Hermione shook her head, smiling:
"Don't worry, I'm not using dark magic like Fiendfyre, just ordinary flames. I'll extinguish it later; it won't harm him."
Dark magic... Pepper felt relieved initially but then realized she'd heard something astonishing and decided not to dwell on it.
Though it was her first time seeing Hermione's fiery side, Pepper wasn't afraid. Instead, she felt more touched.
Unexpectedly, the one who understood and stood up for her was this child.
"Tony, he..."
Pepper sighed.
Hermione shook her head as well.
There's nothing to be done; this is the burden relatives and friends of superheroes must bear.
After all, Pepper was the one person in Marvel who genuinely cared for her. Hermione didn't want Pepper to be tormented by Tony in his current state, so she intervened, hoping Tony would realize his mistakes sooner.
Thinking of this, Hermione snickered, leaned closer, and whispered, "Pepper, are you still thinking about that narcissist?"
"Come on, you like him!"
The blunt revelation made Pepper's heart skip a beat.
Seeing Hermione's teasing smile, she retorted, "You're just a kid, teasing adults already."
Still, Pepper couldn't help but blush.
Hermione rolled her eyes, muttering, "Pretend all you want. I can see it. You think you're hiding it well..."
Pepper was flustered.
After a moment, she looked at Hermione again.
"Do you think what we said was too harsh?"
Hermione knew she meant mentioning Ethan's death. Shaking her head gently, she said, "No."
"Why?"
Pepper was curious about Hermione's certainty.
"For someone like him, only tough love works. Otherwise, who knows how long he'll wallow in self-pity?"
Hermione stated calmly, "Don't worry, he'll be fine. And Pepper, remember?"
At this, Hermione looked up at Pepper, enunciating:
"I've seen the future."
---
**Nighttime.**
Returning home in a daze, Tony collapsed onto the sofa, staring at the mansion's towering ceiling.
Today's events had a profound impact on him.
He understood Pepper's concerns for his safety.
In the past, he'd indulged in superficial relationships, avoiding true feelings. But today, Hermione's blunt words made him confront reality.
Tony realized how much Pepper had silently sacrificed for him, yet he'd failed to appreciate her, putting her in danger unnecessarily. None of this was her responsibility.
He truly was a hopeless fool.
And Pepper's worries were justified. He recognized his self-destructive tendencies after the kidnapping.
Each time he recalled Ethan's final moments or those harmed by his weapons, Tony felt a pang of guilt, wanting to atone with his life. This drove him to work tirelessly on his suit, seeking to eliminate terrorists, regardless of the cost, until death seemed the only relief from his guilt.
"I need to apologize."
Resolving this internally, Tony stood, wiping his face.
However, his eyes widened suddenly, and he fell to the ground.
A familiar face appeared before him.
---
"Relax, Tony."
Obadiah put away the sonic paralyzer, speaking slowly: "This thing is quite handy, isn't it? Shame the government didn't approve mass production."
"When I ordered your hit," he continued casually, extracting a device from his pocket, "I worried I'd kill the goose that laid golden eggs."
Hearing this, Tony glared at Obadiah in disbelief.
He never expected his respected "uncle" was the Stark Industries traitor who wanted him dead!
Obadiah aimed the extractor at Tony's chest reactor, pulling it away.
"But I didn't expect you to survive, leaving one last golden egg for me."
Holding the fist-sized reactor, Obadiah's eyes shone with obsession, admiring its azure glow.
As the reactor left his body, Tony trembled, pain marring his face.
After a pause, Obadiah chuckled, "Forgot you can't speak now. Asking Pepper to find evidence of my weapon sales wasn't wise... Her business skills are top-notch; I planned to keep her."
At this, Tony's expression shifted to one of regret, his veins bulging with frustration.
Watching Tony's defeated look, Obadiah shook his head and left.
Ten minutes later, Tony regained mobility.
But without the reactor's magnetism, shrapnel in his chest moved toward his heart. He couldn't stand and crawled inch by inch.
He knew if he didn't replace the reactor soon, the shrapnel would kill him.
Fortunately, Obadiah hadn't discovered the spare reactor Tony built in the cave, stored in the room, still usable.
Recalling Hermione's words and Pepper's disappointed gaze, Tony found a renewed will to live.
Most importantly, Pepper was in danger, and he had to save her!
After struggling to the storage room, Tony spotted the reactor on the shelf, reaching desperately.
As long as he could reach it...
But his body finally gave out, seemingly drained. He lay, staring at the reactor, feeling life slip away.
Despairing, he suddenly heard a voice.
"Hey, need help?"
---
Seeing Tony near death, Hermione shook her head, hovering on her broom, chuckling:
"Hey, need help?"
The voice, usually irritating and challenging, now sounded heavenly to Tony.
"Leviosa!"
With a wand wave, the reactor floated, aligning with Tony's chest and inserting itself.
The reactor lit up, and a moment later, Tony sat up, gasping for air.
Alive.
So close... Tony thought, relieved. No time for thanks or questions, he urged Hermione:
"Hermione, Obadiah wants me dead. Pepper's in danger. I'm suiting up. Please, save her first!"
"I know I was wrong, but right now, I can only rely on you!"