Tony Stark clutched the impossibly light alloy plate, the warm, smooth sensation at his fingertips intertwining with the cool touch of metal, stirring a complex storm of emotions within him.
He, Tony Stark, hailed as the greatest genius of his time, was now having his understanding of the world shattered, again and again, by something his own son had produced.
The feeling was like a straight-A student suddenly discovering that the kid sitting next to him was already studying university-level calculus.
It was frustrating, yet tinged with a helpless sense of… pride?
"Alright, stop looking like your whole world just fell apart." Paul watched his dad's disgruntled expression, inwardly gloating, but kept his tone light and casual. "Did you think 'Magneto' was just a delivery drone?"
Tony looked up, his eyes filled with questions.
"'Magneto,' full designation 'Orbital Electromagnetic Levitation Assault Drone.' Besides its delivery function, its true core purpose is to act as a relay node for the tactical data-link."
Paul said, snapping his fingers.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., bring up the data on the 'Life-Saver No. 1' chip."
A pale blue light screen materialized in front of Tony, displaying a slowly rotating 3D image of a golden, intricately designed chip the size of a fingernail.
"'Life-Saver No. 1,' a high-precision vital signs monitor and emergency intervention chip." Paul's voice carried an undeniable air of professionalism. "It can monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, and even fluctuations in the Arc Reactor's energy output in real-time. If it detects your vitals dropping to a critical threshold, or if the reactor's power supply becomes unstable, it will activate immediately, stimulating your heart with a micro-current while simultaneously overclocking the reactor to buy you three seconds of golden time for medical intervention."
Tony's breath caught.
His eyes were locked on the tiny chip.
This thing… it was practically a custom-made talisman for him!
Ever since the kidnapping, ever since this hole was put in his chest, the shadow of death had never truly left him. He masked it with his playboy persona and a shell of iron, but in the dead of night, the cold touch of the metal and the hum of the reactor in his ears were constant reminders that he was just one step away from the reaper.
And now, Paul had given him a chance to lengthen that step.
"This thing..." Tony's voice was hoarse. He cleared his throat. "Give it to me."
No more words, no questions. In the face of absolute necessity and superior technology, all pride was superfluous.
Paul smiled, retrieving the small golden chip from a hidden compartment in the case the Magneto drone had dropped.
Tony snatched it and turned towards his workbench. Without a moment's hesitation, he tore open his shirt, revealing the Arc Reactor glowing with its signature blue light in his chest.
Deftly, he unfastened the outer casing and precisely inserted the "Life-Saver No. 1" chip into a pre-existing port on the side of the reactor.
*Click.*
With a soft click, the chip integrated perfectly. The reactor's light flickered once, then became steadier, deeper.
Tony could feel a faint but distinct warmth spreading from the device, as if an invisible safety line had just been secured to him as he stood on the edge of a cliff.
The tension that had constantly gripped him miraculously eased, just a little.
He let out a long breath. When he turned back to Paul, his gaze had lost some of its wariness and defiance, replaced by a complex emotion he couldn't quite name.
"What other goodies have you got? Bring them all out." Tony's tone had regained some of its old imperiousness, but anyone could hear the anticipation beneath it.
Seeing his dad like this, Paul actually hesitated.
He scratched his head, looking as if he were making a difficult decision.
"There is... one more thing. But it hasn't passed a full safety evaluation. Theoretically, it carries a certain degree of risk."
"Risk?" Tony scoffed, pointing to his chest. "I *am* the biggest risk. Show me."
A man's happiness can be so simple. When a new toy that was cool enough, powerful enough, and tinged with an air of 'danger' was placed before him, all reason was thrown to the wind.
Paul sighed in resignation and pulled a heavier-looking black metal case from under the workbench.
The case's surface was unmarked, save for a complex combination lock. Paul keyed in a long sequence of numbers. With a deep, mechanical click, the case slowly opened upwards.
A cloud of white, cold vapor billowed out.
As the mist cleared, a heavy, silver-and-black handgun of exaggerated design, brimming with a violent aesthetic, lay nestled on a velvet cushion.
Its frame was angular and futuristic, a size larger than a standard Desert Eagle, with some kind of unknown energy module mounted beneath the barrel. The entire weapon radiated a cold, "keep away" aura.
Tony's eyes immediately locked onto it.
His Adam's apple bobbed. Almost instinctively, he reached out and picked up the gun.
So heavy!
The moment it was in his hand, Tony felt its astonishing weight. This was definitely not a weapon an ordinary person could wield one-handed.
But the instant his palm closed around the grip, something strange happened.
The previously dull frame suddenly lit up with several bands of blue light along its sides, like a slumbering beast opening its eyes.
A cold, synthesized electronic voice—not J.A.R.V.I.S.—spoke directly inside Tony's mind.
[Biometric identification confirmed... Authorization granted: Tony Stark.]
[Dominator activated.]
[Mode switch: Non-lethal, Psychological Deterrent.]
Tony's pupils contracted sharply.
*Direct neural interface? This tech…*
Before he could even process the shock, he felt the Dominator in his hand begin to vibrate faintly.
*VMMM—*
A low, strange hum emanated from within the gun. It wasn't the sound of machinery, but more like the resonance of something being awakened.
The very air seemed to thicken. The bright lights of the workshop felt as if they were being absorbed by the sound, growing dimmer.
Tony felt his temples throb. An indescribable pressure closed in from all sides, making his heart pound and his palms break out in a cold sweat.
"Wait!" Paul's face went deathly pale. He lunged forward, his voice laced with a terror he himself didn't realize was there. "Put it down! Its cognitive module is unstable! I haven't finished the safety protocol tests!"
But it was too late.
Tony felt as if the gun in his hand had a life of its own. The humming grew louder, sharper, like countless needles trying to pierce his eardrums and burrow into his brain.
Hallucinations began to flash before his eyes—the darkness of the cave in Afghanistan, the fiery light of a missile explosion, Yinsen's body lying in a pool of blood…
"Aargh—!" Tony let out a pained roar. He tried to let go, only to find his hand welded to the grip by an invisible force, impossible to break free.
The black-tech pistol named the Dominator was now, it seemed, attempting to… dominate him.