章 3564: Chapter 2694: Hollywood Rhapsody (17)

"Tony was very aware that he shouldn't have spoken like that, and he could see that Jarvis was not pleased. Others, such as Steve, also felt that he had gone a bit too far."

"Let me repeat, Wanda is not overdrinking. Her own words and attitude have made this very clear. Any sane adult should not continue to be aggressive."

"Despite knowing this, Stark continued to do so. This typical compulsive behavior, as I've said, is his way of obtaining a sense of security. But why does he feel insecure?"

At this moment, a small picture-in-picture appeared in the lower right corner of the screen, showing Stark's expression; however, Shiller shook his head and said, "No, let's not look at this. Let's look at Pepper's expression a few seconds earlier."

The camera perfectly captured the fleeting worried expression on Pepper's face, which was not very intense. It seemed she was more concerned about her own health than worried about Wanda drinking.

"When we listen carefully to what Tony said, I know his words are a bit muddled, but the main message is clear; he wants Wanda not to pressure Pepper."

"Because he saw Pepper's expression, which is a negative one, obviously conveying some kind of negative emotion. Stark thinks that Pepper is affected negatively, making him feel insecure."

"Logically, he should realize that Pepper would not fear becoming a mother just because Wanda has a drink before bed, but he can't help thinking this way. It is difficult for him to shake the thought, because it gives him a sense of security."

"Yes, this is also a compulsive behavior. One not so common but real manifestation of OCD is the extreme concern over harm coming to others, or simply assuming that harm is befalling them."

"The assumed targets are often people close to them. They can't help but think these people are always under various kinds of pressure and persecution, which gives them a sense of security."

"Why does imagining that our loved ones are suffering give a sense of security? Just as Stark did, when he steps forward in a protective role, he feels like he is making a sacrifice and contributing. Protecting others instills in them courage, which significantly boosts their mental drive. The increase in spiritual power makes them feel comfortable and secure."

"This also explains the mindset of many parents who are overly indulgent with their children; they are a combination of anxiety and OCD."

"Because they lack other ways of obtaining security, they choose to assume the entire world is out to get their children. By taking the stand as an overwhelmingly powerful protector of their children, they are given an incomparable mental drive that makes them feel secure."

"Tony is in the same state of mind. In the past, Pepper always played a motherly role in accommodating him. He cannot imagine Pepper as a victim. Now that Pepper is pregnant, in the most vulnerable phase of life, he can use it as an excuse to imagine Pepper is undergoing all kinds of assault."

"And as Pepper's fiancé and the father of her child, he should stand out as a strong protector, helping her to eliminate all dangers. This gives him a strong mental drive, which helps to stabilize him."

"When I left, I anticipated that there might be such situations. So, at this moment, I made a call to him."

The phone rang abruptly. Stark was obviously impatient, but when he saw the name on the caller ID, he answered the call.

"Hello? Shiller?... How are you?" Stark's tone was still somewhat brusque, as he obviously couldn't adjust his emotions in such a short time.

But the next second, his expression became visibly bright, and he even seemed unable to hold back a smile.

"All right, indeed, okay, that's it, see you tomorrow."

Steve felt curious and asked, "Was that a call from Shiller? What happened?"

"Yes, he said considering Beck isn't very safe, he took him away before Pepper and I came back."

The rest felt somewhat surprised, not understanding how that sentence had placated Stark, but everyone was tired from the day's activities, so they dispersed to their rooms to sleep.

The next day, rejuvenated, Shiller came alone. Stark had also woken up early and saw Wanda and Jarvis having breakfast. He felt a bit awkward but really couldn't bring himself to apologize.

Luckily, no one took issue with it, as they had gotten used to his impulsiveness. Wanda just glanced at him indifferently, and Jarvis acted as if nothing had happened.

This made Stark even more embarrassed, so he could only sidle up to Shiller and started to eat some potato wedges from his plate before asking, "How's Beck doing? You said you got some information from him... "

"I took Beck back to the hotel and did hypnosis on him. When he remembered some details that he couldn't recall during his emotional outburst, one of those details seemed interesting to me. Would you like to hear it?"

"Of course." Stark nodded, his gaze never leaving Shiller, who then said, "He mentioned that Robbins, impersonating Spider-Man, kidnapped him. Of course, at the time, he didn't know that Spider-Man was not Spider-Man. He thought Robbins was Spider-Man, so he cursed him a bit, and Spider-Man replied nonchalantly."

