"You two, stop bickering for now."
Artoria massaged her temples at the warring pair. Thank goodness Helen Cho's Base was far enough away that she wasn't joining the meal; otherwise the chaos would be worse. Artoria felt like a fake woman—she simply couldn't fathom what went on in their heads.
"Maya, how's the whitening line coming?"
To halt the catfight, Artoria changed the subject. She'd recently set Maya to develop a legitimate product. Though reluctant at first, no woman can resist skincare that preserves her beauty. Maya dove in, even slowing her beloved Extremis research to focus on whitening formulas. Artoria smirked: Hah! Women.
She silently saluted the sage who coined the "Law of Universal True-Fragrance," then noticed Hope and the now-quiet Natasha both perking up their ears for Maya's report—proof that women can't resist this stuff.
"Sample-01 is ready, but we still need human trials. Simulations say results show within a week. Per your orders, zero irritants. Only downside: the extraction rate of the active materials is slow; mass production will lag."
Professional as ever, Maya listed pros and cons, then pulled two finished jars from her pocket. Artoria shot her a look—planning to sneak those home yourself? Natasha's gaze sharpened at the little "witch" trying to get ahead; even Hope's eyes narrowed.
Maya wanted to slap herself. Showing off had exposed the jars she'd meant to smuggle home. Now she wore the "selfish" label and had played a lousy move.
"Ahem! Maya, I'm touched that you'd test the product on yourself for science. But do take care—this stuff goes on human skin, after all."
Artoria couldn't care less; she'd never use it herself. To save Maya's face she praised her "scientific sacrifice," though from Natasha and Hope's expressions they weren't buying it. Maya would have to hand out a few more jars to quell their wrath.
"Thanks for getting me out of that, Artoria,"
"but once this product hits the market, it'll need a name."
Following Artoria's cue, Maya fetched more jars from the lab and distributed three apiece to Artoria, Hope, and Natasha. Artoria declined and redistributed hers to the others, ending the drama. Back in her office, Maya popped the question.
"Let's call it… Dabao."
After racking her brain, Artoria borrowed the name of a facial wash from her "previous life." Even if some company existed here, she'd just buy it; she had the cash.
While Artoria enjoyed an easy life surrounded by beauties, her clone was less comfortable. She'd combed the desert for ages without finding Tony. If Artoria hadn't funneled plenty of Chakra into her, she'd have dispersed long ago. S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Agents scoured the same wastes, sometimes stumbling over corpses but too focused on locating Tony—or his body—to care.
They weren't alone. Thanks to Artoria's hefty bounty, mercenaries greedy for cash swarmed the once-deserted sands. The wasteland was now bustling. Meanwhile, under the villains' noses, Tony raced to finish an armor that could secure his and Yinsen's escape.
"Who the hell did this?"
Right now the only one in a foul mood is Big Bald Head; he doesn't dare leave his office. It's not just about some stock issues—he has no idea why, but the shareholders have ganged up on him, leaving him battered and exhausted. Though he holds plenty of shares, they still don't match Artoria's, especially since Artoria is the primary heir to Tony's 'estate.' As for Pepper, he's written her off completely. His only fear is Artoria returning to the company—then he'll be in real trouble.
The only thing he's grateful for is that when he approached Artoria to talk about it, she said she had no intention of taking over the company for the time being. That delighted him—this 'silly girl' suits him perfectly. Still, she's a major threat; he'll have to deal with her eventually. Now that Tony's had an accident, another accident involving Artoria would be hard to explain. Better to wait a year or two until things stabilize, then find an opportunity.
Thinking this, a cold smile tugged at Obadiah's lips, his eyes full of murderous intent and ambition.