𝒀𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒏 | 𝙏𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙠

Chapter 5

Stark Mansion

Pepper Potts and Iliana sat side by side in the cozy, living room of Stark Mansion. The large screen in front of them flickered with images from a news broadcast, but while Pepper was intently focused on the reporter's droning voice, Iliana paid no attention. She was lost in the pages of a book, tuning out the background noise. 

Suddenly, Tony's voice crackled over the intercom, breaking the relative silence. "How big are Iliana's hands?"

The unexpected question made Iliana pause, her brow furrowing in confusion. She glanced up from her book, raising an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"How big are your hands?" Tony repeated, his tone suggesting he was working on something that required immediate attention.

Iliana exchanged a puzzled look with Pepper before responding. "Why?"

"Just get down here. I need you."

Iliana sighed, closing her book with a soft thud. Pepper gave her an encouraging smile as she stood up. The two women shared a moment of unspoken understanding before Iliana made her way towards Tony's workshop. She walked through the sleek hallways, her footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floors. When she reached the workshop, she entered the security code, the door sliding open with a soft hiss.

Inside, the room was a chaotic blend of high-tech gadgets, tools, and the distinctive hum of advanced machinery. Tony Stark was sprawled out on a reclined chair, shirtless, his eyes focused on a holographic display that floated in the air above him. The soft glow of the arc reactor embedded in his chest cast a blue light across his skin, highlighting the sharp angles of his body.

"Show me your hands," Tony said without looking up, his voice carrying a note of impatience.

Iliana gave him a bemused look as she stepped closer. "This is a very strange request, you know," she remarked, extending her hands for him to see.

Tony finally tore his gaze away from the display, studying her hands with a critical eye. "Small hands, long fingers," he observed, almost to himself, before nodding in satisfaction.

Iliana's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the arc reactor in Tony's chest. "This is the device that's keeping you alive?" she asked, her tone shifting from curious to concerned. She couldn't help the small twitch in her fingers, an instinctive desire to touch the glowing piece of tech that seemed so vital, yet so fragile.

Tony noticed the direction of her gaze and smirked, always one to downplay the seriousness of his situation. "It was," he replied, motioning towards an upgraded device on the nearby workbench. "That's the antique version. This—" he pointed to the new reactor, "—is the one that's going to keep me alive for the foreseeable future. I'm just in the middle of swapping them out and hit a bit of a speed bump."

Iliana crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. "A speed bump for you is usually a 100-foot-deep ditch for the rest of us."

Tony rolled his eyes at her. "It's nothing major. Just a little snag. There's an exposed wire under the old device, and it's making contact with the socket wall, causing a short. I can handle it, but I could use an extra pair of hands."

He pulled the old arc reactor from his chest with a quick, practiced motion and handed it to her. Iliana took it carefully, her eyes scanning the intricate piece of technology. "What are you planning to do with this?" she asked, noting the weight of the device in her hand.

"Put it on the table over there," Tony said, already focused on the task at hand. "It's irrelevant now."

Iliana placed the old reactor on the table, but her curiosity was piqued. "So, what do you need me to do?"