After making sure Fong Mo was in stable condition, Raymond left the hospital, saying he had something to take care of.
Roland thought he was going after those cultists again and refused to let him leave.
In the end, he had to swear up and down that he wasn't going to fight cultists again and that it was truly something else. Only then did Roland reluctantly let him go.
It was already late at night.
Raymond checked the time on his phone, then opened the map to confirm his direction toward New York. He started looking around the hospital for a good place to dig up a stone pillar.
This really isn't a long-term solution… Maybe I should send John Constantine to Kamar-Taj for some friendly exchange. Try and copy the Ancient One's "Teleportation Spell"? Raymond thought to himself.
Right now, among his many sub-personalities, Tao Pai Pai's combat ability wasn't as useful as before.
But his "unusual flying method" was still Raymond's fastest long-range travel option.
The problem? Every time he used it, he had to dig up a stone pillar or something—it caused quite a scene.
If he had a choice, he wouldn't pick this method. Sure, the first few times looked cool, but after using it over and over, it started to feel… awkward.
So Raymond figured maybe he could have John Constantine head to Kamar-Taj and learn a trick or two.
Even if he didn't get much, at least learning the "Teleportation Spell" would be worth it, right?
And who knew, maybe Raymond could learn it himself someday.
Even if he didn't have any talent for magic, his John Constantine sub-personality certainly did. That guy was basically a walking magic encyclopedia in the DC world—his reputation wasn't just talk.
Once the thought came up, Raymond couldn't let it go.
The temptation of teleportation was just too great.
While making up his mind, he finally found a decent place to dig out a pillar and sighed in relief.
Five minutes later, Raymond arrived at Stark Tower and called Tony.
Before long, Tony came downstairs in a robe—personally.
"When did you get to New York? Could've at least given me a heads-up," Tony said, giving him a punch on the shoulder.
"Ten minutes ago, I was still in Richmond. Just got here," Raymond grinned.
Then he remembered who he was talking to. Raymond wasn't just anyone. He shook his head, smiled, and let the topic go.
"Forget that. Come on upstairs. I was just having a late snack with Pepper. We can talk up there…"
"Your place, your rules," Raymond shrugged.
Soon, Raymond followed Tony through several security checks and then up the express elevator to the top floor.
"Detective Raymond, we meet again," Pepper greeted him warmly with a hug.
"Showing up this late—I'm not interrupting your private time, am I?" Raymond joked as they let go.
"We get our private time every day. But seeing you is rare," Pepper said with a smile.
"Alright, enough with the sweet talk. Sit down, both of you," Tony said, walking over to the bar. He poured Raymond a drink and handed it over. "You didn't come all the way here just because you missed me, right?"
"If that were the case, Miss Pepper should be worried," Raymond joked.
"No, not at all—I wouldn't mind," Pepper said with a smile.
Raymond grinned and took the glass from Tony. "Alright, no more jokes. Let's get to the point—I came to check on the progress of the Extremis virus."
"Hm? Is it urgent?" Tony picked up on the tone.
Raymond didn't hide anything and briefly explained his father Fong Mo's condition. He also wanted to hear Tony's thoughts—Tony was clearly more of an expert in this field.
After listening, Tony nodded. "Your father's situation sounds like a good fit for the Extremis virus. You've come at the right time."
"I've basically figured out how to replicate a simplified version of the virus," Tony continued. "But the perfected version—the one Killian used—isn't done yet…"
"The simplified version won't do. It's too risky," Raymond cut in immediately.
"I know, I wouldn't suggest using the simplified one on your father. If something went wrong, you'd probably tear me apart," Tony replied with a half-joking tone.
"So what's your suggestion?"
"Well, aside from the simplified version, I've actually created another version. I call it the harmless version." As Tony spoke, he asked JARVIS to bring up a virtual display.
Soon, three charts appeared in front of Raymond.
The diagrams looked similar, but they were labeled "Simplified," "Perfected," and "Harmless," each with different data below.
"Based on preliminary tests, the harmless version is stronger than the simplified one but weaker than the perfected one. It sits right between the two," Tony explained.
"But its production cost is just as high as the perfected version. I actually created this formula by accident while working on the perfected version."
"Since I didn't want to waste it, I tested it too—and the results surprised me. Its safety level is far higher than the perfected version!"
"If the self-detonation rate for the simplified version is 90%, and the perfected one is 1%, this harmless version is only 0.1%!"
"Plus, its resistance to pressure and physical limits are even higher than the perfected version. Aside from raw power, all the other stats beat the perfected one."
"So I called it the harmless version—it's the one I'm most satisfied with so far," Tony said proudly.
When talking tech, he became a completely different person—not the carefree playboy, but a true scientist.
"I'll take that one," Raymond said without hesitation.
"Knew you'd pick it," Tony grinned. "Honestly, even if you hadn't come today, I was planning to reach out to you in the next day or two."
"Thanks. Oh—what about mutants? Can they use it?" Raymond suddenly asked.
"I'm not sure. I wouldn't recommend trying it just yet. It could cause complications," Tony replied thoughtfully. "If you really need to know, I can run some tests later."
"No need for now. Just prepare two doses of the harmless version for me," Raymond declined politely.
He had thought about getting one for Clarice too, but he didn't want to owe Tony too many favors—it'd be hard to repay them all.
As for Clarice's version, he was now considering putting the Orochimaru sub-personality's lab plan on the schedule.
In this area of research, the Orochimaru personality might even be ahead of Tony.
Actually, not might—definitely.
"Looks like it's time to start planning a private lab when I get back…" Raymond thought to himself.