As an avid reader of Arthur’s books, Jean wasn’t fazed by the na.
"Red Queen? You an... the AI from Resident Evil?"
[Correct.]
The confirmation was simple, direct—and surreal.
After introducing herself, Ruby continued speaking in her precise, calm digital voice:
[Gwen. Miss Jean. The current pool temperature is not ideal for use.]
[Please wait approximately thirty minutes. As an alternative, I suggest taking a bath first to adjust your body temperature and ensure a more comfortable swimming experience.]
"Thank you, Ruby," Gwen replied with a soft smile and a tone of familiarity.
[You’re welco.]
As the ssage ended, Ruby’s projection dissolved, fading away like particles of light before the two girls.
Jean turned to Gwen, still sowhat surprised.
"So... she’s real? That’s the AI you ntioned?"
"Yep," Gwen nodded. "Arthur said he modeled her after the Red Queen. But this version is... friendlier."
Jean couldn’t help but laugh at the comparison.
"I see..."
The connection between Arthur and Tony Stark now made more sense. They’d t at Tony’s party, and given the level of tech involved, it was only natural for Arthur to have access to this kind of resource.
Climbing the stairs, the two headed to the guest room where the swimsuits were stored.
Jean chose a navy-blue one-piece with silver accents, while Gwen grabbed a vibrant red swimsuit that perfectly matched her energetic personality.
"Ready?" Jean asked, tugging Gwen’s hand.
Gwen hesitated for a second, then smiled. "Have you ever bathed with another girl before?"
"This is my first ti," Jean laughed.
"Sa here," Gwen replied, stepping into the bathroom with Jean as they both giggled at the unusual situation.
Even though it was a first for Gwen, the lighthearted mood made it all feel natural. Barriers were falling away, and their friendship was growing stronger.
---
Arthur’s Bathroom
Steam already filled the spacious, modern bathroom by the ti Jean and Gwen entered. The white tiles glead, and a massive mirror lined the wall.
Both girls were wrapped in towels, and the sound of hot water pouring into the wide tub echoed gently around them.
Jean let out a relaxed sigh.
"Wow... this feels like a spa. Arthur really lives like royalty, huh?"
Gwen smiled. "He’s a lot simpler than he seems..."
As they got ready to enter the water, Gwen dropped her towel first, revealing her slim and athletic body. Jean hesitated for a second before doing the sa, her curves softer and fuller.
They glanced at each other, and Gwen chuckled.
"You definitely win in the ’weapons of mass destruction’ departnt," she said, shalessly eyeing Jean’s bust.
Jean’s eyes widened, blushing. "H-Hey! It’s not like I chose this!"
"I’m just saying... if the governnt wants to hide WMDs, I know where," Gwen teased, stepping into the tub and sinking in up to her shoulders.
Still flustered, Jean followed her in. The hot water instantly relaxed her body.
"At least I don’t look like a lab-grown gymnast with zero body fat," Jean shot back, smirking.
"Hey! This is top-tier biotech, okay?" Gwen struck a proud pose. "And for the record, my butt is 100% natural."
They both burst into laughter, and Jean leaned against Gwen, still giggling.
But then, accidentally, Gwen’s hand slipped... landing directly on Jean’s chest.
They froze.
"...Gwen?"
"I-It was the soap! Traitorous soap!" Gwen blurted, raising her hands like she’d been caught red-handed.
Jean just sighed, still blushing, and nudged her aside.
"Just... keep your hands off the weapons."
"No promises," Gwen murmured with a mischievous grin, prompting Jean to splash her in retaliation.
---
Stark Industries – Office
Pepper was wrapping up a video conference with shareholders when Natalie Rushman—better known as Natasha Romanoff—approached with so docunts.
"Is Mr. Stark really okay?" Natasha asked again, still perplexed.
Happy, seated across from them, shrugged. "Better than ever. He gave a hug, can you believe that? A hug! Tony Stark hugged !"
Pepper raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Either he’s drunk... or cured."
"He was drinking wine, so maybe," Happy nodded. "But he seed... light. Peaceful. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders."
Natasha gripped the papers tighter, staring off into the distance.
(Did he actually do it?)
She knew Tony had been struggling with palladium poisoning. Though he kept it secret, she’d already investigated all his dical records and behavior since taking on the Natalie cover.
If he really found a cure... that changed everything.
