"Your taste is still so vulgar." Henry curled his lips.
"We can have a party, but first, I need a double cheeseburger. A huge one! Double pickles and bacon. I swear I could eat a whole cow right now."
Perhaps from spending so much time with Tony, Henry had developed a fondness for cheeseburgers.
"Hamburger? Again?" Tony's tone dripped with contempt.
"Henry, my dear brother, can't you aim a little higher? We just escaped that hellhole. We should pop a bottle of red wine and have the chef prepare a grand dinner. We need to cleanse our palate from those Middle Eastern burritos! Not stuff ourselves with greasy junk food!"
"I just want a hamburger." Henry said stubbornly, leaving no room for argument.
"And it has to be that burger joint next to Randy's Donuts. Best juicy patties in town."
"Okay, okay, you win." Tony sighed helplessly. He knew Henry could be more stubborn than him at times.
"Let's go get burgers first, and they have freshly fried fries at my favorite place. Then we'll head home and party!"
"Deal."
As the sun set, the bickering of the two brothers echoed under the sky, merging with the roar of their sonic booms.
Their journey home seemed shorter with their chatter.
They were like kids returning from summer camp, dreaming about life after their return.
"Honestly, though your black armor is cooler than my silver one, it isn't practical." Tony flew circles around Henry, joking about his armor.
"Look, no external ports at all. I couldn't even mount a missile or laser cannon. And no helmet — what if a bird poops on you? That'd ruin your cool factor in battle."
Tony was confident his taste was the best.
"First, I don't need fancy weapons. My fists are weapons enough." Henry's expression said, "You wouldn't understand."
"Second, no bird can keep up with my speed. Third, and most importantly, my face is God's masterpiece. Covering it with a helmet? That's blasphemy against art."
"Narcissist." Tony muttered into their comms.
"That's the truth." Henry replied bluntly.
Tony was speechless. Although they were family, he couldn't understand why his younger brother seemed so different.
If anything, Henry looked more like an uncle—numbers just didn't add up.
They argued and laughed through day and night, night and dawn.
Soon, the steel jungle of Los Angeles rose before them at sea level, refreshing them both.
"Well, I just want to announce now—The great billionaire Tony Stark is back!" Tony cheered and suddenly accelerated, overtaking Henry.
"Hey! Last one to the burger joint pays!"
"Childish." Henry said as he instantly transformed into black lightning, chasing after Tony.
Two streaks of light, silver and black, tore through the Los Angeles sky.
They weaved between skyscrapers and zipped above plazas, attracting stunned looks from pedestrians below.
Jarvis's gentle warnings echoed simultaneously in their comms:
"Warning! Mr. Stark, you are violating multiple FAA regulations and causing traffic chaos…"
"Warning! Mr. Henry, a commercial flight is approaching. Please evade immediately…"
But neither brother paid attention.
They landed heavily in the parking lot of a modest burger joint with two dull thuds, like meteorites.
Their landings left two shallow craters, startling customers and passersby into fleeing.
"I win!" Tony stood first and announced proudly.
"It was obviously me," Henry said, dusting off and following.
Ignoring curious and frightened onlookers and wailing sirens, they swaggered inside the restaurant.
Customers and staff were stunned, a Silver-armored Iron Man and a mysterious black-armored figure with cloak walking in like a private club's VIPs.
"Gentlemen, what can I get for you?" a braver waiter asked trembling.
Tony raised his visor, took a seat by the window, and said,
"Double cheeseburger, please."
"Same for me," Henry said, sitting opposite.
"Double pickles and bacon, thanks."
While they waited, a black Audi drifted into the parking lot.
Pepper and Happy jumped out, informed by Jarvis half an hour earlier.
Pepper's face showed ecstasy, anger, worry, and helplessness simultaneously.
"Tony! Henry!" she rushed over, voice trembling with excitement.
"You… you two bastards! Do you know…"
"Hey, Pepper, calm down." Tony picked up his burger and took a big bite.
"Wait until I finish. Honestly, this is the best thing I've eaten in my life."
Though he said it lightly, Tony silently felt the weight of Pepper's suffering during their absence.
Henry smiled and nodded at Pepper.
"Good afternoon, Pepper. Your new hairstyle looks great."
Pepper regarded these heartless guys and felt the anxiety and anger from the week dissolve like a punch into cotton with no outlet.
She took a deep breath, forcing calm.
"You two have to come back now. Right now!" she said firmly.
"The outside is swarming with reporters and cops. Do you want front-page headlines tomorrow?"
"Headlines? I'm on those every day. Used to it." Tony took another bite.
"But since you're here, perfect. Set up a press conference for me in an hour. I've got something to share with the world."
"A press conference?" Pepper was stunned.
First thing after returning wasn't going home, but facing the world?
"That's right."
Tony finished his burger, burped happily, wiped his mouth, stood, and whispered to Pepper,
"Some games have to end. But new games have to begin."
His eyes showed relief and uncertainty, yet he settled his resolve.
He knew the consequences, but chose this path.
This was his way to repay those who had suffered—and to himself.