Chapter 127: Chapter 127: Project Symbiote
[Third Person's PoV]
Melissa stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her purple Lantern ring glowing softly on her finger. She was dressed comfortably in a loose tank top and silk shorts, her damp hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. Around her floated intricate purple constructs—blow dryers and combs—skillfully drying and styling her hair. The gentle hum of the constructs filled the room as warm air swept through her locks, causing her to smile.
Glancing at her ring, Melissa smirked. "This thing is actually pretty useful," she muttered, admiring the seamless efficiency.
Suddenly, her expression turned thoughtful. Purple hands, shimmering with energy, appeared behind her and quickly set to work. Each one grabbed a section of her hair, twisting and twirling it with precision until a single long, neat braid formed. She tossed it over her shoulder, inspecting the result with satisfaction.
"Nice~," she praised herself, grinning at her reflection before dissipating the constructs with a flick of her wrist. She left the bathroom, crossing the hall back into the bedroom.
Inside, Tony was sitting on the bed, shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose-fitting pants. He sat cross-legged, deeply engrossed in his work. Silver-blue constructs—keyboards and floating computer screens—surrounded him, casting a faint glow across the room. His brow was furrowed in concentration as his fingers danced over the holographic keyboards, typing rapidly, while his sharp eyes scanned the information on the monitors.
"Does that even work?" Melissa asked, leaning against the doorway with a curious tilt to her head.
"Mmhmm," Tony hummed in confirmation, his focus unwavering. "Friday is connected to the ring. Anything I type, she receives, sends back to her main computer for storage, and vice versa. She can display information for me through the ring too."
Melissa crossed her arms, impressed. "So, you basically have a portable computer with everything you need, wherever you go."
Tony nodded without missing a beat, eyes still glued to the screen.
Melissa looked down at her own ring, pondering. "Wait... So does that mean Jarvis is in this ring as well?"
A familiar British voice echoed from the ring. "I am always at your service, madam."
"Hm~," Melissa hummed, nodding with satisfaction. "Good to know."
She glanced back at Tony, watching him work. "So... what exactly are you doing?"
"Building a lock on our DNA," Tony explained, not looking up. "It'll seal our DNA so that if someone tries to take it, it'll be dead the moment it leaves our bodies."
Melissa blinked, intrigued. "Wait, you're making a device or...?"
Tony's fingers paused for a brief moment. "Not a device, no. I'm developing a virus—a harmless one that bonds with our DNA. Once it's disconnected from us, both the virus and our DNA won't survive."
He stopped, his fingers still hovering over the keyboard as his mind worked through something deeper.
Melissa noticed the sudden shift in his expression and grinned. "Tony's having a brilliant idea~," she teased, knowing that look all too well.
Tony suddenly stood up, pacing back and forth across the room, his hand rubbing his chin. "bonding with our DNA..." he muttered, deep in thought, his eyes distant. "It could do more than just protect us... It could enhance regeneration... lock our DNA so it's completely useless outside our bodies."
Melissa, now sitting cross-legged on the bed, watched him with a playful smile, bouncing her legs up and down. "Ooh, I love it when you get like this. It means something amazing is about to happen."
Tony snapped his fingers, his eyes lighting up. "Friday, discard the current project—scrap it all."
"Boss, are you sure—" Friday's voice chimed in cautiously.
"Scrap it," Tony repeated, more animated now. "I've got something better than that virus idea."
"Are you absolutely certain? We've already made significant progress—"
"Positive," Tony said, his confidence unwavering.
"Understood. Deleting all files..." Friday's voice echoed as the arc reactor logo spun on the screen before being replaced by the message: No Files Available.
Tony cracked his knuckles, excitement radiating from him. "Now, I want everything you can find on symbiotic relationships, DNA bonding, molecular integration, and biological hosts—down to the smallest details."
"That's a broad range of topics," Friday noted.
"Yeah, but I want every angle, from nature to cutting-edge science," Tony continued, pacing the room. "Look for anything on adaptive biology, especially how foreign organisms can interact with and augment host DNA."
"Understood, Boss," Friday responded as the search began.
Various text and data flashed across the conjured screens, Tony's eyes scanning rapidly, absorbing the information as it streamed by. His mind was already racing with possibilities.
"Now I'm really curious about what that genius mind of yours is thinking right now, Tony," Melissa said with a smile, watching him work intently.
"I'm practically already making Mark 43, in a way," Tony explained, eyes never leaving the screens. "But this one—it's more of a biological weapon than a suit."
"And I take it it's going to bond with our biology, based on what you asked Friday to gather?" Melissa asked, her smile fading slightly as she pieced it together.
"Yup," Tony nodded, "I'm building a living suit of armor."
"That… that sounds really dangerous and like a bad idea," Melissa said, her tone shifting to concern. "That could go wrong on so many levels."
"Really don't need the negativity right now, love," Tony replied, not missing a beat.
"I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic," Melissa countered. "I'm here to help, and part of that is stopping you when I think you're taking things too far. You're anxious and worried, which I understand, but those feelings? They don't mix well with science. They lead to mistakes."
Tony was silent for a moment, clearly processing her words. Melissa rolled her eyes gently. "I'm not telling you to stop, Tony. I'm just asking you to be extra careful. You're running on emotion right now, and we agreed—messing with life, especially at this level, isn't something to rush into."
Tony let out a soft sigh, hearing the concern in her voice. "I promise you, I'll be really careful."
"And that's all I ask of you," Melissa nodded, satisfied. "So… have you thought of a name for this project of yours?"
"Yes…" Tony paused for a moment, a determined look on his face. "I'll call it: Project Symbiote."
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