Noticing Heisenberg had no intention of killing, or at least no desire for a massacre, Pepper slowly sat across from him, still holding Tony's arm.
Sunlight streamed through the damaged wall, casting a slant across Tony's face. Yet the warmth that soothed Heisenberg couldn't thaw Tony's grim expression.
Heisenberg glanced at Tony, sensing his clenched jaw.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Discovered your weakness? Your billion-dollar armor couldn't even withstand a slap?"
Heisenberg's taunt made Tony take a sharp breath. Moments later, Tony's face softened. He shrugged helplessly.
"Well, it's nothing. They say you're Superman, and my armor doesn't have a bat symbol, so I'm no match for you."
His mood shifted abruptly from gloom to defiance. Leaning forward, he grabbed his wine glass and clinked it against Heisenberg's.
"This wine's worth sixty grand, and my assistant's office walls cost three hundred grand. Have your company wire me the money!"
"Hahaha! No way. Let's toast to the renovation crew you'll hire, buddy!"
Heisenberg downed his wine, both setting their glasses down simultaneously.
Pepper, sitting beside them, silently raised her own glass. Her tear-streaked face hid resentment and annoyance.
*Men always forget the woman beside them once they start drinking. Don't I deserve a toast too? Ugh, feminists would riot!*
Pepper sipped her wine worriedly. The atmosphere between Heisenberg and Tony had shifted from lighthearted to tense.
Setting his glass down, Tony clenched his jaw, steeling himself. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then took a deep breath.
Exhaling, he finally spoke.
"Heisenberg, your handling of the protesters was too brutal!"
"They deserved it, Tony!" Heisenberg retorted dismissively.
"But not at the cost of their lives. You could've made them suffer in other ways—like condemning them to poverty. That'd be easy for you!"
"So you're crueler. I just wanted them dead; you'd make their lives worse than death!" Heisenberg coldly sneered.
Tony frowned, pouring more wine and shaking his head.
"Those scumbags might've been better off dead, but it undermines the law and disrespects life."
"Isn't that fair? They insulted me in the streets, so I insulted their lives from above."
Heisenberg stood from the sofa, raising his glass for another clink with Tony.
"Let's end it here. Our talks will never be pleasant. After all, we only trust ourselves!"
Finishing his wine, Heisenberg placed the glass on the table. He waved at Pepper.
"Sorry for beating your man, wrecking your office, and scaring you. As compensation, I'll give you a life you'll treasure. No need to thank me—just cherish it."
Heisenberg flew off through the hole he'd created earlier.
Moments later, he returned as if remembering something. He addressed Tony seriously.
"One last thing, Tony. Remember this—it's crucial!
You love your parents, and despite your playboy act, you cherish your family.
But you often weigh your family against your heroics, and heroism always tips the scale.
That's unfair to your loved ones and yourself."
After this cryptic speech, Heisenberg vanished instantly.
Back on his rooftop, he glanced below. Whether due to his beating of Iron Man or the protest leaders being summoned, the protesters had stopped chanting and were dispersing.
But Heisenberg wasn't letting them off that easily. He called Jessica.
The call connected.
"Hey, boss. You need something?"
"Fuck, can you go three sentences without saying 'fuck'?"
Heisenberg's exasperated curse finally silenced Jessica's estrogen-fueled brain. After a pause, he continued.
"Take your team and target the protest leaders. They've lost the right to go home after leading those insults.
Track them, break their legs. You're good at this—they're Hell's Kitchen scum, after all!"
Jessica eagerly agreed.
"Sure, easier than fighting the Hulk. But what about the reward you promised after the Hulk incident…?"
"Come to my room tonight…"
Heisenberg sighed. *This woman.*
Hanging up, he smiled, reclining in his chair. His mood had improved significantly.
Not just because he'd decided to eliminate all gang leaders or tasked Jessica with handling the protest leaders.
What truly lifted his spirits was finally finding a solution for Iron Man!
As a former ordinary man, Heisenberg had adored Iron Man in countless movies from the Origin Universe.
But upon entering the Marvel Universe…
He faced a choice.
Either assimilate as an American superhero, doing good deeds—risking becoming Iron Man's enemy during Civil War—or abandon American heroism, forging his own path as he was now.
