Regina was sleeping peacefully when she was woken up by Jarvis, but she doesn't want to get up just yet so she ignored him and tries to go back to sleep even though she knows it is impossible for her to go back to sleep as her brain has already woken up and is busy showing her the formula that is waiting to be completed downstairs. Nope. She is going to stay stubborn and nothing anyone do can get her to give up trying to sleep a little longer.
That is until Tony entered her room and shake her shoulder. "Wake up! We have work to do!" His voice is too cheerful for her liking.
She pulls the blanket over her head as she rolls to the other side of the bed. "Sleep now, work can wait." Now she knows there is definitely no way she is going back to sleep but Tony doesn't have to know that.
"But we have less than a month to get our project done and ready." That got her attention.
She sat up and stare at the grinning Stark with wide eyes. "Are you mad!? There is no way we can get it done in that amount of time! There's too much to do! The formula isn't completed, we haven't even decided on what materials should be used to build it yet and not to mention we still need at least a week to test and fix any problems before we can show it to anyone!"
"Which is why the two of us needs to be downstairs working right now." He said without losing that stupid grin on his face.
She groans softly as she buries her face in her hands. "Is it too late to quit?"
"Unfortunately!" Tony said cheerfully. "I'll wait for you in the lab and if you're not down in 10 minutes I'm going to have to drag you down myself." He smirked as he gives Regina a wave. "See you~" He said before leaving.
Regina falls back onto her bed as she covers her eyes with an arm. "He is going to be the death of me." She muttered softly. She laid in bed for a few more seconds before forcing herself to get dressed, she has a feeling this is the last time she is going to see her bed until the project is completed.
It took them two weeks of non stop working to get a prototype ready but no way to test it out because the both of them still have their arms.
"Regina, I think we can both agree that you should be the one to make the sacrifice." Tony said calmly as he places his hand on her shoulder. "You're right handed so it shouldn't affect your work if it doesn't work seeing as we made a left arm."
"Hell no! You make the sacrifice! I'm not giving up my left arm just because I'm right handed!" She back away but stopped by Tony's hand on her shoulder.
"I'm Tony Stark, I can't just go around losing an arm." He pointed out.
"Yeah well I'm your employee so you can't go around asking me to cut my arm off!"
"I'll pay you however much you want."
"No means no!"
They continued arguing until Rhodey stepped in to stop them. "Okay, that's enough, Children. What's going on?"
"He wants to cut off my arm to test the robotic prosthetic." Regina accused as she pointed at Tony.
"We need to test it before the party! Every military higher up will be there, we have no choice."
"The hell we don't! We can cut off your arm instead of mine!"
"No way, that won't-" He stopped when Rhodey holds up his hand to silence them.
"Why don't you two just find someone who actually needs an arm?" He asked as he looks at them with his arms crossed and eyebrow raised.
The two of them look at each other. "We never thought of that..." Tony said softly as he turns to look at Rhodey.
"It would make more sense than to cut someone's arm off..." Regina is embarrassed that they didn't think of that idea first.
Rhodey sighs softly as he shakes his head. "No cutting off anyone's arm, understand?"
"Yes, Sir." The both of them said softly, looking like children who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
"So this is the robotic prosthetic you're working on huh?" He changed the subject as he turns to look at the arm. "To tell you the truth it never even cross my mind to make robotic prosthetic."
"Either did I, it was all her idea." Tony wave towards Regina.
"I never did introduce myself have I? I'm Colonel James Rhodes, but you can call me Rhodey." He holds his hand out towards Regina.
Regina smiled as she shakes Rhodey's hand. "It is nice to meet you, Rhodey. I am Regina Ngoh, Tony talks about you a lot."
"All good things I hope." Rhodey smiled.
"Of course, Platypus! There is no way I would say anything bad about you!" Tony wrap an arm around Rhodey.
"Actually he mostly whines about you not visiting enough." Regina smiled innocently.
