The Art of Explosions

"Happy?"

Hearing that, Happy immediately became shy and awkward. "W-Why are you suddenly bringing that up?"

"Seriously."

Tony said with a straight face, "I think you've hit menopause, which is why your emotions are so unstable. Just find yourself a girlfriend to vent with."

"That's assuming I can even find one..." Happy muttered quietly.

Tony asked, "What?"

"Ah, nothing!"

Tony hurriedly steered the conversation back on track.

"Anyway, that's how it is. Tony, Pepper is a good woman. Now another man has his eye on her. Whether he's sincere or not, you can't possibly do nothing, right? She's the best thing that ever happened to you..."

"Alright, I get it. Happy, don't stray too far from Pepper," Tony instructed.

"Do you even need to tell me that?" Happy rolled his eyes and immediately patted his chest, declaring that he would definitely protect Pepper.

Tony laughed upon hearing that. He did not comment much, merely offered a few words of encouragement before hanging up.

What he had meant was that Happy should not stray too far from Pepper, or Pepper would not be able to protect him properly.

After all...

"The other side seems to have a few tricks too," Tony said as he looked at the 3D projection before him.

In the image, a terrified middle-aged man screamed as chains bound his limbs and neck, pinning him to a metal operating table and leaving him unable to move.

A doctor in a white coat and mask inserted more than a dozen IV tubes into the man's arm. The solution in them was quickly injected into his body.

At the same time, the doctor said, "Consider it an honor. You will be the first person to join Glorious Evolution!"

After being injected with the unknown solution, the chained man passed out