"Maybe he made a breakthrough," Pepper said, reviewing graphs on her tablet. "You know how he is. Obsesses for days, then cos out like he just saved the world."
"By the way, why did you go see him?"
---
Just over an hour earlier...
Tony Stark’s Lab — Stark Mansion Basent
The place looked like a scientific war zone. Pipes crisscrossed the ceiling and walls, wires dangled everywhere, and the concrete had more holes than a B-movie plot. Amidst the chaos, Tony, wearing sunglasses and holding a level, studied a newly-installed pipe.
"It’s crooked. Dammit, it’s crooked..." he muttered, frowning. "I need sothing to prop this up."
He scanned the floor until he spotted a round, tallic object in the corner—an old, dusty shield.
"Huh... This looks important," he said, picking it up. "But probably not. If it were, I’d rember. Or not."
He slid it under the pipe. The bubble on the level centered perfectly.
"Perfect."
He grinned and turned to the machines.
"JARVIS, prep the energy output. Ti to play with lasers."
[System ready, sir. The new elent can be synthesized at your command.]
"Excellent. Show ti! You know what to do."
AC/DC’s Shoot to Thrill blasted from the speakers as Tony got to work.
He stood at a makeshift rotary gate, assembled from spare parts, and turned the valve with both hands.
"JARVIS, adjust power output based on my spin."
[Confird, sir.]
A blue energy beam shot through the pipe, blasting into the wall and leaving a deep scorch mark. With each turn, the laser carved its way forward until it hit the triangular reactor at the lab’s center.
The reactor absorbed the energy, glowing with a brilliant crystalline blue. The lab bathed in its serene yet powerful glow.
Tony, sweaty and exhausted but smiling, stared at the reactor.
"Light of rebirth... Heh. That’s too poetic for ."
He paused, took a deep breath, and looked up.
"Dad... You were a genius bastard."
It was a truth that hurt and filled him with pride. Even from the grave, Howard Stark was still teaching him.
And if Arthur hadn’t planted that idea in his head... maybe he never would’ve found the answer hidden in plain sight.
[Congratulations, sir. The creation of the new elent was successful.]
[Initiating compatibility tests with the reactor.]
"Good work, JARVIS."
Tony stepped back, removed his glasses, and sighed deeply. For the first ti in weeks, he felt like he’d won. Not against an enemy—against ti. Against death.
He poured himself so wine, took a sip, and grimaced.
"Ugh. Should’ve asked Arthur for more of that milk tea. I need to visit and steal a few bottles later."
Just then, Harold "Happy" Hogan entered, looking out of place amid the high-tech chaos.
"Tony? Dude, you look... good."
Without warning, Tony walked over and hugged him tightly.
"Whoa! Okay, uh... this is happening?"
"Relax, Happy. It’s just a hug. I’m not proposing."
"It’s just... I’m a dude."
"Yeah, I noticed. And you’re no Timothée Chalat."
Tony pulled back, took another sip of wine, and leaned on the counter.
"So? What brings you here?"
"An invitation." Happy pulled an envelope from his pocket.
"It’s an invitation to a car race in Morocco in two weeks. I thought you’d want sothing exciting."
Tony opened it and smiled like a kid with a new toy.
"Absolutely."
"Want to call Pepper?"
"Yeah. And... Natalie Rushman too."
Happy raised an eyebrow.
Tony looked at him for two seconds and read his thoughts like a book.
"Yes, yes, I saw your smile when you look at her. She’s riding in your car, okay?"
"Deal!" Happy said, excited. "I’ll let them know."
As he turned to leave, he paused.
"By the way... Tony, you’re... different today. Like, genuinely good."
Tony raised his glass and winked.
"I feel alive, Happy. Truly alive."
Happy nodded and left. Tony headed to his room, collapsed onto the bed, and before he could finish thinking about the wine’s taste, he was already asleep.
[Good afternoon, sir.]
The lights dimd. White noise filled the room.
For the first ti in a long ti... everything was peaceful.
---
Back to the present...
"I was delivering an invitation," Happy said.
"It’s for a car race in Morocco. You’re welco to join if you’d like."
"So? Interested?"
"Of course! That’s exactly my kind of thrill."
Hearing Natalie agree made Happy even more excited.
"Pepper, Tony said you should co with us."
"Okay, if I’m free that day."
Pepper had been extrely busy managing Stark Industries since Tony handed over all business matters to her.
