A deathly silence fell over the line for more than ten seconds.
Tony could picture Pepper covering her mouth, her face drained of color.
"Ton... Tony..."
Pepper's voice was weak and trembling. "You... are you sure? This... this sounds..."
"Pepper."
Tony interrupted her, his voice low and resolute. "I have never been more certain. This isn't a business decision. This is... insurance for the survival of our species. This 'sample,' this 'bomb,' is right here. Understanding it, controlling it, or at the very least containing it safely is our only option. For... everyone living on this blue planet. For the future. I... need you."
His final words carried a rare dependence and plea.
Another long silence followed.
At last, Pepper's voice came through, bearing the weary resignation and steel-like determination of her strongest moments as Stark Industries' CEO. "...Coordinates? Preliminary engineering blueprints? How do we handle the supply chain? How do we get materials in under a global lockdown?"
"The coordinates are Alpha's current position aboard Ark. J.A.R.V.I.S. will send you the preliminary design for Hell's Gate. He started modeling it while Chang Wei was freezing it. The supply chain?"
A cold gleam flashed in Tony's eyes. "Use every secret channel we have—the black market, the gray zones. Transportation? We'll use our newest Stealth Submersible, Leviathan, and travel along the seafloor. Avoid every nation's surveillance. This... can only be done by us. S.H.I.E.L.D.? They can't even get close."
"Understood."
Pepper's voice regained its efficiency, though it still carried immense pressure. "I'll initiate Phase Two of the Ark project, codename... 'Abyssal Citadel.' I'll handle the coordination of global resources. You... have to come back alive."
Her final words were as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet as heavy as a mountain.
"I will."
Tony made the promise, his gaze returning to