Chapter 12: Helen Cho

Chapter 12: Helen Cho

A/N: Helen Cho is perhaps a little less conservative then Tony thinks~

-x-X-x-

Dr. Helen Cho knows she shouldn’t be watching, but she can’t quite bring herself to look away. Part of her wants to pretend like it’s purely academic curiosity, but deep down inside she knows this has nothing to do with science and everything to do with hormones and simple biology.

While it was true that she’d grown up rather sheltered back in South Korea, with her brilliant mind being noticed by her parents and teachers and nurtured as well as protected from a very early age, that didn’t mean Helen was an idiot. Nor was she so naïve or innocent as to be unobservant or oblivious to the relationship dynamics around her.

Just because she herself had never so much as had a boyfriend or a sexual experience, did not mean she was unaware of them. The internet was a big wide place and for all that the adults in her life had tried to keep her from such things, there had come a point where Helen had been old enough and curious enough to circumvent their efforts and peer into the abyss that was Western Culture.

Of course, Helen wasn’t the only one from her generation to buck the will of her parents. South Korea in general was becoming a place where Western Entertainment and western thinking were both aped more and more by people her age and younger.

Helen was just one of the few from her generation who had stared into the abyss... and just shrugged her shoulders and carried on. She had not felt very strongly one way or the other about the ‘perversity’ and ‘debauchery’ of the West, as her parents had termed it. It was neither something she wanted to throw herself into, nor something she felt the need to decry particularly strongly.

Rather, Helen only cared about science, and about her research. She wanted to make something of herself, to make her visions come to life. That’s why she started U-GIN at such a young age, and why she’d poured her heart and soul into her pet project, the Regeneration Cradle.

It was also why, when THE Tony Stark had contacted her about working with her and U-GIN on the Cradle, Helen had leapt at the chance. And quite frankly, she’d had absolutely no regrets in the time since. From meeting Maya and learning about Extremis, to working with both the biologist and Stark himself on their projects side by side... it had been an experience second to none.

Tony Stark was truly the smartest man of their age from what Helen could tell. He just... he understood the Regeneration Cradle in a way that was almost preternatural. Sometimes he would show up with a solution to a problem regarding it before Helen had even run into the problem in question! And it wasn’t just the Cradle either. He did the same with Extremis, finding solutions to even the most difficult problems facing the completion of Dr. Hansen’s project.

All in all, working with Tony Stark and Maya Hansen for the past few months had been a privilege. She’d also enjoyed getting to know the estimable Pepper Potts, Tony’s personal assistant slash girlfriend. Theirs was a strange relationship... almost akin to a fetish rather than something Helen would ever think could take place in the real world. And that was before one added Maya into the mix.

Because yes, Helen was quite aware that the trio were routinely fucking each other. She’d known for quite some time now. And in the beginning, she’d been grateful that none of them had tried to make any overtures towards her. Mostly because Helen hadn’t known how she would react to such things. It wasn’t like she judged them for their threesomes. But at the same time, so long as the Regeneration Cradle remained out of reach, Helen couldn’t bring herself to focus on anything else.

... Now though, the Cradle was complete. And so was Extremis. Tony Stark had been healed completely, the shrapnel and the giant magnet in his chest removed one after the other. More than healed though, he’d become something more... something beyond human. Helen had to admit, she found it fascinating. His strength.

Perhaps that’s why she’s standing outside of the slightly open door, watching through a crack as Stark, Hansen, and Potts ‘bump uglies’ with one another. With one eye, Helen peers into the room beyond, watching as Tony fucks Pepper on her back while Hansen lays right next to the red head. One of his hands gropes one of Maya’s tits, even as the brunette moans and wiggles. Judging by the white fluid slowly coming out of her, he’s already fucked her to completion and has now started in on Pepper.

She shouldn’t be watching this. And yet... it’s intoxicating. Not just because of the sex either, but because of the light orange glow in all three of their eyes. Dr. Stark has dosed both Ms. Potts and Dr. Hansen with Extremis, the same as he had. Helen can’t exactly bring herself to feel jealous about that. Just watching them go at it, it’s become obvious that ever since the surgery, Tony has had more energy than the two women can contend with.

Of course, they always could have- no. Helen flushes, trying to push such thoughts out of her head. But then, if she doesn’t want to think about how she might have been willing to join in on the fun, she really shouldn’t still be watching Tony fuck Pepper while fondling Maya from the crack in the doorway. Seriously, what is she doing? Sure, a part of her is fascinated by how Extremis will change their lives going forward. And also a part of her is fascinated by the way Tony Stark’s muscular, toned, naked body ripples with every movement. And how Pepper and Maya look so fantastic as their own bodies shudder and shiver under his.

Without even realizing it, one of Helen’s hands has slowly traveled down her body. She hisses when she suddenly feels her own palm pressing against the damn spot between her legs. Of course, fool that she is, she’s a little too loud. Her hiss is heard by those within the bedroom and she barely manages to get out of the line of sight of the door in time as all movement within the room stops.

Helen holds her breath, not daring to try to retreat. If she attempts to leave, the enhanced trio within will definitely hear her then. She doesn’t even breath, just standing there with the heel of her palm pressing into her crotch down between her legs. Finally... finally, she hears Tony start fucking Pepper again in the room beyond. She listens as both Pepper and Maya moan from the things that the genius billionaire is doing to them.

