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The more Jimmy thought about it, the more convinced he became.
In the end, he shook his head.
"So much for rich people relying on technology and poor people relying on mutations," Jimmy muttered. "That's not how it works at all."
Peter was not an accident.
He was inherited.
Tony was a second-generation billionaire.
Peter was a second-generation genetic project.
Jimmy snorted softly.
"I really hate people who win at birth."
As he spoke, he destroyed the remaining experimental samples.
There was no need to destroy the data.
There was none.
Jimmy never recorded it in the first place.
While clearing the lab, he felt a quiet sense of relief.
A long time ago, back when his name had still been Ryan, he had seriously considered finding the spider that bit Spider-Man and letting it bite him too.
Now he knew better.
That kind of thinking was naive.
Some people are bitten by a wolf and become werewolves.
Others are bitten by a wolf and rush straight to get a rabies shot.
---
"Boss! Perfect timing."
Karl Borris caught Jimmy in the corridor, barely able to contain his excitement.
"I've got great news, the Blood Orchids are growing extremely well."
He continued quickly. "According to the orchid specialists, if this growth trend continues, the first bloom will happen in about six weeks."
Jimmy paused.
That was faster than expected.
Just days earlier, after Gail shifted the research direction, the team had already developed a cell vitality facial mask.
The effect was immediate.
Apply one mask, and cellular activity visibly increased.
Wrinkles softened.
Skin tone improved.
Elasticity and hydration rose sharply.
But that was not the best part.
The product had already passed cosmetic certification.
No injections.
No ingestion.
Just topical application.
Approval was straightforward.
Now everything was in place.
Once the Blood Orchid bloomed, mass production could begin immediately.
One flower yielded enough extract for roughly fifteen hundred masks.
Jimmy had priced each mask at fifty thousand dollars.
Expensive.
But not outrageous.
A single course of stem cell injections costs two hundred thousand, and wealthy clients lined up without hesitation.
Four or five masks would produce effects that no one could deny.
Worth every cent.
Jimmy had already sent dozens to Pepper Potts.
Not because he was unwilling to send more.
But because overuse made the skin too sensitive.
Too delicate.
Even a light breeze could irritate it.
Pepper, in turn, had shared some within her circle.
Before the product even launched, its reputation had already spread.
Everything was ready.
All that remained was for the flowers to bloom.
---
"Hey, Jimmy."
A call came through.
"Miss your Uncle Tony at all. By the way, have your people send more of those masks. But send it directly to me this time."
Jimmy grabbed the masks and left in a hurry.
Before leaving, he patted Karl on the shoulder.
"Keep it up, don't relax."
"Our good days depend on you."
Karl nodded enthusiastically.
Jimmy hesitated.
Describing Karl as blushing would be inaccurate.
Karl's complexion always looked like he had not slept in days.
---
Jimmy soon arrived at Stark Industries.
He casually placed the masks on a table and headed straight for the lab.
This time, he was not here just to deliver products.
He had come to retrieve his weapons.
The cleaver blade.
The rolling cloud blade.
And the armor.
Tony was already waiting.
"Well," Tony said, gesturing proudly. "Everything is done according to your requirements."
"The armor is deep blue. I still don't understand your taste. It's not exactly stylish."
He continued. "Finding the right vibranium ratios wasn't easy. The blades and the armor needed different compositions."
He glanced at Jimmy. "I burned through a lot of vibranium for this."
Tony's tone suggested complaint.
But his eyes betrayed excitement.
Because even he knew.
What he had just helped create was something special.
"To find the right ratio, I ran more experiments than I can count," Tony said proudly. "Watch this."
He raised a pistol.
Bang!
The bullet struck the armor and dropped harmlessly to the floor.
"I've perfectly replicated the metal composition of Captain America's shield," Tony continued. "And the blades too."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Those knives changed interestingly. When you put force into a swing, they behave almost like they're burning."
Jimmy took the armor and stored it directly inside the Horadric Cube.
Tony watched with open envy.
"Jimmy, I have to say, that little cube of yours is really unfair."
Then he gestured to another suit nearby.
"Oh right.... Take this armor too. It's a prototype, my latest one."
"It runs on an independent systemz Not Jarvis."
"The processing power isn't as high, but basic flight and combat assistance are no problem."
Jimmy looked at the deep blue armor beside him, then turned to Tony.
"Why," Jimmy asked quietly, "did you suddenly decide to give me this?"
"I don't need to be like Iron Man. What am I supposed to do with it?"
Tony waved his hand dismissively.
"Oh, give it a rest, Iron Man isn't just me anymore."
"I gave one to Rhodey not long ago."
He smiled faintly.
"Won't be long before the military has its own version, War Machine."
"That's the name he picked."
Jimmy was silent for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Fine! I'll take it But I won't use it."
Tony looked relieved.
"That's more like it."
He then picked up the blades.
"I also modified your weapons."
"The handles can rotate and lock together, They become a double-ended blade."
"No tech tricks, just mechanical design, exactly how you wanted it."
Jimmy tested them.
A few swings.
Smooth. Balanced. Deadly.
With his strength and reflexes, he could turn into a human blender if he wanted.
Tony watched him carefully.
"Jimmy," he said after a pause, "I don't know how your last armor broke."
"But if anything happens, you tell me."
"As long as I'm still around, I can help."
Jimmy was too focused on the blades to notice the concern in Tony's eyes.
After he finished examining them, he stood and said goodbye.
Once Jimmy left, Tony picked up the facial masks from the table.
"Jarvis," Tony said quietly, "send these to the lab."
"Analyze whether they can suppress palladium toxicity."
"Yes, sir," JARVIS replied.
---
Back home, Jimmy placed the Iron Man armor in the basement.
Knowing Tony, the suit probably had its own mobility systems.
It would not surprise him at all if it could activate on its own.
Tony must have noticed something while repairing the blades and armor.
This was not a gift.
It was insurance.
Protection for Yinsen and for Jimmy himself.
Tony had mentioned Rhodey.
Which meant Tony was already suffering from palladium poisoning.
Jimmy knew the solution.
But how was he supposed to say it?
"Hey Tony, your father left you a clue that lets you create a new element to replace the arc reactor core."
Even if Tony believed him, the next question would kill it.
How do you know?
From a movie.
Ridiculous.
Writing books and learning fast could be explained as a talent.
But discovering a brand-new element without advanced theoretical foundations.
That would sound insane.
Less believable than a street dumpling vendor building a spaceship in his kitchen.
At least spaceships are round.
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