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Helen Cho's Research Center
"Jennifer, I need you to keep your eyes on that reading. Don't blink, don't look away. This step is critical; one slip, and we lose the whole run. Understand?"
Helen Cho stood over her assistant, voice calm but edged with authority. The soft hum of the custom-built instrument filled the lab, its display flickering with streams of data that demanded unwavering focus.
"Understood," Jennifer replied quickly, though a flicker of concern crossed her face. After a pause, she added, "But Dr. Cho… don't you have a meeting with Mr. Stark? I'm worried we might be cutting it too close."
Helen froze momentarily, caught between her scientist's hunger and her responsibility. She wanted to keep going; every instinct screamed at her to push forward. The results were right there, just within reach. But reality intruded: her appointment with Tony Stark was in thirty minutes, and one full cycle of data collection would take exactly that long.
It would be a close call. Too close.
She wouldn't have cared about being late if it were a simple business consultation. Stark could wait, ego and all. But this wasn't business. Stark wasn't coming to talk technology or to strike a deal. He was coming to her for medical help, and that was not something she could afford to delay.
Helen exhaled slowly and forced herself to step back. "Record the current readings. Mark everything, then shut it down. We'll resume in two hours."
"Yes, Dr. Cho." Jennifer nodded, hands moving deftly across the console to begin the shutdown and post-process sequence.
Helen gave the monitor one last, longing glance before she turned away. Science could wait. Stark couldn't.
She left the lab and headed for her office, trading her lab coat for a fresh outfit. A quick change of clothes, a light touch of makeup, just enough to look composed rather than hurried.
Just as Helen was finishing her last touch of makeup, Jennifer stepped inside. "Dr. Cho, Mr. Stark is here."
Helen's eyes lit up instantly. She rose without hesitation, heading downstairs to greet him herself. Her eagerness had nothing to do with Stark's wealth or celebrity status; it was simpler than that. He was her friend, and she was genuinely relieved he'd made it back alive.
By the time she reached the entrance, a sleek luxury car had already rolled up. The passenger door swung open, and Tony Stark emerged in that effortless, magnetic way only he could pull off. Behind him, as reliable as ever, was Happy Hogan, keeping his watchful eye on everything.
"Stark! Seeing you back in one piece really warms my heart," Helen called with a bright smile.
"You must've cried yourself to sleep over me these past few days, huh?" Tony quipped as he strode over, that signature smirk in place. "Go ahead, if you're dying to hug me, now's your chance."
Helen gave him the kind of smile that said ''nice try''. She'd known Tony long enough to sidestep his theatrics with ease. "You look healthier than I expected. That's a relief," she replied smoothly. Then she gestured toward the facility. "But you could be a lot healthier. Come with me."
Without waiting for a retort, she led him inside to the research center.
"Pepper mentioned you've got yourself a Devil Fruit," Tony said as they walked, tone casual but eyes sharp. "Heal-Heal Fruit, right? Supposedly fixes any injury, any illness. Sounds like a miracle cure, and I'm dying to see if the marketing matches the product."
He'd seen some pretty wild stuff lately, Pepper with her Bubble-Bubble Fruit, Deadpool and his Smooth-Smooth Fruit, Hope with the Liquid-Liquid Fruit, but the idea of a fruit that heals everything? That had his full attention.
They entered one of the center's sterile treatment rooms with white walls, polished counters, and neatly arranged medical instruments, but no flashy tech displays or automated rigs that Tony usually surrounded himself with.
Helen's lips curled in a confident smile. "Give me a few minutes, Stark, and you'll see how smart you were to come here. Now, sit."
He obliged, though his gaze swept the room skeptically. No robotic arms. No advanced scanners. None of the cutting-edge machinery he expected from a facility tied to her.
"So," Tony said, his smirk returning, "you're telling me you can heal anything? Even… this?" He tugged open his shirt with a flourish, revealing the faint, eerie blue glow beneath his sternum. The miniature arc reactor embedded in his chest pulsed faintly, light spilling through the edges of scarred tissue.
*Gasp!*
Helen's breath caught. A sharp gasp slipped past her lips before she could stop it. Her mind reeled. 'That's not a scar, that's a cavity. A literal hole in his chest. And he stuck a piece of machinery inside it, the size of a hockey puck. What the hell did he do to himself?'
"I was hit by one of my own company's missiles," Tony explained, his tone almost casual, like he was reading from a report instead of describing a near-death experience. "Shrapnel buried itself in my chest, and there was no safe way to get it out. So, to keep it from inching toward my heart, I built this little lifesaver."
Helen tilted her head, studying the faint glow with sharp eyes. "So… basically, that's just an electromagnet? Seems a bit dramatic for a magnet, don't you think?"
Tony gave her a look of mock offense, eyebrows climbing. "A magnet? Really? That's your take? Helen, this isn't just a magnet. This—" he tapped his chest with flair "—this is the future."
Helen's lips curved into an amused smile. "Well then, Tony… how about we take the 'future' out of your chest?"
She stepped forward before he could get in another quip, her hand closing firmly around his.
Tony blinked at the sudden contact. "Uh, alright… I mean, I guess this makes sense as part of the healing process. Still feels a little… personal, don't you think? And seriously, this is how it works? Just handholding? Not what I pictured, but hey, very on-brand for these Devil Fruits."
He kept talking, filling the air with his usual running commentary, but Helen wasn't listening anymore. She'd already triggered her ability.
Tony stopped mid-sentence, the words dying on his tongue as his eyes widened.
He felt it. Not only that, he saw it.
The arc reactor embedded in his chest began to shift, the glow flickering as if it were being pushed out by some invisible force. Beneath it, torn flesh and raw muscle fibers started knitting themselves back together at a startling pace. Skin closed over the wound in seamless layers, smooth and unblemished.
*Pop!*
With a sharp metallic sound, the arc reactor dislodged, tumbling to the floor with a heavy clink. Tiny shards of metal followed, the shrapnel that had once been a death sentence for him.
And then… silence.
Tony looked down slowly, almost afraid of what he'd see.
The hole was gone. Not reduced. Not patched. Gone. His chest was whole again, not even a scar to suggest it had ever been torn open.
He stared for a long moment, then let out a low whistle, shaking his head in disbelief.
"…Okay. That's… that's just insane."
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Next Chapter: Tony Stark Visits
Next Next Chapter: The Devil Fruit Most Suited for Tony Stark
Next Next Next Chapter: The Big Upgrade
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