c25 - Destroying Records
"You're not going back so soon, are you?"
"I haven't shown you my Iron Man armor yet."
Tony suddenly remembered as they walked and said.
New York nights were never truly peaceful, especially with increasing criminal activity and underground dealings tied to advanced weaponry that had once originated from Stark Industries, but Harvey Ambellaca clearly wasn't someone who needed to worry about such things.
So Tony Stark directly tried to persuade him to stay a little longer.
"Then you'll have to prepare a midnight snack for a hundred people."
Harvey didn't refuse, but simply stated his condition for staying.
"Weren't you just about to have dinner?"
"You want to order a midnight snack?"
"Or is this some kind of price to pay?"
Tony Stark asked, hearing that Harvey hadn't even finished dinner yet and was already planning ahead.
"Sort of."
Harvey nodded slightly.
Harvey couldn't guarantee what changes would occur after Tony Stark came into deeper contact with the Void.
However, Tony Stark's physical condition and metabolism would inevitably change over time, and his appetite would likely increase significantly.
Explaining it subtly in advance would leave a deeper impression on Tony Stark and make it easier for him to accept later.
"What did you two talk about?"
Pepper Potts asked curiously as Tony and Harvey approached.
"We had a long discussion about the future of Earth and my technological developments,"
Tony replied casually.
"That excuse again..."
Pepper said, clearly unconvinced, her tone slightly exasperated.
"I'm not lying to you, we really did talk about the future of Earth,"
Tony said seriously after a brief pause.
"I know, I know, you always talk about the same things."
"Beautiful women, expensive drinks, sports cars, cutting-edge tech, and saving the world,"
Pepper rolled her eyes as she listed them.
"Let me correct you, it wasn't just talk."
"With our capabilities, these aren't just topics, we can actually influence and change outcomes,"
Tony corrected her, his tone unusually earnest.
While Tony and Pepper were talking, Harvey had already reached the dining table and begun eating.
As Tony Stark and Pepper continued chatting, they soon noticed Harvey Ambellaca eating in an elegant yet astonishingly efficient manner, each movement precise as dish after dish disappeared.
"I had heard the rumors, but seeing it in person is still unbelievable,"
Pepper said, visibly shocked as the plates continued to stack up while Harvey's speed remained constant.
"I still can't believe it either, but clearly it's real…"
Tony subconsciously touched his chest as he spoke.
"Hmm… but Tony, you look… younger?"
Pepper suddenly noticed something and asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"It's probably just because I'm in a good mood,"
Tony replied casually, not giving it much thought.
The shrapnel near his heart had been completely removed, and the palladium toxicity that had been slowly poisoning his body was gone.
Although continued use of the Arc Reactor would eventually reintroduce the same problem,
with Harvey Ambellaca's existence now confirmed, Tony Stark no longer felt the same pressure or fear.
For the first time since Afghanistan he felt completely unburdened.
Harvey glanced briefly at Tony Stark after hearing this, but said nothing.
"No, it's not just that. The lines on your face, they're gone. Look."
Pepper quickly handed Tony a reflective device.
"…"
Tony Stark looked at his reflection and realized that he appeared noticeably younger, as if he had returned to his early thirties.
"Did you develop some kind of new biotechnology?"
Pepper asked immediately, her tone turning serious.
Tony Stark was thirty-eight years old, still in his prime intellectually, but physically, subtle signs of aging had already begun to appear.
Yet now, his skin looked smoother, healthier, and more vibrant.
Maintaining youth was something almost everyone desired, especially someone like Pepper.
"I'm an engineer, not a biochemist or genetic researcher."
"There's no way I secretly developed some kind of rejuvenation serum,"
Tony Stark replied, shaking his head.
"Then how do you explain this?"
Pepper looked at him closely, clearly unwilling to let it go.
"I honestly don't know."
Tony Stark shook his head again, equally confused on the surface.
However his eyes subconsciously shifted toward Harvey Ambellaca.
Even without understanding the mechanism, Tony Stark was certain of one thing.
Whatever had happened to his body was directly related to Harvey.
"I need to check something downstairs."
"Pepper, don't come down. I'll tell you anything you need to know later."
"And if I don't, don't dig into it."
Tony suddenly spoke, giving instructions before heading toward the underground lab.
Before descending, he paused briefly at the top of the stairs and glanced at Harvey.
Seeing that Harvey Ambellaca was completely focused on eating and paying him no attention,
Tony quietly let out a breath of relief.
Pepper, watching Tony disappear downstairs once again especially after being told not to follow felt a mixture of annoyance and curiosity.
Moments later, Tony Stark entered his underground laboratory.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., run a full-body scan."
"And compare it with my previous biological data records."
