"Ohhh~ I had no idea you went through all of that…" Gwen sighed, leaning back slightly on the couch, still processing what Jean had told her.
Jean gave a tired half-smile, the kind of expression worn by someone already accustomed to carrying more than she let on.
"How about we put this conversation aside for a while?" she suggested, shifting her tone with ease. "Let's go to the pool. A bit of water helps clear the mind."
Gwen lifted her eyes for a moment, considering the idea, then nodded.
"Good idea. I definitely need to relax."
The two went upstairs side by side, exchanging light comments as they headed toward the bedrooms. The tension from moments earlier gradually faded, replaced by something more casual, almost carefree.
Jean chose an elegant navy-blue swimsuit, with subtle silver details that reflected the light delicately. It was simple yet sophisticated—exactly like her. Gwen, on the other hand, didn't hesitate for a second and grabbed a vibrant yellow bikini, bold and full of energy, perfectly matching her spontaneous personality.
"Ready?" Jean asked, reaching out and tugging Gwen along with a playful smile.
Gwen hesitated for a second, bit her lower lip, and then blurted out an unexpected question:
"Have you… ever taken a bath with another girl before?"
Jean blinked, surprised, then laughed.
"This is my first time."
Gwen let out a nervous laugh.
"Then that makes two of us."
They entered the bathroom together, still laughing at the unusual situation. For Gwen, it was completely new—and maybe a little embarrassing—but Jean's natural ease made everything simpler, almost comfortable.
---
Arthur's House — Bathroom
Steam was already beginning to fill the room when Jean and Gwen stepped into the spacious, modern bathroom. The white tiles reflected the soft ceiling lights, and a massive mirror covered nearly an entire wall, doubling the scene as if reflecting another world.
Hot water poured steadily into the large bathtub, creating a constant, soothing sound.
Both were wrapped in towels, and the warm air made their skin tingle slightly.
Jean closed her eyes for a moment and let out a deep sigh.
"Wow… this feels like a private spa. Arthur really lives like a king, huh?"
Gwen smiled, leaning against the sink.
"He's much simpler than he looks… he just likes comfort when he can afford it."
As they prepared to get into the water, Gwen was the first to drop her towel, revealing a slender, well-defined body with subtle muscles and a confident posture. Jean hesitated briefly before doing the same, letting her towel fall and revealing softer, fuller curves that were naturally eye-catching.
For a moment, they stood in silence, simply looking at each other.
Then Gwen broke the tension with a mischievous giggle.
"Okay… you definitely win in the 'weapon of mass destruction' category," she commented, openly staring at Jean's chest.
Jean widened her eyes and immediately crossed her arms over herself.
"Hey! I didn't choose this, okay?!"
"I'm just saying…" Gwen continued, already stepping into the bathtub and slowly sinking until the water reached her shoulders. "If the government ever needs to hide a weapon of mass destruction, I already know exactly where."
"Gwen!" Jean huffed, her face slightly flushed, before stepping in after her. The hot water instantly enveloped her body, relaxing every tense muscle.
"At least I don't look like a lab-grown gymnast with zero body fat," Jean shot back, giving her a sly look.
Gwen lifted her chin, striking an exaggeratedly proud pose.
"That's cutting-edge biotechnology, okay?" she replied. "And besides, my glutes are one hundred percent natural."
They both burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the steamy bathroom and erasing any remaining awkwardness.
---
Stark Industries — Office
In the heart of Manhattan, Pepper Potts was wrapping up a video conference with shareholders when Natalie approached, carrying a neatly organized stack of papers.
"Is Mr. Stark really okay?" Natasha asked once again, her expression serious despite her casual tone.
Happy, seated across from them, shrugged.
"Better than ever. He hugged me—can you believe it? A hug! Tony Stark hugged me!"
Pepper raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious.
"Either he's drunk… or he's found a cure for cancer."
"He was drinking wine," Happy confirmed. "So… probably drunk. But he seemed different. Light. Calm. Like someone had taken a huge weight off his shoulders."
Natalie tightened her grip on the papers, her gaze distant for a second longer than usual.
She knew about the palladium poisoning.
If he really had found a cure…
That changed everything.
"Maybe he made some technological breakthrough," Pepper commented, still reviewing charts on her tablet. "You know how he is. He obsesses for days, then suddenly shows up floating around like he just saved the world."
Pepper looked up at Happy.
"By the way… why did you go see him?"
---xXx---
A little over an hour earlier…
Tony Stark's Workshop
Tony Stark's workshop looked less like a laboratory and more like the direct result of a creative explosion with absolutely no supervision. Metal pipes crossed the ceiling at impossible angles, exposed wires snaked along the walls like electric veins, and advanced technological components were scattered across the floor alongside ordinary tools, forming a chaos that made sense to only one mind on the planet.
At the center of this scientific battlefield, Tony Stark held a level ruler with an expression far too focused for someone who routinely ignored every existing safety regulation.
He tilted his head, inspecting the newly installed pipes.
"It's crooked…" he muttered. "Damn crooked."
Tony scanned the floor, looking for something that could serve as an improvised support. His gaze landed on a round, metallic object covered in dust, tossed carelessly into a forgotten corner of the workshop.
He walked over, picked up the old shield, and turned it in his hands.
"Hm…" he mused. "This looks important."
He paused.
"But probably isn't. If it were, I'd remember. Or… not."
Without any ceremony, Tony wedged the shield under the pipe as if it were a simple spacer. He adjusted its position carefully, placed the level on top, and watched the bubble slide slowly… until it stopped perfectly centered.
