Marvel's Umbrella

Chapter 9 I Have No Choice
It is true that Tony is a genius, but he is a genius specializing in mechanics, not genetics.

So after studying it for a while, we didn't find anything special about the genes of minced meat, but instead we were filled with doubts.

Of course, if he wants to learn, he can quickly master genetic knowledge.

But even if it's faster, it will still take several months.

It seems that I have to find a biologist.

"Tony, breakfast is ready."

At this moment, Pepper's voice sounded outside the door.

So Tony had to stop his research and go outside.

Pepper, wearing a black low-cut dress with her hair tied up, was looking for him outside with a plate in her hand, like a good wife and mother.

And on the plate was one of his favorite burgers.

But when he got closer, he found that the burger was not filled with fried chicken or beef patties, but with ham slices and lettuce.

Faced with this burger without cheese and beef patty, he didn't want to eat it, but looking at Pepper's expectant eyes, he took it and ate it silently.

"Yeah, it tastes good."

Seeing Tony wolfing down the food, Pepper smiled and felt very happy.

Being praised for my cooking skills by the person I like, even if I felt unhappy just now, it disappeared at this moment.

"Don't be impatient, eat slowly. If you like it, I'll make another one for you."

Hearing this, Tony paused slightly.

"No, I'm full..."

This almost vegetarian burger did not give him the satisfaction brought by high calories, so it naturally could not satisfy him.

"Ok."

After a while, Pepper left with the tray.

"JARVIS, create a new file...Mark IV!"

In fact, Tony was not going to eliminate Mark III so quickly, but after last night's battle, he found that Mark III was still too weak.

Neither armor nor attacks were enough to deal with that monster.

If the monster hadn't suddenly stood still and grown wings, he would probably have had to escape in a panic.

And until now, the weapons sold by Stark Enterprises have not been found, so stronger armor is needed to continue the action.

"Yes, Mr. Stark."

Just when Tony was designing Mark IV, Pepper came over again.

"Tony, I think we have to have a talk.

Where did you go last night? Why are you so badly injured? "

In fact, she came to the villa to find Tony after he stood her up last night.

But I didn't find the other person, so I came again this morning.

But I didn't expect to find Tony in such a miserable state, as if he had experienced some horrific battle.

While preparing breakfast just now, she had been thinking calmly, and finally decided that she must have a good talk with Tony.

If it really doesn't work, she decided to leave Tony.

Because she didn't want to wake up one day and find the man she loved lying in a pool of blood, or never coming back, dead somewhere unknown.

Tony closed the projection in front of him and turned to look at Pepper.

"Pepper, I need you to do something."

"Tony, you can't do this. We need to have a frank talk."

"I'll be honest with you, but I need you to do me a favor right now."

Seeing Tony's solemn expression, Pepper finally gave in.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to go to my office in Stark Building, hack into the main computer, and get all the recent shipping lists." After saying that, Tony took out a thumb-thick USB drive.

"Take this, and use it to hack in.

The shipping manifest may be in the administrative folder, or if not, it may be on a hidden disk, so just look for the one with the lowest number."

After taking the USB drive, Pepper asked doubtfully, "What are you going to do if I get this data?"

Tony was relieved when he saw Pepper agreed, and continued to design Mark IV.

"Someone has been making a deal behind the scenes, I have to stop them, find our weapons, and destroy them!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized that he had said the wrong thing.

Sure enough, when Pepper heard that it was such a dangerous thing, her eyes suddenly turned red.

"Tony, you know I'm willing to do anything for you, but if you keep going like this, I'll have to leave..."

Needless to say, she knew that if she wanted to destroy these weapons, it would not be a matter of just a few words, but would require a battle, a life-and-death struggle.

Just like what I saw this morning, maybe the next time I see Tony, he’ll be a corpse.

This made her feel very uncomfortable and panicked, so she decided to leave to warn Tony, hoping that it would only be this time.

Tony immediately understood what Pepper meant, but his eyes remained firm.

“I will continue to do this in the future, no longer attend opening ceremonies, no longer do charity, and no longer sign documents, always like this!
This is my mission and responsibility, nothing more!"

As he spoke, he came in front of Pepper.

Looking at the other person's heartbroken eyes, he felt a little shaken, but when he thought of Dr. Ethan who sacrificed himself for him, and the civilians who died under the weapons he made, his heart was filled with a great sense of responsibility.

I must stop this!
When Pepper saw Tony's determined look, she felt even more sad.

She didn't want the other party to take risks or fight.

She just wants a safe man, at least someone who won't die one day.

After a while, she lowered her head, and the tears in her eyes could no longer be held back and fell.

“I quit…”

After saying that, he threw the USB flash drive in his hand onto the table next to him and walked towards the door.

Tony felt a pain in his heart as he watched Pepper walk away with heavy steps.

"For so many years, you have been helping me sell weapons and earning ill-gotten gains from killing civilians...

I want to atone for my sins now, but you want to quit doing it?"

Hearing this, Pepper turned around immediately.

Killing civilians yourself? Making ill-gotten gains?
Because Tony didn't show her the photo of Gumira, she didn't know that the weapons produced by Stark Enterprises had actually been used to massacre civilians.

Of course, she is not a complete novice. For someone who has reached this position and has been doing it for so long, it is impossible that she knows nothing. It’s just that because there is no actual evidence, she has been pretending not to know.

Now that Tony has laid it out in the open, it's a little hard for her to accept.

"You are committing suicide now, Tony, and I don't want to die with you."

Seeing that Pepper really knew something, Tony sat down on the chair in disappointment, and said with a self-deprecating look on his face: "I should have committed suicide to atone for my sins, unless I have a reason to live...

I'm not crazy, Pepper.

I just realized what I should do...

I have no choice…”

When he thought about the huge harm that the weapons he made had caused to the world and the massacre of countless civilians, the morality and conscience in his heart were like ants, gnawing at his whole body.

After hearing all this, and looking at Tony's sudden burst of masculinity in front of her, Pepper finally fell.

"Ugh…"

With a low sigh, she went back and picked up the USB drive.

"I have no choice but you."

Sometimes, love always prevails in life.

(End of this chapter)