"You can tell me what happened, Mr. Kino," Howard said.
"No problem."
Kino explained everything—why Bucky had killed them, and what Tony's current condition was.
"So you've taken control of Hydra? Well, that might not be a bad thing," Howard muttered, feeling complicated emotions. Steve was alive again, too.
"Tony's getting married? Who's the woman? How old is she? What does she look like? Are they living together now?"
Maria's entire focus was on Tony.
"You can ask him those questions yourself, how about that?" Kino suggested.
Howard hesitated—go see Tony? He'd never had a proper conversation with him. Tony had always disliked him, and now twenty years had passed since he died.
"Howard, I miss Tony," Maria said softly, gently holding his hand. She knew her husband loved Tony in his own way—he just never knew how to express it.
"Alright. Let's go see him. Thank you, Mr. Kino," Howard said, finally making a decision.
"It's no trouble at all. After all, you two were meant to be a gift for Tony," Kino replied.
"A gift, huh? I'm glad Tony has a friend like you," Howard said with a faint smile.
Kino opened a portal and stepped inside.
"Spatial teleportation!" Howard exclaimed, stunned by yet another futuristic technology.
Before he could think further, Maria pulled him through the portal.
—
Tony's Beachside Villa
The electronic eye at the door scanned the group.
"Mr. Kino… and—Howard Stark and Maria Stark?!"
J.A.R.V.I.S. nearly glitched out.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., where are Tony and Pepper?" Kino asked.
"Sir is still sleeping. Madam Pepper is preparing lunch. Shall I wake him?"
"No need. We'll do it ourselves and give him a surprise," Kino replied as J.A.R.V.I.S. opened the door.
"This is J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony's A.I. The name's origin is probably obvious," Kino said, glancing at Howard.
"My personal butler, Edwin Jarvis… I can't believe Tony still remembers him," Howard said emotionally.
They passed the kitchen and saw someone inside cooking.
Thanks to Pamela's influence, Pepper had also grown fond of cooking for Tony during her free time.
Kino raised a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence.
"Pepper, are you making lunch for Tony? Can you prepare two extra servings?"
"No problem, Kino, you and Venom can—"
Pepper turned to grab a few extra plates from the drawer, but the moment she saw the two people standing behind Kino, her voice caught in her throat.
"Oh my God!"
In her shock, she gripped the plate too hard—crack—it shattered in her hands, shards scattering across the floor.
Maria reacted first. She rushed forward, grabbing Pepper's hand to check if she was hurt.
"Are you alright? I'm sorry—we didn't mean to startle you."
"I'm fine, um... hello. I'm Pepper. I mean… I'm Tony's…"
The queen of Stark Industries was suddenly tongue-tied with nerves.
Of course she recognized them—from photos.
"Pepper, how about we finish making lunch together?" Maria said gently.
Clearly, Pepper was Tony's fiancée, but she looked scared stiff.
"Okay, Mrs. Stark," Pepper replied hurriedly, grabbing a broom to clean up the mess. Her mind, however, was a whirlwind of emotions, a tangled mess of thoughts flying everywhere.
Maria helped pick up the larger pieces of broken ceramic, stealing glances at Pepper from time to time, her eyes filled with warmth and curiosity.
"Let's go. Time to wake the main character," Kino said with a mischievous grin.
Howard straightened his suit and followed Kino, step by step, toward Tony's bedroom.
When they reached the door, Howard lifted his hand to knock… but paused in hesitation.
Kino sighed and knocked hard himself. The doorframe trembled from the impact.
"Tony! Wake up! I brought you a present!" Kino shouted.
An angry voice came from inside instantly.
Kino calmly stepped aside, leaning against the wall, giving Howard space.
Howard took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the door.
A moment later, the door creaked open. A disheveled Tony, still in his pajamas, blinked sleepily.
"Kino, what the hell is wrong with—"
He froze.
His eyes locked onto Howard. His entire body went stiff. His mouth opened slightly in disbelief.
"Tony, I—"
Howard barely got the words out before—SMACK!
Tony landed a brutal left hook directly on Howard's face.
The punch was so strong that Howard's vision buzzed. He stumbled backward and fell hard onto the floor.
"Kino! This isn't funny!" Tony shouted, clenching his fist. His face was dark with rage.
At first, he thought he was hallucinating. But as he looked closer, it had to be Kino's trick. Especially that suit—it was exactly what Howard had worn the day of the accident. To Tony, it felt like an insult.
"Have you considered the possibility… that maybe it's really him?" Kino said flatly, leaning against the wall.
Tony blinked. He looked at Kino, then at the unmoving Howard on the floor. His mind was reeling.
Just then, Maria and Pepper rushed over, hearing the commotion.
"Howard!"
"Mr. Stark!"
Seeing his mother and fiancée's panicked faces, Tony's clenched fist began to tremble. A terrible thought crossed his mind. He looked at Kino.
His voice cracked. "Am I dreaming right now?"
"I'm afraid not. This was supposed to be a surprise," Kino said, shaking his head.
He opened the portal again and stepped through. Just before it closed, wild laughter echoed from the other side.
In that moment, Tony's heart sank.
Maria and Pepper weren't fools. From Tony's reaction, it was obvious who'd thrown the punch.
"Tony! How could you punch your father?" Maria scolded.
"Mom, let me explain! I thought it was Kino pretending to be him!"
"Tony! Get the healing serum! Mr. Stark's pupils are dilated!" Pepper yelled.
"Ah! On it!"
Today, the Stark household was anything but quiet.
Quote of the Chapter:"Sometimes, the greatest gifts come wrapped in confusion and a punch to the face."
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