"But in the course of answering back, they mentioned the Lunar Base, which was a place where they had interacted over work, and even mentioned a few names of the Stella Core Space Station project."

"If it was indeed Spider-Man who kidnapped him, it wouldn't be surprising he could say these things, but the question is, Spider-Man is very likely Robbins, and Robbins is just a thug from the Brooklyn Area. How would he know that?"

After some thought, Stark said, "Do you think there's a leak? Given that the guy has the ability to become invisible, maybe he went somewhere and overheard a few words..."

"Are such confidential projects really something one can easily eavesdrop on?"

Stark fell into deep thought, and Shiller continued, "Anyway, the problem definitely lies with Robbins, but now that he's gone missing, it's actually a bit more troublesome."

"Do you think we should try to catch him? Of course, we're going to have to catch him sooner or later, but do you think now's the time?"

Shiller obviously thought seriously before he said, "I don't think this minor matter necessitates rallying The Avengers, but we definitely need to find Robbins. I will call S.H.I.E.L.D. to cast a wide net."

"And SWORD, of course." Stark added, "After all, the person disappeared on their turf. If we don't tell them and something happens there later, it would be hard for us to explain."

Shiller nodded and then continued, "Beck is slightly better off, although he caused some trouble previously, he did not cause any casualties, and the property damage was minor, plus he's a technician after all..."

"Are you worried about Steve giving him trouble? That old-fashioned guy does indeed often use the so-called principles of justice to cause trouble, but I think it's completely unnecessary to be too harsh on that bunch of sand..."

"Peter said he would handle it. What do you think?"

"He's not a kid anymore, we should trust him." Stark said this but still looked up at the room; just then, Peter had come out of the room.

Peter also sat down to eat breakfast, and Stark asked him, "What's your take on Beck? Do you think he could be a liability?"

"Nobody is born a liability," Peter said, "He worked just fine in various bases for such a long time before this, which shows he has full behavioral capacity, not some lunatic who needs to be hospitalized."

"This incident was his own slip-up, but after all, he is also a victim. It's quite pitiful that he was trapped in some pool for so long, and going crazy after getting out is understandable. Fortunately, he's not a bad guy and didn't cause any loss."

"That's also because you guys stopped him in time," Shiller said, "If left unattended, it would have surely turned into a big mess."

After thinking for a moment, Peter said, "What does he think about it himself? Is he willing to undergo treatment?"

"I think we should listen to a professional doctor's opinion," Stark suddenly interjected, "It should be up to a doctor to judge whether his current mental state requires treatment; otherwise, even if he gets involved in the work, he might create a mess."

"His case is complicated. If he's to be admitted to the Arkham Sanatorium, I would need to be responsible for his diagnosis and treatment, but I'm on vacation right now. Sending him to the sanatorium to stay doesn't make much sense, but letting him go home might also be dangerous, especially since Robbins's whereabouts are unknown. If Robbins turns back to find him, he's no match for that guy."

"So, what do you think, Doctor?"

"I want to ask Ms. Carter," Shiller looked upstairs and said, "Maybe we can send him back to New York first, and have Nick arrange a place for him to stay. That would be safer."

They all agreed with this suggestion, and as they discussed, Wanda frequently looked their way. When the three of them got up to welcome Carter and Steve who had returned from their morning run, Wanda lowered her voice and said.

"Why is it that Stark and the others are so normal when they're together? Why do they start losing it when they meet us?"

Jarvis blinked as if about to speak, but it seemed like Eddie, who was filming across from them, made a gesture to him, so he said nothing.

This question also sparked widespread speculation among the public. After all, Stark has a better relationship with Peter and Shiller than with Wanda, who is just an acquaintance, so differential treatment is quite normal.

But theoretically speaking, he also has a good relationship with Jarvis, so there shouldn't be such animosity towards Wanda. Why did it seem like he was particularly targeting Wanda?

And after he lashed out at Wanda, not even considering Jarvis and Pepper were there, but he was pacified by a word from Shiller—what kind of magic power does Doctor Schiller have, exactly?

The public's attention was already focused on Shiller, and now they were even more curious. However, professionals soon stepped forward to suggest they had spotted clues within the content of the documentary itself.

The reason Shiller could calm Stark down was obviously because of his absolute professional integrity.

"Haven't you guys noticed?" a woman who looked very intellectual pointed to the scene of the three communicating overhead and said, "When communicating with Stark, Shiller used a lot of questions..."

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