The Invention Left By A Little Stark | Book 2

26) A Genius & His Bot

The knock on the door echoed within the lab.

Everybody turned as the door slid open to reveal Dr. Cho herself. She looked strikingly different that day due to the fact she was not in her usual lab coat and boots, but in jeans and a slate-gray sweater. The casual look made her seem almost like a stranger, softer somehow.

Tony raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with surprise. "Helen. What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the event."

"I was." The woman replied. "Then JARVIS pinged me with two medical alerts. One for you, one for Ms. van Dyne."

"Me?" He scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Nope. I'm golden."

Her gaze sharpened. "You know you can't lie to me, right?"

He showed off his most charming grin. "I'm not lying. I'm peachy. But, hey, while you're here, maybe check on Hope. I heard the ride over was a little bumpy."

Hope shrugged. "I'm alright."

"You sure? This is the world famous Dr. Helen Cho. She can fix anything."

"I know who she is. World-renowned geneticist. Head of U-GIN. You don't forget someone who cracked synthetic tissue regeneration before thirty-five."

A flush of pink spread across Dr. Cho's cheeks as she looked down. "You're flattering me."

"Well, it's not just everyone that gets to grace the science and tech magazine covers every other week."

"And not everyone is chairwoman of the board of Pym Technologies and later Cross Tech."

Hope smirked. "Touché."

"You need to be checked over anyway." Hank spoke up, interrupting the two. "I want to make sure you're okay."

She rolled her eyes at that. "I'm not listening to you."

The air thickened as they glared at each other.

Dr. Cho glanced between them, her expression caught somewhere between bemusement and concern. Her eyes then flicked to Tony, silently pleading for guidance with a 'who do I listen to?' look.

Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose like an overworked parent. "Hope, just humor us with a quick checkup. I know you're fine, but if it keeps the old guy from having a coronary, it's worth it."

Hope hesitated, her jaw clenched. Then, with a reluctant nod, she gestured for Dr. Cho to lead the way.

The two women disappeared down the pristine hallway, the door sliding shut behind them and leaving behind a buzzing silence.

Hank lingered near the glass, watching his daughter disappear down the hallway with an unreadable expression. Something in the way she walked - her shoulders squared and her chin high - made him feel guilty. She was always so determined to prove she didn't need anyone, especially him.

Behind him, Tony let out a sigh and surveyed the mess on the central table. Still scattered around were crumpled takeaway bags and a half-eaten Ultimate Cheeseburger balanced precariously in its wrappings on a tablet. He muttered something under his breath and began gathering the debris with reluctant hands.

"Didn't peg you for the cleanup type." Hank said without turning.

Tony shrugged, stuffing containers into a bin. "I'm not. But Pepper threatened to find someone to reprogram one of my bots to slap me every time I left trash lying around. I'm not taking chances."

Hank chuckled dryly but his eyes stayed fixed on the hallway as the silence stretched again, heavier this time.

Hank finally turned, catching Tony mid-motion - his hand frozen above a crumpled napkin with unfocused eyes. He looked to be contemplating his very existence.