Pepper had long grown accustomed to Tony Stark's wild past. Back when she was his secretary, she had even helped deal with the aftermath of Tony's escapades with models. However, things were different now. As the lady of the Stark household, she needed to assert her authority. With a calm expression, she said to Tony, "After everything that's happened today, I'm exhausted. I'm going to rest now. You should go deal with the fire guys."
"Don't say that!" Tony's face twisted with frustration. Once again, he felt like Jarvis had set him up, and he even began suspecting that it might have been deliberate.
"Tony, the fire people are the real priority. After all, you don't want me living in constant fear, right? The only place I feel a bit safer is at home…" Pepper said softly, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched Tony's embarrassed expression.
"Even home isn't that safe!" Tony's face suddenly shifted as he scanned his house. "Jarvis! Run a simulation. If a fire-powered individual attacks this house, how much time do we have?"
"Certainly, sir." Jarvis responded seriously this time, running the calculations. Soon, the results were in. "If it's just one fire person, it might take a bit of time for them to break in. However, if there are two, the house will likely collapse within two minutes. If there are three or more, the house will be completely defenseless."
"So, it really isn't safe…" Tony sighed in frustration. Despite the fact that his house was built with top-tier materials and further reinforced, it couldn't withstand a sustained assault from superhuman-level firepower.
No matter how well a house is built, it's not made to withstand bombs or constant explosions. Tony realized that unless he rebuilt his home using the same special materials as the Avengers' training facility, the house would always be vulnerable.
Even then, there would be another issue—those special materials didn't include glass windows. A house needs windows for lighting and ventilation. Sure, advanced technology could solve physical health problems, but psychological discomfort is a different matter. Tony didn't want Pepper living in a home that felt like a prison.
"This is a hassle!" Tony rubbed his temples, trying to think of a way to ensure Pepper's safety. Building a bunker wasn't a practical solution either. People couldn't live in a sealed room all the time.
"You don't have to worry so much. With your suit nearby, even if danger strikes while I'm asleep, Jarvis can get me out safely, right?" Pepper said gently, massaging Tony's head as she tried to ease his tension. "Your top priority is handling those fire guys. Once they're dealt with, you won't have to worry about my safety anymore. After all, who can defend against a threat every single day?"
"True. We need to eliminate them once and for all." Tony nodded. He tapped his chest, and a suit of armor began forming over him, before liquefying and flowing into Pepper's watch.
"This material will give you some protection. If you get into trouble again, you can try attacking remotely instead of just hovering in midair, shouting."
"That's too complicated. Let Jarvis handle it. I'm not good with these things," Pepper shook her head, speaking softly. "Go on now. The sooner you deal with it, the sooner I can surprise you…"
"Surprise? What kind of surprise?" Tony's eyes lit up with excitement.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Pepper rolled her eyes, then winked at Tony before heading to the bedroom.
For an ordinary middle-aged couple, this kind of playful gesture might lead to nightmares for the husband. But Tony Stark wasn't an ordinary man. Though he didn't have supernatural powers, he was still in great shape. At least, Tony himself believed that!
Buoyed by excitement, Tony felt a surge of energy and rushed back to Avengers headquarters to focus on locating Killian.
Unfortunately, enthusiasm alone wasn't enough to get the job done. Despite Tony's efforts, Killian remained elusive, likely aware that his plan had failed. He had hidden himself well.
Killian's previous base had long been abandoned. Tony had even gone to check it out but found nothing, which left him more frustrated.
Meanwhile, Killian had realized that his plan had been exposed. He always communicated with his subordinates directly, and his fire-enhanced agents hadn't been able to contact him after their recent missions, indicating that something had gone wrong. Additionally, Killian had injected his agents with heat-resistant tracking devices, but the Martian Manhunter had discovered and destroyed these to avoid exposing the Avengers' base.
The destruction of these devices confirmed to Killian that his agents had either been captured or lost control of their powers and died. Either way, there was no need for him to worry about them anymore. He simply waited for the next opportunity to strike.