That path would inevitably lead to a clash with Iron Man.
So, how could he neutralize Tony Stark without killing him?
Verbal sparring?
No, not everyone's words can sway someone cursed with knowledge. And Heisenberg lacked the eloquence of anime protagonists.
His current underlings had submitted only under overwhelming force—coercion, not persuasion.
There's no "tiger's awe"—only people exploiting fear.
So that approach was futile.
What if Iron Man lost his intellect?
Better yet, if Tony lost his intellect but cherished his family more—no longer abandoning Pepper and their daughter for heroics…
Then Tony wouldn't fly around as Iron Man, wouldn't snap his fingers, and wouldn't cause Heisenberg trouble.
Most importantly, Tony would no longer be a problem!
Of course, if Morgan knew Heisenberg's plan, she'd immediately don her armor and blast him.
But Heisenberg didn't care about the process—only the result.
He was always true to himself, doing whatever he wanted.
He didn't consider others' opinions. After all, life—food, shelter, love, or hatred—exists solely to fulfill one's desires.
You seek love to avoid loneliness.
You seek family to avoid loneliness.
You seek friends to avoid loneliness.
You seek wealth, power, status, attention, and respect for a better life!
That's human nature.
So, without Tony's knowledge, Heisenberg was about to "kill" Marvel's greatest hero, Iron Man, to suit his purposes.
And create a Tony Stark who loved his family, cherished his wife and daughter, and lived happily…
Cough.
Heisenberg didn't question his right or wrong—he only knew this was his desired outcome.
Better than being forced to kill Iron Man later.
"System!"
Heisenberg called out mentally.
"How much Origin Substance to lift the knowledge curse on Iron Man in the Marvel Universe?"
*2,672 units of Origin Substance required.*
"Huh, so cheap. Is that all he's worth?"
*He is the sole Iron Man in this universe, yet one of infinite Iron Men across infinite universes.*
"I see." Heisenberg nodded.
"Everyone has their own Iron Man, right?"
He waved his hand, instantly spending the required Origin Substance.
But he wasn't done.
"Next, alter Tony Stark's subconscious, ensuring his love for family surpasses all desires!"
*Simple. 8.97 units of Origin Substance needed.*
"Uh… that's ridiculously cheap…"
Heisenberg hadn't expected such a low cost—barely two watches from the Origin Universe.
The response came quickly.
*No need for surprise, Order Keeper. Altering Tony's subconscious has ample methods. You could use Mind-Controlling Superman's abilities or the cheapest Inception-style subconscious alteration.
With excessive options, the system defaults to the lowest cost.*
"This system… feels like me. Am I imagining things?"
Heisenberg muttered instinctively, then decided.
"Do it!"
In an instant, everything changed unnoticed.
…
That night, Tony stormed out of his lab, frustrated.
Heisenberg's overwhelming power had shaken him, erasing his inspiration to upgrade his armor.
His mind felt tangled, even forgetting how he'd built the armor!
This was disastrous!
Pepper, always attentive to Tony, noticed his distress. She approached, concerned.
As she sat, Tony spoke.
"My mind's a mess, Pepper. I'm not as great as I thought."
Pepper rolled her eyes. *How great do you think you are? Don't you know?
This is the eighty-sixth time we've had this talk. But you always solve problems quickly. This time will be no different.*
She embraced him, intending to comfort her often-melancholic love. But Tony pulled her into his arms.
Holding her tightly, he whispered seriously into her ear.
"Though it's silly, I want to propose. Let's get married."
Pepper's eyes widened. She sensed something different—Tony was genuinely changed.
As she prepared to respond, Tony took a deep breath. In that moment, Pepper saw him cry.
Though he quickly wiped the tears, she remembered.
Tony continued, his voice sorrowful.
"I… suddenly miss my father. He'd be happy to see me with a loving family.
I love you and will love our child, just as my father loved my mother and me.
I… miss him."
…
Meanwhile, at Heisenberg Tower.
Heisenberg lay on the rooftop, glancing toward Stark Tower.
"You might dislike my plan, but considering your future, you should thank me.
And I should bid you farewell, future Iron Man."