Gemini listened to Ethan, trying hard to control her temper. "Are you stupid? Why worry about someone like that? Am I too useless or is my backing not big enough? You should've come back the moment you noticed something wrong! Could he really chase you here demanding people?!"
Ethan smiled sheepishly, not daring to speak, afraid of triggering Gemini's emotions.
"What did I do to deserve this! I must owe you all something—worrying about your problems before exams?!" Gemini sat beside Ethan, muttering complaints. She was nearly driven crazy by those papers. Now she finally had a punching bag. Punching bag? Gemini's eyes lit up.
"Let's go get him! He's obviously not a good person!" Gemini declared.
Pepper hesitated without speaking. That Killian—honestly, they hadn't seen each other in years. His sudden appearance coinciding with all these incidents... she wasn't stupid. She'd noticed something was wrong.
"Pepper!" Gemini suddenly called out.
Pepper instinctively straightened. "Yes! What is it?"
"Do you have the safe house key Tony gave you?" Gemini asked seriously. "You've been in contact with him since he appeared. I'm afraid he has designs on you. Keep your protective items on, and activate them immediately if anything seems wrong. Don't be like this idiot who got caught and injected with virus!" She looked disdainfully at Ethan.
Ethan touched his nose, not daring to make a sound.
"And Tony, have JARVIS investigate when you get back. I feel like he keeps appearing around you—first Pepper, then Happy. You might be next. Stay on guard!" Gemini glared at Tony.
Tony quickly raised his hands in surrender. "No problem! I'll listen to you!" This wasn't the time to provoke Gemini. If she suddenly turned on him, that wouldn't be fun.
"Ethan!" Gemini called next.
Ethan answered frantically from the floor. "Here!"
"Don't think you're fine now. I need Banner to check you properly. I don't understand DNA and genetics. I only treated your surface symptoms—internal problems remain. Stay in the shop and cooperate with Banner!"
Ethan felt he'd lost all human rights and would definitely obey.
Having Coby help put Ethan back in his room, Gemini downed another Pepper-Up Potion. "Excellent! I feel fantastic now! What are you all staring at? Do your own things! I need to prepare too!"
Tony and Pepper were kicked out of the shop. Looking at the closed door, Tony felt something was off.
"Isn't she too hyper?" Tony asked Pepper.
"Should we ask someone? I don't understand the wizard side either," Pepper said.
Tony immediately called George at the workshop, explaining Gemini's condition. George laughed heartily.
"Don't worry about her. Almost every wizard acts abnormally before N.E.W.T.S. If Fred and I hadn't blown up the acting headmaster and dropped out, we wouldn't have performed much better than Gemini. She's just under too much pressure. You've got a perfect punching bag for her, right? She'll be fine after venting."
Only then did Tony relax. After hanging up, he looked at the empty area outside the shop and smacked his forehead.
"The car's at the hospital. Should we go back first?" Tony offered his arm. Pepper rolled her eyes and took it. "Can't you figure out how to improve this? This feeling is so uncomfortable..."
Before Pepper finished, Tony began Apparating back to Happy's hospital room, earning himself a beating.
"Hey, I think I'm the patient here. I need good food to recover, not dog food," Happy protested weakly.
Only then did Tony and Pepper turn around. "You're awake?! How are you?!"
Happy rolled his eyes. "I woke up when you whooshed away. Didn't dare call anyone, then saw you whoosh back."
Tony walked over to check Happy's condition. The burns had scabbed over, no longer the festering mess from when he arrived. "How do you feel?"
"Not bad. Doesn't hurt much, just itchy. Did Gemini save me?" Happy asked.
Tony nodded. "Of course. Did you see anything?"
Only then did Happy look at Pepper. "Pepper, that pretty boy really isn't good news. His men can explode! I personally saw his subordinate turn red, then blow up a whole store!"
Pepper quickly comforted him. "I know, I know. We all know now. Your job is to play the good patient. That pretty boy? Leave him to us, okay?"
Happy looked questioningly at Tony. Tony shrugged and told Happy about Ethan. After comforting Happy, they left together, called nurses to watch him, and told the doctors this was treatment by a wizard cooperation healer—they just needed to handle the aftermath.
Walking out of the hospital, Tony was surrounded by reporters. This time there was no Happy's broad figure to block those microphones, which nearly got shoved into Tony's mouth.
Annoyed, Tony looked at the reporters, then thought of Happy and Ethan. His anger flared.
A reporter happened to ask: "Mr. Stark! Do you have anything to say about the Mandarin's terrorist attack?"
Tony's anger shot to his head. He laughed bitterly. "Mandarin? That's what he calls himself? Clown! Come at me directly if you dare! My address is 10880 Malibu Point! Come find me at home if you can!"
With that, he pushed past the reporters and got in the car under escort.
Pepper looked at Tony in shock. "Why did you give out your address?! Won't they come for you next?! Don't go home recently! Stay at the tower!"
Tony stared silently out the window.
"I'm talking to you!" Pepper was getting angry.
"Relax, Pepper. Don't forget my house has been modified. George has a workshop there too. Hmph, even if I gave out the address, if they can find my house, I lose!" Tony sneered.
Only then did Pepper relax slightly. "Really? Magic?"
