[Third Person Pov]
Stark's suit responded instantly to his intent the moment he extended his hand forward. Silver metal slid smoothly over his arm as the armor adjusted itself, plates shifting and locking together with quiet precision. The repulsor embedded in his palm changed as well, its usual glow dimming as the center turned black while thin purple highlights pulsed faintly around the edges.
A thick black fog poured out from Tony's palm and swirled outward in front of them like a living cloud. The swirling mass twisted and folded over itself until the space in front of him distorted, forming a circular warp-gate that hovered just within Tony's lab.
"Isn't that what you used to send Uncle Justin into the desert?" Eric questioned. He was still holding onto Gible, keeping the small Pokémon pressed close against his stomach with both arms wrapped around him protectively.
"Yes," Tony replied casually. "The black fog has spatial properties. This will take us directly over to Japan. That's where the training space is actually built."
Eric nodded in understanding as he looked around the lab one more time. It was undeniably impressive, filled with advanced technology and machinery that he couldn't even begin to identify, but once he thought about it, it really wasn't a place meant for training or combat practice.
One by one they stepped through the swirling warp until Eric was the last to follow. The moment he crossed the threshold he looked around in confusion when he realized they had appeared inside a completely isolated white room.
"This is your training room?" Eric asked curiously. There was nothing impressive or noteworthy about it at first glance. Six smooth white surfaces surrounded them, making it look as if they were sealed away from the outside world entirely. The room reminded Eric of those padded rooms he had once seen in movies involving mental asylums.
"It's a simulation training room," Tony explained. "Meaning this room can become anything we'll ever need. What you're seeing right now is just the default state when the system isn't being used. For example, it could turn into something like this… or this… or even this…"
The room began shifting almost immediately, changing environments so quickly that Eric barely had time to process what was happening.
First they stood on a bright beach. The air was warm and humid as waves rolled gently onto the shore. People walked along the sand nearby, their voices blending together into casual chatter. The smell of salty ocean water filled the air while seagulls squawked loudly overhead.
The environment shifted again without warning.
Now they stood in the middle of a frozen tundra. A biting wind cut through the air as snow drifted down around them. The temperature dropped so drastically that everyone, including the Pokémon, began shivering from the cold. Snow quickly gathered around their feet, coating the ground and lightly dusting their shoulders.
Then the environment changed once more.
Suddenly they were standing on the surface of the moon. Melissa and Momo immediately began leaping through the air, their bodies moving effortlessly as the weak gravity allowed them to soar far higher than they ever could on Earth. Gible started floating upward from Eric's grip, its small limbs flailing wildly in panic as it let out a distressed cry. Eric reacted quickly, grabbing the little Pokémon and pulling him back down, securing him more tightly against his chest.
"Awesome…" Eric muttered under his breath. Even though he was usually someone calm and reserved, he couldn't stop the word from slipping out. He had never seen or experienced anything remotely like this before.
"First, go get changed. Over there you should find some training clothes you can wear," Tony said. A section of the simulation flickered briefly as the environment shifted again, revealing a portion of the wall sliding open to expose a small changing area. "And don't worry about the sizes. They're designed to automatically adjust and fit whoever wears them."
…
Eric returned a few minutes later, quietly examining the outfit he had changed into while stretching his arms and shoulders.
"These are surprisingly snug," he said as he rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers experimentally. "Just what are these things made of?"
"Stand with your arms spread for a moment," Tony instructed while beginning to answer his question about unstable molecule suits.
Eric did as he was told, though he flinched slightly when he suddenly noticed Tony's eyes glowing a faint red.
"Okay, so you do have a quirk," Eric said, raising an eyebrow. "Your eyes just glowed red."
"I don't," Tony replied calmly. "Those eyes are mechanical implants. They replicate someone else's quirk. It's not my own."
Eric looked skeptical. "Is that even possible?"
Melissa smiled faintly before answering for Tony. "Hang around us long enough and you'll find yourself asking that question a lot."
Tony ignored the exchange as streams of data from the scan passed through his systems. Once it finished processing he looked back at Eric.
"What did you say your quirk was again?"
"I never said anything about my quirk," Eric replied with a straight expression. "It's nothing too impressive. It's called Psychic Barrier. It lets me create a thin barrier around my body, almost like a second skin."
To demonstrate, Eric focused his power. His body immediately began radiating a soft kaleidoscope of shifting colors similar to the energy his father Kane produced. His eyes gained a faint violet tint as a subtle psychic glow outlined his entire body.
