By the time Leon finished his bath, the massive flatscreen TV in the living room was replaying the exact moment Tony Stark announced the shutdown of Stark Industries' weapons division.
"Mr. Stark, can you tell us what happened during your time in captivity?"
"I saw young men, our own, dying beneath the very weapons I designed to protect them. I realized that this system, one that lets the irresponsible sleep well at night, had turned me into one of them."
Tony, seated at the podium, suddenly stood and stepped back up to the mic.
"I've had enough time to think."
"I've come to realize that with my ability comes a responsibility, to contribute more to this beautiful, albeit flawed, world. Not just to build things that explode."
"So, I've decided"
"To shut down Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing division. Effective immediately!"
His words crashed down like thunder.
The press erupted in a frenzy.
Obadiah, sitting to the side, couldn't keep his composure. He immediately scrambled onto the stage, trying to smooth over Tony's remarks.
But words, once spoken, are like spilled water. There was no taking them back.
Tony had made up his mind. The shutdown was happening.
Leon didn't bother watching the rest.
He switched off the TV and was about to head to bed, desperate to catch up on the rest he'd missed these past few days. Just then, Jarvis chimed in:
"Sir Leon, Mr. Stark is calling."
"Put him through."
"Leon, what are you up to? I'm not coming home tonight. Pepper's forcing me to stay and deal with the mess this weapons division shutdown caused."
"If I come home and find that cover girl we agreed on lying on your bed, I swear I'll kick your pretty-boy ass into next week."
"Oh, poor Tony. You know I only ever worry about my big brother's wellbeing."
"Get lost."
With that bit of sass exchanged, Leon hung up without hesitation.
As if he'd listen to Tony?
Screw that. He'd do whatever the hell he wanted.
"Sleep time."
"Good night, Sir Leon."
"Night, Jarvis."
...
When Leon woke up with bedhead like a startled rooster, it was already midday.
Tony was back home, hammering away in his downstairs workshop-slash-garage like a blacksmith possessed.
Duang! Duang! Duang!
"Jesus, bro. Can a man get some sleep around here?"
Yawning, Leon stepped into the elevator and rode down, still groggy.
"Leon! Perfect timing."
Tony looked up and tossed him a newly minted miniature arc reactor.
"Help me swap this out."
"Should've just called Pepper. She'd have done it for you."
Leon glanced at Tony, already shirtless and lying on the gurney.
"I didn't want to worry her. She's already under enough stress."
A rare softness flickered across Tony's face.
"Fair enough."
Leon nodded and got to work. In a matter of seconds, the old arc reactor was out and the new one secured in place.
"What do I do with the old one?"
Leon tossed the reactor up and down in one hand, the little thing that had literally kept Tony alive.
"Whatever you want."
Tony shrugged, pulling his shirt back on and diving straight back into suit development. He planned to finish the Mark II before dealing with the fallout of his kidnapping.
He used to scoff at the idea of individual power. Why bother when money solved everything?
But after what he'd just lived through, and seeing Leon gain strength far beyond ordinary humans, his mindset had shifted.
More than anything, he couldn't keep relying on his kid brother to save him.
He was Tony Stark, damn it. Billionaire. Genius. Engineer.
No way was he letting Leon outshine him forever.
Brothers who dominate together, stay together.
With that little pep talk, Tony focused up, so much so that he didn't even notice Leon doodling on the back of his shirt.
Dum-E, the mechanical arm assisting Tony, noticed. But when it tried to snitch, Leon crushed its steel-tipped marker pen like a soda can.
Dum-E froze. Message received.
"Boring."
Tossing the old arc reactor aside, Leon quickly lost interest in the mechanical mumbo-jumbo. He just didn't understand any of it.
'System, you there?'
[Prompt: Would you like to sign in today?]
'Wait a sec...'
Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention.
There, tucked away, was a red-white-and-blue round shield with a five-pointed star in the center.
Captain America's shield, well, a replica. The real one was still frozen with the man himself in the Arctic.
Leon picked it up, just to test a theory.
He put down the old arc reactor, gripped the fake shield, and triggered the system.
'I hear the call of blessed fortune!'
"Let's go!"
"Leon! What the hell are you shouting about? Get out!"
"Sure thing, bro."
"Later!"
Leon dropped the replica shield and made a very hasty exit, barely containing the uncontrollable grin stretching across his face.
The moment he reached his bedroom, he burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha!"
"I did it! I actually f**king did it!"
The system's voice was still echoing sweetly in his mind like an angel's chorus:
[Ding, Sign-in complete. Congratulations, host has received: Adamantium Skeleton.]
[Adamantium Skeleton: Made from Earth's most indestructible metal. Formula lost. System-exclusive. Heat-resistant, non-toxic, side-effect free.]
Description: Congratulations. You've taken one more step toward leaving humanity behind.
(Note: Future sign-ins may include bio-fields to counter magnetic manipulation. Don't worry about Magneto. Healing still works.)
"Hell yeah!"
Leon's theory had been correct.
Reviewing his previous sign-in rewards, he could now be almost 100% sure, the system's rewards were influenced by his current state, environment, and the objects he touched.
Possibly even by who he was with.
That part needed testing.
But the important thing? He could now manipulate the sign-in results within a predictable range.
That kind of strategic flexibility was gold.
Just as Leon was fantasizing about the day he'd punch Superman and kick Thanos, a searing, bone-deep pain suddenly shot through his entire body!
"F**k!"
[Notice: Adamantium Skeleton fusion has commenced.]
"What?!"
"It's only starting now?!"
"You couldn't give me a heads-up?! I thought this was gonna be painless!"
Leon screamed a few last curses at the system before promptly blacking out from the pain.
Ah, youth. So good at passing out when needed.
He lay spread-eagled on his ultra-soft king-sized bed, eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth, twitching from time to time like a possessed pancake.
He looked alive... but had spiritually checked out long ago.
Meanwhile.
Tony's Mark II armor was finally taking shape.
As if guided by fate itself, the two brothers, each in their own way, were forging their Iron Bodies.
Just like that famous quote:
Flesh is weak. Steel shall ascend.
...
[Note: The Adamantium Skeleton will be considered a native part of the host's body. The stronger you become, the stronger it becomes. No upper limit.]
[Note: Super Regeneration works on the Adamantium Skeleton. No compatibility issues.]
Every 250 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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