Chapter 9

'Okay, lay it on me, doc,' she says in a cheeky tone.

"Smartass," he mumbles, but quickly gains a more serious tone as he explains. "There's an exposed wire under this device and it's contacting the socket wall and causing a little bit of a short circuit. I just need you to reach in and gently lift the wire out."

She knows he'll be fine, but seeing on film and watching it live are two different things. 'Are you sure this is safe?'

"Should be fine. It's like Operation. You just don't let it touch the socket wall or it goes 'beep'."

'I never won in that game, but okay?'

He gives her a sharp glance before turning to his chest. "Just gently lift the wire"

Following his orders, she lifts the wire slowly. There's something slightly heavier under it and she doesn't know what it is.

'Huh. What do I do now?'

"Just makes sure to pull it out—"

She pulls it out.

"Agh! There was a magnet at the end of it. You didn't have to pull it out!"

'Shit. Start with that the next time, then! What do I do now?!' She freaks out at the awkward noises Tony is making. His whole body is tense and she can't believe she forgot about this part? Wasn't it like the movie, too? 'What's wrong with you?!'

"Nothing, I'm just going into cardiac arrest—"

She groans, which comes out like a cute, little soft noise. 'Do I put it back in?'

"No, no. We gotta so it fast. Take the arc reactor and switch it out real quick."

She nods. Though before putting it in, she decides to be wary and ask, 'Nothing else to add, right?'

"No. Just gotta attach it to the base plate."

She follows the instructions and is almost surprised by how quick it goes.

"Was that so hard? That was fun, right?" he says, but he's full of sweat and his voice is still a little too high for her tastes. She kind of wants to help because he can see that he hurts.

Well, she kind of wanted to try the theory if changing into a psychic would be less painful... what a better time than now, right?

Though she needs one that knows Heal Pulse. And most of those are Fairy type. Uhh... The only Fairy/Psychic type she can remember now is Hatterene. Maybe she knows it?

Before transforming, though, she probably should let Tony know, as he kind of freaked out the last time he saw him transform.

'Tony?' she asks when he sees his breathing has returned to normal, though his face is still set on a grimace. When he looks at her, she continues, 'I'll change to another form.'

"Uh. Why?"

'Because that Pokemon has a healing ability.'

Tony blinks a couple of times. "You know you don't need to—"

She transforms. She only let him know so as to not cause him any more heart attacks, not because she wanted to be persuaded.

And well, who would have guessed? It does hurt less. If before it was like bathing in oil, now is more like someone is squeezing really hard every surface of her skin. More really unpleasant than outright painful.

When she stands up, she can feel herself taller. And her body is kind of weird.

"Ehh... What are you supposed to be?"

'A Hatterene.'

"Suuure. And that is?"

'A Fairy type Pokemon.'

Tony is ready to open his mouth, but it's then that JARVIS interrupts him. "My apologies for the disturbance, but Ms. Potts is coming down."

Not wasting any time, she 'looks' at her moves and is glad to find Heal Pulse between them. So she uses it on Tony. Going on by the return of color on Tony's cheeks and the faint healing of the injuries and the slight burns he still had.

While Tony inspects his healed body, she changes into a Mew once again, before transforming into a Linoone, which thankfully doesn't hurt as she already memorized her gene. Just in time, too. She can see Pepper appearing from the stairs. The door of the lab opens to show a slightly gaping Pepper. "What's this?"

"Uhh... Surprise?"

Pepper gives him a perfect deadpan that lasts a second before she walks closer and sees the new arc reactor in his chest. Her gaze moves towards the old one and she blinks. "Did you change it? Alone?"

"Not alone. I had Eva with me."

Pepper glances at her, which makes her do her best innocent expression, with a lolling tongue out and everything. Pepper doesn't find it amusing and says so to Tony, who glances at her and gives her doggy look a glance before deadpanning, too. "Not helping, Eva."

She shrugs, and luckily Pepper doesn't see it as she keeps inspecting the old reactor.

"What are you planning to do with this?"

"That? Just throw it out."

Pepper doesn't look so sure, but Tony is already standing up. The assistant gives him one last look before she smiles down at the arc reactor and Eva is kind of giddy as she gets to see this part of the story panning out.

Tony starts dressing in his lab. She tilts her head as she realizes that the clothes he has chosen are formal, for going out. Pepper seems to have noticed the same as she asks, "Are we leaving to somewhere?"

Seemingly distracted, Tony doesn't answer until she asks again. "No? I'm going to visit Rhodey for a project I'm planning to work with him. Why?"

Pepper gives him a slightly concerned look as she points out, "You were the one who called me here."

"Was I? I only needed to ask for your hand size."

That gets both of her eyebrows raised. "You could've called."

He waves his hand to the whole operation shtick he had going on the lab. "I needed help to change the arc reactor. I fixed that already, so no problems now. Don't worry."

Pepper looks dubious, but is too professional to call him out. "Nothing else, then?"

"No. Thanks, though, Ms Potts."

"Mr. Stark" She nods at him once and then she turns to leave.

When they're sure she's gone far away enough to not be heard, he turns towards her. "Wanna accompany me to say hi to Rhodey?"

She hums as she turns into Mew. 'I'm feeling kind of dirty, so maybe I'll shower first and eat some snack. Maybe I'll cook us dinner later, or do you plan to eat with Colonel Rhodes?"

"You can cook?"

"What can I say? I'm a cat of many abilities."

Tony snorts. "Weren't you a Mew? And woah, I think I just lost a couple brain cells just saying that name."

"Screw you," she says, but with no heat in it. "So?"

"I want to taste what you make. Though no lasagna, Garfield."

"Har. Har."

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