I waited for a day until Natasha was away before I made my way towards my lab.

I created the Hulk and Extremis serum.

I looked at the rat looking at the potatoes eagerly from its cage. "Unfortunately you are not going to get it this time loyal lab rat." I smiled.

Unfortunately, I didn't wait to create an anti-serum this time. I am probably not going to need an anti-serum for a long time and in a way, I was confident with rooted potato and all my knowledge.

I removed the hulk serum from my body to feel extremally heavy. My mind felt as if it had just been installed onto a computer that is 3 decades old. I really hated this.

I quickly proceeded to inject the Hulk Extremis serum into me.

I felt a rising warmth and a light feeling before the feeling faded.

After doing some test I realised my speed, strength, speed of healing and regeneration, durability, and endurance more than doubled when I merged the Extremis and hulk serum together.

My mind power however still stayed the same as Extremis didn't have many capabilities to boost my mind therefore the combination of it and Hulk serum practically did nothing to my mind. So my mind still could only comprehend 2000 books per month.

Even disintegration couldn't stop me now unless someone was able to disintegrate every single cell of mine instantly. My body would either pass the stored energy to a cell to regenerate myself back to normal or wait and lie around absorbing energy from the surroundings to bring me back.

Imagine 2 hours of unkillable speedster hulk that kept coming back no matter how many times someone manages to lob off my head with great effort.

However, if I were to just use healing capability on its own I could keep coming back from the dead for 20 hours straight. That means someone needed to realistically kill me 72,000 times before I could die provided I didn't eat and was kept starving after having a full tank and I didn't escape and kill them as well.

72,000 full life health potions were more than enough.

'Start looking for a way to remove Hulk and Extremis from my system.' I ordered my ability. I still had plans to combine more genetics.

I smiled at this. This was sufficient biological strength… for now.

20 hours was a lot. 20 hours of being a speedster, or 20 hours of being an unstoppable killing machine or 20 hours of a raging Surtur. The possibilities were endless especially when I am going to combine it with my tech.

Dr Doom, you never received the justice of showing the world the might of having combined magic, tech, and superpower together. Plot armour always stopped you in the form of a rubber ball. However, I will show the universe what you could never do.

I had to be a lot careful with the regeneration aspect of my cells when creating it, lest I accidentally spilt blood and a clone of me emerged. This was why it took the Hulk and Extremis serum research to be concluded so long as it was researching into ways to stop that from happening.

The good thing about having an active ability rather than a passive ability was that the healing and regeneration factor wasn't always at play in my body and therefore I didn't have to deal with that problem. This problem can be seen a lot in marvel comics, where someone would take Deadpool's regeneration only to die of tumorous growth. Too much healing and regeneration can be a problem unless I constantly damage my body somehow like Deadpool with his late-stage cancer.

I went back to my shop.

I had got the necklace for Natasha ready. I planned to give it to her tonight on our way back from my shop.

We didn't celebrate birthdays or any festivals as we had no idea when she would be called to work. So instead, we made the most of whenever we were together.

Each day we considered as a special day for us.

As she came back from work towards our restaurant today, I waited expectantly for her.

"You seem very eager today," Bruce said as he sat down after counting the money we earned today.

"Going to give her a gift." I winked at him causing him to roll his eyes.

"Love birds." He commented.

"What about you? Found a girl?" I asked him to which he looked at me in annoyance.

"And then what? Go to bed only for her to kiss me and realise there was something wrong with my face?" He asked me in annoyance.

"I can offer you face surgery to completely alter your face," I suggested to which he looked annoyed.

"I want to keep seeing my face at least." He said in annoyance.

"Only 3 more years of not having sex. After which I can be cured and have as much sex as I want." Bruce sighed as he leaned forward.

"Still changed your mind about giving me the cure seeing my pitiful state?" He asked me.

"You are going to be thankful that I hadn't cured you a few years later." I sat down.

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"I hate that confident look on your face. It somehow gives me an ominous premonition." Bruce looked at me.

I shrugged as I went to prepare the late supper for all 3 of us.

"Am I late?" I heard her calling out. Looking out of the kitchen I saw her in her usual hoodie and jeans.

"Bit simple dressing since its new year in 1 hour." Bruce pointed out.

"Says the guy who is planning to just sleep upstairs for his new years instead of joining us." Natasha retorted.

"Trust me I have no intention of feeling like a 3rd wheel," Bruce remarked.

I had finished preparing the meal for us. We began eating and talking as usual before Bruce went up to sleep.

Closing up the shop we started walking home. She grabbed my arms and leaned on my shoulder as we walked quietly through the empty street.

On the way, I stopped her. "I got something for you, Nat," I said as I took out the necklace for her from my pocket.

Her eyes shined for a moment.

"It's beautiful!" She said looking at the mesmerising pattern and lightly glowing black jewels I had crafted the necklace in.

"Where did you get it?" She asked me to which I just smiled.

"I made it for you." She paused as she heard that, and tears welled up in her eyes before she moved her hair for me. I place the silver necklace around her neck and tied it.

"Whenever you miss me just hold onto that necklace," I told her as I kissed her forehead.

We weren't sure if it was going to work out before as everything was a trial. But now I have proved to her that it can work.

The only problem is she always turns a blind eye to the blatant clues I present to her always showing I was 'Jack of all trades'. I was pretty sure she was subconsciously avoiding the fact that I was 'Jack of all trades'. I just can't figure out why.