"Mmm… I see," Tony muttered thoughtfully, his lips twisting slightly as he considered the implications. "Can you extend your barrier to other people? Either through physical contact or by projecting it with your will?"
"I've tried multiple times and couldn't," Eric answered honestly. "My Psychic Barrier is only limited to my own body. No matter how much I've trained it, it never goes any further than my clothes."
"I see, and tell me how you managed to awaken your quirk?" Tony asked as he began compiling a file using both the data from his scan and Eric's answers.
Eric stayed quiet for a moment, not answering immediately. His eyes drifted slightly to the side before he asked softly, "Is it important to my training?"
"Believe it or not, very," Tony nodded while watching him with curiosity.
Eric hesitated, a clear look of reluctance crossing his face before he looked away and muttered, "I fell down the stairs when I was little."
Melissa immediately snickered, unable to hold it in, and Eric's face flushed with embarrassment.
Tony coughed lightly to hide the chuckle that almost escaped him. "Alright, a theory is starting to come together in my head, but I'm going to need a bit more information from you."
He straightened slightly and asked, "Ready?"
Eric nodded.
"Were you forced to train, or do you train willingly?"
"Both."
"Being a hero, was it forced on you, or was it something you chose to pursue on your own?"
"By choice."
"What's your reason?"
Eric didn't hesitate this time.
"The hero industry is full of fakes and pretenders. Most of them don't even deserve the title. Everyone can see it, but no one is actually doing anything about it. People complain, people criticize, people point fingers, but when it comes time to actually step forward and do something themselves?"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"They stay quiet. They look away and pretend it isn't their responsibility."
Eric's expression hardened slightly.
"If you see something wrong and choose to do nothing about it, then you're not innocent. You're just as guilty as the people causing the problem in the first place. Turning a blind eye doesn't make you better. It just makes you another coward hiding behind excuses."
He folded his arms slightly.
"So I became a hero because I refuse to sit around waiting for someone else to fix things. If something needs to be done right, then I'll do it myself."
Tony's smile slowly widened. Momo and Melissa both shared similar expressions, nodding faintly in approval as Tony continued with the next question.
"Do you consider yourself someone who's paranoid?"
"Not necessarily," Eric answered after a moment of thought. "I like to think I'm cautious though, if that helps."
"It does. Have you had to live a life where you're constantly looking over your shoulder?"
Eric shrugged slightly. "Kinda. With cousins like ours who are always trying to prove they're better than you and drag you down, you don't really have much of a choice."
Eric frowned faintly.
"I'm sorry, but where exactly are you going with all of this?" he asked, clearly confused by the direction of the questions.
"Like I said, I'm building a theory," Tony replied calmly. "Just answer these last few questions for me and I'll explain what I think."
He continued.
"Can you fly with your quirk? Like can lift yourself up and guide yourself through the air with it?"
"I've tried multiple times and couldn't"
"Can you change the solidity of your barrier?"
"If you mean making it stronger or more durable, then yes."
"I'm not necessarily asking about durability," Tony clarified. "I'm asking whether you can alter its thickness. Can you make it thinner or thicker?"
"I can increase the thickness," Eric said. "But I haven't tried making it thinner. That kind of defeats the purpose of a barrier, doesn't it? The stronger the barrier, the better. At least that's how it usually works."
"Typically, yes," Tony said thoughtfully. "How strong are you when you're enveloped by your barrier?"
"It depends. My striking force and lifting force aren't the same. The most I can lift is close to a single ton. But if I concentrate everything into a single punch, I can strike with the equivalent force of about five tons."
"Makes sense…" Tony murmured.
He closed his eyes and went quiet.
Eric glanced toward Melissa and Momo.
"What is he doing?" he asked.
"He's analyzing everything you told him," Melissa replied with a small smile. "He's basically building a complete image of you in his head."
A few seconds passed before Tony slowly opened his eyes again. The red glow returned, and the mechanical, almost otherworldly pupils made Eric shift slightly under his gaze.
"Eric," Tony said seriously. "Do you think you can handle my analysis without getting offended?"
"It depends," Eric replied honestly. "If your analysis is genuine, that's fine. But if you're saying things just to hurt me, then that's different."
Tony smiled faintly and nodded.
"From everything I've compiled," he said, "it all points to one thing about you."
He paused.
"You, Eric… are weak-willed and self-centered."
"..."
"What?" Eric blinked in surprise.
********************************************
+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3