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Pepper looked at Tony, who stood in front of her with an expression full of urgency and emotion. Compared to before, he seemed different—less arrogant, more desperate—but that didn't change what had already happened.
"Tony," Pepper said calmly, her voice steady but distant, "Jack… he let me go eight months ago."
Tony froze for a brief moment, as if the words hadn't registered properly. "Where is he now?" he asked immediately, his tone tightening.
Pepper shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "If you ever see him… help me ask him something."
Tony frowned slightly. "Ask him what?"
Pepper's gaze lowered for a moment before she spoke again. "Ask him… how I should settle things between us."
There was a faint bitterness in her voice, subtle but impossible to ignore.
Tony stared at her, confused and frustrated. "He let you go eight months ago… so why didn't you come back to me?" he asked, unable to understand.
Pepper smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in it. "Because I needed time," she said quietly. "The life I had before… I can't go back to it anymore."
Tony's expression shifted, emotion rising rapidly. "Why not?" he said, his voice growing louder. "I've changed. I'm not the same person anymore. I can protect you now. I won't just stand there helplessly while someone takes you away again."
Pepper looked at him, her expression unreadable. "Is that so?" she said lightly.
Tony nodded, almost aggressively. "After what happened, I upgraded everything," he continued. "My armor—its defensive systems are stronger than ever. Nothing like before. I won't lose again."
Jane Foster, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow slightly. "That impressive?" she asked, her tone half-curious, half-skeptical. "You think you can beat Jack?"
Tony's jaw tightened. "Jack?" he repeated, a cold edge entering his voice. "I will kill him."
The hatred in his eyes was unmistakable.
Jane crossed her arms. "You?" she said bluntly. "Kill him? That sounds like you're overestimating yourself."
Tony turned sharply toward her. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, frowning.
Jane didn't back down. "I'm just stating facts," she said calmly. "You're Iron Man. A superhero. But that doesn't mean you can handle everything. There are people you simply can't defeat."
Tony clenched his fists. "I will kill him," he repeated, his voice low but firm. "You'll see."
Then he turned back to Pepper, his tone softening slightly. "Come with me," he said. "I'll take you back."
Pepper shook her head gently. "Tony… you should go back," she said.
Tony stared at her, disbelief clear in his eyes. "Why?" he asked. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you? After Jack took you… do you have any idea what that did to me?"
His voice rose again, emotions spilling out.
"That's when I realized," he continued, "how important you are to me. I can't lose you."
Pepper looked at him quietly, her eyes soft but distant. "Thank you," she said. "If you had said this… before everything happened… I think I would have been very happy."
Tony's expression froze.
"But now," Pepper continued, "things are different. You should go back. You don't need to worry about me. I'm… fine."
"Fine?" Tony snapped. "You're not fine. What did Jack do to you?" His fists tightened, anger rising again. "I swear, when I find him—"
"Don't ask," Pepper interrupted softly. "Tony, please. Just go back."
There was a trace of helplessness in her voice.
Tony took a step forward. "I don't care what he did," he said. "It was my fault. I was too weak before. But now it's different. Come with me. I'll protect you."
Pepper shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Tony. I can't go back with you."
"Why?" Tony shouted, frustration breaking through. "Why is it like this?"
"Because… I can't go back," Pepper said simply.
The silence that followed felt heavy.
Jane finally sighed and stepped forward. "She already made it clear," she said. "She doesn't want to go with you. Do you really not understand that? Why force it?"
Tony laughed bitterly, taking a few steps back. "Good. Very good," he said, though there was no real humor in his voice.
He looked at Pepper one last time. "I'll wait," he said quietly. "When I kill Jack… I'll come find you again."
Without waiting for a response, his armor sealed shut, and he shot upward into the sky, disappearing in seconds.
---
Jane watched him leave, then glanced at Pepper. "Looks like Iron Man really fell for you," she said. "He's famous, rich, powerful… and you rejected him just like that."
Pepper sighed softly. "If he had said those things earlier…" she murmured.
Jane tilted her head. "Before Jack took you?" she asked. "Did you like Tony back then?"
Pepper hesitated for a moment. "I had a good impression of him," she admitted.
Jane smirked slightly. "And did anything happen between you two?"
Pepper shot her a look. "Nothing happened," she said firmly. "What are you imagining?"
Jane chuckled lightly. "I was just curious. Honestly, I almost feel bad for him."
Pepper looked up at the sky, her expression distant. "It's been a long time," she said quietly.
Jane smiled faintly. "Yeah… a long time. Strange, isn't it? Jack hasn't come looking for you."
Pepper immediately frowned. "That's not what I want," she said sharply. "I don't want to see him. I hate him."
Jane raised an eyebrow. "Then why reject Tony?" she asked calmly.
Pepper opened her mouth—then stopped.
"I…" she hesitated.
Jane shook her head. "No need to argue," she said. "Honestly… I hate him too. For deceiving me. But…"
She paused, her expression becoming complicated.
"…I still want to see him."
Pepper looked at her, slightly surprised.
Jane sighed. "Women are like this," she said. "Contradictory."
Pepper frowned slightly. "Don't drag me into that," she said. "You're the one who feels that way."
Jane avoided her gaze. "I didn't say I like him," she said quickly.
"You're avoiding the question," Pepper replied.
"I'm not."
"You are."
"…I'm not."
After going back and forth several times, Jane finally sighed, rubbing her throat. "This is pointless," she muttered. "We're just going in circles."
Pepper crossed her arms. "Then what do you suggest?"
Jane shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "But things will work out somehow."
Pepper snorted lightly. "That's just avoidance."
Jane grinned. "Maybe. But at least I'm honest about it. You're worse than me."
Pepper didn't respond. She simply turned and walked back inside.
Jane watched her go, shaking her head. "Troublesome," she muttered. "Why did I have to get involved in this mess? Jack… you bastard."
---
"Achoo!"
Far away, in the Hammer Industries building, Jack suddenly sneezed.
"Someone's definitely thinking about me," he said casually.
Ada laughed softly. "Not just thinking," she said. "Probably thinking about you nonstop."
White Queen sat in front of a computer, her eyes glowing faintly as data streamed across the screen. "By the way," she said, "I forgot to tell you something."
Jack glanced at her. "What?"
"The nano-cameras we deployed are connected to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network," she said. "I've already hacked into their system."
Jack's eyes narrowed slightly.
"They recovered the Tesseract," White Queen continued. "And now they're using its energy to develop weapons. Just like Hydra did before."
Jack smiled slowly, a dangerous glint appearing in his eyes.
"So it begins," he said.
Ada looked confused. "Begins what?"
Jack leaned back slightly, his smile turning colder. "Loki will show up soon," he said. "And when he does…"
He paused for a moment.
"The Avengers will assemble."
Ada frowned. "The Avengers?"
Jack looked at her, amused. "Didn't I tell you?" he said. "A team of Earth's strongest heroes. Iron Man… the Hulk… Thor… and Captain America."
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"This world is about to get very interesting."