"Sis~! Don't go, please!"
Artoria watched with a twitching face as Tony hugged her waist. My god! You don't care about your reputation, but I do! Can we not do this, brother? It's so embarrassing. Look, everyone is laughing. Can you not back out at this critical moment? Didn't you already give up on convincing me? Why are you doing this? How awkward...
"Someone quickly help me get this lump off me!"
Looking at Pepper gloating beside her, Artoria's neck flushed red with anger. She widened her holy green eyes; it seemed that not losing her temper for a long time had made them forget who the real master of the stark family was. Seeing the fire in Artoria's eyes and sensing she wasn't joking, Pepper, Hope, Maya, and Gwen quickly pried Tony's arms off her.
"No, Artoria, don't go, okay? Let me check that spaceship again. Don't be in such a hurry to leave."
He hadn't expected the combined strength of the four women to be so great. Tony could only watch helplessly as his precious sister was about to leave the planet. Moreover, he hadn't participated in the construction of anything on the spaceship, which made him feel incredibly uneasy. He finally realized his sister wasn't joking or acting on a whim; she really intended to go into outer Space. The thought of that weightless sensation, of watching the last spark of the system fade in the silent void of Space—that sense of powerlessness instantly triggered the 'anxiety disorder' he had been hiding lately, leading to this emotional outburst.
"Alright, don't worry! Brother, I will definitely come back safely."
Seeing his eyes bloodshot with agitation, Artoria could only helplessly stop her departure. She turned back to hug the brother she had never cared for much. She hadn't expected his anxiety to be so severe. However, she couldn't stop her plans because of Tony. She could only comfort him with these words, though unknowingly, she seemed to have raised a minor flag.
"No, Artoria, you don't understand. It's too dangerous."
Smelling the faint fragrance of his sister, Tony's emotions calmed slightly, but he was still desperate to keep her there. This put Artoria in a difficult position. Seeming to see her predicament, Pepper stepped forward and whispered to Artoria, 'Leave the rest to me!' Curious, Artoria let go of Tony, only to see Pepper produce a wooden stick from nowhere. Before Artoria's bewildered eyes, she whacked Tony on the back of the head.
"Impressive! Where did you learn that move?"
That was a smooth move. Artoria couldn't help but give Pepper a thumbs-up. Good grief, she hadn't realized her sister-in-law had picked up such a skill behind her back. Artoria couldn't help but worry for Tony's future life; would this guy eventually be clubbed to death? But that didn't seem to be her business; as for this couple, let them hurt each other.
"Miss Hope taught me. This should keep him unconscious for about an hour. Artoria, you can go ahead and prepare your things with peace of mind."
Feeling the weight of the stick, Pepper estimated an accurate duration. One wondered who had paid the price for her to gain such a precise feel for it. So, the teacher was you! Artoria glanced sideways at Hope, who held up her hands as if to say she hadn't done anything, maintaining an air of total detachment.
"I'll take Tony back to rest first."
She really does care for her husband! Artoria thought. But the next scene made her face, which was about to break into a teasing smile, freeze. Pepper was dragging Tony by the scruff of his neck like a mouse. Because of the height difference, Tony's feet were still dragging on the ground, plowing two furrows in the dirt. This scene reminded Artoria of a hilarious ancient custom: when a woman takes a fancy to a man, she finds a chance to knock him out and drag him back to her cave. This looked exactly like that.
"Which of you gave Pepper the enhancement potion?"
Comparing their relative weights, Artoria frowned at Hope and Maya, ignoring Gwen. These two women were the most unreliable. Who knew what they had been doing behind her back while she wasn't around?
"Not me!" "Me neither!"
Neither of them dared to meet Artoria's eyes. It seemed Pepper's current state was indeed thanks to them.
"I'll deal with you two when I get back."
Artoria glared fiercely at the two of them. In her hand was a small box containing an improved version of the Sentry Serum, which had been modified over the past two days using Raven's blood. Before leaving the planet, Artoria had received this and intended to take it into Space to see if it would change under cosmic radiation. It didn't matter if it failed; the most important thing was to satisfy her curiosity.
"Susan, let's go!"
After arranging a few minor matters for Gwen—Raven had now transformed into an ordinary person, and Artoria wanted Gwen to show her the ropes of normal life—Artoria boarded a small private jet. This was Doom's plane, and Susan had come to pick up Artoria to take her to the launch site.
"Okay."
A brilliant smile was the reply. Susan had finally caught an opportunity to be alone with Artoria. The previous times had been ruined, but this time was different. A romantic and exciting Space trip—what a wonderful memory that would be! At this thought, Susan could hardly contain her joy. However, she suppressed her excitement; the trip wouldn't be short, taking at least half a month to return to Earth according to the original plan. But who knew, they might stay a few days longer.
"Hello, Mr. Victor Von Doom."
"Hello, Miss Artoria Stark. You truly are as... oh no! Excuse my rudeness; you are even more beautiful than in your photos."
When Artoria arrived at the launch Base, she received a warm welcome from Reed and Doom. This was Artoria's first time seeing Doctor Doom's true face up close. To be honest, the guy was actually quite handsome. Standing next to him, Reed looked like a complete dweeb. But one couldn't help the fact that Reed was the protagonist and a righteous hero, while Doom was a great villain.
"I'm sorry, I don't quite like such etiquette. Let's just introduce ourselves simply."
Seeing Doom move for a hand-kissing gesture, Artoria apologetically indicated she wasn't fond of such etiquette and could only nod in respect. Fortunately, Doom's upbringing was excellent, and he showed no sign of anger. He began introducing himself and everyone else. However, Susan's younger brother, who looked exactly like Captain America, seemed a bit too timid to look at Artoria. She wondered why.
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