This story's 30 advanced chapters have been uploaded on my Patreon.
Here's the link: patreon.com/Hussain678 — all 30 advanced chapters are available there.
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They sat at the table—both of them.
On the screen…
The video continued.
[Little Pepper looked at the lavish dinner Tony had prepared and frowned.]
After all, Tony had asked her to come home early for dinner—but now he had already started eating without waiting for her. Worse, he had even sent a remotely controlled Mark suit to flirt with her.
Any woman would be angry in her position.
So, hands on her hips, she spoke to Tony.
Pepper: "Tony, you asked me to dinner but didn't wait? You ate first!?"
Tony's voice sounded a bit flustered.
Tony: "I've been really busy lately. I didn't know if you'd come back for dinner, so I just took a couple bites."
Tony quickly changed the subject, a hint of jealousy in his tone.
Tony: "Besides, I didn't know if you'd be having a drink with Killian."
The mention of Killian made the atmosphere tense.
Pepper's eyes widened in shock.
Pepper: "Killian! Are you… spying on me? You're at home tinkering with these machines… so… was this Happy's doing!?"
[Pepper recalled how wary Happy looked the first time he met Killian, which made her furious.]
Tony: "Happy cares about you."
Pepper: "No! That's spying!"
Seeing Tony still standing there with arms crossed, a nonchalant expression on his face, Pepper rolled her eyes and turned away.
Pepper: "Fine, I'm going to bed."
[Seeing the dinner atmosphere ruined by her anger, Tony panicked.]
Tony: "Wait! Please! Hey! I admit it! I was wrong, I'm sorry."
He raised both hands in surrender.
[Seeing Pepper pause and turn to look at him,]
Tony finally confessed everything.
Tony: "Honestly… I'm a mess right now."
For a long while… he hadn't spoken.
Little Pepper looked at him, realizing he was about to open up. She slowly walked down the stairs.
She knew he hadn't been doing well lately.
He spent his days in the underground lab, endlessly improving the Mark suits. He had rarely been seen outside. The suits had become his family.
[Even when he went out with Rhodey once, according to Rhodey, they didn't even talk ten minutes before Tony dashed out to check on his Mark armor.]
He seemed inseparable from the suit.
[So even though Pepper had been angry earlier,] deep down, she was genuinely worried about Tony.
Seeing Pepper approach, Tony continued.
Tony: "After the events in New York… everything changed."
Pepper: "Really? What changed?"
Tony: "You went through it… and even though it's over, you can't fully understand.Gods, aliens, other dimensions…But I'm just a regular guy in a world of iron.I haven't fallen apart because you moved in.Thank God. I love you. I'm lucky.But…Darling…I can't sleep…"
Pepper's eyes softened with concern as she listened.
Elsewhere, Captain America waited curiously for Howard's explanation.
But Howard suddenly shifted the topic and asked him a question:
Howard: "Steve, what kind of person do you think Tony is?"
Steve frowned, confused by the sudden question. But since Howard asked, he answered:
Steve: "Tony… he's… your son."
Steve widened his eyes and looked at Howard innocently.
Howard almost spat blood in rage.
I asked what kind of person Tony is!
And you tell me he's my son!?
Of course I know Tony is my son!
I want to know what kind of person he is! What qualities does he have?!
Brother!
I know you're not that smart!Your understanding doesn't match mine!But you can't be this stupid!
You make me never want to look for you in the ice again!
After a long pause, Howard calmed himself.
No. Good. Patient. Think. I'm the one cursed by knowledge!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger toward Steve.
Yes. Very good. That's it. Now. Next. Smile!
Howard forced a grimace, uglier than crying, and grit his teeth.
Howard: "Steve, I want to ask you again: what kind of person do you think Tony is?"
Agent Carter stepped back, hand near her holster, seeing Howard on the verge of exploding.
Yes, I also want to punch Steve.
Steve, a big, straightforward man, didn't understand Howard's reaction. He patted his head and said:
Steve: "Okay… here's what I think."
He thought for a moment, then continued:
Steve: "How to say… at first glance, Tony seems like a playboy. He appears carefree and casual, but he does things extremely well.
