2 chapters will be uploaded on daily basis i.e. 14 Chapters will be uploaded every week apart from the bonus chapters.
1 Bonus Chapter will be uploaded for every 50 Power Stones or 1000 Collections.
[email protected]/Heroicverse
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"Twenty-two missed calls."
Tony took a deep breath, suppressing a hint of panic, and raised his eyebrows with playful teasing in his voice.
"Jarvis, are you sure Pepper's phone isn't infected and started automatically replaying? You should check her system firewall. I've said Apple's system is not secure."
"Sir, the data has been verified to be correct. It is a call from different equipment and different lines. In addition, Miss Pepper just ended a call with Mr. Happy five minutes ago. The content of the call involved keywords such as the need for a strong enough sack and dragging the two of them out of the laboratory."
Jarvis' voice was as calm as ever, but Henry swore that he heard gloating in his voice.
This Jarvis is really becoming more and more like Tony, with the same bad taste.
"Sack? Ha!" Henry laughed immediately when he heard that. He picked up a donut and took a big bite.
"Listen, Tony, Pepper's still so retro. I thought she would just authorize a military drone to blow the roof off the lab."
"That would require her to have higher authority than me." Tony curled his lips, looking indifferent. He even had the leisure to continue adjusting the smelting parameters on the holographic screen.
"However, the sack idea is a good one. At least it's more creative than the proposals of those old fogies on the board of directors."
Although they were teasing each other, their hands moved faster at the same time, trying to save the key data before the storm arrived.
This is their tacit understanding.
Banner looked at the two funny brothers in front of him and shook his head helplessly.
These two people are really hopeless.
They are actually in the mood to tease each other.
He silently took a few steps back and decided to activate his invisible mode to reduce his presence as much as possible.
Wanda and Pietro were confused.
" I don't understand," Pietro muttered to Wanda.
"Why aren't they afraid at all? It sounds like Pepper is coming to settle accounts with them."
"Maybe this isn't a question of being afraid or not." Wanda looked thoughtfully at the two men who were still chatting and laughing. She could sense their emotions.
She could sense the absence of fear in Tony and Henry's emotions.
There is only a guilty conscience.
Are they expecting her arrival?
This is so weird.
At this moment, the crisp sound of high heels hitting the ground came from the passage outside the laboratory, getting closer and closer.
"Tap! Tat! Tat!"
Tony stopped what he was doing and leaned against the lab table, crossing his arms across his chest, striking what he thought was the coolest pose.
Henry leisurely finished the donut in his hand and poured himself a cup of coffee.
No hiding, no pretending.
The two brothers stood there with calm expressions.
The laboratory door slid open silently.
A slim and capable figure appeared at the door.
Pepper Potts.
She was wearing a well-tailored business suit, her red hair was tied back, and her face was delicately made up.
She didn't say anything, but glanced at everyone in the lab.
Behind her, the tall Happy, dressed in a black suit, shrugged at the tw o of them.
As if to say, "Good luck to you, bosses!"
"Pepper!" Tony spoke first, his face calm.
"You've come just in time! Come and see our..."
"Tony." Pepper interrupted him directly.
"Before you show me your new toy, I need an explanation."
She walked in slowly.
"I wore this suit two weeks ago when I was going to Washington to attend the Energy Summit. Oh, by the way, you and Henry, as the largest shareholders of Stark Industries, were supposed to attend that summit as well."
"You know what?" Pepper ignored Tony's slightly embarrassed expression after being interrupted.
"In these two weeks, I answered 456 calls, held 68 video conferences, rejected 15 hostile takeover proposals against Stark Industries, and faced questioning from the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and... the White House press secretary alone." She stopped in the middle of the laboratory, her eyes slowly sweeping over the strange-shaped equipment and the Uru metal ball.
Finally, it landed on three empty syringes.
"They all keep asking me the same question: Where are Tony Stark a nd Henry Stark?"
"I told them that you are conducting a scientific research project that will benefit all of humanity."
