Tony's actions this time were impulsive. Clearly, Pepper was right— he was under a lot of pressure. This realization made Arthur feel somewhat guilty.
During the construction of the Camp Lehigh base, the two of them had practically been together day and night, yet Arthur hadn't noticed Tony's struggles. If he had discovered it earlier, perhaps things could have been different.
"Fortunately, it's not too late now."
After making some arrangements, Arthur bid farewell to Natasha, stepped onto the teleportation array, and in the next moment, he appeared at Tony's house.
Tony, who was tinkering with his suit, was startled when he saw Arthur. "What are you doing here?"
"I am here to help you protect your own house," Arthur replied while releasing The Eye of Horus into the air. "How's your mood lately?"
"Great," Tony said, putting down the screwdriver in his hand and shrugging. "The world of a winner in life is something an old man like you wouldn't understand."
"I think you might be on the verge of a midlife crisis."
Arthur walked over to the liquor cabinet and asked. "Why didn't you tell me when something happened?"
"Saw the news, huh?" Tony took the drink Arthur handed him and took a small sip. "I can handle it myself."
"I've never doubted your abilities, but I do doubt your resilience." Arthur sighed softly before adding. "Your eyes are bloodshot."
Tony quickly closed his eyes. "It's probably from staring at the computer screen for too long."
"Do you even hear yourself? You are trying to cover it up so desperately." Arthur said helplessly. "I was lying. Your eyes are perfectly fine."
"…"
Tony opened his eyes and looked at Arthur. "What's going on?"
"My niece-in-law is very worried about you. She came to me and said that my nephew respects me, admires me, and sees me as the guiding light in his life, illuminating all his paths. And now, considering the gloom you're facing, of course, a guiding light like me has to step up and clear all obstacles for you."
Arthur spoke with a straight face, spouting nonsense.
"…"
Tony was dumbfounded, then sighed softly and put down the screwdriver. "Honestly, how much of that did you add yourself?"
"All of it came from Pepper, every single word of it" Arthur blinked.
"…Who would believe that?" Tony said, exasperated. "A sentence or two might be possible, but such unabashed self-praise could only come from you."
"Why doesn't my nephew trust me? Am I not your uncle…"
"…Can we talk seriously?" Tony was at a loss. "Fine, I admit, I've been under a lot of psychological pressure lately."
"Lately?"
"To be precise, it's been since the New York battle."
Tony rubbed his nose and said, "Or rather, ever since you dragged an alien in front of me and told me that sooner or later, even uglier creatures would come, I've been feeling uneasy. The New York battle happened, proving that the universe we live in isn't as safe as we imagined. There are too many dangers in this world, and the New York battle was just the beginning."
At this point, he snatched the bottle of liquor from Arthur's hand.
Arthur was helpless. "Why are you stealing now?"
Tony's face darkened. "It's mine to begin with. Honestly, I don't know what to do. During the New York battle, we worked together, but it was still a close call. I thought you were dead, really… I felt guilty."
"That was my own choice," Arthur said.
"I should have been the one to face that."
Tony continued, "But you faced it for me. Being protected in battle feels good, but I can't stop thinking about what would happen if, one day, in a similar war scenario, I didn't have your protection. What would I be like? If it had been me, not you, who carried that nuclear bomb through the wormhole, how would I have felt? Would I have become braver, or would I have broken down? I want to become stronger to face even greater enemies, not have you carrying nuclear bombs to your death for me every time!"
After saying all this in one breath, Tony's tense expression softened into a hint of sadness. "I don't know what will happen when we face even more terrifying threats in the future… Maybe sacrifices will be inevitable? When that time comes, if I'm stronger, can I prevent some of the tragedies that might occur?"
"Whenever I think about these things, I can't help but feel anxious, and I can't sleep at night."
Tony looked at Arthur. "I want to become like you…"
Just as he was about to continue, the doorbell rang.
"Why is someone ringing the doorbell?" Tony was puzzled and glanced at the video feed.
A woman was standing at the front door.
"She looks familiar," Tony said.
"A one-night stand?" Arthur teased.
"There are too many of those. You know, the life of a winner and all," Tony stood up and said. "But after I provoked that Mandarin, she shows up. Hopefully, it's a coincidence."
"Unfortunately, it's not."
Arthur glanced at the woman and frowned slightly.
At the same time, his phone rang. Arthur took it out and saw a message from Natasha.
"How many of your suits here are combat-ready?"
Arthur scanned the room. There were all kinds of suits around, clearly the result of someone who couldn't sleep at night and spent his time building them.
"All of them. Oh, except for this latest prototype!" Tony answered quickly.
Arthur nodded in satisfaction. "Put one on and get ready for a fight."
"Is she really with the Mandarin or the Mandarin himself or herself?" Tony pointed at the woman on the video who had already entered. "She doesn't look like the one on TV! And, most importantly, I actually slept with the Mandarin?"
"Your taste is too heavy," Arthur said. "There are three helicopters heading straight for your villa. Judging by their aggressive approach, they probably want to blow this place sky-high."
"Tell me you're joking!"
Tony quickly got up to find a suit.
"I rarely joke about things like this."
As he spoke, Arthur was already heading upstairs. "I'll go help you deal with your ex-girlfriend."
"This really isn't a good idea."
Tony turned his attention back to the suits, struggling to choose which one to wear.
(End of Chapter)
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