Tony Stark gave the command immediately.
J.A.R.V.I.S., upon receiving the command from Tony Stark, immediately initiated a full-spectrum biometric scan, red light sweeping across Tony's body with precision calibrated by systems originally designed for advanced armor diagnostics.
"Sir, enhanced cellular activity has been detected, indicating a significant increase in your overall physical condition."
"You are currently free of any detectable illnesses or toxic elements, including the palladium residue previously present in your bloodstream."
"Based on comparative biological data, your current physiological state reflects a regression of approximately six years."
"From a cellular standpoint, your body is now equivalent to your condition at thirty-two years old."
"It can be defined as a form of biological rejuvenation."
After completing the scan, J.A.R.V.I.S. projected two detailed holographic models—one from Tony's previous condition and one from his current state highlighting the differences at a microscopic level.
"Rejuvenation?"
"Harvey Ambellaca… what exactly did you do to me…"
Tony Stark stared at the holographic projection of himself, the model clearly showing a younger, healthier version of his body. Hearing J.A.R.V.I.S.'s analysis, he finally grasped the full extent of the changes.
Harvey Ambellaca had not only removed the shrapnel embedded near his heart and eliminated the palladium poisoning caused by prolonged Arc Reactor exposure,
but had also fundamentally enhanced his cellular vitality, effectively reversing aspects of aging.
Tony Stark understood better than most that human lifespan extension and genetic enhancement were still largely theoretical within mainstream science even organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. had yet to achieve stable, controllable breakthroughs without severe side effects.
Humanity still struggled with incurable diseases, let alone true rejuvenation.
Yet Harvey had accomplished all of this in less than two minutes.
Not only curing him but improving him.
What kind of ability was this?
It was completely beyond Tony Stark's understanding of science and technology.
If such a method were ever revealed to the public, even at astronomical costs, it would cause global upheaval. The wealthy, the powerful, even governments would desperately try to obtain it.
Compared to that what Harvey had done for him could no longer be measured as a simple favor.
"Sir, I am unable to fully explain the mechanism behind what occurred."
"However, visual data may provide clearer understanding."
J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke again and projected a recorded sequence.
Tony Stark looked at the projection and noticed the timestamp, it had all happened within just over a minute.
The footage showed him shaking hands with Harvey Ambellaca before immediately losing consciousness.
Moments later, the recording displayed Harvey's fingers slicing open Tony's chest with surgical precision.
Those seemingly ordinary fingers had, in that instant, demonstrated a sharpness surpassing any scalpel Tony had ever seen.
Then Tony saw it clearly.
From Harvey's hand, strands of faintly glowing purple energy emerged, thread-like yet precise, penetrating his body and reaching directly toward his heart.
These threads operated with impossible accuracy, extracting every fragment of shrapnel embedded within his body.
The entire process clean, efficient, flawless took less than ten seconds.
Immediately afterward, Tony watched as his chest wound healed at a visible rate, tissue regenerating as if time itself had reversed.
After completing the procedure, Harvey stepped aside.
He paused briefly, as if considering something, before placing Tony's body flat on the ground.
The footage ended shortly after Tony regained consciousness.
After watching everything, Tony Stark slowly rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
"This… is what he called a small trick…"
Tony muttered under his breath, disbelief evident in his voice.
He recalled every word Harvey Ambellaca had spoken.
The unknown healing ability.
The blade-like precision of his hands.
The complete control over life energy.
Everything pointed to one conclusion, What he had seen tonight was only a fraction of Harvey's true capabilities.
Even as a genius who had revolutionized modern technology through Stark Industries, Tony Stark realized something unsettling.
His understanding of the world was still limited.
Superhuman abilities, cosmic forces, and unknown entities these were no longer theoretical concepts.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., erase all footage related to tonight's events."
"Including this recording and any data of my conversation with Harvey Ambellaca."
Tony Stark gave the order after a moment of silence, his tone firm.
"Sir, this data possesses extremely high research value."
"Would you like to archive it in an isolated and encrypted private server instead?"
J.A.R.V.I.S. asked for confirmation.
Even as an artificial intelligence, it recognized that what had been recorded tonight was beyond priceless.
"Delete everything. Leave no trace."
"Even with my security systems, I can't guarantee absolute protection."
"If this data is ever leaked, it won't just cause trouble, it could lead to uncontrollable consequences."
Tony Stark replied seriously.
He understood the implications better than anyone.
If this information fell into the wrong hands, it wouldn't just endanger Harvey, it could destabilize entire power structures, spark conflicts, or even make Tony himself responsible for unimaginable outcomes.
"Understood. Initiating complete data deletion."
J.A.R.V.I.S. immediately began purging all related records.
.....