You stepped onto the balcony. Tony's equipment began to take off your suit as you walked back inside. You had dated Tony for multiple years, it starting when you where taking a tour with other new scientists. He was explaining what he was working on and what he was going to do.

(Flashback) 

"Mr. Stark, I don't mean to be rude but the gamma levels will be too high. It won't be able to stabilize. It'll combust." You said, pushing up your glasses.

"Well we'll see, cutie." He smirked cockily as he pulled the lever. 

The generator began to light up, a dim purple. The monitor showed the slow increase. 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, 100 percent. It seemed stable, but you didn't trust it.

"See. Good as ever girlie." He laughed in triumph as he leaned against the control board. 

Right after he said that, there was a loud pop, causing the thick as hell glass around the generator to shatter. You looked up to see the generator get bright and brighter. Tony had pulled down the lever but the machine still proceeded to glow brighter and brighter. The others on the tour had ran out the door. 

"Mr. Stark, you need to get out!" You yelled. 

"I need to shut it down!" He yelled back. 

As he was about to approach the machine, you grabbed him by the back of the collar and pulled him behind the control panel. You pushed him under it and were thrown back by the explosion. That's all you remembered. You woke up in the hospital a week later to find multiple bouquets of different colored flowers. Tony had sent all of them. When getting out, he paid all the bills and had already a position for you at Stark Industries.  

(Flashback finishes) 

You walked into the lab and saw Tony fiddling with something. You sneaked up behind him and slacked your hands against the shoulders. He jumped and turned scared, seeming to be hiding something.

"What you got there?" You asked.

"Nothing." He said, eyes darting around the room.

"Come on Tony~" You said, taking a step forward as your finger lightly traced his shoulder.

"Why do you do this to me?" He asked.

"Just tell me! I won't tell." You pleaded. "Unless it's hella bad and gonna kill us. Like Ultran." You added.

"No. No new Ultran. It's better." He said.

"Then what is it?" You asked. He rolled his eyes and stepped to the side, revealing a duckling with a prosthetic foot. 

"OH MY GOD IT'S SO CUTE! CAN WE KEEP IT?" You asked, basically yelled.

He covered your mouth with his hand. "Shh. Pepper will find out and kill me."

"Can we keep it?" You asked again, this time whispering. 

"There's others..." He said, taking the duckling in one hand and yours in his other. 

He directed you to the second lab where you found a large glass enclosure with a small pond surrounded by grass and ducks swimming around. He opened the door and carefully put the duckling down. You watched it waddle to the pond where is interacted with two other ducklings.

"They were at the park that's getting turned into a parking lot." He explained.

"How many are there?" 

"Twelve."

"And we're keeping them?" 

"Yup."