For several days, the Avengers investigated the situation but found no new leads. Tony grew increasingly anxious, losing sleep, and even Pepper seemed to be affected, showing signs of fatigue.
Thankfully, a week later, a new development occurred—Pepper was attacked again.
At first, she couldn't relax, still worried about another ambush. However, Tony had reassured her that the fire people were likely in hiding, allowing her to relax for a few days. But on the third day of her reprieve, while returning home, she was ambushed once more.
It was in the same location, but this time something was different. Pepper noticed that the fire agent attacking her seemed stronger. The explosions were more intense, and the fire's power had increased, leaving her unsure of how to respond.
Worse yet, Jarvis suddenly went offline, leaving Pepper to awkwardly pilot her suit in a desperate attempt to escape. As for fighting back, that was out of the question—Pepper was still unfamiliar with operating the suit, let alone taking on an enhanced fire-user.
Her only hope was to stall for time, believing that Tony would notice the malfunction and rush to save her.
To her surprise, help did arrive, but it wasn't Tony. Instead, a mysterious figure wearing a cloak and a fishbowl-like helmet appeared.
This mysterious figure seemed incredibly powerful. As soon as he arrived, he released a strange gas that suppressed the fire-user instantly. The gas appeared to have a natural restraining effect, as the flames on the fire agent's body began to extinguish.
"Who is this? A member of the Avengers? But why hasn't Tony mentioned him before?" Pepper muttered, watching the mysterious figure from a distance, confusion clouding her thoughts.
Tony rarely discussed the Avengers' secrets or supernatural matters in detail, but Pepper was familiar with the team members and their abilities, even knowing fringe figures like Doctor Octopus. Yet, she had never heard of this person, which made her suspicious. His timely appearance near her home only deepened her unease.
Despite being rescued, Pepper couldn't shake her wariness. She kept her distance from the battlefield while trying to contact Tony, but to no avail. Jarvis remained offline.
At the same time, back at Avengers headquarters, Tony was thrown into a panic when he realized Jarvis had gone dark. He immediately donned his suit, preparing to rush to Pepper's aid. He didn't bother calling the Martian Manhunter, knowing he wouldn't be of much help against a fire-powered threat.
"Where are you rushing off to?" Just as Tony was about to leave, Robert arrived with Kara, noticing Tony's urgency.
"Sayian, you're just in time! Pepper's being attacked near my house. You're fast—get me over there!" Tony's face lit up upon seeing Robert. The Martian Manhunter might be unreliable, but Robert was a different story. Even if Pepper were gravely injured, as long as she was still breathing, Robert could save her. Bringing him along was a much better option.
"Jarvis, show me the way. I'll get us there," Robert frowned but wasted no time. He grabbed Tony's suit and flew toward his house, with Kara following close behind.
"Out with the new, in with the old, huh? I was really trying to help you," the Martian Manhunter grumbled as he watched them leave. He turned his gaze toward Tony's home and frowned. "Who is this guy? That's quite the commotion. But something about this fire agent seems different. Has the Extremis virus progressed further?"
Meanwhile, Robert and Tony reached Tony's house at high speed. They saw Pepper and the battlefield in the distance, and Robert's frown deepened when he noticed the fire agent being completely suppressed.
"Wait here for me," Robert said, using his psychic powers to bring Pepper safely to Tony's side. "I'm going to check things out."
"Who was that? Did he save you?" Tony asked Pepper, eyeing the mysterious figure from afar.
"It seems so, but his appearance feels a bit too convenient," Pepper replied, nodding at first but then shaking her head, her voice low.
"Who is this guy? Jarvis, do we have any information on him?" Tony asked.
"No, sir. He seems to be a new figure. The only footage we captured was from the end of the fight, and I didn't manage to record his abilities," Jarvis responded.
"As for why I went offline earlier, it appears that something nearby was jamming the signal, not only cutting off communication but also interfering with the system's functions."
"A little too convenient, wouldn't you say?" Tony muttered, frowning at the mysterious figure. "Let's go check him out…"
"Stay where you are!" Robert's voice boomed, stopping
the trio in their tracks.
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