Only after a couple minutes more does Helen dare to peek in through the crack again. None of them are looking at the door, thankfully. She watches them continue to fuck from her hiding place, even as her palm gyrates against her crotch now, her hips swiveling unconsciously into her hand.

She’s so... transfixed by what she’s seeing that she doesn’t even realize the bedroom door is opening until it’s too late. Helen must have breathed too deeply, or maybe even just pushed too much air onto the door when she repositioned herself and leaned forward again, because slowly but surely, almost too slow for her to notice, it’s opened up entirely.

By the time she realizes she’s not looking through a crack but a gap that’s multiple feet wide, Helen only has a handful of seconds to react. It’s still enough time. She could have still snuck away, probably. If she’d just slipped out of sight, she could have hidden herself and continued watching. But despite realizing she’s exposed, Doctor Helen Cho remains right where she is, standing in the doorway and rubbing herself through her increasingly wet jeans.

Until finally, Tony looks right at her, his eyes glowing Extremis-orange ever so slightly. More of a flash than a glow, even as he gives her a grin.

“You’re welcome to join us any time, Helen.”

So smooth. So calming. So... confident. Helen blushes and then stutter steps into the room. She stops halfway inside when both Pepper and Maya look at her too, frozen and trembling under the gazes of the other two women. What if they don’t appreciate her presence? What if they grow angry with her for daring to intrude?

But that doesn’t happen. Instead, they both just smile at her tiredly, lazily almost.

“Thought you’d never get in on the fun, Cho.”

The bright smile on her face in the picture she’d taken for her ID Card is so genuine it almost hurts. Tony lets out a shuddering breath and has to wipe his eyes really quick for a moment before glaring up at the ceiling. No tears thank fucking god, but the fact that he’d thought there might be...

“You did that on purpose, J.”

“It felt like you needed a reminder that for all your actions might seem selfish on the surface, you’re doing quite a lot of good for other people too, Sir. Even the so-called little people.”

Huffing and rolling his eyes, Tony leans back in his chair.

“I’m not a good guy, J. Don’t forget that. I’m not some hero and I’m never going to pretend to be. I’m just the only man who knows what the fuck is coming... and the only one who can stop it as well.”

Before JARVIS can respond, Tony raises a hand to forestall it.

“Not alone, JARVIS. I know. I’m not in this alone anymore. I’ve got you and I’ve got Pepper.”

“I’m glad you recognize that, Sir.”

There’s the faintest hint of reproach in JARVIS’ voice at that, but Tony just ignores it. They’d had a long talk about how to tell Pepper that he was from the future. And in the end, Tony had decided... not to. Rather, he’d sidestepped the problem entirely by telling Pepper he’d had visions of the future instead. He didn’t want her to think that he thought of her as some replacement, because she wasn’t. He didn’t want her to think that he was always comparing her and the other Pepper, because he straight up wasn’t.

He’d loved Pepper in the future that would never come to pass. But he loved Pepper in the present just as much. His actions had changed their dynamic irrevocably, and also changed Pepper herself at some point along the way. It wasn’t fair to compare them, not anymore.

Apparently deciding enough silence had passed for Tony to beat himself up over his little white lie, JARVIS speaks up again.

“What next, Sir?”

Tony hums... and then grins, rising from his chair.

“Now? Now we take over the world!”

Tony laughs at the silence that follows, well aware JARVIS would be giving him a deadpan stare right now if he could. After a bit, he lets himself relax, his grin becoming more subdued.

“I’m not really kidding, JARVIS. The World Security Council, Alexander Pierce, HYDRA, SHIELD... they pretty much run the world behind the scenes. And we’re going to finally be going after them. Subverting them, even. Won’t lie... shit’s about to get a lot more dangerous. Because we’re done stonewalling SHIELD, J. We’re going to start letting them in just a little bit.”

“Sir?”

Tony hums as he sits back down at his desk and begins flicking holographic icons across the screen in front of him.

“There are some assets in SHIELD, J. We’re going to make sure to reappropriate what we can in the days to come.”

A familiar face appears in front of him, attached to her highly confidential SHIELD file. Framed in digital red hair, the pretty features of one Natasha Romanoff stare Tony in the eye.

“Starting with the Black Widow.”

He wishes he could say she looks unsuspecting to really sell the sinister undertone of this moment, but even in her SHIELD file she looks ready to leap out of cyberspace and wrap those thighs of hers around his head so she can snap his neck. Of course, she’d have a much harder time doing so now, Tony can’t help but think even as he leans back and looks at the ceiling with a wide grin once more on his face.

-x-X-x-

Plug: If you're interested in reading more ASAP, you can sign up over on right now to read TEN chapters ahead!

If you like what you read, please throw me a Favorite, Read, or even a Review so I can try to get this in front of as many eyes as possible!

A/N: This is basically the end of Arc One I would say. Next chapter is a transitionary chapter, and then Chapter 14 will be the beginning of Arc Two!

Thanks so much for the amazing reception I've been getting to this story so far by the way! I don't think I've ever had a story that managed to get over a hundred Likes per Chapter this far into it heh.

See you all tomorrow!