now, he was just grateful to be surrounded by the people he cared about.
Nico nudged Ace playfully. "Too bad you missed the science project presentation. Peter really carried the whole thing."
Ace's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "Oh, man, I completely forgot about that! I've got to go find him."
Excusing himself, Ace hurried through the crowded hallway, scanning the sea of students until he spotted Peter by his locker. Approaching him, Ace offered an apologetic smile.
"Hey, Peter, I'm really sorry I missed the presentation. I've been dealing with some... personal stuff, and it completely slipped my mind." Ace ran a hand through his hair, feeling guilty.
Peter glanced up, his expression surprisingly understanding. "Don't worry about it, Ace. I know you've been going through a lot. I just did the work myself, it's no big deal."
Ace shook his head. "No, that's not fair to you. I should have been there to help. Let me make it up to you somehow, okay? I owe you one."
Peter offered a shy smile. "Well, if you insist. Maybe you can help me with the next project?"
Ace nodded eagerly. "Absolutely. I'll be there, I promise." He clapped Peter on the shoulder, relieved to have such a understanding lab partner.
With a renewed sense of determination, Ace returned to Nico and Berto, ready to tackle the rest of the day, grateful for the chance to make amends.
Ace watched as Peter walked away, feeling a pang of guilt. Nothing seemed to be going his way lately. Between his duties as Kamen Rider and trying to maintain a semblance of a normal life, he found himself constantly torn. It was becoming increasingly difficult to balance the two.
Gwen, Mary Jane, Betty, and Glory walked down the hallway, their lively chatter filling the air. As they approached, Ace caught sight of the group and greeted them warmly.
"Hey, Gwen," Ace said, his eyes briefly meeting hers. "MJ, Betty, Glory. How's it going?"
Gwen smiled at him. "Hi, Ace! We're just heading to practice. Are you coming to our performance this weekend?"
Ace's expression shifted, and he averted his gaze. "Oh, uh, yeah, of course! I wouldn't miss it," he replied, his voice slightly strained.
MJ raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her voice. "You didn't forget about it, did you, Ace?"
Ace felt his cheeks flush as he struggled to maintain eye contact. "No, no, of course not! I've been looking forward to it," he insisted, though his tone betrayed his uncertainty.
"Great! Make sure you're friends will be there too."
Ace watched as Gwen, MJ, Glory, and Betty walked away, their lively chatter fading down the hall. He let out a small sigh, realizing he had forgotten about their upcoming band performance. "Sure, hahaha," he replied, his voice betraying his uncertainty.
Ace swore to himself that he wouldn't miss the performance this time. He was determined to be there to support his friends, no matter what challenges he faced as Kamen Rider.
…
Obadiah Stane stood in the Stark Labs research center, his brow furrowed as he observed his team of scientists studying the Mark I Iron Man armor. The bulky, imposing suit lay on the examination table, its mechanical components meticulously disassembled and analyzed.
"So, what's the status?" Stane demanded, his voice sharp and impatient. "When will the new armor be ready?"
The lead scientist, a bespectacled man in a white lab coat, cleared his throat nervously. "Well, sir, we've managed to create a prototype based on the Mark I design, but we're facing a significant challenge."
Stane's eyes narrowed. "And what would that be?"
"The power source," the scientist explained. "We can't seem to replicate the arc reactor technology that Stark used. Without a viable power source, the armor won't be able to function properly."
Stane's jaw tightened, and he took a step closer to the scientist, his presence looming. "You're telling me that you can't even build a simple power source when Stark managed to do it with scrap parts in a cave?"
The scientist swallowed hard, his hands trembling slightly. "I'm afraid that's the case, sir. We're not Tony Stark. We don't have his level of genius and innovation."
Stane's eyes narrowed, and a cold, calculating expression settled on his face. "Then I guess we'll have to take the power source directly from the source, won't we?"
The scientist's eyes widened in realization. "You don't mean..."
Stane turned on his heel, his mind already racing with a plan. "Get the Iron Monger suit ready as soon as possible. I'll handle the rest."
As Stane strode out of the research center, his thoughts were consumed by a single goal: to acquire the arc reactor at all costs, even if it meant betraying the very man he had once considered a friend.
***
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