Dinner Gathering

Evening, Stark Mansion's underground laboratory.

Tony kept rubbing his chin, staring back and forth at his Mark armor.

He had been in this state for quite some time.

Leon stood beside him, struggling to hold back his laughter.

"So why did you paint her pink?" Tony finally asked expressionlessly, pointing at the Mark armor that had turned a girlish shade of pink.

"This?" Leon instantly wiped the smile from his face, clasping his hands behind his back with a solemn expression.

"This is a carefully prepared surprise from JARVIS."

He stepped forward and pointed at the spot on the armor's chest where the energy core was housed.

A faint circle of English words had been engraved there.

Leon read them aloud. "Tony has a pink heart."

He winked at Tony. "Well? Aren't you touched? Pink represents innocence and kindness. JARVIS is complimenting you."

"Hmph. Thanks for clearing that up. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have figured it out." Tony pursed his lips and sneered.

His face darkened. He could not even imagine how "wonderful" it would look when he wore this armor again.

Before he could even make a move, his enemies would probably laugh themselves to death at the English words on his chest. No ammunition needed.

Tony took a deep breath. Some words lodged in his chest, impossible to say, leaving his face slightly flushed.

Watching Tony's wonderfully changing expressions, Leon nearly burst out laughing.

At last, Tony turned away and stopped looking at his beloved armor.

"JARVIS, why did you paint her pink?" Tony asked the other main culprit.

He truly loved his first suit of armor. He even called her "she."

"Sir, this was Young Master Leon's suggestion. He said that seeing the repaired armor painted pink would definitely make you happier." JARVIS appeared to be explaining, but was actually tattling in secret.

"Oh, hold on, JARVIS. You didn't object at the time. We both thought it was a good idea, didn't we?" Leon dragged JARVIS into it.

"Young Master Leon, please forgive my impertinence. You know that artificial intelligence has no thoughts of its own."

"Only artificial stupidity has no thoughts. JARVIS, you remind Tony that Pepper will get angry whenever he asks out a cover girl. It's perfectly normal for you to want to prepare a surprise for Tony now."

Tony's expression grew even worse.

"Enough!" he shouted, shooting a helpless glance at Leon, who had already started laughing. "Don't think I don't know you're getting revenge."

Leon did not deny it. "So you know it was wrong to make me specifically run back to that cave and carry your armor home?"

Tony spread his hands. "All right, all right, I surrender. Let's leave it at that, okay? I'm not angry, and you should stop tormenting me over that little matter."

Over the past decade or so, Tony had been tormented by Leon plenty of times.

He had long grown accustomed to the emotional self-control required of a guardian dealing with a "naughty" child.

Of course, only Tony thought Leon was naughty. To everyone else, Leon was an excellent kid.

For instance, when Leon was little, he hated that Tony was always bringing new cover girls home.

More than once, just as Tony was about to get down to business, Leon would play, at maximum volume outside the bedroom door, the sweet nothings Tony had once said to other women.

Then, once the woman in Tony's arms flew into a rage and stormed out, slamming the door behind her,

Leon would pop out from around the corner, wave his little hand, and say, "Good night, Tony. Sweet dreams."

Tony would immediately see red and chase Leon all over the house with a pillow.

After Pepper heard Tony's complaints the next day, she happily stuffed Leon with plenty of pocket money.

However, Leon only kept this up for half a month.

Because half a month later, Tony's newly customized soundproof bedroom was finished.

After that, even if Leon danced wildly outside, Tony could play some Mozart inside, create a tranquil atmosphere, and spend a lovely evening with a beautiful woman.

Clashes like those

had continued between them from the time Leon was three until he entered high school and began bringing girls home himself.

The first night Leon brought a girl home holding her hand, the older and younger pair looked at each other and smiled knowingly.

And so, the two brothers reached a reconciliation.

However, their clashes in other areas never stopped.

Sometimes Tony would cause trouble for Leon, and sometimes Leon would strike first.

Pepper's assessment was that they were two children who never grew up.

"JARVIS, put this armor away and repaint it. Otherwise, I never want to see her again."

Tony waved a hand. "And order a batch of materials for me. I'm building a new armor."

"The conditions in that cave were too crude. The armor I made there couldn't show my true ability. Leon, this time I'll show you that my armor isn't a 'toy'!"

Leon shrugged indifferently. "Whatever you say. I'll wait and see."

At that moment, Dum-E, U, and several other intelligent robotic arms came running over in the laboratory and worked together to push the pink armor away.

Leon even lent them a hand.

He had told JARVIS to paint the armor pink only to tease Tony. He had never expected Tony to actually wear it.

But what he had not expected was that, ten years later, when he visited Tony's armor collection room,

this suit, with its most bizarre style of all, would stand out proudly at the very front of Tony's collection of Mark armors.

"You're starting work on the armor right now?"

When Leon turned back,

Tony had already acted on his words, sweeping the table clean with one slap and preparing to begin a new round of work.

"Don't tell me you can't wait to prove yourself right now?"

"Watch your wording, Leon. Tony doesn't need to prove himself. He only challenges himself," Tony said.

"All right. Then remember to come upstairs before dinner while you're challenging yourself."

Leon headed toward the laboratory stairs.

"To celebrate your safe escape, Pepper is planning a family gathering. Yinsen and Rhodey will both be here."

Rhodey was Tony's good friend in the military. Their relationship was strong enough in the movies that Tony could give him an Iron Man suit.

"Just us? Fine by me. As long as I'm not cooking, I can accept anything." Tony replied without looking up.

Ever since the grilled sea bass he made last time had been completely charred, and Leon had laughed at him for ages, he had sworn never to enter the kitchen again.

After cleaning up the mess Tony had left behind at the press conference, Pepper arrived at the mansion.

She excitedly gave Leon a light hug in the hall.

"Leon! Oh my God, Tony told me you were already back, but I couldn't believe it. Mark Spacecraft is still flying outside Earth!"

Tony had named the spaceship he built himself Mark Spacecraft.

"And yet you actually flew back on your own! That's unbelievable!"

"Wow, oh my God, your body is really so strong now. Compared to half a year ago, you look like a completely different person!"

Pepper patted Leon's chest. Its marble-like solidity made her cover her mouth and exclaim.

"If I'd known you were this strong, I would have contacted you months ago. Then Tony wouldn't have had to..." As she spoke, she began to feel guilty again.

Leon hurriedly comforted her. "It's all right, Pepper. You were afraid I'd worry, weren't you?"

"If I hadn't become as strong as Superman, then even if you had told me Tony was missing, I would have been helpless in the lonely universe anyway."

If Tony was both an older brother and half an old man to Leon,

then Pepper, who had raised him since childhood, could absolutely be called half an older sister and half an adoptive mother.

Leon blinked as he spoke. "Besides, although the process was a little roundabout, since Tony survived such a disaster, it might not necessarily be a bad thing for him, right?"

"That's how you see it? But I think he's become a little irrational instead." Pepper frowned.

"Maybe you just don't fully understand Tony after he has gone through an experience that nearly killed him."

Leon guided Pepper toward the kitchen. "Come on, Pepper. Sorry for the trouble, but you'll have to make dinner. I'll tell you about Tony's incredible adventure while I help you."

A few hours later.

The lively dinner gathering came to a perfect end.

Through Tony's introduction, Yinsen met Pepper and Rhodey, successfully joining this small circle.

For a long time to come, Yinsen would work at the Stark R&D Department, doing what he wanted to do.

At the dinner table, Tony also explained his desire to do things that would benefit the world more.

Unfortunately, Rhodey was not able to understand that very well for the time being.