"Will it hurt a lot?" Tony asked skeptically. "And how long is the treatment going to take?"
Ethan leaned against the table casually while answering. "Yes, it will hurt. As for the duration… it shouldn't take more than one minute."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"What are we waiting for then?" he said with complete indifference. "Do you really think a little pain for sixty seconds is something Tony Stark can't handle? If you underestimate me like that, I'll be personally offended. You should know that I—"
"Stop."
Ethan cut him off immediately.
Tony had already started slipping into full "endless speech mode," and if he didn't interrupt now, the man would probably keep talking for another five minutes.
Ethan reached into his pocket and took out a small green bean, tossing it to Tony.
"Here," he said. "Put it in your mouth, but don't swallow it yet."
His treatment plan was actually very simple. Ethan would use telekinesis to extract the shrapnel from Tony's chest directly. Once the metal fragments were removed, Tony would swallow the bean and instantly recover.
Treatment finished.
Ethan still had ten Senzu Beans remaining.
One had been used on Pietro, and Ethan himself had eaten one many years ago when he was still serving as an ordinary soldier. That had been ages ago.
For the past five or six years, he hadn't needed to use any of them. With his own rapid regeneration ability, most injuries healed quickly enough on their own.
Using one on Tony wasn't something Ethan particularly cared about.
Tony examined the small green bean in his palm with fascination.
"What is this?" he asked. "A bean?"
Even while asking questions like a curious child, Tony obediently placed the bean into his mouth.
"Okay," he said through partially closed lips. "Now what?"
Ethan smiled faintly.
"When the pain starts, chew and swallow it."
Tony immediately felt a wave of unease.
"On second thought," he said cautiously, "maybe we should consider using some anesthe—"
Ethan ignored him completely.
Just a moment ago Tony had been bragging about enduring pain. Now he wanted anesthesia?
Telekinetic force extended from Ethan's mind, slipping into Tony's chest. The arc reactor was gently lifted out of its position, revealing the damaged area beneath.
From there, Ethan's telekinesis moved deeper into Tony's body, carefully traveling along blood vessels and tissue toward the metal fragments embedded near his heart.
"Ready," Ethan said calmly. "I'm starting."
Tony nodded stiffly.
His face had already gone pale.
Ethan's telekinesis sealed the surrounding blood vessels completely, cutting off the blood flow to Tony's heart temporarily. If that condition lasted more than two minutes, Tony would die instantly.
Then Ethan acted.
With a sudden pull, every piece of shrapnel inside Tony's body was ripped out all at once.
Blood splashed across Tony's upper body.
Tony's eyes flew open in pure agony. Veins bulged across his forehead as his hands clenched violently, every muscle in his body tightening under the unbearable pain.
Fortunately, he still remembered Ethan's instructions.
He immediately bit down on the bean in his mouth and swallowed.
The moment the Senzu Bean slid into his stomach, the pain vanished.
Tony stared down at his chest in stunned disbelief.
The torn flesh began healing at a visible speed. In less than six or seven seconds, the wound had completely closed as if it had never existed.
He touched his chest slowly, still unable to believe it.
"Wait… is it done already?" Tony asked in confusion.
"Of course," Ethan said with a smile.
Tony slowly relaxed, his expression returning to its normal curious enthusiasm.
"Ethan," he said, leaning forward. "What exactly did you just give me? Those beans are incredible."
"They're called Senzu Beans," Ethan replied. "They can instantly heal almost any injury. As a bonus, they also create a powerful feeling of fullness."
He chuckled slightly.
"You probably won't need to eat anything for the next ten days."
At that moment, Pepper walked back into the room carrying a tray of food.
"Gentlemen, your—"
She froze mid-sentence.
The tray slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor.
Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at Tony, whose upper body was still covered in blood.
"Oh my God!" Pepper cried. "Tony, what happened to you? Stay still! I'm calling an ambulance!"
Tony quickly grabbed her arm before she could reach her phone.
"Pepper, relax," he said hurriedly. "This blood is from the treatment Ethan just did. I'm completely fine now."
To prove his point, Tony proudly showed his chest.
Pepper stared in disbelief.
The place where the arc reactor had been embedded for years was now completely normal.
"Oh my God…" she whispered.
She reached out slowly and touched his chest, as if confirming it was real.
"Pepper," Tony said with a grin, "Ethan's still here. Maybe we should continue this experiment later."
Pepper's face instantly turned red, and she pulled her hand back quickly.
Looking toward Ethan, she said gratefully, "Thank you, Ethan. You have no idea how worried I've been about Tony lately. Every hospital refused to operate. The only surgeon who said he could do it was someone named Stephen Strange, but Tony argued with him."
"Pepper," Ethan said with a smile, "Tony's my friend. Helping him is nothing."
"Exactly," Tony added immediately. "Don't thank him too much. The process hurt like hell."
"Tony."
Pepper glared at him.
Then she looked down at the spilled food on the floor and sighed.
"I'll get you something else to eat," she said.
"There's no need," Ethan replied. "I should leave anyway. I don't want to interrupt your evening."
Both Tony and Pepper blushed slightly.
Before leaving, Ethan turned back toward Tony.
"Oh, right," he said. "Next week, I need your help with something."
He gave Tony an address.
Tony glanced at it and raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't that Osborn Industries' Biological Life Science Research Center?"
Ethan smiled.
"Starting Monday," he said, "it belongs to me."
Then he disappeared.
Tony stared at the empty space where Ethan had been standing.
"Did anyone ask if I had time?" he muttered. "What a jerk."
Meanwhile, Norman Osborn was even more impatient than Ethan expected.
In less than a week, the entire Biological Life Science Research Center had been transferred under Ethan's name.
None of Osborn Industries' original researchers were kept, except one.
Dr. Kurt Connors.
The rest were dismissed immediately. Ethan didn't want to risk leaving behind any corporate spies.
Instead, Aldrich Killian transferred researchers from Pioneer Technology to fill the positions.
Once the preparations were complete, Ethan summoned the key members of the project.
Aldrich Killian.
Maya Hansen.
Dr. Kurt Connors.
And Tony Stark, whom Ethan had personally dragged into the team.
The lineup of scientists was extraordinarily luxurious.
Standing beside Ethan, Tony glanced at Maya Hansen and whispered quietly, "Why is she here?"
Ethan pretended not to understand.
"What's the problem?"
"Nothing," Tony replied quickly.
He obviously couldn't explain the real reason. If Ethan learned the truth, he would definitely tell Pepper immediately.
Soon, Ethan distributed research documents to everyone present.
The files contained the information for the Spider Serum, Extremis, and the Super Soldier Serum.
Each scientist reacted differently as they examined the data.
Killian showed almost no reaction at all. As Ethan's most loyal subordinate, his only concern was carrying out Ethan's orders.
Maya Hansen, on the other hand, was completely absorbed in the documents. The research fascinated her so much that she barely even noticed Tony standing nearby.
Dr. Kurt Connors reacted the most dramatically.
After reading the data, his entire expression changed with excitement.
For years, he had believed his lizard serum research had reached a dead end.
But now, after seeing these new materials, it felt as though an entirely new door had opened in front of him.
....
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