Feeney hadn't left after all. He'd only wanted to tease Tony, and he was also curious about what Tony wanted to ask of him.
Holding the tea Pepper had brewed, Feeney looked at Tony, who seemed uncomfortable. He didn't ask any questions, simply savoring the tea at his leisure. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxed.
"Come on, just tell Feeney what's on your mind."
Pepper couldn't stand watching them any longer and urged Tony on. He'd only asked her to call Feeney over; she had no idea what this was about.
"It's just a minor issue. It's nothing. By the way, didn't you say the company had a lot of things to deal with? Why don't you head back first?"
Tony glanced at Pepper but didn't ask her anything. Instead, he told her to leave.
At that, Pepper immediately got angry. Was he treating her like some errand girl whose only job was to make phone calls? Ever since the Iron Monger incident, their relationship had heated up quickly, and they'd gone straight to being boyfriend and girlfriend.
Someone once asked what the difference was between an angry girlfriend and a terrorist.
At least you could negotiate with a terrorist, couldn't you?
Furious, Pepper grabbed her handbag and glared at Tony before turning to leave. Just before she went, she remembered to say to Feeney, "Feeney, I'm sorry for dragging you over here. I'll treat you to dinner next time."
"It's all right."
Feeney smiled, watching Tony's silence with interest. He seemed to have a pretty good idea what Tony wanted to talk about.
After Pepper left, the room fell quiet again. Only after several minutes of silence did Tony finally speak. "I've tested every known combination of elements."
"Every one!"
A trace of frustration crossed Tony's face. In a