Y/n blinks.

They were just somewhere else—somewhere quiet. Now, they're standing in the middle of a crowd that moves with the singular, relentless purpose of a living organism. Taxis blare their horns. A delivery truck rumbles past, its side plastered with a larger-than-life photo of a man in a red-and-gold suit. IRON MAN, the caption reads, HERO OR MENACE?

The screen above the TKTS booth flickers, cycling through headlines in crisp, white text.

IRON MAN IN WASHINGTON: CONGRESS DEMANDS SUIT TURNOVER.

S.H.I.E.L.D. DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" INCIDENT.

AVENGERS INITIATIVE: PUBLIC OPINION DIVIDED.

A young woman in a heavy coat bumps into Y/n’s shoulder, barely muttering an apology as she sips her coffee. She doesn't stop. Nobody stops.