Pepper closes her eyes, too, for a moment. This is not the time to let her frustration get the better of her.

"So, what? You think if I saw what Tony saw, I'd somehow change my mind, even though he didn't?" Her voice shakes now. "You couldn't convince him, so you're trying to convince me? Let me stop you right there, because it's not going to work. You can do monstrous things without being a monster, just like you do stupid things without being stupid. And caring about yourself isn't selfish, Gene, it's literally biological."

Pepper breathes out slowly. "Be honest. Is it scarier to be a monster or try to face the fact that you aren't one?"