The Trickster (Iron Man 1) Book 1

Skin Care

3rd P.O.V

"Stark Industries! I've got one recommendation! Ready? Ready." The man on the TV shouted. "Sell, sell sell. Abandon ship!" A bear appeared on the TV. "Does the Hindenburg ring any bells? No? AAAAAAH! Let me show you the new Stark Industries business plan!" The man picked up a baseball bat and smashed a cup. "Look, that's a weapon's company that doesn't make any weapons!"

As Pepper was watching... the TV? Tony's voice was heard trough her tablet.

"Pepper. How big are your hands?" He asked trough the tablet.

"What?" Pepper asked, confused.

"How big are your hands?" Tony repeated.

"I don't understand why-"

"Get down here. We need you."

Pepper stood up and walked down the stairs. She typed the code and stared at the scene in front of her.

Stark was in a dentist chair, a big hole in his chest while Caleb was siting here looking at his father's vitals.

"Hey." Tony said, lookin at Pepper and Caleb gave her a wave. "Let's see 'em. Show me your hands." She raised her hands. "Oh, wow. They are small. Very petite indeed. I just, uh, need your help for a sec."

"Oh my god, is that the thing that,s keeping you alive?" Pepper asked, leaning forward.

"It was. It is now an antique. This is what will be keeping me alive for the foreseeable future." He said, showing the thing that was in his left hand. "I'm swapping it up for an upgraded unit, and I just ran into a little speed bump."

"Speed bump, what does that mean?" Pepper asked worriedly.

"It's nothing, it's just a little snag. There's an exposed wire under this device and it's contacting the socket wall and causing a little bit of a short." He pulls on the reactor and rips it off, startling Pepper while Caleb rose a brow.

"What do you want me to do?" Pepper asked.

He gives it to her.

"Put that on the table over there. That is irrelevant."

"Oh my god." Breathed the redhead. "Why didn't you ask Caleb to do this?"

The teen scoffed.

"Are you serious? Did you know that playing inside someone's body is really bad for the skin? Besides it's kind of disgusting." He shrugged, looking at her.

Tony acted as if Caleb hadn't spoken.

"I want you to reach in and you're just gonna reach in and gently lift the wire out." Tony said.

"Is it safe?" Pepper asked.

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

"What do you mean, 'operation'?"

Caleb shot Pepper a look.

"Wait, you've never played Operation?"He asked her and she shook her head in response.

"It's just a game, never mind. Just gently lift the wire. Okay?" Pepper answered in the affirmative. "Great."

Caleb stood a bit taller as Pepper slowly moved her hand towards his dad's chest, but she quickly retracted it.

"You know, I don't think I'm qualified to do this." She said.

"No, you're fine." Tony denied. "You're the most capable, qualified thrustworthy person I've ever met. I even trust you with my son's life." He tried to reassure her. "You're gonna do great."