Jay had barely reached LA while he talked to Gwen on the phone, "like I said. Just don't tell her anything. I'll solve your problem when on your graduation day. I also have a plan for you."

"Plan? You mean a gift?"

Jay paused in his footsteps, walking again, "right, sorry. Work problem, I always have the plans. Gifts don't earn money."

He heard a ding, removing mobile long enough to see who was calling, "listen. I have to go. I'll message?"

"Coolio!" Gwen abruptly cut the call, making Jay look at the mobile, on the verge of laughter, "coolio?"

He picked the other calls, "Pepper?"

"Jay, you are buying a music studio? Tony told me to buy it for you. Can you meet me? I need to know which one do you want to buy. Also, knowing why would help so that I can arrange accordingly."

"Sure, I'll come over. Where do you want to meet?"

"How about Tony's house?"

"Works for me. I'll be there in an hour?"

Jay put the cell back in his pocket, wondering if he should pick something up. There was this annoying sense of responsibility over whether this fight will go the way it did in other universes. And then there was the fact that he didn't want there to be causalities.

Even so, he wasn't sure that when Tony does have the power of suit in his hands, he won't change.

Tony always walked a dangerous line when it came to these things. Anyway, dealing with what was in front of him was better than not doing it while thinking about the future.

An hour later,

Jay walked inside Tony's house, looking for Pepper, "Pepper? Pepper?!" 

"Jay? Down here!"

Jay walked towards the stairs when he stopped to went to the refrigerator, taking a can of coke before going down the stairs, "still working?"

His eyes traced the room, looking at one of the completed gauntlets, then to the gauntlet, Tony was working on.

Tony sat up with holding a tool between his teeth, "I did it. I created one. On my way to second."

Jay gave him a strange look, clapping his hand, "good job? Your dad did a poor job with you, didn't he?"

Pepper put her finger on her lips, chuckling, while Tony narrowed his eyes, moving his finger between the glove and Jay, "you mean you are not curious?"

Jay looked over, smiling mischievously, "that I am, very. But, mate, it's more fun teasing you."

He raised his gauntlet, watching it closely, when Pepper curiously looked at him, "so whose graduating? You sibling? Cousin? And graduating from school or college?"

Jay glanced at her, watching her and Tony's curious eyes, "it's nothing like that. I met George Stacy while I lived in New York. As a teenager, I wasn't all that law-abiding, so I had a few run-ins with the people. George was a police officer who thought I had more potential and took me home. I met his then, around 9 or 10 years daughter Gwen and her best friend, Mary Jane. Now, the two are in their senior year. Mary has a band with Gwen and two other friends."

Jay checked every nook and cranny of the gauntlet, "Now, Gwen is intelligent. Enough to become one of the lead scientists, her subject is biochemistry. She wants to go to college, while Mary wants to make their band more popular. So, she wanted me to soften the blow by talking to Jane."

Pepper watched him closely, "so you decided that you wanted to buy a music studio to soften a blow? I wish I had people like that when I was a kid."

Tony stood up, taking up his tool, "and I was so sure you have a girlfriend that you wanted to impress. How about this, next time we go to a party I'll take you? I am sure you can get a girl or two?"

Jay glanced towards Pepper, "didn't you do a background check?"

Pepper tilted her head, "someone must have, but I haven't read the reports. Sorry, was that question something we shouldn't have asked?"

Jay shook his head, "No. As I said, I had a bad period during my school days. Even though I could have skipped grades and did early college, I wasn't all that interested in that. I wanted to live my childhood, so I made mistakes. One of those were girls, too many. It's like an addiction - once it starts, there is no stopping, so the relationship is impossible for me. At most, one-night stands, friends with benefits, and all that stuff. I am just trying to hold back as much as I can. People avoid smoke, alcohol, and all that. I avoid sex."

Pepper had pity bubbling in her eyes, "Oh, that must be tough."

Jay smiled at her, his eyes darting between Tony and her, "not as tough as what you do."

Pepper blushed lightly, looking away while Tony became uncomfortable as he stood up, changing topic, "how are you not grumpy? Usually, those that live too long without sex become grumpy, irritable, and all that. You are..."

"Too nice? Patient?" Pepper completed the sentence for Tony.

"Something along those lines," It was too much for Tony, the idea of complimenting others.

Jay looked away, "I guess...I am just tired of being angry, hating, pushing away. I'd rather be nice and give pass that niceness along."

He grinned, his fingertips touching his chest, "the world needs more people like me."

Pepper stood up, "well, I can say that you have the right amount of narcissisticness."

Jay laughed, "yeah, then since you are standing up, does that mean the interview is over."

Abruptly, the atmosphere of the room turned awkward as Pepper and Tony exchanged glances and look.

Jay smiled at them, "come on. It's alright, I can be hasty sometimes, and if you want to make me a partner in the company, then an interview is a must. I understand, so don't worry about it so much."

Tony scoffed, "who's worried, and who said anything about making partners?"

Jay pointed at him, "you? I wouldn't have given you information on the unpatented designs if I didn't believe in you enough. If I were in your position, I would have done the same."

He stood up, "also, I didn't have to say anything. I just wanted to..."

Pepper looked at him suspiciously, "let us know that there are no hard feelings?"

Jay shook his head, pointing his finger towards Tony, who didn't even have to guess, "No, to make us feel uncomfortable."

Jay nodded proudly, "Tony knows me. Good guess. And with that, I should take my leave."

He was about to turn when he remembered something, "I didn't see any strong weapon on your gauntlet. Do you plan to make one?"

Tony squeezed his eyes shut, looking away when Pepper's eyes darted between them, "weapons? What are you talking about? Tony, what is he talking about?"

Jay pointed towards the gauntlet, "didn't he tell you? Now that Tony is shutting down firearms production. And plans to create Solar Powered Satellite. Which could provide electricity to the whole world, there would be many gunning for his life. People who want the Stark Industry to stay as it is, and people who want to kill him so that the energy could go to the hands of the government. Senators, and these people who could profit from it. Or the current energy giants in the world. He needs protection - this suit is for that."

Tony jumped on the wagon as he heard that, "Yes, it's for protection. That is why I don't want weapons that are too dangerous."

Jay looked at him as if he was being naive, "I guess you have that side to you. Tony, why do you think that humans were able to reach this stage? Why do we have skyscrapers? The food that we eat, the chairs on which we seat the mobiles that we use to talk, the laptops?"

Tony looked at him, "I know what you are saying. But even if I don't make it, sooner or later, someone else will."

Jay nodded, looking away, his eyes distant, "Yes, someone will. But Tony, when you do, you will become an enigma. A true giant among men, and there will always be humans coming to hunt the giant, to make the Gods bleed. It's in our nature, one that we cannot escape from. You will come across them, people with an intellect like yours. People who will reach you, even if you have broken through the limits of what is possible. When you create that suit, keep that possibility in your mind."

His eyes raised, glancing towards a confused, scared, and angry Pepper, holding herself back, shifting towards Tony, "if you stop now, then you will die. For sure."

He waved his hand, walking out, "just think about it carefully. I'll send you something cool, just in case you need technology to power your suit a little."

Once Jay left the room, Pepper slammed her hands on the table, "what the hell is going on, Tony!"

Tony glanced towards Pepper, turning his eyes towards the stairs, "what do you think he knows, and I don't?"

Pepper glared at him, "I am more interested in what I don't know."