On the way back to the hotel, Uncle George couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Leo, how do you even know about Tony Stark? He's a world-famous weapons manufacturer!"
"Uncle George, people can change. He's going to become a hero."
"Whatever you say, kid. Just you behave yourself and don't pick up his bad habits," George said, giving Leo a sidelong glance.
The two shared a laugh.
After the three-day vacation, the family of three returned to their peaceful life.
Aunt Jenny sat on the bed, smiling as she sorted through a stack of newly printed photos. She was selecting the best group shots to put into frames and a photo album.
Leo glanced at the chat group on his phone. There was some brief discussion about why Kai had gone quiet, but the topic quickly died down.
He had also managed to find a new source for steel—a small warehouse about a kilometer from home. While the quality wasn't as good as what Kai had provided, it was stable and, most importantly, legal.
Seeing the progress of his Steel Muscle enhancement slowing down more and more filled him with a sense of anxiety.
But some things couldn't be rushed. Leo believed that soon, the resources he needed would come to him.
Calming his mind, he gathered four metal rods around him and resumed his training.
Tiny points of golden light slowly merged into the meridians throughout his body, his internal organs, casting a soft, golden glow upon them.
...
Christine and Tony tumbled into bed together.
Early the next morning, Christine woke up naked in the massive bed.
The dark room gradually brightened under J.A.R.V.I.S.'s control.
"Good morning. It is 7:00 AM. The temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and the weather is overcast," a very human-like mechanical voice announced.
The huge floor-to-ceiling window beside the bed gradually shifted from opaque black to transparent, revealing a sunny view of the blue ocean outside.
"Wave height is between two and four feet, suitable for surfing. The larger swell will arrive at 10:52 AM."
This was a mansion built on the cliffs of Malibu, California—the home of billionaire Tony Stark.
The efficient Pepper Potts, dressed in a sharp business suit, skillfully escorted Christine out of the villa. After a quick glance at her packed schedule, she hurried off.
Three hours later, after taking a call from Larry at the airport, she reluctantly headed down to the basement.
Tony, listening to AC/DC, was tinkering with his favourite classic car when Pepper walked in.
The intelligent J.A.R.V.I.S., seeing Pepper on the phone, automatically turned the music off.
"Don't turn off my music!" Stark complained, carefully disassembling a car part.
Pepper hung up the phone. "You're supposed to be on the other side of the planet right now."
"What does she want from me?"
"I can only imagine," Pepper replied after a moment's thought, sounding helpless.
"Then why are you trying to kick me out of here?" Tony asked, not looking up from the component in his hands.
"Interesting. It's my plane. It should wait for me." He installed the part, confirmed it was working, and stood up.
Pepper was about to say more, but Tony cut her off. "If a private jet doesn't wait for its owner, what's the point of having one?"
His cavalier attitude left her speechless.
"There are a few more things here..." Pepper ran through the remaining items, only needing Stark's final sign-off on a few decisions.
A few minutes later, Tony decided to buy an expensive painting and signed a document. During the conversation, he suddenly realized it was Pepper's birthday.
"Are you celebrating your birthday today?"
"Correct!"
"I know. Is it today?"
"Yeah, it's the same day as last year. Weird, right?" Pepper quipped, a slight smile playing on her lips, seeming to enjoy Tony's surprised realization.
"Buy yourself a gift from me," Stark said, smiling at her.
"I already did."
"How was the gift?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her.
"Oh, great. Very tasteful. Thank you, Mr. Stark," Potts replied, grinning back at Tony.
"You're welcome, Miss Potts," Stark said, his eyes lingering on hers.
"Oh, by the way, I found this in the car. Any idea what it is?" Pepper blushed slightly under his gaze and suddenly pulled a small metal object from her pocket.
"Oh, great! I was just wondering where that model went," Stark said, taking it and examining it carefully. "Pepper, look at what this resembles."
Pepper thought for a moment. "Where did this model come from?"
"A kid. An Asian kid gave it to me last night. Don't know why. It feels... familiar, but I can't quite place it," Tony said, turning the truncated cone-shaped model over in his hands. It had several coil-like decorations on the bottom.
"Anyway, it's a very well-made model, isn't it?" Pepper said.
"Yeah, it is. Here, I'm giving it to you," Stark said, pressing the small object into Pepper's hand. He then downed the rest of her coffee and headed for the garage.
She played with it in her hand, watching Tony and Happy drive away. She placed the object normally on her desk.
After a moment's thought, she flipped it over, so the smaller end was at the bottom and the larger end with the coils faced upward.
"It feels more right this way."
And so, Pepper placed a small model of the original Arc Reactor on her desk.
...
The next night, Pepper was jolted from her sleep by a phone call from the military.
"What! Kidnapped?!!!"
But at that moment, Pepper couldn't leave Stark Industries. There was too much for her to handle. Tony could disappear, but Pepper could not.
She gripped the small model Tony had last given her, the knuckles on her slender hands turning white.
Tony's good friend, Colonel Rhodes, also received the news. Without hesitation, he gathered a team and took a helicopter to the battlefield where Tony had been abducted, searching for any trace.
...
Two days later, Tony's eyes fluttered open on a hospital bed. The effects of the anaesthetic hadn't fully worn off, and his limbs felt stiff and unresponsive.
He struggled to pull the oxygen tube from his nostril. Then, an animal instinct for survival made him reach for a glass of water nearby, but he was stopped by the wires attached to his chest.
"If I were you, I wouldn't waste the energy."
A man named Yinsen was shaving his chin using a small, intact mirror. Tony pulled away the gauze on his chest, revealing a crude metal device deeply embedded in his flesh.
In that moment, staring up at the damp, rough ceiling of the dark cave, Stark felt a wave of utter despair.