"No," Pepper replies flatly. crossing her arms. "You're doing it again. You might have a few genes from outside the solar system, but I'm pretty sure none of those rings gave you ESP."

She sighs, but there's a ghost of a smile on her lips. "That's because you're a good person, Gene." The smile fades. "Why do you need to punish yourself for that?" And for everything else. It's almost as if he's punishing himself so he can focus on that pain instead of the pain of loss, as if that's somehow easier, somehow better.