She sighed. "I just hope this doesn’t involve explosions. Or killer robots."
---
anwhile, at Arthur’s house...
The sun was setting as Jean and Gwen, now in swimsuits, finally made it to the pool after their bath.
The water was at the perfect temperature, thanks to Ruby’s adjustnts.
[Gwen, Miss Jean. The pool is now within optimal paraters.]
"Thanks, Ruby!" Gwen said, diving energetically into the water.
Jean entered more gracefully, dipping beneath the surface and erging with her hair clinging to her face.
Gwen swam over and smiled. "Now this is living."
Jean glanced around. "I’ve been here a few tis, but I didn’t expect Arthur’s place to be this high-end."
"If you’re surprised now, you should see his office—it’s like a library with how many books he has."
"Also, there’s soone you haven’t t yet..." Gwen added with a playful smile.
"Huh? Soone else lives here?" Jean asked curiously.
"Yep..." Gwen’s smile grew wider before she let out a sharp whistle.
The sound sliced through the air like a silent command. A few seconds passed in complete stillness... then the sound of wings beating broke the quiet.
Jean turned toward it, eyes widening as a majestic hawk descended from the sky and landed precisely on a lounge chair near the pool.
"That’s Petshop, Arthur’s pet hawk..." Gwen said proudly, watching the bird. "He’s... special."
"A hawk?" Jean murmured. "Arthur has a hawk for a pet? That’s cool and all, but... what do you an by ’special’?"
Gwen’s smile turned sly. "Petshop, show her."
Before Jean could ask what that ant, Petshop’s eyes lit with an eerie energy. A blue aura shimred around him like frozen air. Then, with a flap of his wings, he summoned his Stand—Horus.
The figure materialized behind him—a large, skeletal creature with a pterosaur head. It had multiple limbs ending in talon-like claws, including six small arms and nurous pairs of legs, giving it a spider- or centipede-like appearance.
"Wait... what... what is that?!" Jean stumbled back, stunned. Her skin prickled from the sudden chill and the supernatural sight before her. "Is this... magic? Or tech? Or... what?!"
"It’s sothing beyond that. Honestly, I don’t even understand it, and Arthur never really explained." Gwen replied casually, arms crossed, amused by her friend’s reaction. "But one thing’s for sure—Petshop can control ice. Pretty impressive, right?"
Jean’s mouth hung open as she looked between Gwen and the icy creature, which faded away after the brief demonstration.
"Arthur really has a superpowered hawk... Oh my god. I don’t think anything can surprise anymore." She laughed, still shocked, trying to process what she’d just seen.
Gwen got out to grab so snacks for Petshop from the kitchen.
After feeding the mighty bird, she returned to the pool while Petshop flew to his perch above Arthur’s house, where he had a full view of the ho and its surroundings.
As the two girls relaxed in the pool, soft music playing in the background and garden lights glowing around them, Gwen comnted:
"Do you think Arthur will be surprised if he finds us here in these swimsuits?"
Jean smiled. "Considering he left the house with the AI active, gave us full access, told us where the swimsuits were, and said to make ourselves at ho... he basically invited us."
"That’s what I thought," Gwen said, stretching her arms with a yawn.
The two laughed, unaware that, at that very mont, Arthur was just a block away, bags in hand, with a strange feeling that sothing was happening at ho.
"I think I’ll make so Italian dish for dinner..." he murmured as he looked up at the sky.
(End of Chapter)
Give so power stones there you go~😉
I finally managed to solve that problem almost completely and I possibly did one of the most idiotic and cretinous things of my life🌚
You rember what I was being accused of, right? Homophobia.
This was relatively easy to resolve since the other party had no proof that they had not actually been hired because of their gender.
We literally did one of the easiest things to do, we just showed the resu of the accuser and those who were hired... I practically heard the sound of a slap in the face.
After that everything went exactly as expected from a false accusation, lots of lies.
It was an easy victory.
Now let’s talk a little about what exactly was the cretinous thing I did.
I hired a gay lawyer to defend against an accusation of homophobia, I don’t know what ca into my head to do this, much less what ca into the lawyer’s head to make him accept it, s I just know it was amazing and this will possibly be one of the stories I’ll tell my future children.
The ti I hired a gay lawyer to defend against a homophobia charge.😂😂
And the best part of all, with the money I’ll earn from this process, I’ll finally be able to buy my RTX 4090. I only see advantages.
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