"Come on, don't tell me she's in New York or whatever. If you like her, even if she's in the North Pole, you'd still contact her," Qin Li teased with a grin. Patting Frank on the shoulder, he added, "So, when are you bringing her over to introduce her as Nick's new mom?"
Before Frank could respond, Nick jumped in with excitement, exclaiming, "Why don't we go out and have some fun, Dad? Invite Auntie too!"
Seeing Nick's enthusiasm, Frank shot a glare at Qin Li, who merely smirked in return. Turning to Nick with a gentle expression, Frank said, "We'll arrange something in a while, and then we can invite her out for dinner."
"Make sure to let me know when that happens. No matter where I am, I'll come back to see what kind of person could melt an ice block like you," Qin Li joked, utterly unbothered by Frank's earlier threatening look.
"Fine, fine. I'll let you know, okay? Satisfied now?" Frank replied, visibly exasperated by Qin Li's relentless teasing.
"Good! That's the spirit!" Qin Li clapped his hands in mock celebration, his grin widening as he watched Frank's patience wear thin. Unable to take it any longer, Frank picked Nick up and headed upstairs, determined to focus on tutoring his son.
Watching them leave, Qin Li nodded in satisfaction. He thought about how much better it was to see Frank embracing his humanity rather than being the cold-blooded killing machine from the movies. Turning to Jessica, he quipped, "Even Frank's finding his second spring in life. But you? A young woman wasting away here, polishing glasses every day? Don't tell me you're broke."
Jessica froze mid-polish, her hand gripping the glass tightly. Without a word, she placed it upside down on the counter. With a loud crack, the glass shattered into the surface, leaving the counter irreparably dented.
After her silent protest, Jessica lifted her gaze to stare at Qin Li, her face blank. Unfazed by her show of strength, Qin Li continued to taunt, "That's it? Even if I stood still, you couldn't make me bleed, you weakling. Trying to threaten me? Please."
Jessica rolled her eyes and turned to leave, deciding it wasn't worth the effort. If anyone else had said such things, she would've sent them straight to meet their maker. But Qin Li? Punching him would probably result in her own hand breaking while he stood there unharmed. She let out a sigh and mentally decided to just treat him like an annoying barking dog.
As Jessica walked off, Qin Li shrugged, thinking he'd done enough teasing for the day. He remembered that there wasn't much happening in Tony Stark's storyline just yet, and Stark had already arranged for his favorite motorcycle to be delivered to the warehouse near the church. He figured it was a perfect time to take it out for a spin. After all, letting such a cool bike gather dust would be a tragedy.
Meanwhile, Pepper Potts was already seated in Tony Stark's office, plugging a USB drive into his computer.
Her eyes flicked between the monitor and the surroundings, her nervousness evident as she double-checked her environment. The screen flashed warnings as the system detected a security breach. She held her breath until the hacking program granted her access, its green notifications offering a brief sense of relief.
Once the program located a hidden disk, Pepper began meticulously browsing the files. As she clicked through, she found something alarming in the third file labeled "Sector 16"—a blueprint for a massive iron suit, far larger than Tony's armor. Shocked, she murmured, "What are you up to, Obadiah?"
Then, she opened another file. Her heart sank when she saw video evidence revealing that Obadiah Stane had orchestrated Tony's abduction. The video even showed the kidnappers planning to extort more money from Stane after capturing Tony. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Pepper quickly began copying the incriminating files onto her USB drive.
Just then, the office door swung open, and Obadiah entered, his calm demeanor masking his intent. "Now, what should I do about this?" he said smoothly.
Pepper jumped at the sound of his voice. She hadn't even heard the door open. Keeping her composure, she watched him pour himself a drink at the side table. Though her body remained tense, she forced herself to casually swivel her chair to face him.
"I know how you feel, Pepper," Obadiah said, his voice laced with feigned sympathy.
Pepper glanced at the screen, noting the file transfer was still in progress. Returning her gaze to Obadiah, she stayed silent, unsure how to respond.
Obadiah mistook her silence for concern over Tony. Sniffing his drink, he added, "Tony's always been surrounded by the finest things, hasn't he?"
Pepper managed a faint, polite smile. When Obadiah glanced down to pour himself more liquor, she seized the moment. With a swift motion, she covered the USB drive with a newspaper and discreetly enabled the screensaver.
By the time Obadiah looked up, the screen displayed a harmless screensaver. He leaned casually on the desk, continuing to make small talk. Meanwhile, Pepper played along, nodding and responding as though oblivious to his darker side.
When the transfer was complete, Pepper calmly cited the late hour as an excuse to leave. As she rose, she carefully took the newspaper—concealing the USB drive—and headed for the door.
"Is that today's paper?" Obadiah suddenly asked.
Pepper froze, then turned back with a forced smile. "Yes, it is."
Obadiah approached her and extended his hand. "Mind if I borrow it? I need it for the crossword."
Pepper handed him the paper without hesitation, feigning nonchalance. "Of course, no problem," she replied, nodding as she took a few steps backward before turning and walking away. Once out of sight, she quickened her pace, clutching the USB tightly.
Back in the office, Obadiah unfolded the paper, only to realize he'd been duped. He angrily threw it onto the desk and noticed the download completion message on the screen. Enraged, he bellowed, "Damn it!" before storming out in pursuit.
By then, Pepper had reached the lobby, where she spotted Agent Coulson waiting. He greeted her with a casual, "Miss Potts, right on time. Ready for our meeting?"
"Yes, follow me," Pepper replied, her voice hurried and tense.
Coulson raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"
"Yes, now. Let's go," Pepper insisted, her tone making it clear there was no time to waste.
Realizing something was amiss, Coulson followed her without further questions. As they walked, Pepper whispered, "This meeting is more important than you realize."
Neither of them noticed Obadiah watching them from above, his eyes burning with fury.
The sun had already set. Back at his home, Tony Stark sank into his couch. His phone buzzed, and seeing Pepper's name on the screen, he answered, expecting a status update. But instead of her voice, an ear-piercing, high-frequency sound erupted from the receiver…