c24 - Healing Tony
"Putting aside its function, does it really look that different from a light bulb?"
Harvey said with a laugh, seeing Tony Stark's agitated expression.
"Putting aside its function, huh..."
Tony Stark chuckled in exasperation at Harvey's dismissive attitude. He had intended to give Harvey a proper explanation of the Arc Reactor's capabilities, a clean-energy prototype derived from his miniaturized power systems that could rival anything Stark Industries had ever produced.
However, he quickly realized that Harvey Ambellaca was just using that to provoke him deliberately.
"Although your words aren't very pleasant, thank you anyway."
Realizing his mistake, Tony Stark thanked him.
"And you're right, this Arc Reactor has put some strain on my body."
"I've tried changing some elements, but I haven't found a suitable replacement yet."
Immediately, Tony Stark opened his shirt, exposing the Arc Reactor embedded in his chest to the air, the faint glow illuminating the surrounding lab equipment, and said with a hint of helplessness.
Although the palladium core hadn't yet completely destabilized his condition, nor pushed him to the brink,
he knew from his own diagnostics that prolonged exposure would inevitably lead to systemic poisoning, cellular degradation, and eventually organ failure.
"Besides finding a replacement element, there's another way to restore your body to normal and extend your lifespan,"
Harvey said, a thought flashing through his mind.
"If you're talking about removing the shrapnel from my heart and not needing the Iron Man armor anymore, then forget it."
"Knowing there's an external threat, without the Iron Man armor, I'm practically waiting to die."
Tony Stark waved his hand and said directly.
If Rhodey had agreed to permanently operate alongside him earlier, or if he had never experienced the sheer combat adaptability and overwhelming firepower of the armor firsthand,
he would have already arranged for a top-tier surgical team perhaps even consulting specialists affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. to remove the shrapnel near his heart.
But he had already stepped into a larger world one involving extraterrestrial threats, covert agencies like S.H.I.E.L.D., and unknown entities like Harvey.
How could he willingly return to being an ordinary human?
"Of course, I wouldn't suggest something as basic as having surgery and never using the Iron Man suit again."
"But since you don't want to hear it, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Harvey also decided not to say anything more.
"Not surgery... then what method?"
Tony Stark looked at Harvey Ambellaca with a puzzled expression.
"Let's talk about your masterpiece, the Iron Man suit."
"You called me here because you wanted to show me your technological achievements, right?"
Upon hearing this, Harvey completely ignored Tony Stark's question and walked with interest toward a suit of armor.
The Mark II stood there, sleek and silver, while other iterations—early modular prototypes rested in maintenance frames nearby, each representing Tony Stark's relentless pursuit of technological perfection.
"..."
Tony Stark looked at Harvey Ambellaca, who clearly didn't want to talk about that matter anymore, and felt a little regretful.
Harvey Ambellaca was incredibly mysterious, seemingly knowing countless things about the future, about alien civilizations, even about beings like Odin and the larger cosmic order.
Since he said he had a solution, it must be something beyond conventional science.
He had just missed the opportunity to know because of his own arrogance.
"Let's not talk about the armor for now, how about we continue with what we were talking about earlier?"
Tony Stark struggled internally for a moment, trying to steer the conversation back to how to deal with the palladium poisoning, his tone carrying a hint of negotiation and request.
"Fine, I'll help you this time, give me your hand."
Upon hearing this, Harvey turned to look at Tony Stark, pretending to ponder for a moment, and then spoke.
"Does this have anything to do with solving my physical problem?"
Tony Stark asked, extending his hand.
"According to my estimation, you'll be unconscious for a minute or two, and then you'll be fine."
Harvey grasped Tony Stark's hand with his left, giving him a warning.
Upon hearing that he would be unconscious for a minute or two, Tony Stark didn't even have time to react before everything went black, and he instantly lost consciousness.
Then, Harvey's left hand transmitted a controlled flow of life energy to maintain Tony Stark's vital signs.
At the same time, Harvey's index finger lightly sliced open the skin on Tony Stark's chest.
Tony Stark's heart still burdened by embedded shrapnel fragments that had originally necessitated the Arc Reactor was exposed.
An ordinary person would recoil at such a sight.
However, Harvey's gaze remained completely calm.
Everything within Tony Stark's body his circulatory system, tissue structure, and embedded metallic fragments was clearly perceived under Harvey's enhanced sensory awareness.
Harvey's right hand, radiating a faint purple glow formed from condensed Void energy, transformed into countless thin, thread-like strands that precisely entered Tony Stark's body.
Each strand located and extracted microscopic fragments of shrapnel without causing additional damage.
Then, guided by the life energy Harvey infused, Tony Stark's internal injuries both old and newly formed began healing at a visible rate.
Damaged tissue regenerated.
Blood vessels reconnected.
Cellular activity normalized.
Harvey gently laid Tony Stark flat on the ground. The extracted shrapnel was placed neatly on a nearby table.
From incision to complete restoration, the entire process took less than ten seconds.
With the continued infusion of stabilizing life energy, less than two minutes later, Tony Stark regained consciousness.
He felt a brief moment of disorientation before opening his eyes to the ceiling of his lab.
He immediately got up.
Surprisingly easily.
His breathing was smoother.
His vision sharper.
The persistent tightness in his chest gone.
The subtle neurological strain he had grown accustomed to—gone.
Even the faint fatigue that came with age had vanished.
