Make This Call

After arguing with Tony, a few more days passed, and Feeney gradually put the matter aside. Understanding was one thing, but Tony really had threatened him with an Energy Cannon. He had no intention of offering a warm face only to be met with a cold shoulder.

So, he knew nothing about what had happened over These Few Days. Tony followed the usual course of events and retaliated against the terrorists, destroying the weapons his company had secretly sold.

At the same time, the remaining terrorists cleverly contacted Obadiah. Thus, the Iron Monger, temporarily lacking a power source, was also in the process of being created.

After that, Tony began urgently investigating the Weapons Division. After personally verifying things, he had confirmed that the weapons used by the terrorists had indeed been supplied by his company.

According to the company records, every sign pointed to Obadiah as the mastermind behind it all, but he lacked a piece of direct evidence.

As the Boss's assistant, Pepper had to report in after handling her work each day, while also bringing Tony any documents that needed his signature. This was usually done at Tony's Villa.

Although their relationship seemed to have changed somewhat after the previous gala, the gap between their positions made them both feel a little awkward, unable to truly open their hearts to each other.

In the workshop, Tony used tools to adjust the various components of Mark II. After the last real combat encounter, he had discovered many more areas that needed improvement.

Watching Tony once again focus intently on studying his armor, Pepper's feelings were complicated. She did not know what Tony had gone through during that time, but his current changes made her deeply uneasy.

Especially after seeing the armor covered in bullet marks and blast scars that day, she feared that if this continued, she would lose Tony again.

Just as she was considering how to persuade Tony not to do such dangerous things anymore, Tony noticed her arrival and spoke first. "Hey, got a minute? Can you help me out?"

"Go to my office, hack into the main computer, and get all the shipping manifests."

As he spoke, he handed over a black USB Drive and explained, "You can get in with this. They might be in the administration folder, or on a hidden drive."

Tony had actually considered returning to the company to look for them himself. But if Obadiah was wary of him, it would be difficult to act in secret, and he might even alert him. As for finding someone else to help, only Happy and Pepper were trustworthy.

But Happy was a computer idiot who might not even know how to copy and paste. Besides, he had no good reason to go to the office. So Pepper was the only one who could help him.

"Why do you want to do this?"

After taking the USB Drive, Pepper asked worriedly.

"I'm going to find my weapons and destroy them!" Tony said firmly. Thinking of the devastation in that small town, he felt that he had to do this.

"Tony..."

Pepper had also thought of what happened a few days ago. Her eyes were filled with concern as she tried to persuade him. "You can't just do this recklessly. I can't help you."

"I've already decided. No more attending openings, no more charity work, and no more... signing documents!" Tony stared directly at Pepper. "My only mission is to destroy those weapons. That's all."

"That's all!?"

Pepper was so angry she almost laughed. Her gaze toward Tony grew more and more complicated. In the end, she took a Deep Breath and said, "Then I quit!"

Tony clearly had not expected Pepper to say that. Seeing her toss aside the USB Drive and prepare to turn away, he immediately stepped forward to stop her. "For all these years, you've been helping me make all that dirty money, but now that I want to atone, you want to leave!?"

"Because you're committing suicide, Tony. I really can't do this."

"I should have died long ago." Tony thought once more of what Yinsen had said to him when he died in the cave. Sitting down in a nearby chair, he said complicatedly, "Unless I have a reason to live."

"I'm not crazy. I just understand what I should do now. I feel like I really have no other choice!"

Seeing Tony looking so helpless and desolate, Pepper ultimately could not bring herself to simply walk away. After sighing, she turned back, retrieved the USB Drive, and looked at Tony. "Other than you, I have no other choice either!"

If Feeney had been there, he definitely would have mocked them: The whole room reeks of dog food.

"Oh, wait a second." Just as Pepper was about to leave, Tony suddenly remembered something and called out to her. After searching the table for quite a while, he found a slip of paper and said, "If anything happens, besides me, you can call this number and ask him for help. Apologize to him for me, and tell him I owe him one."

For the sake of his beloved Pepper, Tony could put aside some of his pride. Feeney's abilities were unfathomably strange, and that portal trick of his made him the best backup Tony could think of for saving the situation.

"Who is he?"

Pepper was startled by Tony's words. She had never seen anyone make Tony say something like that.

"A boy who can do magic tricks."

Although they had only met twice, Tony felt that he understood Feeney's personality somewhat. As long as he was willing to apologize and admit his mistake, Feeney would probably agree to help.

Seemingly worried that Pepper might misunderstand, Tony added, "Not ordinary magic tricks. Anyway, if there's any danger, call him and seek help."

Pepper still looked bewildered, but since Tony had said so, she carefully wrote down the number before preparing to go to the company and find the information for him.

If things had followed their normal course, Pepper would have found, dangerously but safely, evidence that Obadiah had hired someone to kidnap Tony, as well as proof that he was secretly building the Iron Monger.

But an accident quietly arrived.

Perhaps because of Feeney's appearance and intervention, Tony had not become as inflated after creating the armor. His relationship with Obadiah had also become somewhat worse, arousing even greater suspicion from Obadiah.

And so Pepper suffered for it. While copying files from the computer, she was caught red-handed by Obadiah.

"You were the one who had Tony kidnapped!"

In the office, Pepper angrily questioned Obadiah. "He always treated you like Family."

"But you saw how he treats me now." Obadiah sneered and answered coldly, "I built and expanded this company with my own hands, while Tony is just an inventor. What right does he have to control the company? And now he even wants to destroy it."

"Pepper, you're a good woman. It's such a waste for you to follow someone like Tony. Come help me. Together, once you get the Miniature Arc Reactor technology from Tony, we can control the entire world."

Ptooey!

Even now, Obadiah was thinking of recruiting Pepper. But Pepper clearly was not the sort of traitor Kaecilius was. She spat fiercely at Obadiah to make her stance clear, then backed away in fear.

At the same time, her hand quietly slipped into the bag hanging from her arm, preparing to call the police.

Unfortunately, there were only the two of them in the room. None of her movements could escape Obadiah, who was staring intently at her.

Obadiah thought Pepper was hiding some kind of weapon in her bag. He immediately rushed forward, intending to strike first. However, considering their past relationship and his current position, he had not yet intended to kill her outright.

Seeing Obadiah move, Pepper no longer had time to hide what she was doing. She immediately reached into her bag and took out her phone. Without time to select a contact, she hurriedly pressed the call button.

The number happened to be Feeney's, which she had just saved!

Keep working, keep working!