"Thank you. I love you." She said as she hugged me.

Damn, so that is why she kept avoiding my clues subconsciously. I felt something pierce my guilty heart at the same time overflowing happiness filling me.

"I love you too," I hugged her back. Both of us stating our love to each other for the 1st time after years of being in this relationship.

'How can you not realise by now Nat?' I shouted in my mind. I swear if she doesn't figure this out in 1 year I am going to tell her myself.

After 5 minutes we separated and walked the rest of the way home.

*Boom*Fireworks started going off welcoming the new year of 2009.

We looked up at the fireworks before we looked into each other's eyes with a smile. "Happy new year!" We both said at the same time before laughing at our synchronous behaviour.

We got home and welcomed the new year with our carnal desire for each other.

Close to 3 weeks had passed after that.

I was waiting for the current customer to leave when I received a phone call from an unfamiliar number. However, I noticed the call that was coming in was in a green background. This only happened when someone tried to call me through the number on my business card.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"David, you said you are able to help no matter what the job is?" Pepper's panic-filled voice entered my phone.

"I can sell you the world if you have the right money," I told her.

"I need your help!" Pepper said in a frantic voice.

"State your request Ms Pepper and I will state my price after," I told her calmly realising Tony must have been kidnapped by Ten Rings.

"Tony has been kidnapped! Can you...?" She sounded frantic but I interrupted her.

"I know Ms Pepper. I am aware of major events like that." I told her.

She paused hearing what I said. "Are you able to save him?" She asked.

"Yes, very easily so," I answered back, which stunned her once more.

"I will give you anything just save Tony." She said with desperation.

"$15 billion" I stated.

Pepper froze hearing the sum. "I know you nor Mr Stark can't afford something like that."

"Is this because of what he did a few years ago? I am sorry. I will make sure he personally apologises to you. I will make him say sorry to you in front of the whole media. Just save him!" Pepper pleaded.

"This is not about what happened back then Ms Pepper. If it was I would have not given you the takeaways you bought under someone else's name every week." I lied. Yeah, this is definitely about a few years ago. So what? I needed to sometimes experience giving out face slapping.

"Give me a minute." Saying so I could hear Pepper running somewhere.

"Hogan please say it." I could hear her begging Hogan.

"Mr David I am very sorry. If there is anything that you can do please help Mr Tony." Hogan genuinely apologised.

"Currently neither Mr Stark and both of you combined can afford my price to save Tony," I stated calmly.

"WE SAID SORRY WHAT DO YOU WANT THEN? WHAT GOOD ARE YOU IF YOU CAN'T HELP HIM?" Pepper shouted through the phone while nearly in tears. I guess this is a good enough payment from her.

"Listen to me Ms Potts before you lose your calm again. We all want the best out of Tony, and I assure you what is happening is going to be the best for him.

What I can offer you two currently is his constant safety and the promise that those who kidnapped him will not kill him. A set of eyes will always watch him from afar and make sure those who kidnapped him won't hurt him more than they already have." I told her. It was a good enough payment from her but not from Tony yet.

"He is hurt?! Oh god. Please tell me he is going to be ok." Pepper sounded really concerned as she dropped the phone.

Soon someone picked it up. "Mr David are you able to at least tell us where he is?" Hogan asked me.

"I can but like I said you can't afford to pay me even if you sold all of Tony's wealth. I can't let anyone disturb him so that he can learn the value and sanctity of life.

But I can promise you I will put forth an affordable price and go rescue him myself should you require of me after 3 months if he still hasn't learned anything.

This is my personal assurance. Till then pretend as if I don't exist." I told Hogan who sighed in frustration.

"Just 3 months Mr Hogan. I promise after those 3 months you will see a completely different Tony unless you collect a sufficient amount to pay me.

Also, make sure to not divulge anything about me in anger to those military personal. Otherwise, I would make sure this situation, is in an even worse condition." I said as I hung up the call.

The whole media was using this chance as their big scoop.

Natasha came back a few days later looking very annoyed. "Have you been involved with the case of Mr Stark's disappearance as well?" I asked her.

"A little bit. Having to investigate on that playboy asshole is annoying itself." Natasha said in frustration having a general dislike for Tony after what he did to me.

"Well let's forget about your work and create new memories today." I smiled as I brought her in my embrace.

*Ting* I looked down at my phone to see that the construction of smart bullets I have been designing has been completed. Until I learn magic, bullets which can lock on and home in on targets are very good to take down in unreachable locations without putting me on suspicion. Not to mention it would start dissolving making its origin or cause of death very confusing.

I placed the phone back in my pocket as Natasha began eating. I had taken the phone out right in front of her to allow her to see but she never even looked at my phone or asked me what I was doing. If she asked me I would definitely have told her.

Days passed by when I decided to make something fun.

I began its designing and ordered for its construction in one of my production base I had set up. It was a personal satellite for a specific need of mine. Hopefully, I can finish developing it and send it out for orbit before the next 3 months.

I occasionally kept an eye on Stark and those who kidnapped him to make sure they don't go and kill him due to my interference.

3 months later Pepper called me once more, but she had to call in the worst time possible. *Ring* *Ring*

My phone rang I took it while Natasha was watching the TV in front of me on my lap.