When Ethan appeared inside the Malibu villa, Pepper Potts immediately noticed him. She hurried over, anxiety written all over her face.
"Ethan, what happened?" she asked quickly. "Tony came back like this and hasn't said a word. I've been asking him what's wrong, but he just keeps drinking."
Ethan gave her a calm smile.
"Relax, Pepper. It's nothing too serious," he said. "Mind if I talk with Tony alone for a bit?"
Pepper hesitated for a moment, but Ethan's relaxed tone eased her nerves slightly.
She nodded.
"I'll be in the next room," she said after glancing at Tony worriedly. "Call me if you need anything."
With that, she quietly left.
Ethan walked over and sat down cross-legged beside Tony on the floor. The billionaire glanced at him through the open faceplate of the armor.
"Is everything handled?" Tony asked.
"Yeah," Ethan replied casually. "Natasha's pretty good with computers. She took care of the Iron Soldiers."
He reached forward, grabbed a bottle from the floor, and took a drink himself.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
The quiet stretched across the room.
Finally Tony broke the silence.
"Ethan… what would you have done?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"If it were you," Tony said slowly, "what would you do in my situation?"
Ethan didn't hesitate.
"If it were me, I'd kill him," he replied plainly. "And if someone tried to stop me, I'd kill them too."
Ethan had always believed in one rule: never leave an enemy alive overnight.
Tony gave a bitter laugh.
"I wish I could be like that," he said quietly. "But I can't."
"I know," Ethan said with a shrug. "You're Iron Man."
After a brief pause he added casually, "If you want, I can finish the job for you."
Ethan wouldn't mind at all.
The Winter Soldier had committed dozens of murders. Eliminating him would easily add another chunk of summoning energy to Ethan's system—maybe five percent or more.
Tony shook his head slowly.
"Thanks, man. But no," he said softly. "Steve's right about one thing. Bucky wasn't making his own choices. HYDRA turned him into a weapon."
Tony stared down at the glass in his hand.
"My mom…" he said quietly. "She gave me everything growing up. She was the best mother anyone could ask for."
He paused, swallowing hard.
"And my dad… I spent most of my life thinking he didn't love me. But after I saw the things he left behind, I realized the truth."
Tony's voice cracked slightly.
"He did love me. A lot."
He stared at the floor.
"And I didn't even know it. Six months before he died, we had a huge argument. I stormed out of the house and didn't speak to him again."
Tony wiped his face, but the tears kept coming.
"You know what the worst part is?" he muttered. "I never got to tell him I was sorry."
The room fell silent again.
Ethan glanced at him.
"Do you regret it?"
Tony blinked in confusion.
"Of course I do."
"Then go tell him."
Tony froze.
For a moment he just stared at Ethan.
Then something clicked in his mind.
His voice turned hesitant.
"Wait… you're not saying…"
Ethan simply smiled.
"Be bold."
Tony frowned.
"You mean… I could talk to his soul?"
"Be bolder."
Tony sighed helplessly.
"I have no idea what you're hinting at, man. Just tell me."
Ethan grinned.
"Why not just resurrect them?"
Tony stared at him.
For several seconds he didn't move.
Then his eyes widened slowly.
"You're joking… right?"
Ethan tilted his head.
"What do you think?"
Tony knew Ethan well enough to understand one thing.
Ethan never made jokes about things like this.
Excitement suddenly surged through him.
But then a new thought hit him.
"Wait," Tony said suspiciously. "If you could do that, why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Ethan smirked.
"Because you're usually such an arrogant jerk. Seeing you miserable for once was refreshing."
As he spoke, Ethan casually pulled out his phone and played a video.
The clip showed Tony from earlier—sitting on the floor crying while confessing his regret about never apologizing to Howard Stark.
Tony's expression froze.
When the video ended, he lunged for the phone.
Ethan casually flicked his wrist and the device vanished into golden light, disappearing into his storage space.
"You jerk!" Tony shouted. "Delete that!"
"Nope," Ethan said cheerfully. "After I resurrect your parents, I'm definitely showing them this video. I'm really curious what your face will look like then."
Tony clenched his teeth in frustration.
But after a moment he sighed like a defeated balloon.
There was nothing he could do about Ethan.
Even in full armor, he knew he still wouldn't win.
"Fine," Tony muttered. "Do whatever you want. But… can you really bring them back?"
Ethan nodded.
"Of course. A few days ago I resurrected Thor's mother in Asgard."
Tony shot upright.
"Wait, what?! You went to Asgard without me?!" he shouted. "And what about the girls there? Are there cute ones in Attilan?"
Just knowing his parents could come back had already improved Tony's mood dramatically.
Ethan didn't answer.
Instead, he turned his head toward the next room and called out loudly.
"Pepper. Did you hear that?"
The door opened almost immediately.
Pepper walked into the living room with a cold expression.
Tony's heart nearly stopped.
Crap.
He had completely forgotten Pepper was nearby.
"Pepper!" Tony said quickly. "I was joking with Ethan. You know I haven't been with any other woman since we started dating."
Pepper folded her arms.
"Only on Earth, right?"
Tony gave an awkward smile.
Still, Pepper didn't pursue the argument. She had already overheard most of the conversation and understood the situation.
Right now there was something far more important.
She turned to Ethan.
"What do we need to do to bring Tony's parents back?"
Tony suddenly looked nervous again.
The thought of seeing his parents after twenty years made his heart pound uncontrollably.
Ethan stood up.
"First thing we need," he said, "is their bodies. Tony, where are your parents buried?"
Tony immediately stood as well.
"Let's go."
He was about to remove the armor when he suddenly paused.
Turning toward Pepper, he waved her over.
"Pepper, you're coming with us too," he said. "When my mom comes back, I'm pretty sure she'll want to see you even more than me."
Pepper's face instantly turned red.
All of her irritation from earlier vanished in a second.