[Then they came to the heart of the matter: what Susan wanted Pepper to know about Tony. None of it is exactly easy to hear; Pepper's well aware that her life doesn't qualify as ordinary, didn't even before Tony announced to the public at large that he was Iron Man. Even with those circumstances, however, Pepper's experienced more than her share of worry when Tony goes off on a mission. So she can sympathize with other people connected to superheroes.
It's harder to take, when Susan talks about Steve and Tony being on opposing sides. She likes both men--more than likes, in Tony's case. More than that, she knows just how important being an Avenger is to Tony. That sort of division would hit him hard.
But all of that doesn't compare to what Susan talks about next. An actual war, with prisoners, and brainwashing done by Tony? That makes Pepper's eyes go wide, and she shakes her head, horrified by what she's been told.]
My God. [She needs a moment to process it, and Pepper uses the excuse of taking another drink to give herself that time. She slowly puts her cup down after, folds her hands in her lap, and looks back to Susan.]
I'm very sorry you're going through all that. It sounds terrible. [And she means it, honestly. But her eyes are calm, because as horrible as it all must be, there's also one vital truth involved, and for the first time Pepper wholly embraces the theory of alternate worlds.]
But while I understand your concerns, Mrs. Richards, I'll ask you to keep something in mind: that's the Tony Stark of your universe, or however you want to put it. The Tony Stark here is from mine, and he hasn't done anything like that--and he never would.
Re: [Action]
It's harder to take, when Susan talks about Steve and Tony being on opposing sides. She likes both men--more than likes, in Tony's case. More than that, she knows just how important being an Avenger is to Tony. That sort of division would hit him hard.
But all of that doesn't compare to what Susan talks about next. An actual war, with prisoners, and brainwashing done by Tony? That makes Pepper's eyes go wide, and she shakes her head, horrified by what she's been told.]
My God. [She needs a moment to process it, and Pepper uses the excuse of taking another drink to give herself that time. She slowly puts her cup down after, folds her hands in her lap, and looks back to Susan.]
I'm very sorry you're going through all that. It sounds terrible. [And she means it, honestly. But her eyes are calm, because as horrible as it all must be, there's also one vital truth involved, and for the first time Pepper wholly embraces the theory of alternate worlds.]
But while I understand your concerns, Mrs. Richards, I'll ask you to keep something in mind: that's the Tony Stark of your universe, or however you want to put it. The Tony Stark here is from mine, and he hasn't done anything like that--and he never would.