So, if I were to work with him, I might initially think he's a bad guy.
He's like someone who's flamboyant to the outside, but responsible internally.
That makes people love and hate him at the same time."
Carter nodded, remembering Tony herself.
Steve: "But… after watching so many of Tony's videos, I think he's actually a good person, even a very good person!
Beneath that cynical face, he is…"
"I know this may sound a bit soft, but I still want to say it: I think Tony is incredibly kind. He is responsible for his team and believes everything is his duty.
He's someone you can trust."
Howard nodded, picking up Steve's point.
Howard: "Yes. The videos explain why Tony can be called a superhero.
Beyond his far-future armor, it's his sense of responsibility that makes him heroic.
It was this responsibility that drove him, during the New York battle, to single-handedly throw a nuke into the wormhole, regardless of whether he might die.
But!
It's also this responsibility that cursed Tony with the Curse of Knowledge!
Tony is too talented! Too responsible!
Because of these traits, countless people have expectations of him.
These expectations bring initial joy, but must be approached gradually.
Expectations keep rising, like mountains on his shoulders.
Tony craves success, craves victory, and fears failure—he cannot afford to fail!
But how can anyone never fail?
When one mountain is climbed, another, higher mountain awaits.
To meet expectations and fulfill responsibilities, one must keep climbing.
Tony is the same.
After the New York battle, he realized the universe holds stronger, unknown enemies.
During the battle, he sank the Chitauri mothership alone, achieving both glory and immense pressure.
This pressure comes not only from people's expectations but also from unknown cosmic threats."
Howard paused, letting Steve and Carter digest the words.
Steve rested his chin, thinking, and asked:
Steve: "Pressure isn't a good thing? Why is Tony like this?"
Howard nodded.
Howard: "Yes, pressure gives motivation.
For example, if homework is due tomorrow, tonight students will create miracles with a single pen and lamp.
But it also warns you when a crisis will come.
If it doesn't? Look at Nick Fury. In the previous videos, he discovered the Tesseract early.
We could have used it sooner, even adapted Hydra's tech to make weapons.
We should have built a large-scale weapon earlier to fight aliens—but why didn't we detect them during the New York battle?"
Steve's head felt like mush.
Steve: "Why?"
Howard: "Because most people don't understand danger during peaceful times.
After a crisis, they celebrate and relax, blind to the next one.
Many only struggle at the last minute.
It's like vacation homework—playing at first, panicking at the end.
Weapon development is similar. After defeating enemies, weapons are either shelved or commercialized.
They never think of using this time to improve technology.
Tony changed completely.
He's cursed by knowledge. He can clearly see the impending crisis from extraterrestrials.
When will it come? He doesn't know.
But it will come. Others are unaware, living peacefully. Only Tony knows!
So he locked himself in the lab, madly building Mark suits. Nearly forty suits later, it's still not enough!
Who is the enemy? Unknown! When will they strike? Unknown! How strong? Unknown!
But Tony knows they are immensely powerful!
Only he can save everyone.
And the greatest fear comes from the unknown.
Without precise information, he imagines the enemy to be overwhelmingly strong.
Even though it's absurdly strong, it's still not enough for Tony.
Fear, anxiety, unease, heartbreak, and other negative emotions grow wildly in him.
See how happy Tony was when he flew Mark II into the sky?
Now he can only tell silly, crude jokes to amuse himself.
The giant rabbit given to Pepper—its exaggerated chest peaks are actually two hands. This proves it.
Steve and Carter were silent.
They hadn't expected this.
Tony appears reckless, but inside, he bears immense pressure!"
Howard sighed again.
Howard: "Oh, Tony, my poor boy."
On the screen…
The video continued.
Pepper understood Tony's inner pain and walked to him.
He buried his head in her chest, and she hugged him gently.
Tony's hands caressed her back softly.
[Since confessing his pressure, he seemed much more relaxed.]
Pepper looked at the exhausted man before her.
Pepper: "I'm going to take a shower."
Tony nodded.
Tony: "Oh, okay."
Pepper headed to the door, turning to leave.
Pepper: "Tony, you coming?"
Tony: "Ahem, much better this way!"
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