Chapter 11: Testing

[Third Person's PoV] 

When Tony exited his lab, he walked toward his mother and father, who were each sipping wine together.

Upon seeing Tony, Maria looked at him with concern. "Is something wrong, honey?"

Tony didn't answer and just grabbed her hand, pulling her off her seat. She turned toward Howard worriedly.

Howard shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, until Tony, with his mother in tow, grabbed his father's hand as well. Now with both of them in hand, he started leading them somewhere.

"Tony? What is it, son? What do you want to show us?"

Tony didn't reply as he kept dragging them until they reached his lab. He then stopped and stood behind them.

"Enter," was all Tony said.

Maria and Howard looked at each other before they both entered, and what they saw left them in awe. It was a circular object with a pulsating blue light standing on a workbench surrounded by tools.

Even from where they stood, they felt the energy the object was emanating.

"Tony... Is that what I think it is?" Howard asked in awe.

They turned and looked at Tony, who was smiling smugly. "You tell me, Father."

Howard went towards Tony, picked him up into the air, and started to throw him around. "YOU ACTUALLY DID IT! YOU CRAZY SON OF A GUN. YOU ACTUALLY BUILT A MINIATURE ARC REACTOR!"

"I couldn't be any prouder!" Howard said as he brought Tony into a hug.

Howard then brought them into one big family hug. Maria gave Tony a kiss on the cheek as she congratulated him.

Howard looked at everything. "Truly, Tony, this is amazing, and you're only seven years old going into eight."

"Come, let's go and celebrate!" Howard said.

"Can we do that tomorrow? I still want to do research on it, and Melissa is going to be here any minute," Tony said, smiling towards the Arc Reactor.

Howard smiled as he patted Tony's head. "Sure, son, whatever you need."

Every step Howard took was one with pride. Maria, who was walking behind him, shook her head.

Tony looked at the reactor and smiled. "Things are about to change."

Tony took his seat and went back to the screen with the stylus. "Friday, pull up the manipulatable hologram of the files marked 'Project The Iron Man: Mark 1.'"

A holographic image of the classic Iron Man suit appeared. Except it was painted a different color. Instead of the usual red and gold, Tony added his own colors, something to make his own individuality. Even though he was known as Tony Stark, he was his own person.

It was black with neon blue lighting, which, in his opinion, looked much better.

"Friday, use the simulation you ran of the Arc Reactor and implement it into the Iron Man tech."

In the hologram, an image of a small Arc Reactor was placed in the empty chest piece, and Tony saw how it started glowing and powering up.

He then heard a knock on the door to his lab. "Who is it, Friday?"

"It is Melissa Shield, Master."

Tony nodded. "Let her in."

He spun around in his seat as the door to his lab opened. "Just who I wanted to see..."

Melissa was wearing a lab coat with glasses on her face and her hair tied in a ponytail. "Are you serious?"

Melissa blushed. "What?"

"The glasses and the lab coat... Really?"

"I actually usually wear glasses since I need them. The lab coat is just me being fashionable."

"Whatever," Tony said, rolling his eyes, which caused her to pout. She then saw the pulsating Arc Reactor and looked at it curiously.

"What is that?"

"The heart of what's going to make me a superhero."

Melissa looked at him, confused, which caused Tony to sigh. "Come grab a seat."

She did as she was told and sat next to Tony. She saw the Iron Man hologram and looked at it in awe. "Woah, what is that?"

"The thing you're going to help me build. I call it the Iron Man."

"What does it do?" she asked, her curiosity growing the more she looked at it.

"See the thing in its chest, right?" Tony asked. Melissa nodded. "Well, that's the thing on the table over there. It works as a battery that powers the suit."

"Friday, show a small simulation of what the suit can do," Tony commanded. The hologram then displayed thrusters emerging from the suit, flying around, and lifting a car with just one hand.

Melissa was shaking in her seat. "What are you doing—"

"THAT IS AMAZING!" she exclaimed with childlike wonder. She grabbed Tony's shoulders and began to shake him. "Are you really going to let me help you build it? Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Let's begin!" she said, clenching her fist. Tony was pretty sure he saw fire burning in her eyes.

...

Melissa wore a mask and goggles that made her eyes look extra wide as she twisted a bolt around a piece of equipment.

She then heard Tony's voice over an intercom. "Melissa, you done?"

"YES!" she shouted, taking everything off her face and carrying two pieces of silver armor towards Tony, who was in another room connected to his lab.

"Wow, these are heavy," Melissa grunted.

She found Tony with two pieces of armor around his arms, connected to an Arc Reactor on his chest, waiting for her.

"Why is this room mostly empty?" Melissa asked curiously.

"I had my dad make it as a small testing site."

Melissa nodded as she put the pieces down near Tony's leg. "Here, let me help you put them on."

Melissa helped Tony put on the leg armor, securely connecting it to the Arc Reactor that was framed on his chest. After securing both pieces, she gave them a little tap. "You are now good to go."

Tony nodded his head. "Stand back, please."

Melissa nodded and stood all the way back.

"Alright, Friday, start at 0.1 thrust capacity and slowly increase the numbers until I'm up in the air."

Thrusters started escaping from his palms and feet. Ever so slowly, Tony was lifted off the ground.

"Wow, woah, woah," Tony said, trying to maintain his balance.

"Haha, you see this, Melissa? I'm doing it, I'm actually doing it," Tony happily laughed as he wobbly moved his hands to stabilize himself.

Melissa was clapping and cheering. "You're actually doing it! Hahahaha! This is amazing, Tony!"

Tony was slowly moving back and forth. He then started to lower himself. "Here, you have to try this out."

"Wait, really?" Melissa asked worriedly.

"I mean, of course. You helped me build it. It's only fair you have a go at it. Come help me take these off so we can put them on you."

After a while of taking it off him, it was Melissa's turn to wear the small gears. "Friday, start slowly as well. 0.1, as well."

As Melissa started to rise, she became nervous. "Tony, Tony, I'm scared."

"Relax," Tony said calmly and reassuringly. "Take a deep breath."

Melissa nodded, took a deep breath, and allowed herself to relax slowly. She started to fly and hover over the ground, laughing happily. "Hahaha, Tony, Tony, are you watching? I'm doing it!"

After a while, ever so slowly, she came down. After Tony undid her gear, she jumped into Tony, giving him a giant hug. "Did you see me? I was amazing! The thing went shzoom and phmmmm and then and then..." As she started breathing heavily, Tony motioned for her to calm down.

"You're too excited. You're even becoming tired from how excited you are."

"You're right, you're right, sorry. But it was the coolest thing ever."

"Damn straight. Now, let's go ahead and start making the rest before it gets too late."

Melissa nodded, still clearly very excited.

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