Tony tested his reflexes again, shadowboxing lightly in the lab.
"My physical metrics are up across the board," he said excitedly. "Reaction time improved. Muscle density increased. Endurance through the roof."
Jarvis confirmed it clinically.
"Neuromuscular response improved by 34%. Bone density and cardiovascular capacity significantly enhanced."
Tony grinned.
"I'm not Captain America. Don't get me wrong. Rogers would still beat me in hand-to-hand. He's trained by the U.S. Army, fought in World War II, and has decades of combat experience. But physically? I'm not far off."
That much was true.
The Super Soldier Serum enhanced Steve Rogers to the absolute peak of human potential — perfect cellular efficiency without mutation. Tony's enhancement was synthetic and broader, but not combat-trained.
Karl smirked.
"Then go train. And you might need to recalibrate your suit. Your new physical baseline will change load distribution."
Tony caught the arc reactor Karl tossed to him.
"Damn it. Now I actually have to redesign power flow routing."
He looked toward Yinsen and Samuel.
"You two better show up at my birthday party in a few days."
Yinsen answered first.
"We'll be there."
Samuel nodded once. Earlier tension aside, he understood the importance of appearances. Stark Industries funded the lab. And more importantly, Tony was Karl's ally.
Tony left first.
Pepper and Happy followed in the Rolls-Royce.
Pepper decided not to return to Stark Industries that afternoon. After the serum injection, her body felt different — lighter, sharper. She needed time to process it.
Operational matters were temporarily handed to Natalie Rushman — Natasha Romanoff — who continued observing Stark operations quietly on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D.
She noticed Pepper's unusual schedule change but did not press the issue.
Back at the manor, Wanda and Pietro were practicing again.
Wanda focused on controlled telekinetic manipulation. Her red energy flickered inconsistently — sometimes stable, sometimes chaotic.
Pietro tested acceleration bursts across the training hall, but his stamina dropped quickly. His metabolism had not yet adapted to sustained super-speed output.
They no longer attended school.
Public exposure after their awakening had made that impractical.
Raven now handled their education personally. With multiple forged academic credentials and genuine teaching experience under various identities, she was more than qualified.
Peter stayed home as well. Even without manifested abilities, association alone had made school hostile territory.
Raven managed their coursework efficiently.
The following days were… quieter.
Karl remained home.
May and Raven had fully adapted to the serum enhancement. Their stamina, resilience, and recovery speed had increased significantly.
Every night, Karl sealed the room with telekinetic dampening fields to prevent structural vibration or sound leakage.
Raven occasionally shifted appearances for amusement.
By morning, both women looked radiant — physically rejuvenated, metabolically optimized.
Time passed.
Tony's birthday approached.
With palladium poisoning gone, the chest cavity healed, and his vitality restored, Tony felt invincible.
That was dangerous.
By evening, Stark's Malibu estate was flooded with luxury vehicles.
Models. Investors. Politicians. Social elites. Industry executives.
The press had been kept at a distance, but rumors still circulated.
Karl arrived alone in his Lamborghini.
He did not bring May or Raven.
He knew tonight would not be stable.
Rhodey had been under increasing military pressure. The Pentagon still wanted the Iron Man platform weaponized. Tony's refusal — combined with public recklessness — had strained that relationship.
If things followed expected patterns, Rhodey would intervene tonight.
Karl parked and entered the main hall.
Music blasted.
Tony greeted him with exaggerated enthusiasm.
"Buddy! Where are your ladies? But maybe that's better. Plenty of options tonight."
He gestured broadly at the crowd of glamorous blonde women.
Karl gave him a flat look.
"No thanks. You enjoy."
Tony laughed.
"You Asians are too serious."
Karl took a glass of wine and stepped aside.
He wasn't wrong about the party's atmosphere. Most attendees weren't naive socialites. They were connected — politically, financially, or strategically.
To Tony, it was celebration.
To others, it was positioning.
Tony climbed the steps with a microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight we do something different!"
A circular platform rose from the floor.
Karl sighed slightly.
Mark IV armor deployment sequence activated.
Mechanical arms descended and began assembling the suit onto Tony in full view of the crowd.
The crowd erupted.
They weren't just watching a billionaire.
They were watching Iron Man.
Upstairs, Tony began performing exaggerated repulsor displays — controlled blasts into the ceiling for spectacle, flight bursts inside the hall.
Irresponsible.
Yinsen and Samuel approached Karl.
Yinsen lowered his voice.
"If he miscalculates even slightly, someone dies."
He was correct.
Even low-yield repulsor output inside an enclosed space carried lethal risk.
Samuel studied the suit's output readings displayed on a nearby monitor.
"He's compensating emotionally."
Karl didn't look worried.
"Let him have his moment."
He swirled his drink.
"Rhodey's going to punch him soon."
"Just watch. Tony's going to get a beating soon, let him gloat for a bit."
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