Tony Stark, now thirty-eight years old, had long accepted minor physical decline as inevitable.
But now, His body felt completely restored.
"What's the principle behind this?"
Tony Stark looked at Harvey Ambellaca and asked, bewildered.
"You don't need to worry about the mechanics."
"I've removed the shrapnel from your body, and I've completely neutralized the palladium toxicity."
"This gives you more time to find alternative elements."
Harvey, without offering any scientific explanation, simply stated the results.
He possessed the ability to manipulate life energy itself something far beyond the technological scope of even Tony Stark or S.H.I.E.L.D..
Naturally, what could heal himself could also be used to heal others.
Winning Tony Stark's trust in the Void was never about force.
It was about calculated steps.
And this was one of them.
However, the initial and most crucial step was to let Tony Stark personally experience the sensation of his body being completely healed, regaining its youthful vitality, and even becoming stronger than before.
No one could resist the temptation of an extended lifespan and a body restored to peak condition, especially someone like Tony Stark, who had already faced death once in Afghanistan and understood the fragility of human life despite his genius.
Once Tony Stark experienced this transformation, even if he later followed the path of his father Howard Stark's theoretical research and eventually synthesized a new element to replace palladium,
and was no longer plagued by palladium poisoning, he would never forget this feeling.
Therefore, given the right opportunity, even without Harvey's deliberate persuasion, Tony Stark would inevitably take the initiative to seek him out again, desiring further enhancement beyond what science alone could provide.
At that time, a proper explanation directed at Tony Stark would easily ignite his curiosity and ambition, naturally leading him to explore and eventually accept the concept of the Void.
Upon hearing that the palladium had completely disappeared, Tony Stark immediately rushed to a nearby table, opened a secured case, and took out a portable biochemical analyzer designed by Stark Industries.
He conducted a rapid scan and discovered that the trace palladium toxicity in his bloodstream had indeed completely vanished.
Tony Stark's eyes widened in disbelief.
Immediately afterward, Tony Stark noticed a faint metallic scent mixed with blood.
Following the source, he spotted several tiny, darkened fragments of shrapnel, still stained with blood, resting on a table about ten meters away.
Tony Stark instinctively pressed a hand against his chest, expecting pain or discomfort, but found nothing no obstruction, no pressure, no lingering ache.
"Mirror,"
Tony Stark called out as he walked toward a nearby display.
J.A.R.V.I.S., the advanced artificial intelligence system he had personally developed, instantly converted the screen into a reflective surface.
Tony Stark opened his shirt and carefully examined his chest.
There were still faint traces of dried blood on his skin, but there was no wound, no scar, not even the slightest mark indicating that his chest had been opened moments ago.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., how long was I unconscious?"
Tony Stark asked, still trying to process what had just happened.
"Sir, you were unconscious for a total of 72 seconds."
J.A.R.V.I.S. responded immediately, his tone as calm and precise as ever.
"Harvey Ambellaca, is this your superpower?"
Tony Stark turned his head toward Harvey, who stood about ten meters away, and asked in astonishment.
"That is merely a minor application of my abilities, but by your understanding, you can interpret it as a superpower."
Harvey nodded calmly.
"If a battle breaks out in the future and someone on our side gets injured, you could heal them instantly wouldn't that make us practically unstoppable?"
Tony Stark's mind raced as he spoke, his voice filled with excitement, already imagining battlefield applications, strategic advantages, and survival probabilities.
He quickly strode toward Harvey, his expression filled with anticipation.
"Tony Stark, I understand your excitement."
"But don't forget what I told you earlier."
Harvey spoke calmly, reminding him.
At those words, Tony Stark's thoughts, which had been rapidly spiraling into strategic calculations, abruptly slowed.
He remembered Harvey's stance on freedom, on not being controlled, and on refusing to become part of any organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers Initiative proposed by Nick Fury.
"Harvey Ambellaca, I don't know how to repay you."
Tony Stark stepped forward and grasped Harvey's hand firmly, his expression unusually sincere.
He had originally intended only to gather information and perhaps show off his technological achievements.
But now not only had he gained insight into a larger universe beyond Earth, involving entities far beyond human comprehension his body had also been completely healed.
"I recently bought additional shares in Stark Industries."
"I'm counting on you, as its CEO, to bring its value back up."
"If you die and the company collapses, I'll suffer significant losses."
"So you could say I was simply protecting my investment."
Harvey replied with a faint smile, his tone casual, almost dismissive.
Naturally, he would never directly demand repayment.
A favor like this one that saved a life and restored a body would bind far deeper than any transaction.
"But…"
Tony Stark wanted to say more, clearly unwilling to let the matter end so simply.
"Alright, let's not continue this topic."
"Just remember, do not reveal my identity."
"And more importantly, I only came here because you said there would be food."
"It's been quite a while now, so where exactly is my dinner?"
Harvey interrupted, smoothly shifting the conversation.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.?"
Tony Stark called out, glancing upward.
"Dinner has been fully prepared and is currently arranged on the second floor."
"However, the two of you were deeply engaged in conversation, so I chose not to interrupt."
J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
"Then let's go upstairs and eat."
Tony Stark said, turning to Harvey.
Harvey gave a slight nod and followed him out of the lab.
Above them, in the quiet luxury of the mansion, Pepper Potts was still waiting unaware that, in just over a minute, Tony Stark's life had been completely changed.
.....