"...Where is this?"
A dull ache throbbed through his head. When Tony Stark finally regained consciousness and opened his eyes again, everything in front of him was still hazy and indistinct.
"You're awake?"
Noticing the change in Tony's breathing, Jean Grey quickly walked over and gently pressed a hand to his shoulder. "The procedure was a success. You can finally get rid of that electromagnet now."
"Don't move yet. I need to run a quick check."
"...Procedure?"
Tony was still a little dazed. His memory was stuck at the moment he had just returned to Stark Tower. But when he carefully felt for it, the faint pain that had lingered in his chest for months really had vanished without a trace.
Thick bandages were wrapped around his upper body. Feeling that gentle pressure holding him in place, Tony instinctively raised his head.
A face with sharp, defined features yet a surprisingly soft look came into view. Her striking red hair spilled over her white coat, accentuating her unique beauty.
"Ma'am, has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly beautiful?"
Jean gave Tony a thorough examination while his eyes remained fixed on her the entire time.
Tony had seen plenty of beautiful women, but someone with Jean Grey's particular kind of presence was a first for him.
"Sorry. I'm not interested in a patient."
Jean shot him a flat look, peeled the electrodes off his body, and walked to the side to press the call button.
Magneto's technique had been flawless. After removing both the shrapnel and the reactor, and with some time to rest, Tony was now basically fine aside from a bit of weakness.
"Tony!"
A moment later, after hearing that Tony was awake, Pepper Potts, who had been waiting outside the whole time, rushed in at once.
"How are you feeling?"
After getting Jean's permission, Pepper helped Tony sit up in bed.
"Hey, Pepper."
Seeing the exhaustion and anxiety all over Pepper's face, a rare trace of gentleness flickered through Tony's eyes. "Your boss was gone forever and finally came home. Vacation's over. Shouldn't you be upset?"
"You still have time to joke about that?"
Pepper's eyes were red, and she looked like she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
...
A short while later, ignoring all objections, Tony wrapped himself in a coat, sat down in a wheelchair, and left the treatment room.
"So we're not in a hospital..."
As the wheelchair carried Tony forward, he looked at the old castle around him and the children running past from time to time, finally piecing together his current situation.
"Fenris, the one who brought me back from the Middle East, is a member of the mutant academy. After I collapsed, he brought me here and somehow got the infamous Magneto to remove the lethal shrapnel from my heart."
"That's right?" Tony glanced at Pepper.
Pepper Potts stayed close at his side, never leaving his step. She nodded. "Yes. That's exactly what happened."
"This world is insane..."
Tony touched his chest. The feeling of lightness there was something he had not experienced once in the past several months.
Thinking of that mysterious young man, Tony rubbed a hand over his face, clearly irritated. "Now I owe him big time..."
Tony hated owing other people.
"It's okay, Tony. This is already the best possible outcome." Pepper tried to comfort him.
"That's true... at least I'm still alive."
Tony sighed.
It was just one life. He could pay it back slowly.
And besides, he was genuinely interested in Fenris.
The two of them chatted as they moved along the path, taking in the surroundings. During the days Tony had been unconscious, Pepper had already become familiar with the place and gave him a simple introduction to the academy as they went.
The environment around the school was exceptionally good. Even though it was the height of summer, walking through the grounds felt not the least bit stifling.
"The climate here is amazing."
Tony clicked his tongue in wonder. "Looks like the headmaster put a lot of work into environmental control."
The temperature and humidity here were both almost absurdly comfortable, completely different from anywhere else in New York State. Tony even felt it was better than the custom environment he had spent a fortune building for himself at home.
On the lawns along both sides of the path, groups of students could be seen testing their mutant powers from time to time.
In the middle of one crowd, a young boy with obvious traces of childishness still on his face fired the spikes from his body and easily punched through the trunk of a large tree, drawing cheers from the people around him.
Ice. Fire. Phasing. Turning sound into light. Metal skin...
The dazzling variety of powers instantly broadened Tony's horizons.
"These powers are incredible."
Tony's eyes flickered, ideas already erupting nonstop in his mind.
"Otto, you probably won't believe this, but I just saw a controllable miniaturized cold fusion system with my own eyes..."
Under a large tree not too far away, a tall lizard-like man in bright yellow beach shorts was leaning against the trunk, apparently talking on the phone.
His booming voice, completely unrestrained, immediately drew Tony's attention.
"I don't know how the tuning on your magnetically confined thermonuclear fusion device is coming along, but if you're starting the tests in a couple of days, remember to invite me. I can't miss your big moment..."
"Peter Parker? I like that kid too. Talks too much, though. Not much respect for biodiversity..."
"Is he holding my Arc Reactor?"
Tony narrowed his eyes. Looking at the glowing little object in Connors' hand, he had the distinct feeling it looked very familiar.
"Hey!"
Tony called out loudly to Connors. "That looks like mine!"
As the lizard-man slowly stood up and walked toward him, Tony gave him a once-over and suddenly realized who he was.
"You're... the Lizard from that Midtown High incident a while back?"
The disturbance Connors had caused back then had not been minor. SHIELD had covered it up afterward, but that obviously would not keep something like that from Tony Stark.
"Stark, I'm honestly disappointed I didn't get to see you turn into a lizard man."
Connors casually tossed the Arc Reactor in his hand to Pepper. Seeing that Tony was already fine, he shook his head regretfully, then turned and left.
"Turn me into a lizard man?"
Tony looked completely baffled. "Pepper, what does that mean?"
"Uh..."
Just as Pepper awkwardly struggled to explain, two figures walked toward them head-on.
"Stark!"
Fenris took one look at Tony's complexion, which was already beginning to regain some healthy color. "Oh. You're recovering pretty well."
"And this is...?"
Beside him, Scott was carrying a brand-new chessboard that had not even been taken out of its packaging yet. Looking at Tony's face, he found it oddly familiar.
"That's Tony Stark," Fenris said simply.
"Don't know him."
"The playboy. Magazine covers. Supermodels?"
"Oh." Scott nodded in sudden understanding.
"Fenris, thanks for saving me again."
With Pepper right there beside them, Tony's eye twitched at the conversation, but his expression did not change. He extended a hand. "If you ever need my help with anything in the future, I'm in."
"In?"
Fenris's gaze drifted quietly over the Arc Reactor in Tony's lap.
"Oh, I'll hold you to that."
(End of Chapter)
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