Tony became smug. "George helped with my house—protection and privacy combined! Anyone with ill intent toward me can't see my house even standing at my front door."
Pepper finally relaxed completely, having the car continue to Tony's house.
Despite Tony's confidence, when they got home, he still had JARVIS contact Fred to explain the situation. Both being AIs, they communicated much faster than George and Tony talking—just a few flashes of data streams and they'd exchanged information.
George was tinkering in his workshop. "So our new product has someone to test it?"
Fred spread his hands. "Wonder if they can actually find the place."
"This thing was first developed to deal with Umbridge. Finally got to take it out for updates, and we run into test subjects again!" George packed up what he was holding—just an ordinary-looking firework from the outside.
Fred also smiled. "Isn't that good?"
George smiled too. "Of course it's good. Notify our customers to pay attention here recently. We'll be holding a seaside surprise fireworks show!"
Fred pouted. "Notify who? Do you know when people are coming?"
George stood up with a box. "Isn't that simple? When we want them to come, they have to come!"
"The fireworks show is set for tomorrow night! I'll go set up first, in case they come during the day—that would be disappointing!" George said, walking out.
Tony was also busy in his basement, constantly working on something. While he wasn't afraid of terrorists, this was his home. If they caused damage, who would compensate him?
Seeing George leave the workshop with things, they nodded at each other. George went outside while Tony continued working.
Early the next morning, while Tony was still in bed, JARVIS began its noise attack.
"Shut up, JARVIS! I only slept at 4 AM! Have you seen Los Angeles at 4 AM?! I have! Don't disturb me!" Tony grumbled irritably.
"Sir, there's a lady visitor who says she's your former... um, Miss Pepper is already receiving her," JARVIS said calmly.
Tony jumped out of bed. "Why didn't you say so earlier?! What woman?!"
"The kind you're thinking of, sir," JARVIS delivered the final blow.
Tony hurriedly washed up and rushed downstairs to see two women sitting in the living room drinking tea with subtle atmosphere.
Tony froze. What should he say?
"Who are you?" Tony sat directly beside Pepper, kissed her cheek, then asked irritably.
"Hansen. Maya Hansen." The woman across from them stared straight at Tony as if she hadn't seen their interaction.
"Should I know you?" Tony asked.
Hansen paused. "1999, Bern, Switzerland. You left me an algorithm."
Tony thought back and finally remembered. "Oh! Right! Yes! It's you. So what are you here for? I remember we're even."
Hansen seemed to make up her mind. Before Tony could speak, she poured out everything about her cooperation with Killian and what he'd done.
Tony's expression turned ugly. "So what are you here for?! To gloat?"
"No, I think he's wrong. That wasn't my intention! I want to stop him, but I can't!" Hansen covered her face in pain.
"So why come to me?! Why should I handle the mistakes you made? Just because I gave you an algorithm over ten years ago?" Tony sneered.
"You exposed your address. If I could find it, he'll come soon!" Hansen said.
Tony cared even less. "Let him come! Am I afraid of him?"
"Hey! Chatting?" George came up from the basement, glanced at the living room, and asked with a smile.
"Why did you come out?" Tony looked at George strangely. George usually didn't come to the living room, especially when he had guests.
"You have new guests. Don't you want to look?" George grinned.
Tony immediately perked up. "Where?"
George nodded toward the sea outside. "Right there."
Everyone went to the window. Several armed helicopters were flying around the sea like headless flies.
"They're here! They're here! Let's go!" Hansen shouted in terror, reaching to grab Tony.
Tony dodged with a turn, asking George directly, "What's their situation?"
"Grand introduction! Our new product! Full Panorama Maze! Just place it there, and people without the correct password can't find the exit! They only see identical scenery!" George laughed, pointing at a box floating on the sea. "The largest supports 50 square kilometers, the smallest 5 square meters! Isn't it practical?"
"Hey! This thing is great!" Tony said excitedly, having Jarvis bring chairs over. The group sat by the window watching those headless flies buzzing around outside, unable to escape.
No one paid attention to Hansen's opinions. Tony said not tying her up was already considering their past relationship.
"Hey hey hey! Look! They're out of fuel!" After watching all afternoon until Tony was bored, the helicopters finally showed new developments.
George held binoculars. "More are coming. Reinforcements after failing? They look serious!"
"Got any more tricks? If not, I'm ready to act. Watching all day is boring!" Tony asked lazily, sprawled in his chair.
"Of course I do. I sent out invitations—tonight! We can start when the sun sets!" George said. "Don't interfere. Don't ruin my new product showcase!"
Tony was indignant. "Hey! Looking down on me?! You have new products and I don't?!"
"Is this magic?" Hansen murmured.
Only then did Tony react. "Why are you still here?"
Hansen looked at Tony speechlessly. She'd been here all day!
"Whatever. JARVIS, show George my results!" Tony turned away from her and ordered JARVIS directly.
"Yes, sir." JARVIS opened a section of floor by the terrace.
"Look at this!" Tony said smugly, gesturing for George to look down.
George walked to the revealed circular pit and looked down, gasping. A cylindrical underground room with neatly arranged various Mark series suits—roughly counting, about 40 of them. Each had different features.
"What are you planning?" George was stunned. "Action figure collection?"
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