Marvel Comics: The Sentinel(Sentry)

~The Baxter Building~

Mindy, with her little backpack slung over her shoulders, tiptoed to open the door, her twin ponytails swaying...

The spacious apartment was eerily quiet. Thinking of Sean, who had gone to New Mexico, the little girl pouted, tossed her bag onto the floor, and rolled around a few times on the soft carpet before curling up on the sofa like a hamster.

After resting for a few minutes, Mindy wriggled over to the cabinet and pulled out a stack of her favorite movie DVDs.

She finally settled on 'Lolita'. As the opening music played, the little girl reluctantly got up and bounced over to the fridge.

"One per day."

Reading the note stuck on the fridge, Mindy pursed her lips. Though her little face was full of displeasure, she still only took one ice cream bar.

Then she trotted over to the snack cabinet, where another note was taped: "One bag per day."

The little girl's eyebrows shot up. Staring at the shelves packed with chips of every brand, Mindy's heart waged an internal war... It was like two tiny voices whispered in her ears.

One, a little devil with horns murmured that since Sean wasn't here, this was the perfect chance to indulge...

The other, stern and righteous, warned that if the big bad boss found out, the consequences would be dire...

Remembering the last parent-teacher conference... her allowance halved, video games banned for a month, and even soda and chips confiscated... Mindy shuddered at the memory of that torturous month.

She shook her head vigorously, grabbed one bag of original-flavored chips, and cast a longing glance at the BBQ-flavored one beside it before mustering all her willpower to shut the cabinet door.

By the time the movie ended, the bag of chips was empty. Licking her fingers, Mindy lazily curled up on the sofa.

For dinner, she could order pizza or call a temp nanny from the housekeeping service. If neither appealed to her, she could always mooch a meal off the nerdy scientist living upstairs.

Rubbing her belly, Mindy frowned...

Life without Sean was so boring. She didn't even feel like going out alone, and since she couldn't cook, she was basically surviving on soda and chips.

But under the looming threat of Sean's wrath, the little girl resisted the urge to raid the snack cabinet again.

Just as she was about to resign herself to boredom, an idea struck her. She scrambled up and dug out her phone from her backpack.

She'd recently made a new friend near her school, a runaway girl named Gali, who was just a few years older than her. With no money or ID, Gali had been working at a small pizza joint to get by.

"Gali, it's Mindy…"

The little girl chattered excitedly for twenty minutes before hanging up, thoroughly satisfied.

Maybe it was the mutual understanding between two food lovers, but Mindy had hit it off instantly with the purple-eyed girl. With Sean away, this was the perfect chance to invite Gali over for their very own party!

"Hmph." Glaring at the fully stocked snack cabinet, Mindy smirked triumphantly, "He never said guests could only take one bag!"

Proud of her clever loophole, the little girl happily snuggled back into the sofa.

Daydreaming about the glorious days ahead, she drowned in soda and chips...

...

"The world is changing. During the Age of Exploration, our ancestors crossed vast oceans to reach this fertile land. Through blood and fire, they built the prosperous, free nation we know today… Even now, their spirit lingers in the air of this continent… We are the protagonists of history, the agents of change! And change brings opportunity... we must seize it!"

At the Hilton Hotel's high-floor reception hall, Tony stood confidently on the podium, pride and self-assurance radiating from him. Since throwing himself into his clean energy projects, the playboy had found renewed vigor.

Tonight was Stark Industries' celebratory gala for its official entry into the energy market.

After the assassination attempt, Tony knew he'd crossed a line with the oil tycoons and energy giants. Even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s vast resources had turned up nothing, proof of how deeply entrenched those forces were.

Just as Pepper was struggling to break into the market, Koch Industries (a titan of the energy sector) had extended an olive branch. They'd proposed a smart grid partnership with Umbrella Corporation, then swiftly moved to collaborate with Stark Industries to revolutionize the energy landscape.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the international futures market. Speculators who had bet against them were left bankrupt, their fortunes wiped out overnight.

In this high-stakes game of power and money, the winners feasted on the spoils while the losers slunk away in defeat.

With Stark Industries and Koch Industries forming an alliance, the high-end market was destined to shift toward renewable energy.

Meanwhile, Umbrella Corporation leveraged its extensive distribution networks to effortlessly dominate the mid-to-low-tier markets. Families across the coasts and heartland praised the affordable, efficient solar solutions that solved their heating and electricity woes.

The writing was on the wall... the old energy order would crumble under this three-pronged assault. Those once-mighty conglomerates, who had once manipulated small nations with ease, would either adapt, or be left behind.

The gala buzzed with excitement. Every guest here, impeccably dressed and exuding confidence, was a victor in this corporate war. They had bet on the right side, the alliance of Stark Industries and Umbrella Corporation...

"They cheer for the crumbs we drop, thinking they've been invited to the feast."

Tony stepped down from the podium and joined Pepper, his gaze swept over the glittering New York skyline. The city's neon glow stretched endlessly, a sea of lights shimmering like a dream.

"I heard New Mexico got hit by a sandstorm. I wonder how Sean's doing?" Tony chuckled, "A shame he missed this. The head of Koch Industries was very interested in meeting him."

"His secretary said he's stranded there due to an accident. It might be a while before he's back," Pepper replied softly.

With Stark Industries back on top, the burden on its new CEO had lightened considerably. And thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s behind-the-scenes support, the pressure from the Pentagon had eased.

Even without the Iron Man suit, Tony remained as self-assured as ever. As part of his deal with Nick Fury, he had agreed to serve as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s scientific advisor... and recently, Iron Man had officially joined their ranks.

The one-eyed spymaster had pitched an idea: recruiting superhumans to form a team of Earth's mightiest heroes. The concept appealed to the usually flippant playboy.

Leading a team of the world's most powerful individuals to fight crime and save the world? Now that was tempting.

"Hmm. The Avengers... I like the sound of that." Taking a glass of champagne from a waiter, Tony smirked to himself...