Chapter: 32

"So, what you're saying is that the unidentified factor that quelled the turmoil in Gulmira town, as reported in the news, was actually you!

You, wearing that suit of armor, single-handedly took down a whole terrorist unit!"

Pepper Potts couldn't believe it and covered her wide-open mouth with both hands in astonishment. "This is too dangerous, Mr. Stark. You must immediately stop this reckless behavior. You have Mark to take care of, and the lives of tens of thousands of Stark Industries employees depend on you. Just think about the condition the armor was in, full of bullet holes, when you last returned. What if something happens to you? What will happen to these people!?"

"Calm down, Pepper, calm down! Don't get so worked up. Those bullet holes might look horrifying, but they didn't cause any critical damage to the armor.

You also know that both Mark and I possess intelligence far beyond ordinary people. The safety and reliability of Mark III, developed through the combined efforts of both of us, are beyond doubt."

Tony steadied his hands on Pepper's shoulders, looked directly into her eyes, and patiently tried to reassure her.

"I'm very worried about you, you know? You barely escaped from the hands of those villains, so why would you put yourself in danger again?"

"Perhaps this is the growth I gained from the kidnapping incident. It's precisely because I'm well aware of the dangers I face that I developed Mark III to protect myself, isn't it?

And as long as I have you supporting me from behind, even in the face of danger, I can maintain peace of mind."

At the most opportune moment, Tony finally uttered the carefully curated lines he had gathered online. And unsurprisingly, with this statement, the situation instantly turned around. Pepper blushed and lowered her head, no longer raising objections to Tony's risky actions.

"Pepper, if you don't mind, I need you to do me a favor... I want you to go to my office, hack into the computer mainframe, and find all recent shipping manifests." Tony said, handing an item to Pepper. "This is a password chip. With it, you can easily hack in. The list might be in the main folder, or it could be hidden within the drives, in which case you'll need to search for the smallest titles."

"If I retrieve the list, what will you do with it?" Pepper asked, concerned that Tony might engage in something dangerous again.

"Just like last time, they're conducting covert transactions, and I need to stop them. I want to find those weapons and destroy them."

"Tony, you know I'm willing to help you with anything. But if you're involved in something that will put you in dangerous again, I can't assist you," Pepper reluctantly refused.

"Alright then, this will be your next task, an order given by Tony Stark, your boss." Tony Stark, the straight-laced Iron Man, made his appearance again, shattering the good atmosphere that had been painstakingly established.

"Is that so? Then I quit." Pepper, without backing down, threw the password chip on the table.

"All these years, while I profited from the destruction, you were always by my side. But now that I want to protect those in danger because of me, you want to leave?"

"You're going to get yourself killed like this, Tony! I don't want to be involved."

"Everyone should have a purpose in life. The old Tony Stark died in that cave in Afghanistan along with the explosion. The reborn Tony Stark needs a new purpose. I'm not going crazy, Pepper. I just suddenly realized what I should do, and I know deep down that it's the right thing to do."

Pepper didn't respond but silently picked up the password chip from the table. "You're my everything too, you know."

…..

Stark Industries Office Building, today Pepper changed her usual schedule and arrived at the company half an hour earlier. From her nervous expression, it was clear that something was indeed out of the ordinary.

Before entering Tony's office, she observed her surroundings and noticed that no one else had arrived yet. She quickly opened the door and walked in, swiftly closing the office door behind her.

Once at her destination, Pepper wasted no time and hurriedly opened Tony's computer mainframe, connecting the password chip to begin searching for the necessary information.

Following Tony's instructions, she first searched for the data in the main folder but found nothing. Then she opened the computer's driver folder. It contained many missile blueprints and data designed by Tony, but after a thorough search, she became drawn to a set of blueprints for a giant suit of armor. The design was clearly aligned with the same concept she had seen in Tony's previous armor but had a distinctly different appearance.

"Sector 16? What are you up to, Obadiah? Could it be that Mark's earlier speculation was correct..."

Recalling the conversation with Mark when Tony had just returned safely, he had mentioned that only Pepper and Obadiah were aware of Tony's itinerary within the entire company. Therefore, the traitor must be one of them.

And now, it was becoming evident that the answer was revealing itself. A video she found further confirmed Pepper's suspicion.

In the video, Tony was securely bound and his ears were covered. He sat firmly in the center while surrounded by a group of burly men with their faces covered by headscarves, holding rifles. The leader held a script and delivered a speech in English with a Middle Eastern accent.

"...You didn't tell us that the person you wanted us to assassinate was the famous Tony Stark, just as you can see, Obadiah Stane. You will pay for your deceit and lies, and Tony Stark's head has just become more valuable..."

"Oh my god!" Pepper didn't expect it to be true. Tony's beloved uncle was secretly plotting to bring him to his demise.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, she quickly transferred the two important files onto the password chip, intending to bring them back and reveal the truth to Tony.

Just then, the office door opened, and the person who entered was Obadiah Stane. "Oh, Miss Potts, I didn't expect you to be here before working hours. You've surprised me..."