Fortunately, her husband Charlie and her brother Wilson were both strong. Working together, they stripped the white woman down to her underwear, and only then did the flames finally subside.
At that moment, the white woman looked utterly pitiful. Her once golden hair was now ragged and scorched, resembling a tacky punk style. Her pale skin was exposed before everyone, faintly revealing patches of singed, curled body hair. Her body was bruised blue and red, with many areas badly burned.
Tony Stark felt no guilt, only satisfaction. He turned to the shivering chubby boy sitting on the stool and said,
"Kid, you still have a chance. Do you want to take it?"
The chubby white boy was surprisingly defiant. His lips trembled as he muttered,
"Asshole…"
Before he could finish, Tony Stark shoved his head into a bowl of hot soup at the neighboring table. The soup was still bubbling, likely just brought out from the kitchen.
The boy only had time to let out a scream before he began choking down the soup. His hands clawed frantically, his fingernails tearing and peeling back.
"Enough!"
Hill rushed over and grabbed Tony Stark. She whipped her head around, and the green glint in her eyes startled him. Her heartbeat had just soared past two hundred, automatically triggering the Hulk bloodline.
However, Tony Stark's transformation wasn't outwardly visible.
His hand clamped around Hill's neck, lifting her clean off the ground. She could only force out words through her constricted throat,
"Tony… it's… me."
The green glow in Tony Stark's eyes gradually faded, and his grip loosened. Hill seized the chance to break free, clutching her throat and coughing violently.
"Let go of my nephew, bastard!"
Wilson turned to see his young nephew struggling in the boiling soup. He quickly pulled a pistol from his waist and shouted at Tony Stark.
That snapped Tony Stark back to his senses. Looking down, he saw the boy had stopped moving. Quickly, he yanked him out of the soup. Fortunately, he was still breathing. But from his ruined face, it was clear he would never again sweet-talk girls.
"You're a devil! A devil!"
The white man hugged his scantily dressed wife, screaming hysterically. The woman had already collapsed with fear, trembling in his arms, ignoring even her son.
Tony Stark casually tossed the disfigured boy onto the ground and said coldly,
"If I were you, I'd put the gun down."
"Bastard, you're going to jail for this!"
Wilson pulled out his phone and barked,
"I've already called my colleagues. They'll be here soon. You've assaulted a child and endangered people's lives. You'll rot in prison!"
Tony Stark knew he had gone too far, but he felt no regret. Brats like this and their parents needed a lesson. This time they ran into him. If it happened again, he would do the same.
Looking at Hill sitting on the floor, he said apologetically,
"I'm sorry, Hill. I lost control just now. Did I hurt you?"
Hill shook her head, though fear lingered in her eyes. His madness reminded her of one man—Bruce Banner.
Tony Stark called Cyclops, briefly explaining what had happened. Cyclops was dumbfounded and cursed him harshly.
"Tony, I'll say this one last time. S.H.I.E.L.D. is not your personal tissue paper! You don't just use us when you want and toss us aside when you don't!"
Tony Stark listened calmly, then said,
"I have a secret that can serve as payment for this incident."
At that, Cyclops' single eye lit up. Last time, Tony Stark revealed something about Captain America, and they found him. If he was saying he had another secret now, it had to be important. Cyclops forced himself to sound composed as he asked,
"What secret?"
Glancing at Hill, Tony Stark replied,
"It's about an alien invasion of Earth."
"Fine, don't say another word. We'll discuss it tomorrow. I'll handle the scene here. Just get Hill out and make sure no one can use this against you."
Cyclops hung up and dispatched Team Six to clean up.
Tony Stark looked at the miserable family, shook his head, and pulled a wad of cash from his pocket three to four thousand dollars. He tossed it to the man.
"Take this and get your wife and kid treated. Let's leave it at that for today. And watch your tongue in the future."
He turned and walked away. Wilson still held his gun up, but Tony Stark didn't spare him a glance.
Perhaps intimidated by his sheer presence, Wilson said nothing as they left. That warning glare, what did it mean? And S.H.I.E.L.D. he'd heard of that somewhere before. It seemed his family had kicked an iron wall tonight.
Once outside the barbecue shop, a cold wind rushed over them. Tony Stark noticed Hill tightening her coat and asked,
"Where do you live? I'll drive you home."
Hill glanced at him and said,
"No need. I'll just get a cab. Besides, you've been drinking. You shouldn't drive."
Tony Stark laughed.
"Don't worry. With my body, I can drink all I want without feeling a thing. It won't affect my driving."
Like Captain America, his body functioned at four times that of a normal human, metabolizing alcohol just as fast. No amount of liquor could cloud his nerves.
"It's so late. Taxis aren't convenient. And I don't feel safe letting a gorgeous woman like you take one alone. What if the driver has bad intentions?"
He winked at her.
Hill had only been being polite, but seeing him insist, she relented. Walking to the passenger seat, she asked,
"Sitting here won't be a problem, will it?"
Tony Stark chuckled.
"Of course not. Every girlfriend of mine gets her own car. From now on, this one's yours."
Hill rolled her eyes and slipped into the seat. Tony Stark really was a playboy always taking advantage of women, whether with words or actions.
When Tony Stark got in, Hill couldn't help but ask,
"What you said about letting that family go, was that real?"
Feigning ignorance, he said,
"What family? I don't remember. You mean Peppa Pig?"
Hill ignored the dodge and pressed,
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has studied you. We know you're vengeful. You said their family would pay more than twenty thousand dollars. That wasn't baseless. Tony, they're just ordinary people. Don't go too far."
(End of Chapter)
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