The next day.
Calvin arrived at Tony Stark’s seaside villa right on schedule.
Something felt different this time.
Happy was nowhere to be seen.
Pepper was absent too.
The only one there to greet him was JARVIS.
Following the AI’s directions, Calvin soon reached a room filled with medical equipment.
Tony was slumped in a chair inside.
His eyes were sunken, dark circles hung heavily beneath them, and black vein-like lines were clearly visible crawling up his neck, already reaching almost to his jaw.
He looked thoroughly miserable, radiating the kind of exhausted depression one would never normally associate with Tony Stark.
Calvin did not immediately point out the obvious.
Instead, he dragged over a chair, sat down across from Tony, and smiled.
“What happened?
Our genius inventor having another crisis?” He leaned back.
“Relationship trouble, or business?” In truth, Calvin was puzzled too.
According to the timeline he remembered, Tony’s palladium poisoning should not have progressed this far yet.
Tony shrugged, somehow managing to look proud despite appearing half dead.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but both are going great.” He gave Calvin a weak smirk.
“Next time I call, maybe it’ll be an invitation to my engagement party.” “Engagement party?” Calvin laughed.
“Looking like that, I’d start planning the funeral instead.
At this rate, you’ll be dead soon enough, and burying you might qualify as hazardous-waste disposal.” Tony’s eyes flickered.
Then his shoulders sagged as though someone had pulled the frame out of his body.
“Yeah.
Figured I couldn’t hide it from you.” He sighed.
“I’m poisoned.
Badly.” “No kidding.” Calvin gestured toward his neck.
“Those black veins are practically touching your chin.” His expression became more serious.
“Tell me exactly what’s happening.” Tony hesitated before answering.
“The short version is palladium poisoning.” “The palladium is getting into my bloodstream and tissue and gradually damaging my circulatory system.” Then his expression became strangely awkward.
“And…
your medicine worked really well.” Calvin raised an eyebrow.
Tony cleared his throat.
“Pepper and I may have taken advantage of that.
Frequently.” He looked away.
“You know how it works.
Heavy physical activity increases blood circulation.” “So the poisoning progressed faster.” Calvin stared at him.
Tony Stark had apparently managed to accelerate his own poisoning because his sex life improved.
That was honestly impressive.
‘So the little guy had a great time and the rest of you paid the bill.’ Even after becoming Iron Man, Tony was apparently still no match for the dangers of an enthusiastic honeymoon phase.
“So that’s why you called me?” Tony nodded, his expression turning grim.
“There really isn’t an established treatment for systemic palladium poisoning.” “I’ve been working on alternatives myself, but so far, nothing.” He hesitated.
“You also told me that your family has been practicing traditional medicine for generations.” Tony rubbed his chin.
“I actually looked into the history afterward.
There are plenty of documented cases where treatments dismissed by conventional medicine turned out to have real value.” “So…
I wanted your opinion.” Calvin stared at him.
‘He actually believed that?’ The entire story about coming from generations of legendary physicians had been fabricated by Calvin and S.H.I.E.L.D.
to support his cover identity.
There was not a single ounce of truth in it.
Still…
Tony was dying.
At this point, trying an unconventional treatment was hardly unreasonable.
Besides, now that Calvin possessed the Horse Talisman, calling himself a miracle doctor was no longer entirely fraudulent.
He smiled confidently.
“I can fix it.” Tony’s head snapped up.
“You actually can?” He had only contacted Calvin because he was desperate enough to try anything.
He had not expected a genuine answer.
Then Tony remembered the absurdly effective Vitality Tonic.
Hope entered his eyes.
“If you can get rid of the poisoning, money isn’t an issue.” Right on cue— [Tony Stark has issued you a mission.] [Mission: Detoxification] [Objective: Remove Tony Stark’s palladium poisoning.] [Rewards: EXP +2,000, Tony Stark Favorability +20, Random Items ×2.] Calvin nodded.
Then he reached into his bag and pulled out…
A one-liter carton of whole milk.
[Detox Milk: Removes all poisoning effects after consumption.
Side effect: the user must first endure one spectacular episode of diarrhea.] Calvin had no intention of using the Horse Talisman on Tony.
Mainly because if he completely repaired Tony’s body, including his previous exhaustion problem, Calvin would lose an excellent excuse to keep farming favorability through follow-up treatments.
Wasteful.
He handed over the carton.
“Here.” “Drink the whole thing and the poisoning will be gone.” Tony stared at him.
Then at the milk.
Then back at Calvin.
“…What?” He took the carton and pointed to the large 1 L printed on the side.
“You’re telling me that drinking one liter of milk will cure systemic palladium poisoning?” “Yep.” Calvin nodded.
Tony looked personally insulted.
“You cannot be serious.” Milk?
For palladium poisoning?
That sounded less medically plausible than a fairy tale.
