Tony Stark quickly set down his glass of milk, motioned for Scarlett to stay quiet, and answered the phone.
"Pepper, where did you go? I was starting to get worried!"
"What? You and Nova went shopping in Los Angeles? You spent over a million dollars? That's fine! If you've got money and don't spend it, what's the point? Go ahead, buy whatever you want. Don't worry about me. When are you coming back? Next week? No, don't—I already miss you."
Right then, Tony switched into full-on romantic mode, sounding like Dean Walker's American cousin—gushing with no hesitation.
Scarlett's bright eyes sparkled with surprise. She couldn't imagine what kind of woman had the power to make this usually composed and confident man throw away all his pride.
After twenty straight minutes of sweet talk, Tony finally, though reluctantly, ended the call.
Women, after all, need to be coaxed.
And saying a few sweet nothings doesn't cost you anything.
Noticing Scarlett's curious and amused gaze, Tony felt a little flustered.
"Ahem. Scarlett, just so you know there's another lady in this house. When she returns, watch your words. Speak only when necessary and never mention anything that shouldn't be said."
"No problem, boss! I'll follow your lead!" she replied confidently, patting her chest in a show of loyalty.
"Good. You're quick to learn."
But as his gaze dropped briefly, the bounce of her chest nearly undid him. He forced himself to look away and silently recited:
"With a heart as clear as ice, I remain unshaken by collapsing skies…"
Later, at the company's lab, Dr. Carter was tinkering with a robot controller retrieved from the Hans Industry Expo alongside Peter Parker.
"This device allows remote control of the Hellfire Armor using visual commands. One instruction, and the suit can attack autonomously," Carter praised.
"If possible, I'd love to meet the scientist behind this tech. It's cutting-edge," he added.
Tony didn't fully grasp it but could still appreciate the brilliance behind it.
"I'm afraid that won't be happening. Ivan was too proud for his own good, he's already gone."
"That's a real shame," Carter sighed.
"Can we reproduce this tech?" Tony asked.
"This controller is only one part of the puzzle. The real core lies in the control system and operating software like your AI assistant, Jarvis," Carter explained, shaking his head.
"Then… could we integrate it with Jarvis?"
"Not right now. Jarvis isn't combat-ready. It's more of a household assistant and still needs human input," Carter said with a sigh.
He was, after all, an expert in mechanical engineering not artificial intelligence.
Tony nodded thoughtfully. An AI that could operate independently in combat?
Wasn't that what Ultron became?
The very force that caused the second Avengers Civil War, eventually resulting in Vision's creation.
No, he decided. AI was too unstable. If not kept under strict control, it could spiral into disaster.
"If AI's off the table, then even simple remote control would do," he thought. "That way, no one would have to risk their life. Even untrained scientists could contribute to the fight."
In time, he could command an army of Iron Soldiers. Even if they weren't as advanced as the Hellfire Armors, they'd still be useful on the battlefield if only as distractions or crowd-control units.
As Tony came out of his thoughts and turned to leave, his gaze landed on Peter Parker, who'd been standing silently nearby.
"Huh?"
Peter looked off today.
His attention drifted. He let out a few weird, absentminded giggles.
"Hey, Peter. You okay?" Tony waved his hand in front of Peter's face.
Carter just shrugged.
"He's been like this for days. I think he's caught the love bug."
Love might be the enemy of scientific research even more than laziness.
"Ah... Mr. Stark, what was that?" Peter blinked, still in a daze from kissing Mary Jane.
"I said, what are you daydreaming about? You didn't hear a word Dr. Carter just said?" Tony smirked. Young love clearly had Peter by the throat.
"I'm sorry! I was just... thinking. It won't happen again, Mr. Stark!" Peter stammered, flustered.
Damn it—spacing out during work hours in front of both his mentor and the big boss?
Unforgivable.
"It's fine. Just stay focused next time," Tony said, giving Peter a meaningful glance.
He suddenly remembered that late-night conversation they'd shared.
Had Peter actually taken his advice to heart?
Could he really have helped someone find confidence in a matter of days?
Maybe he had a future as a motivational speaker.
Perhaps he should start a training camp for young heroes—ones still figuring out their values, beliefs, and place in the world.
Speaking of young heroes, Tony remembered that Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were still out there somewhere, struggling to survive.
He pulled out his phone and called Pepper.
"You've got her perfume on you, it's a crime of my nose"
Shouldn't have smelled her allure, now I'm wiping everything clean just to sleep with you"
His ringtone played just as Pepper picked up.
"Tony? You want me to find two siblings? Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff? Got it," she said, hanging up and turning to Nova beside her.
"Vacation's over. Tony just gave me a new job—track down a pair of kids."
"Oh? Then I'll go with you," Nova said, eager to leave L.A. behind.
She hadn't seen Tony in days, and her body felt oddly empty… maybe even itchy.
"Let's head back to New York. Time to start building a team," Pepper said, striding out of the store.
"Miss, miss! Are you still buying the diamond?" a sales clerk called after them, having spent all morning pitching it.
"Forget it. You can have it if you want," Pepper waved it off. After a few days of retail therapy, most of her anger had cooled.
But that man—Tony—still hadn't called to apologize!
And now, according to Happy, some woman had moved into the villa. And she was pretty, too!
As the rightful queen of that house, she had to return fast.
Otherwise, those bold little temptresses might start acting like they belonged.
"Happy! Get the private jet ready. I'm flying home tonight!"
That evening, Tony returned to the villa early.
He used to stay out late, partying at clubs. But tonight, he felt a little anxious.
Pepper would be back soon.
Should he take this chance to settle things with Scarlett?
He'd been nurturing her for days, wasn't it time to see the results?
The biometric system let him in effortlessly. He strolled around the living room.
No one?
(End of Chapter)
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