The air seemed to freeze. Only the sound of the instruments running in the lab remained. Tony looked at Pepper, who was so close, and at the tenderness in her eyes. He felt that his mind, which was always full of crazy ideas, had calmed down.
He realized that his heart, which had become increasingly heavy under the identity of Iron Man, had found a safe harbor. He slowly pulled Pepper into his embrace. The hug was devoid of desire, only the purest emotion. Pepper leaned quietly against his chest, gently patting his broad back.
After an unknown period, Tony slowly released her. His usually playful face, though still a little awkward, now showed renewed determination in his eyes. He turned and looked at the two Armor models again. He felt he had to do something.
"Jarvis," he said.
"Pull up all the data on nanotechnology. Highest clearance, leave nothing out."
Pepper was surprised. She looked at Tony's determined profile and asked, puzzled,
"Tony? What are you going to do?"
Tony didn't turn around, his gaze still fixed on Henry's Armor model on the screen.
"That bastard Henry has been the one paying the price for us lately," his voice was calm, but every word carried weight.
"He cured me, he solved the company's crisis, and he even paved the way for our future."
"I think it's time for me, the older brother, to do something for him."
Pepper looked at him, hearing his heartfelt words, and her eyes were slightly red. She knew that the familiar Tony Stark was back.
Not the Playboy wrapped in media hype and spotlights. But the man with the world's most brilliant mind and a heart hotter than anyone's.
She didn't ask any more questions, simply walking to the bar to pour him a glass of his favorite whiskey. Then, she pulled up a chair and quietly sat down behind him.
"Do you need my help?" she asked softly.
"Of course," Tony said without turning around. His fingers were already dancing rapidly across the holographic keyboard in the air.
"Help me order a super-sized pizza, double Italian sausage. I guess we'll be pulling another all-nighter tonight."
Pepper looked at his focused back, a gentle smile on her face.
"Yes, Boss."
Time quietly slipped away in the lab.
An hour later. Tony was still standing in front of the holographic screen, several empty pizza boxes scattered at his feet. Although his face showed a hint of fatigue, his eyes were still sharp with determination.
After an hour of intense research, he and Jarvis had already performed a preliminary analysis and optimization of the nanotechnology concepts Henry had left behind.
"I have to admit, that bastard really does have something in his head," he looked at the already-forming nanite Armor model on the screen, complaining but with a proud undertone.
"Although this design is an aerodynamic disaster. And the appearance makes him look like a muscular hulk preparing for a bodybuilding competition, completely inconsistent with my elegant gentlemanly demeanor. But..."
He paused, then continued enthusiastically, "The concept of particle reorganization and liquid metal memory is simply a stroke of genius! No, two strokes of genius! Jarvis, did you see that?! He actually plans to use a... force field to confine and control the nanite particles! How did this guy even come up with that?!"
"Sir, according to my data analysis, Mr. Henry's concept is theoretically completely feasible. However, with our current materials technology, it seems we still cannot..."
"I know!" Tony interrupted him, his brain already racing.
"We need a completely new material! A super-metal that can bear massive energy, self-repair, and reorganize its form!"
As he spoke, a shield suddenly flashed in his mind. A round shield painted red, white, and blue, with a five-pointed star.
"Vibranium," he murmured.
...
Meanwhile, in the restaurant, the atmosphere was perfect. Soft candlelight illuminated Helen Cho's slightly flushed face.
Mellow classical music perfectly masked the conversations from neighboring tables, creating a private space for them. Henry rested his chin on his hand, gently swirling his wine glass.
He looked at Helen Cho, who was sitting upright and seemed a little reserved, a playful smile on his lips. Henry found it amusing that she hadn't said what she wanted yet, instead chatting about various topics.
But he didn't mind. It had been a long time since he had done something like this before his evening workout. He saw this as a relaxation period.
"I say, Dr. Helen Cho," he began, his voice low and magnetic, breaking the momentary silence.
"Are you sure you invited me here just to sample their cuisine? I should warn you, I'm not that picky about food; even a cheeseburger from the corner store, as long as the patty is thick and the cheese is plentiful, makes me happy."
Helen Cho was amused by his direct yet teasing words. Her last bit of nervousness vanished. She found that communicating with this man was easy and very interesting. She never had to worry about awkward silences because he could always use his damned humor to dissolve any tense atmosphere.
"Of course not," she imitated his style, gently swirling her wine glass. Her eyes, looking at Henry, began to glow with heat.
"I'm more interested in your mind, Mr. Stark. I can't imagine how much information a person's brain must contain to achieve such astonishing feats in so many fields, like you."
"Oh? Are you complimenting me?" Henry raised an eyebrow, as if to say, You have good taste.
"Thank you. But I prefer to be called a genius. You know, the word 'brain' sounds too biological; it lacks a certain artistic flair."
"Alright, Mr. Genius," Helen Cho played along. She found she was starting to enjoy this bickering with him.
"Then, can you, the great genius, satisfy the curiosity of a mere mortal like me? How exactly do you do it?"
"It's simple," Henry shrugged, wearing an expression that implied, What's so difficult about that? Then, he leaned forward, moving closer to Helen Cho. He lowered his voice, as if about to share a secret.
"Every night before I go to sleep, I take my brain apart, soak it in formaldehyde to kill the germs, and give it an upgrade. Then I put it back in the morning. How about that? Isn't that cool?"
"Pfft..." Helen Cho finally burst into laughter. She felt that the twenty-odd years of education she had received seemed like a joke in the face of this man.
"Mr. Stark, I find that you're not only a genius but also a wonderful storyteller," she said with a laugh.
"Oh? Is that so?" Henry also smiled. He looked at the woman opposite him, whose face was glowing with mirth. The moonlight outside seemed to have become softer.
"Then are you interested in hearing a more exciting story?"
"How exciting?"
"You guess."
Their dinner continued slowly in this ambiguous atmosphere.
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If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
p-atreon.com/Heroicverse