Infinite Evolution in the Marvel universe

"Mr. Harvey Amberlock, where's Tony?"

Pepper asked as she noticed Harvey walking up from the underground lab.

"He should come up on his own shortly. Or, if you're in a hurry, you can go down to him," Harvey replied with a smile. "I've already enjoyed the dinner, so I'll be on my way."

"Leaving already?"

Pepper glanced at the clock, surprised at how late it had gotten. "I suppose it is late. You and Tony seemed to have had a great conversation. I hope you'll join us again, Mr. Amberlock."

"Perhaps, if the opportunity arises," Harvey nodded, "Goodbye, Ms. Potts."

As Harvey left, Pepper called out, "Jarvis, is Tony okay? Can I go check on him?"

"Mr. Stark is fine, but he is deep in thought right now. I wouldn't recommend disturbing him. He'll come up when he's ready," Jarvis responded, his calm voice reassuring.

"Alright," Pepper said, holding back her concern. She decided not to press further, trusting Jarvis's judgment.

Meanwhile, Tony Stark sat alone in the lab, his mind racing.

With his intellect, delving into genetic research and developing enhancements for himself wouldn't be difficult—it would just take time. He had always avoided this field, knowing that such experiments often crossed ethical lines. But after his conversation with Harvey Amberlock, Tony's once steadfast principles were wavering.

"Jarvis," Tony said after a pause, "what do you think about everything Harvey and I discussed?"

"Sir, I can't fully comprehend what it means to be human, as I am just an AI," Jarvis began. "But based on your conversation, here's what I've gathered:

"First, your Iron Man suit is impressive, but no matter how advanced it gets, it still has one fundamental weakness: you.

"Second, you have the knowledge and capability to address this weakness through genetic modification. But you've never pursued this because doing so would violate moral and ethical boundaries.

"Third, Mr. Amberlock's words seem to be asking you: Are you truly prepared to cross that line? If you decide to change, are you mentally and emotionally ready for the consequences?"

Jarvis paused before concluding, "Based on my analysis, you've yet to fully consider the implications. My recommendation is that you focus on finding a new element to replace the palladium in your reactor. Until you solve that problem, you don't need to worry about overcoming your own human vulnerabilities. When the time comes, you'll know what decision to make."

Tony sat quietly for a moment, digesting Jarvis's analysis. "Thanks, Jarvis," he said finally, his mind clearing.

Harvey Amberlock was a super-powered individual, while Tony was a genius armed with intellect and technology. They viewed the world from entirely different perspectives. To understand and engage more with the extraordinary world Harvey inhabited, Tony knew he needed to first solve his palladium poisoning. Only then could he explore the deeper mysteries of the superhuman and extraordinary.

Harvey likely sensed that Tony's developments in the Iron Man suit were beginning to touch upon realms beyond normal human comprehension. That's why he had shared so much insight with him, opening Tony's mind to possibilities he hadn't fully considered before.

Yet, one question now nagged at Tony. How old was Harvey Amberlock, really? Harvey had displayed abilities akin to reversing aging. Could his public identity just be a facade, hiding something much older?

"Where's Harvey?"

Tony glanced around, realizing Harvey had left without him noticing.

"Mr. Amberlock has already departed," Jarvis replied. "Before he left, he reminded you that he won't always be around to cure your palladium poisoning. So, you should focus on finding a permanent solution."

"He said if I get poisoned again and don't fix it, I'm as good as dead, didn't he?" Tony smirked, half-joking.

"That was the gist of it," Jarvis confirmed.

Tony chuckled. "Before I knew about his ability to reverse aging, I thought I'd just rely on him every time I got poisoned. But now... not so much."

The fact that Harvey had not only cured his poisoning but also made him six years younger had changed things. Now, Tony felt about thirty-two years old again. Sure, it was a subtle difference—people might assume he had just undergone some cosmetic treatments—but if he got too much younger, people would start asking questions. Questions he didn't have good answers for.

If word got out about Harvey's abilities, Tony knew it could lead to both of them becoming targets. He had the Iron Man suit, but he wasn't invincible. If the government or other powerful organizations decided to come after them, there would be no guarantees.

With that thought, Tony made his way upstairs from the lab. Pepper was waiting for him, full of questions. He answered some, dodged others with vague responses, and brushed off her biggest curiosity: his apparent youthfulness.

"Honestly, I have no idea why I look younger," Tony said with a shrug, leaving Pepper visibly disappointed.

She had hoped for some magic secret to youth—who wouldn't? But Tony wasn't about to reveal the truth. He let her believe it was just the result of feeling good after spending time with a friend.

And so, Pepper left it at that, deciding Tony was just in a particularly good mood lately, which made him seem more youthful.