Shiller was scribbling in a notebook, and Stark asked, "What are you writing?"
"Steve's psychotherapy has temporarily ended, so Natasha has taken back the headset. I have to write your case by hand now," he said.
Stark narrowed his eyes, "Have you written down everything I just said?"
"No, not everything, but I remember very clearly when you were calling out for 'dad'."
"5 million dollars."
Shiller promptly threw the notebook in front of Stark. Stark picked up a lighter, lit the notebook, and cursed under his breath, "How could I have trusted a damn vampire doctor?"
"It's getting late, you should go home now. The fight you had with Miss Pepper won't be resolved by you just hiding out here," said Shiller.
Stark clearly didn't want to leave and replied, "If Spider-kid can stay here, why can't I? I wouldn't even mind staying in this shabby place, you would be lucky to make breakfast for the genius Stark."
"Yes, in the meantime, Miss Pepper is working overtime in the Stark Building all by herself. All the employees have already left, and the building is dark and cold... Oh, maybe Jarvis will be there with her. I've heard that Jarvis has developed feelings, he might understand Miss Pepper's sadness better than you."
Stark immediately couldn't keep still. He jumped off the chair, put on his coat, and said, "I am not going to get jealous of my own AI butler, absolutely not."
Shiller opened the clinic door for him and said, "Yes, quite right, God bless Jarvis."
After leaving the clinic, Stark was in a very bad mood, his thoughts a mess in his head.
He had long accepted the fact that geniuses are always lonely. He spent most of his life living with that reality, believing he was doing well. Wealthy, clever, and with more than enough resources to realize his life's value; the excess sense of responsibility didn't bother him either. But never before had he felt as lonely as he did today, feeling such a strong desire for company.
Rarely, for once, he didn't call for his battle armor. Even his phone was switched off. He walked slowly down the street, made his way to the run-down bus stop. The driver of the last bus reeked of smoke, making Stark feel uncomfortable, but he still got on, found a seat and sat down.
Thanks to the ominous reputation of Shiller, nobody dared to mess around in the nearby blocks. Stark safely took the bus out of Hell's Kitchen. In the streets of New York, he hailed a taxi and got in.
"To the Stark Building," Stark said.
The driver glanced at him from the rear-view mirror. He didn't recognize that this was the owner of Stark Group. After all, the Stark he saw on TV was always energetic. But now, he looked more like a middle-aged man who had fallen from grace.
The taxi drove through the cold neon lights of New York. The fast-retreating cityscape was paired with jazz music played in the cab. It was a perfect match for the late autumn in New York. Stark sat in the back seat, hands on his knees, covering his face.
He thought to himself, alright, alright. I'm just a fragile boy, not any great hero. All I want now is to see Pepper and to hold her in my arms. Let the world-saving go to hell.
Stark never liked to admit he was childish, he preferred to call it a childlike innocence— an innocence unique to geniuses.
But it is undeniable, there has to be someone in everyone's life, playing such a role, like an eagle returning to its nest, sheltering its younglings under its wings.
Pepper is an ordinary person, not any mighty eagle or bird of prey. But when Stark, the hungry fledgling, feels cold, he still wants to snuggle under her feathers.
After getting off the car, Stark almost couldn't wait and dashed towards the building. He knows that the office on the top floor must still have the lights on; Pepper always works there till late at night.
Stark hurried into the elevator. He did not know what had gotten into him. He felt like a young boy stepping out into the world for the first time. He nervously rubbed his hands and kept stepping in place in the elevator. The moment the elevator doors opened, he raced out.
He thought he should say something to Pepper. He had to say something.
But the whole floor was dark, without a single light. Stark turned around at the spot, he didn't see any office with lights on. That was unusual.
"Pepper, Pepper, are you here?" Stark shouted.
But the only replies he got were echoes bouncing around the office. Stark hammered the glass door next to him and shouted, "Jarvis? Are you here? Jarvis, where are you?"
Still, silence was the only answer he received.
This did get Stark panicking. If Jarvis didn't answer him, it means it was highly likely Jarvis was either kidnapped or had his power cut. If someone really did that, then their target would definitely be Pepper.
Stark ran quickly inside the office, heading towards the office that Pepper usually used.
But without the battle armor, Stark was just an ordinary person. He didn't have night vision. With Jarvis not responding, the intelligent lighting system of the office won't light up.
Just as Stark rushed in, he was tripped over by a chair lying across his path. When he got up, he found that he couldn't see anything around him clearly, let alone to check for details.
He opened his mouth, wanting to call for his battle armor, but without Jarvis, the intelligent remote control of his battle armor wouldn't respond.
Stark was really on the verge of breaking down. He suddenly realized that everything he thought he had control over didn't really belong to him. Once the outer shell was lost, Iron Man was just an ordinary person who couldn't see anything in the dark.
His voice trembling, he started to rummage on Pepper's office desk in the dark. He was trying to reassure himself, murmuring, "Damn it, she wouldn't be in trouble... This is the Stark Building, nobody can break the defense here... I'm Stark..."
Suddenly, all the lights in the entire floor were turned on. Stark was blinded by the bright lights. He covered his eyes and turned around. He saw Pepper standing in the office doorway with a remote control in her hand. Stark was left stunned on the spot.
Before Pepper could even say anything, Stark rushed over and held her. Pepper had never seen Stark so frightened before.
She heard Stark saying over and over, "I knew you would be alright... Of course, you would be fine..."
Pepper sighed. This fledgling, already growing larger than a mighty eagle, he was repugnant, yet impossible to reject.
Now, rewinding the time a little bit back to shortly after Stark had left the clinic, Shiller received a call from Pepper.