The car slowly stopped by the roadside. Henry opened the door and got out. He stood by the car window and smiled at Tony inside.
"Have fun at the party, Big Brother. Don't drink too much, and don't get too wild." His words sounded like a tease, but his eyes held genuine brotherly concern.
Tony paused, then put on his arrogant facade again. "Oh, come on," he scoffed.
"Just worry about yourself. Don't mess up your date and come running back to me crying. I don't have time to comfort a heartbroken Superman."
"Don't worry," Henry smiled. Then, he glanced at Natasha in the back seat. This woman still thinks she hasn't been exposed. I won't bother with her; let her be a workhorse.
"I never mess up a date."
With that, he didn't linger. He took off vertically and instantly vanished into the sky.
The car started again, slowly merging into traffic. Tony looked in the rearview mirror at the spot where Henry had disappeared. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly said to the air, "Jarvis, track where that kid went."
"Sir, Mr. Henry has left," Jarvis's gentle voice sounded in the car.
"According to satellite thermal imaging, he took off vertically from the Los Angeles city area thirty seconds ago and is currently flying towards Stark Industries."
Tony heard that and couldn't help but curse with a laugh, "That damned bastard, he's getting more and more lawless."
...
7 PM. Los Angeles, a top-tier Michelin three-star restaurant. Henry, wearing a well-tailored casual suit, sat at a window table, holding a glass of red wine, leisurely swirling the glass and admiring the sunset over Los Angeles outside the window.
He was generally very patient when dating. It was like waiting for a good meal; the anticipation was endless.
After picking up Helen Cho, she suggested going home to change first. Henry didn't object, so he simply came to the restaurant first to wait.
Soon, a figure in an elegant black evening gown appeared at the restaurant entrance. It was Helen Cho. Having shed her plain white lab coat for an evening gown, she exuded less rigor and more of the gentle, intellectual beauty of an East Asian woman.
"I apologize for being late," she said, walking up to Henry, saying a bit sheepishly.
"No, you arrived just in time." Henry stood up, gallantly pulled out her chair, and spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Beautiful ladies always have the privilege of being late. After all, the waiting process is also a form of enjoyment."
Helen Cho looked at him, amused by his effortless charm.
"Mr. Stark, I've noticed you're even more articulate than the news reports suggest."
"Oh? Is that so?" Henry sat back down and poured her a glass of red wine.
"Then it seems the news media's reporting on me is still too superficial. They only saw my handsome appearance and my wealth, but overlooked my interesting soul. That's a tragedy."
Their dinner began in this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. They talked about science, art, the future, and everything in between. Helen Cho was surprised to find that the man before her was far more knowledgeable and profound than she had imagined.
His mind was like an inexhaustible treasure trove, always coming up with surprising insights from bizarre angles. She felt like an explorer discovering a new continent, and the man before her was that land of the unknown and the unexpected. She was completely captivated.
...
On the other side, a Malibu beachfront villa. Deafening music nearly lifted the roof off the entire villa. The pool was packed with hot beauties in bikinis, and colorful neon lights intertwined and sparkled on the water.
The foam of champagne and the laughter of women created a decadent, luxurious atmosphere. This was Tony Stark's world—a paradise of money, fine wine, and beautiful women.
But tonight, the owner of this paradise seemed distracted. He held a glass of whiskey, standing alone on the second-floor balcony, looking down at the noisy scene below, his eyes unfocused.
"Why are you hiding here, drinking alone?" Pepper's voice suddenly came from behind him. She had changed out of her sharp business suit into a simple white dress, looking a little softer.
"Oh, nothing," Tony snapped out of his thoughts. He turned to Pepper, his smile forced.
"I was just pondering a very serious question. Like, how to instantly turn the pool water into champagne without harming those poor bikinis."
"Oh, come on," Pepper rolled her eyes. She walked up to him, leaning on the railing next to him, looking at the night sky in the distance.
"You're worried, aren't you?"
Tony was silent.
"What do I have to worry about?" After a while, he scoffed, sounding completely unconcerned.
"I'm Iron Man. Is there anything in this world that can defeat me?"
"You're worried about Henry," Pepper pointed out his inner thoughts precisely.
"You're worried he'll get hurt, worried he'll lose himself because of this sudden power. You're worried you'll lose him. Just like you lost your father."
Tony's body stiffened violently. He turned to Pepper, looking at her in disbelief.
"You..."
"I understand you, Tony," Pepper looked at him, her eyes filled with sympathy.
"You always like to shoulder everything by yourself. You wrap yourself in arrogance like a bulletproof hedgehog. But in reality, your heart is softer than anyone's."
Tony looked at her, opening his mouth, but no words came out. He felt like his heart had been gently touched by something.
"Alright, the party's over." He suddenly said, his voice a little hoarse. He walked to the living room and abruptly turned off the deafening music.
"Hey! Sweethearts! It's late!" he shouted at the beauties still partying downstairs.
"Party's over! Go home! My assistant will send your checks to your agents tomorrow morning!"
With that, he ignored the shocked complaints from downstairs and walked straight to the underground laboratory. Pepper looked at his somewhat lonely back, smiled helplessly, and followed him.
...
In the lab. Tony stood alone in front of the holographic screen, looking at the two futuristic Armor models, lost in thought.
"Are you still worried about him?" Pepper walked up to him, asking softly.
"Worried?" Tony scoffed, as if he had heard a massive joke, but he didn't immediately counter with a string of insults as he usually would. He simply turned away, avoiding Pepper's gaze that seemed to see right through him, trying to appear unconcerned.
"Why would I worry about that guy? He's Superman now, a monster who can punch through a building. His enemies should be the worried ones."
He spoke, reaching out to gently touch the pure black, powerful Armor model on the projection. The cold holographic image had no texture, but Tony felt as if he could sense his brother's concern wrapped beneath the Armor.
"I'm just thinking..." his voice became somewhat low.
"That bastard always likes to shoulder everything by himself. From Afghanistan to New York, and now... God knows what else he's been through. He never tells me anything. What exactly... happened to him?"
Pepper looked at him, watching the man who always wrapped himself in layers of arrogance and conceit reveal such a vulnerable side for the first time. Her heart felt a gentle pang of pain. She didn't say anything, simply placing her hand quietly on his.
Tony's body slightly stiffened. He turned to Pepper. In his eyes, which were usually full of confidence and arrogance, there was confusion and helplessness.
"Pepper, I..."
"Shh." Pepper placed her other hand gently on his lips.
"You don't need to say anything," she looked at him, her smile gentle.
"I understand."
×××××××××××××××
If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
p-atreon.com/Heroicverse