The Marvel Superman

The graduation ceremony was over. Howard and Maria stood up, ready to leave. After all, this was a time for the young people, and their presence here felt unnecessary.

Howard checked the time and said to Adam, "Adam, come to my lab tonight. There's something I've wanted to give you for a long time, but I could never quite make up my mind. Today, I finally decided—it's time."

Adam was surprised. "Oh? What is it?"

Howard embraced his wife and replied, "You'll know when you get there tonight. Just don't be too late—I have a lot to do tomorrow. You and Tony enjoy yourselves for now. We're heading home." With that, he left with Maria Stark.

Tony smirked. "Something for you, huh? Man, he's playing favorites."

Adam shook his head. "Don't say that. He loves you just as much. But seriously, what could this gift be?"

Tony shrugged. "Who knows? That stubborn old man wouldn't spill the beans before it's time. Anyway—hey, check out that blonde over there. Wanna guess what color her underwear is? Give me five minutes, and I'll find out."

Adam glanced over. "Oh, that one? Black lace. Want me to check on the others for you?"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Dude, that's cheating. You can't just use your powers like that."

Adam grinned. "I wasn't sneaky about it—I was looking fair and square."

Tony huffed. "I told you, using your powers is against the rules! I should stay away from you, cheater. Whatever, I'm gonna have some fun." He flashed a confident smile and sauntered over to a golden-haired girl.

Adam chuckled and walked off as well, heading toward another group of women. Graduation ceremonies did come with their perks, after all.

Time flew by, and soon it was around 4 PM. Adam said his goodbyes to his female companion and started looking for Stark—he was ready to head home. A day like this should end with a warm family dinner, which was why they'd had the graduation party yesterday instead.

After searching for a while and not finding Tony, Adam pulled out his phone and called him. No answer, even after a long wait. Adam frowned, glanced around, and used his X-ray vision to scan the first and second-floor bathrooms. Soon, he found Tony in the farthest stall on the second floor.

Annoyed, Adam ended his X-ray vision and sat down with a glass of orange juice, waiting. Sure enough, within five minutes, Tony strutted downstairs, looking triumphant. But when he saw Adam waiting, his expression turned sour.

"Dude, what do you want? Don't you know there are times at a party when you shouldn't be calling?"

Adam chuckled. "Alright, time to go home. I want to have dinner with my mom."

Tony shrugged. "Yeah, alright. Not much else to do here anyway. Let's go."

As they walked, Tony suddenly asked, "Hey… you didn't spy on me just now, did you?"

Adam blinked, then smirked. "Come on, why would I? My date was way hotter than yours."

Tony stopped, his face darkening. "Oh, so you DID see?! You perv!"

Adam rolled his eyes. "I told you, I wasn't spying. I just happened to glance over while looking for you. And by the time I saw, you were already done anyway."

The two bickered all the way home—just another part of their usual dynamic.

As they got out of the car, Tony suddenly grinned. "Hey, Adam, how about giving me this car? Otherwise, I'll tell Dad you were spying on me."

Adam froze, then glared. "Oh, so THAT'S why you've been quiet this whole time—you were waiting for this moment! Forget it, not happening."

Tony smirked. "Come on, don't be like that. Just hand over the keys."

Adam shook his head. "No way. This is a brand-new car. I only bought it a week ago and today's my first time driving it."

Tony pointed at the keychain. "Then explain that 'T' on it."

Adam chuckled. "Damn, your eyes are sharp. Fine, I ordered it for you after hearing you mention it. I planned to give it to you for your graduation, but since you showed up at mine instead, I figured I'd drive it here and surprise you later."

Tony grinned. "Thanks, man. It's a great car. Don't worry—I won't tell Dad about your little peeping incident."

Adam growled. "I told you, I wasn't peeping! I just happened to see you while searching for you! Let it go already."

Just then, Maria's voice came from the garage's AI system. "What are you two doing in the garage? Come inside—I've prepared dinner."

Adam shrugged. "Fine. I'll let you off today. Keep slandering me, and I'll make you pay."

Tony smirked. "Perv."

Adam gave an evil grin. "Oh yeah? Then when you get married, I'll drop by your house every day so you can't do anything with your wife. Let's see how you like that."

Tony paled. "Oh God, you wouldn't actually do that, would you? You're my brother!"

Adam burst out laughing. "Depends on my mood!" With that, he walked into the house.

By the time Adam entered the living room, Maria had already set the table. She smiled. "There you are. Go wash up—dinner's ready."

Adam nodded. "Okay, Mom. Be right back." He headed to his spotless room, feeling touched.

After changing clothes, he returned to find Tony already seated at the table, waiting. Apologizing for the delay, Adam joined them, and the three enjoyed a warm, family dinner. Afterward, Adam kept Maria company for a bit before heading out to Stark Tower and into Howard's lab.

When Adam arrived, Howard was still working. Without looking up, he said, "Have a seat. I'll be done soon."

Adam nodded and sat in Howard's chair, glancing at the data on the computer screen.

A short while later, Howard finished and walked over. Seeing Adam looking at the screen, he said, "Oh, that's the data on the Tesseract. I'll be handing it over to an old colleague in a few days, so I was organizing everything."

Adam stood up. "The Tesseract? That blue energy source that knocked me out last time?"

When Adam was 15, he had once entered Howard's lab while he was studying the Tesseract. The moment Adam got near, he fainted. Later experiments showed that Adam's body could absorb its energy, but because the power was too overwhelming, his body shut down to protect itself. Since then, Adam had never seen the Tesseract again—though it did trigger the awakening of his abilities.

Howard nodded. "Yes, that one. Anyway, since you're here, let me get your gift." He pressed the top of a pen, and with a soft hiss, the wall holding a family photo slid upward, revealing a dark blue bodysuit displayed on a mannequin.

Adam was stunned. "What's this?"

Howard seemed lost in thought. "This is my gift to you. I know you've been… busy these past years. That masked figure in the city? I know it's you. Back then, I wanted you to hide your powers because you were still young. But you've grown up now—you can choose your own path. This… belongs to you."