Tony gasp softly. "I do not whine!" He huffed.
"Sure you don't." Rhodey chuckles softly as he gently pats Tony's back.
Tony pout and cross his arms. "I do not!"
"Of course, of course, my mistake." Regina giggled softly. "Now back to business, we need someone to test it out right now. We only have a week before the party." She said seriously.
"I know someone who would gladly test it out for you. I just have to make a few arrangements to get him here." Rhodey said as he takes out his phone.
"I'll pay for his travels, accommodation and anything else as long as he is willing to stay until the party is over." Tony said as he waves towards the robotic arm. "He can even keep this once it's all over."
Rhodey smiled as he nods his head. "I'll let him know that." He said before leaving to make the call.
"Tony, Regina, this is Jason Jones." Rhodey introduced them to a young bright-eyed male.
"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Jones." Regina smiled as she holds her hand out for him to shake.
Jason smiled as he shakes her hand. "Please call me Jason. Rhodey told me that the two of you have been working on robot arm?" He asked with hope in his voice.
"Robotic prosthetic." Tony said as he shakes the young man's hand. "We are hoping you'll test our prototype and attend a party to show military higher ups the potential behind it. I'm sure Rhodey has told you that everything will be paid for and at the end, you will be able to bring hope the prototype."
"I-I...I'll be able to bring it home?" His eyes light up with hope, Rhodey had told him but he couldn't believe he would be that lucky until he hears it from Tony himself.
"Of course! And if you help us with future updates we'll let you keep them too." Tony promised.
"Thank you, Sir! Thank you so much!" Jason could barely hold himself back from hugging Tony.
Tony chuckle softly. "You're welcome, Kid. Now, why don't we get that arm on you right now and we'll see if there's anything that needs to be fixed."
"No." Regina hissed as she hides under one of Tony's heavy equipment, for once she is glad she is so much smaller than everyone else.
"You'll look beautiful, Regina." Jason said softly as he lay on his stomach and tries to reach her.
Regina hissed like a cat as she hit his hand away. "No means no!"
"You have to, Regina. I'll be there too so you won't be alone." Jason sigh softly as he sat up, having given up because there is no way he can reach her.
"You don't have to wear a dress and have to act like a girl." She growled at him as she presses herself closer to the wall.
"She's still not coming out?" Tony asked as he entered his lab with Pepper.
Jason nods his head with a sad puppy look on his face. "I'm sorry, Tony. She won't come out no matter what I do..."
Tony gently pat Jason's head. "It's alright, I brought back up. Why don't you go play with Dum-E before we leave?"
Jason sigh softly again as he stood up. "Alright." He pouts as he walks over to Dum-E to play catch with him, it entertains Dum-E and good practice for him to get used to his robotic arm.
"She's all yours." Tony step aside for Pepper to stand in front of the equipment.
Regina can hear the clicks of Pepper's heels before seeing them and knows she is about to lose this battle. "I'm not coming out no matter what you say." A hint of uncertainty can be heard in her voice.
"Regina, I understand you are uncomfortable around peoples you are unfamiliar with but you are the person who came up with this idea and helped Tony make it happen. It is only right that you are there." Pepper said calmly.
"...If I go do I have to wear a dress?" Regina asked after a while.
"Unfortunately, but you can choose the dress you will be wearing."
Regina bites her lip as she thinks over what she was told. "Okay..." She said softly as she crawled out from under the equipment and dust off her clothes. She looks up at then with sad puppy dog eyes as she made herself look smaller than she actually is.
Unaffected by the cuteness, unlike Tony, Pepper smiled softly. "Why don't you go take a shower before we leave? I'll personally help you pick a dress."
Regina pout as she nods her head. She drags her feet as she walks away while glancing back to Tony a few times with pleading eyes, hoping she can get him to pity her and let her get out of this. Sadly with Pepper there that isn't going to happen so she has no choice but to get this all over and done with.
/New character! Hope you guys like him!