Outside Capitol Hill.
Beneath the big screen, there was silence at first.
Then the crowd exploded.
The girl with a chibi Spider-Man charm dangling from her backpack nearly dropped her hot dog.
"Is our Superhero Autonomy faction really going to make it? He looked so cool slamming that table. Mr. Stark, I'm a fan now."
The middle-aged man held his coffee, struggling for a long moment before squeezing out a sentence.
"He must be absolutely furious, right?"
"Honestly, considering Stark's temperament, I'd say young Stark has already shown a pretty good temper by putting up with this until now."
An old man who bore a striking resemblance to Stan Lee stroked his upturned mustache as he spoke.
"Without Black Spider's proposal for autonomy, Iron Man would still only have had those two choices: the Registration Faction and the Anti-Registration faction. And Iron Man would never choose the Anti-Registration faction. He would have kept putting up with it."
"That's downright disgusting."
"Tell me about it."
The group of middle-class people, whose pastimes included trashing the American government and discussing international affairs on the side, chatted away merrily.
Inside the hearing room, the chair banged his gavel.
"Order!"
The wooden gavel struck.
Tony didn't even look.
"JARVIS."
A gentle voice came through the speakers.
"Sir."
Tony raised a hand and swiped.
"Show everyone what national security bought last night."
Every smart device's screen went black: phones, computers, and the largest screen in the hearing room.
One second.
Then they lit up again.
The Administrative Bureau's illicit procurement records filled the main screen.
[Municipal firefighting water pipe components]
The photo enlarged.
The crate was open.
Inside lay a neatly arranged row of energy weapons.
Happy took a look.
His mouth twisted.
"Those pipes sure have an explosive temper."
The press section went