Pepper walked over to Tony, crouched in front of him, and looked up. Her voice was gentle but firm. "As long as you don't go out and put yourself in danger, you can curse him all you want at home. I won't stop you."
Tony looked down at her. A trace of genuine warmth finally surfaced in eyes that had churned with anger and humiliation all day. He reached out and ruffled Pepper's hair, then managed a muffled "Yeah."
Then he turned toward the afternoon sky, washed pale by the sun. His gaze settled on a few silvery-gray specks moving slowly through the stratosphere.
"Zod..." he murmured. "You'd better fall for that Five-Star General's act. Otherwise, when you two really start fighting, I'll have no choice but to go up there in women's armor and make a fool of myself."
Pepper's head snapped up, and she glared at him. "Don't even think about it!"
Tony gave a rare smile, tinged with self-mockery and resignation.
Gotham's night was as dark as ever. The sky hung low, and the clouds were too thick to let moonlight through. Only a faint wash of deep blue light touched the shoulder of a gargoyle atop a high-rise.
Batman stood beside the gargoyle where he so often kept watch, his dark gray armor blending into the shadows.
On the side of the tallest commercial building in downtown Gotham, a giant LED screen was replaying footage from that day's United Nations meeting.
On-screen, Yongye faced the camera and said, "I will be the strictest father every Superhero has ever had."
Batman watched the screen for a long time. From the shadows behind him came a young voice, full of youthful irreverence.
"Father to all the heroes? This guy's mouth is even fouler than Joker's!"
Batman did