Chapter 53

"What is all this stuff on the ground?" Tony exclaimed, shocked and scared. Pepper held him back so he wouldn't fall off the bed.

"They are your organs," Fang Mo replied casually, showing no concern. He had cut them out himself, so he wasn't afraid.

"I can't even tell if I'm alive or dead anymore..." Tony felt deeply shaken by his experience. Memories of Fang Mo's surgery were coming back, making him sweat and struggle to breathe. "Am I... in hell?"

"I'm here, Tony," Pepper reassured him, holding his face. "You're not dead. They saved you, despite the scary process. You're still alive."

"That's right, Tony," Dr. Ho Yinsen added, coming closer. "Fang Mo saved you again, and I got to see the... um, magic."

"I'm... still alive?" Tony started to calm down after their reassurances.

He remembered now. He had tested an upgraded reactor that accidentally poisoned him. After failed attempts to treat him, Fang Mo appeared and used a huge blade to operate on him.

The surgery had been very painful, like going to hell.

Even now, the thought of it made Tony tremble. He was sweating and felt cold all over.

When he saw the pile of organs on the ground, Tony tried not to think about what had happened. But his brilliant mind couldn't stop speculating, making him more terrified.

Lost in his thoughts, Tony looked at Fang Mo.

Surprisingly, Fang Mo was looking back at him with a smile.

"How do you feel, Tony?" Fang Mo asked with a smile. "Will you dare to try being a 'Palladium Man' again?"

"Why do you always say strange things..." Tony weakly replied. "Okay, I admit I don't want to go through this again..."

"Tony, you have to get rid of your reactor," Pepper said firmly. She looked into his eyes and said, "This is not up for discussion. You need to be Tony Stark first, not just Iron Man. Do you understand?"

"I understand what you mean, Pepper," Stark replied, feeling conflicted. "But the palladium poisoning has nothing to do with the reactor. After eating that golden apple, I won't be poisoned anymore. My body gets rid of heavy metals much faster than normal..."

"Then how do you explain what happened this time?" Pepper looked at him, helpless but caring. "Your bones even emit a palladium glow..."

"Maybe this time the power was too high," Stark explained. "It was an accident during the experiment. The chip controlling the coil had a flaw. When I tested the power, it burst out and almost vaporized the palladium ring. Do you understand?"

"Tony, can you guarantee that nothing will go wrong next time?" Pepper stared at him, disappointment in her eyes.

"Or are you willing to risk your life instead of giving up your iron armor?"

"My armor is made of titanium alloy, not iron," Stark replied, getting angry.

"Fine, I get it," Pepper's expression hardened, and she laughed sadly. She got up from the bed. "It seems all you need, Iron Man, is your reactor and attention. Nothing else."

"Pepper..." Tony realized the seriousness of the situation, but before he could say anything, Pepper left.

"Tony, you shouldn't talk to Miss Potts like that," Agent Coulson said, feeling helpless. "Do you know how worried she is about you? She even thought about giving her organs to you. You shouldn't speak that way."

"It seems our playboy doesn't handle emotions well," Nick Fury commented.

"I have a girlfriend on Earth too, and I know sometimes we have to be firm and persistent," Thor said, joining the conversation. "But hurting a woman is not what a man should do. We should consider the bigger picture..."

"Oh, Earth is really interesting," Tony, now provoked, replied. "Even the gods of Asgard fall for Earth girls. Are you planning to get married under the World Tree? Will Odin be the one officiating?"

"Well..." Thor was surprised by Tony's response and hesitated.

Thor had a short temper too, so he didn't appreciate the comment. But before he could reply, Fang Mo stepped in and put a hand on Thor's shoulder.

"Fang Mo, your friend isn't very friendly," Thor said to Fang Mo, suggesting, "He's just like I used to be. Maybe he should face a trial too. What if we send him to Jotunheim, where he can't do things on his armor? What do you think?"

"...That's a dangerous idea," Fang Mo frowned, not expecting even Thor to stoop so low.

"Jotunheim? Sounds interesting," Tony, unaware of the seriousness, continued joking. "But if I'm going there, I'll need more clothes and better cold resistance in my armor..."

"Yes, your armor's cold resistance needs improvement," Fang Mo smoothly took over, seeing that Tony was persistent. "Otherwise, you might freeze your arms and legs in Jotunheim, and I'll have to amputate them."

"…"

Tony fell silent when he heard this.

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