"Now, who can tell me?" she said helplessly.
"What on earth have you created here in these two weeks? What on earth could allow you to ignore the entire operation of the company and your responsibilities?"
In the laboratory, you can hear a pin drop.
Tony was about to speak, but Henry beat him to the punch.
"She's right, Tony."
Henry walked up to Pepper with coffee in his hand, his expression serious.
He didn't look at Tony, but looked directly into Pepper's eyes.
"We did ignore the side of company operations and responsibility. On behalf of Tony and me, I apologize to you, Pepper. You've worked so hard on your own."
His straightforward apology stunned everyone, including Pepper and Tony.
Tony opened his mouth to say something, but when he saw Henry's eyes, he finally curled his lips and chose to remain silent.
Well, since Henry wants to be the protagonist, let him be the protagonist for once.
Tony crossed his arms and watched the situation unfold.
"But." Henry changed the subject.
His voice deepened.
"The reason we did this, the reason we locked ourselves up here for two weeks, wasn't for fun, nor was it for some great miracle." He turned si deways, revealing Banner, Wanda, and Pietro behind him.
"It's because of them."
"Pepper, look." Henry pointed at them and introduced them one by one.
"Although you already know both of them, let me introduce you again. This is Dr. Bruce Banner, one of the smartest minds in the world, but he has been hunted as a monster for the past ten years. And Emil Blonsky, a soldier with great military achievements, has been abandoned by the military."
His gaze softened as it fell on Wanda and Pietro.
"Wanda and Pietro, two children blinded by hatred, were used as weapons by Hydra and nearly driven to their own destruction."
"We brought them back and gave them a home. But it wasn't enough."
Henry walked over to the lab bench and pulled up Michael Peterson's profile and a photo of his son Ace.
"This man's name is Michael Peterson. He was an ordinary father. To cure his son's illness, he was deceived by Hydra and turned into a monster. Just a few days ago, he almost died in front of us."
"Pepper, the world is becoming increasingly dangerous. Those enemies hiding in the shadows won't play by the rules of business with us. They will only use despicable means to attack those around us."
He looked at Pepper with burning eyes.
"Let me ask you a question. What if the next time Hydra's target isn't us, but you or Happy? What will you do? What will Happy do?"
Pepper's body froze for a moment.
"So." Henry looked directly into Pepper's eyes.
"We need strength. Not for show, not for war, but for protection."
He pointed to the empty syringe.
"This thing is called Phoenix Serum. It's not a weapon, Pepper. It's an insurance policy."
"It can free Bruce from the fear of his inner self. It can give Wanda and Pietro the power to control their own destiny."
"It can free our family from vulnerability."
"Everything we do is to ensure that the people we care about can live safely in this world."
"This is our answer."
The laboratory fell silent.
Pepper listened quietly. She looked at the man in front of her, whom she regarded as her brother, and at this moment, there was sincerity and responsibility in his eyes.
She sighed helplessly.
How could she really be angry with them?
She was just worried.
She was worried that the two of them would be like their father, Howard Stark, who neglected his own safety for those crazy researchers, and eventually... Her eyes unconsciously reddened.
"You two bastards..." Her voice choked.
"Do you know how worried I have been about you these past two weeks?'
Seeing Pepper's tears, Tony couldn't pretend anymore, and he hugged Pepper awkwardly.
"We're always here, Pepper."
Happy, who had been silent the whole time, sighed and walked up.
He pulled a clean silk scarf from his pocket and handed it to Pepper.
Then he turned to look at Henry and Tony, his tone firm.
"Boss, Mr. Henry."
"Give me a copy of that insurance, too."
As the bodyguard of the Stark family, nothing makes him feel more at ease than protecting the most important person to him personally.
And now, he finally has the chance to gain the power to truly protect them.
Henry looked at them and chuckled.
This is the real world, isn't it?
It's not a plot, it's not a script, it's not a comic, it's not a movie.