Tony Stark watched as Harvey Amberlock continued eating in silence. The curiosity gnawed at him, unable to resist asking the question that had been eating away at him.
"So, Harvey Amberlock, just how powerful are you? Could something like a nuclear bomb even touch you?"
Harvey paused for a moment before answering casually, "With the current level of human technology, they couldn't even scratch me."
These past few months hadn't been idle ones for Harvey. With an average of six evolutions per month, he had already evolved 283 times. His Void-enhanced skin alone had undergone 64 transformations. Now, even the crushing pressure at the bottom of the deepest ocean on Earth was no longer a hostile environment for him. He could swim freely through those dark depths as though it were just another dive.
Though, if he were to take the full brunt of a nuclear explosion head-on, he might sustain some injury. But all he would need to do is avoid the initial shockwave. The radiation that followed? Even if he stood directly in it, his body would naturally evolve in a very short time, granting him immunity to it. He could walk through the radioactive fallout as if it were nothing.
That was the true terror of the Void—no matter how bad the injury or how hostile the environment, as long as Harvey didn't die, his body would evolve to adapt, gaining whatever abilities were necessary to survive.
"If I became a being like you... could I reach that level too?" Tony's eyes glinted with a mixture of awe and intrigue as he asked, unable to contain the spark of curiosity.
Harvey glanced at Tony, then nodded slightly. "Not right away. But with time, yes. You'd have an almost eternal lifespan and strength beyond compare."
Tony could feel the allure, the temptation pulling at him. Harvey's answer only solidified what Tony had already begun to consider. The power Harvey had shown him, the strength and adaptability—it was a force beyond what any human could dream of. Tony's mind raced, imagining what it would mean to wield that kind of power.
"Strength beyond compare... but what about gods?" Tony's pragmatic side kicked in, the question coming out before he even realized it. After seeing what Harvey was capable of, nothing, not even gods, seemed far-fetched anymore.
"Gods? Think of them as beings born with extraordinarily long lifespans and immense power—like aliens with abilities far beyond what humanity can understand," Harvey explained, his tone matter-of-fact. "Because their power surpasses human comprehension, and because humans only live a fleeting hundred years or so, people call them gods and see their actions as miracles."
"Only a hundred years... yeah, when you put it like that, it sounds pretty bleak," Tony muttered, a bitter smile on his lips.
"Throughout history, there have been countless brilliant humans," Harvey continued, his voice steady. "People who left behind legacies at incredibly young ages. But as they aged, their bodies inevitably began to fail them. Their minds grew slower, and they no longer had the time or energy to explore the mysteries they hadn't yet uncovered. They were like brief flashes of brilliance in the grand scheme of history."
"If they had lived longer, combining the genius of different eras... humanity's technology and civilization could be far more advanced than it is now."
Tony was silent for a moment, struck by the weight of Harvey's words. The limitations of human life were something he had never truly considered in such a stark, almost clinical light. The fleeting nature of human achievement, the briefness of their time to shine—it all seemed so tragically short in the face of eternity.
"You're right," Tony finally admitted. "It's cruel, isn't it? So much potential, cut short because we just don't have the time."
Harvey's eyes flickered. "That's the problem with being human. There's never enough time. That's why so many crave longer lives—to give themselves more time to achieve their dreams, to witness the future they've imagined, and to see things they never thought possible."
Harvey spoke from experience. With his own extended lifespan, he knew he had the luxury of witnessing the future unfold before him. To him, time was no longer a constraint, but an opportunity. While others might see him as an anomaly, as an "other," he understood human desires all too well. People might scorn what they considered unnatural, but deep down, everyone wanted to be extraordinary. They condemned what they couldn't have, but secretly yearned for it all the same.
Most who viewed eternal life as a curse did so because they lacked the power to control it. But Harvey knew differently. With enough time, there were endless opportunities, infinite experiences waiting to be discovered.
Tony, still absorbing everything Harvey had said, couldn't help but feel shaken. Harvey stood in a place that Tony couldn't reach, saw the world through a lens Tony had never considered. Where Tony struggled against the constraints of politics and military oversight, Harvey had the strength to crush those constraints without a second thought. When S.H.I.E.L.D. had tried to impose its will on him, Tony had felt angry but powerless. But Harvey? He had answered their threat with overwhelming force, holding back only because of his own mercy.
The realization hit Tony like a hammer. No matter how much he improved his suits, no matter how advanced his technology, he could never match Harvey's power. Harvey had revealed a key piece of information earlier, almost offhandedly, when he'd said that if Tony became a being like him, he'd grow stronger over time. But even then, Tony understood, he'd never be able to catch up to Harvey's level.
Tony had already decided. The chance to gain a longer life, to obtain greater power—it was right in front of him. And it was madness to hesitate.
"Harvey Amberlock, I know I'm not powerful enough or worthy enough to demand anything from you," Tony said, his voice resolute. "So, I'm asking... as a request."
Harvey raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the shift in Tony's tone. "There's no need for such self-deprecation. Your intellect is impressive, Tony. And we're not in some kind of master-servant relationship, so speak freely. What is it you want to ask?"
Tony took a deep breath, his gaze steady. "I finally understand that having power and using power are two entirely different things. I want you to make me like you—to grant me a longer life, and the strength to match it."
Harvey looked at him thoughtfully before replying. "What about Miss Potts? You haven't mentioned any of this to her, have you?"
"No, I haven't," Tony admitted, his expression serious. "But she'll understand. And... I know it's selfish, maybe even a bit arrogant to ask this of you, but there's one more thing."
"What is it?" Harvey asked, his interest piqued.
"If she decides she wants it too... even if you can't give her the same power you have, please grant her the chance for a longer life."
Tony's voice was filled with sincerity, his request hanging in the air between them.
Would Harvey grant it?