Stark and the others had been making a racket for half the night, and by the time they returned to Beverly Hills, they were all slightly tipsy. Fortunately, considering Pepper's condition, no one had truly gotten drunk. Going to bed on an empty stomach after drinking could lead to a hangover and headache, so they gathered around the table in the living room and ate some snacks.
Jarvis and Wanda came downstairs soon afterward, but Doctor Schiller was nowhere to be seen. Stark asked, "Where's the Doctor? And that clump of sand we caught earlier—where did they go?"
"Doctor Schiller took him back to the hotel." Wanda looked somewhat conflicted. She said, "The Doctor said it was a little too noisy here and not conducive to his work, so he took Baker back to the hotel."
Stark immediately looked displeased.
But to everyone else, that expression carried another meaning.
"Tony Stark is exactly that kind of arrogant asshole." Polaris spoke with remarkable bluntness during the backstage interview. She held out One Hand, spreading her palm wide as she gestured in front of her chest. "He thinks all his friends should do whatever he says, right?"
"Where they go and what they do should all be at his command. If he needs them and they disappear, then they've wronged him." Polaris looked utterly impatient. "Then he'll trot out all kinds of excuses, like, 'I pay you,' or, 'It's your duty,' or, 'Those conditions you brought up aren't really worth caring about.'"
"He's like a collection of every most annoying boss type. He never considers anyone else's feelings. I've lost count of how many times he's ordered me around like this."
"Yes, I need this job. I still have to earn money working under him, so I can't badmouth him behind his