"Perfect."
A satisfied smile crossed his face. He turned to the array of machines around him.
"JARVIS, prepare the power output. Let's play with lasers."
[System ready, sir.]
[The new element can be synthesized at any moment.]
"Excellent. Showtime. JARVIS, you know what to do."
Immediately, AC/DC – Shoot to Thrill began blasting through the workshop, filling the space with raw, impulsive energy, as if it were the official soundtrack of Tony Stark's brilliant insanity.
He positioned himself in front of an improvised rotating gate, assembled from recycled parts and enough creativity to make any OSHA engineer faint. Gripping the valve with both hands, he began to spin it forcefully.
"JARVIS, adjust the power based on my rotation!"
[Understood, sir.]
A beam of blue energy exploded through the pipes, surging like a spear of light until it slammed into the opposite wall, leaving a deep burn mark. With every turn Tony made, the laser intensified, destroying everything in its path until it struck the triangular reactor at the center of the lab.
The energy was absorbed instantly.
The reactor began to glow, emitting a crystalline, pure, intense blue light. The entire laboratory was bathed in that almost ethereal glow—powerful, yet strangely serene, as if something ancient and wrong had finally been set right.
Tony was sweating, out of breath… but smiling.
He stared at the reactor for several long seconds.
"Light of rebirth…" he murmured. "Heh. Way too poetic for me."
He took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling.
"Dad… you were a brilliant bastard."
The words carried pride and bitterness in equal measure. Howard Stark continued teaching his son lessons, even decades later—beyond the grave.
[Congratulations, sir.]
[The creation of the new element was a success.]
[I will begin compatibility tests with the reactor immediately.]
Tony stepped back slowly, removed his protective goggles, and let out a long sigh.
For the first time in weeks… he felt like he had won.
He walked over to the workshop's makeshift bar, grabbed a glass, poured some wine, and took a sip—immediately grimacing.
"Ugh…" he grumbled. "I should've ordered more of Arthur's cocktail. I'll have to visit and steal some later."
At that moment, Happy Hogan entered the workshop, clearly out of place amid the technological chaos.
"Tony?" he said, looking around. "Man… you look… good."
Without warning, Tony stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
"Whoa! Okay, uh… is this happening?" Happy asked, completely thrown off.
"Relax, Happy. It's just a hug. I'm not proposing."
"It's just… you know, I'm a guy."
"Yes, I noticed. You're not exactly Megan Fox."
Tony stepped back, took another sip of wine, and leaned against the counter.
"So? What brings you here?"
"An invitation." Happy pulled an envelope from his pocket. "You've been invited to a car race in Monaco. Thought you'd want something extreme."
Tony opened the envelope, skimmed it, and smiled like a kid with a brand-new toy.
"Of course I'm going."
"Want me to call Pepper?" Happy asked.
"Sure." Tony paused. "And… Natalie Rushman too."
Happy raised an eyebrow.
Tony stared at him for two seconds, reading his thoughts with surgical precision.
"I don't think of Pepper's secretary that way. She's just doing her job."
"Got it…" Happy nodded. "By the way, Tony… you're different today. Like… really good."
Tony lifted his glass and winked.
"I feel alive, Happy. Truly alive."
Happy smiled faintly, turned around, and left.
Tony went to his bedroom, dropped onto the bed feeling light, and before he could even finish a thought about the taste of the wine, he was already asleep.
[Good afternoon, sir.]
The lights dimmed softly. White noise filled the room.
For the first time in a long while…
everything was at peace.
---
Back to the present…
"I went to deliver an invitation," Happy explained. "It's for a race in Monaco. He asked me to invite you both."
"Okay. If I'm free that day, I'll go," Pepper replied, while Natalie nodded silently.
Pepper sighed, clearly exhausted.
"I just hope this doesn't involve explosions… or killer robots."
---
Meanwhile… at Arthur's house
The sun was beginning to set when Jean and Gwen—now wearing their swimsuits—finally reached the pool after their bath.
Jean slipped into the water with a smooth dive, resurfacing seconds later with her hair plastered to her face.
Gwen swam over to her and smiled.
"Now this… this is living."
Jean looked around, impressed.
"I've been here a few times, but I had no idea his bathroom was that big."
"If that surprised you," Gwen replied, "you should see his workshop."
Jean smiled, intrigued.
"Now you've piqued my interest."
—xXx—
As they relaxed in the pool, soft ambient music playing and the garden illuminated by night lights, Gwen commented:
"Do you think Arthur will be surprised if he finds us here wearing these swimsuits?"
Jean smiled calmly.
"I highly doubt it."
"That's what I thought," Gwen replied, stretching with a lazy yawn.
They both chuckled softly.
---
At the same time…
A man with ruby-red eyes stared at a test tube in front of him. His slit pupils resembled those of a reptile, his blond hair was completely disheveled, and deep dark circles marked his exhausted face.
"FINALLY!!" Arthur exclaimed. "I finished the damn cure!"
The blue liquid inside the tube glowed softly.
[Congratulations, Master.] Cortana clapped. [This is a great achievement.]
"Yeah, a great achievement… now I want to sleep," Arthur mocked.
He rubbed his face and frowned.
"By the way… where are Gwen and Jean?"
[She is at the pool with Jean Grey.]
Arthur fell silent for a few seconds.
"…So while I was in here saving the world, she was relaxing in the pool?"
He sighed, impassive.
"Very well, Gwen… don't come asking for mercy later."
Arthur mentally swore she wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least an entire day.
(End of Chapter)