The urge to ask a million questions rises like a wave, but for once Pepper ignores it. She feels exhausted, and this newest revelation from Gene just makes her feel even more tired. Suddenly a lot of things want to make a lot more sense in her head, but she's still struggling with two very different versions of reality and it's a bit much to process. Pepper grabs back onto the thread that brought them to this point.

"Even if it was yesterday, Gene, it still wouldn't be your fault," she replies after a while. "There are people that just do what they're going to do, no matter what anyone else thinks, or tries. I mean, come on, you've met Tony, haven't you?" She tries a half-hearted smile, but it feels wrong. "Like I said. You've got enough to hurt about. I'm not going to let you get away with blaming yourself for things you didn't do."

And by that she means she's going to do anything necessary - including arrest him - to get him to stop. It's her job to fight crime, after all.