Calvin spread his hands.
“You said the exact same thing about my last medicine.” He leaned back.
“Believe me or don’t.
Doesn’t matter to me.” Tony’s gaze moved between Calvin and the carton several times.
His rational mind rebelled against the idea.
Then he remembered how well the Vitality Tonic had worked.
Finally, he gritted his teeth.
Screw it.
Worst case, he got some calcium.
Glug.
Glug.
Glug.
Tony raised the carton and started drinking.
After several long swallows, he lowered it and let out a miserable milk-scented burp.
“I swear this is more milk than I’ve consumed in the rest of my life combined.” Then he forced himself to continue.
Glug.
Glug.
Ten minutes later, Tony swallowed the final mouthful.
He immediately grabbed a small mirror and examined his neck.
Nothing.
The black lines were still there.
His expression darkened.
“Doctor, you—” He stopped.
Tony’s face suddenly became very strange.
His stomach rumbled ominously.
Grrrrrrrgl.
His eyes widened.
“I’ll finish yelling at you later.” One hand clamped over his backside as Tony hurried toward the bathroom with a desperate, awkward shuffle.
A door slammed.
What followed was an extended sequence of noises that Calvin chose not to analyze.
…
Half an hour later, Tony emerged from the bathroom with one hand gripping the doorframe.
He looked even more exhausted than before.
The glare he directed toward Calvin was full of betrayal.
“If you couldn’t treat me, you could’ve just said so.” His voice was weak.
“Why did you have to torture me first?” Calvin merely smiled.
Then he pointed toward the mirror.
Tony frowned and picked it up.
His expression froze.
The black lines were gone.
Completely.
Tony stared at his own reflection.
Aside from feeling as though the last thirty minutes had emptied everything inside his body, the oppressive heaviness he had been living with was gone.
His breathing felt easier.
His body felt cleaner.
The problem that had resisted every solution he tried…
Was simply gone.
Through diarrhea.
Tony struggled to process this.
Milk had cured palladium poisoning?
Or was it specifically Calvin’s milk?
He had tasted nothing medicinal in it.
No chemicals.
No strange aftertaste.
It had seemed like ordinary milk.
Actually, fairly good milk.
Tony slowly looked toward Calvin.
“Doctor…
that milk—” “Ah.” Calvin immediately raised one hand.
“Stop right there.” He smiled.
“Trade secret.” Tony reluctantly nodded.
“Fine.” He was still dying to know how both the milk and that earlier Vitality Tonic worked.
Either product alone could revolutionize medicine.
The Vitality Tonic in particular would probably become one of the most profitable male-health products in human history.
A system notification appeared.
[Mission: Detoxification — Complete.] [Rewards Obtained: EXP +2,000.] [Tony Stark Favorability +20.] [Item Obtained: Portal ×2.] [Item Obtained: Automatic Cooking Pot.] [Portal: Once two portals have been placed, entering one allows instantaneous travel to the other.] [Automatic Cooking Pot: Add ingredients and the pot will automatically prepare the most suitable dish, producing excellent appearance, aroma, and flavor.] Calvin stood up.
“That’ll be five million.” “Sure.
I’ll have it transferred.” Tony did not hesitate for even a second.
Five million dollars was practically pocket change compared to what Calvin had just done for him.
Still, Tony refused to surrender completely.
“So this formula really isn’t something you’d consider—” “No.” Calvin waved both hands immediately.
He would have loved to sell Tony the formula.
Unfortunately, the system made reverse-engineering its items impossible.
There was nothing to negotiate.
…
Not long after leaving Tony’s villa, Calvin received a call from Fury.
“Agent Calvin, where are you?” Fury sounded unusually urgent.
Even through the phone, Calvin could hear the tension in his voice.
His eyebrows rose.
‘That sounds like a mission.’ “I just left Stark’s place.
What’s going on?” “Go to the airport immediately.” Fury spoke quickly.
“The situation is complicated, and it’s urgent.
I’ve already briefed Romanoff on the details.
She’ll be your partner for this operation.” Calvin ended the call and drove straight to the airport.
A private jet was already waiting.
The moment he entered the cabin, he noticed that Natasha looked nothing like the relaxed, playful woman from their previous mission.
Her brow was tense.
There was genuine urgency in her expression.
She skipped the usual banter entirely.
“This one’s complicated.” She looked directly at Calvin.
“Our first priority is Culver University in Virginia.” “Hawkeye was operating there, and something went wrong.” Natasha’s voice tightened.
“He’s in immediate danger.” She paused.
“And after that, we need to deal with General Ross.” Calvin listened carefully.
“Based on the intelligence S.H.I.E.L.D.
has gathered, we have reason to believe…” Natasha’s expression became deadly serious.
“General Ross is trying to take over the world.” Calvin stared at her.
“…What?”