TS VIII

Tony looked at Dave, still processing the explanation. "How exactly will it enhance me?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Dave took a moment before responding. "It'll keep enhancing your body with demonic energy," he said, his voice calm but serious.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Demonic energy?" he repeated, skepticism creeping into his tone.

"Yeah, this," Dave replied, raising his hand. A crimson fog-like aura appeared in his palm, swirling ominously.

Tony recoiled slightly, eyeing the crimson fog with suspicion. "You know, that looks sinister, and I'm not really keen on having that inside me," he remarked, eyeing it warily.

Dave chuckled, shaking his head. "You're misunderstanding. If I directly poured it into you, yeah, you'd probably end up a puppet with no emotions, controlled by the power," he explained. "But the armor doesn't work like that. It will enhance your body temporarily with the energy, reinforcing your strength and durability, then retract it once it's done. Think of it like breaking your body down and rebuilding it—only faster and stronger each time."

Tony nodded slowly, still wrapping his mind around the concept. "So it's like... controlled destruction and reconstruction, enhancing me bit by bit."

"Exactly," Dave affirmed.

"What else it could do?" Tony then asked.

"Its ever-evolving," Dave explained, "so, for example, if you build a new piece of tech or weapon, the armor will absorb it, fuse with it, and enhance itself."

Tony raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, if I give it something like lasers, it'll absorb that, and I can use them?"

"Exactly," Dave confirmed.

Tony, always looking for the next big upgrade, asked, "What else can it do?"

Dave paused, then added, "There's a downside, though."

"What?" Tony asked, a bit warier now.

"It uses limited demonic energy. It can only be recharged by someone capable of wielding demonic energy, and as of now, that's just me and Trish," Dave explained.

Tony frowned. "So, I'll need you to come charge it up if it runs out? Won't it be a problem during a fight?"

"No, demonic energy is just one aspect of it," Dave reassured him. "After you use it, you might lose certain functions temporarily, but the armor can passively absorb demonic energy from the atmosphere."

Tony nodded, relieved. "So, what exactly would I lose if it runs out?"

"The advanced abilities like adaptability, hellfire, these blue flames, and enhanced destruction," Dave answered. "The core enhancements to your body will still remain, but it won't be able to generate that same overwhelming power until it recharges."

Tony leaned back, absorbing the information. "So it's a trade-off," he murmured. "Immense power, but with a limit."

"everything needs a power source and you know that" Dave shrugged as Tony nodded.

"So, let's fight," Dave said as he stood up and pushed the hovering armor toward Tony. Tony's eyes widened as he watched the armor cling to his body, enveloping him, and suddenly he was back in his Mark II.

"Do you have any idea where we can fight here?" Dave asked, looking around as Tony adjusted to his newly fitted armor.

Before Tony could respond, a loud groan echoed from him.

"Arghhhhhh!"

"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention? The enhancement process might be a bit painful," Dave said, watching Tony kneel, his face contorted in discomfort.

"Fun, right? Don't worry, buddy—path to power is never easy," Dave added nonchalantly as he sat back down and poured himself a drink, unfazed by Tony's pain.

Tony, on the other hand, kept screaming in agony, his voice echoing through the basement. Dave glanced at him with a slight smirk, thinking to himself, "Rich guys never experience real pain." He wondered how long this enhancement cycle would last.

******

Upstairs, Pepper, who was busy with her work, suddenly froze when she heard the piercing sound of screaming.

"What is this?" she asked, concerned.

"Jarvis, show me the basement feed," she commanded. As the monitor displayed the live footage, her heart raced. She saw Dave sitting comfortably, sipping his drink, while Tony was kneeling, engulfed in a weird armor, screaming in pain.

Alarmed, Pepper quickly contacted Rhodes. "Rhodey, something's wrong! Tony's being attacked in his own mansion!"

Rhodes, who was nearby, immediately stood up, listening intently as Pepper explained. He quickly organized his squad, preparing to rush to Tony's aid.

"What's happening?" Rhodes asked.

"He's kneeling, screaming, and he's in that weird armor... all over his body!" Pepper replied, her voice shaking.

Rhodes frowned. "Why is he screaming?"

"I don't know! But that Garcia guy is just sitting there, casually drinking, and every now and then, he glances at Tony as if he's enjoying it," Pepper said with a mix of frustration and fear. She hurried to grab a gun, ready to visit the basement herself.

"I'm on my way, Pepper. Stay safe," Rhodes assured her as he geared up to head to Tony's mansion, determined to figure out what was going on.

"Pepper, don't go there!" Rhodes had warned, but it was too late. She kept moving forward, determined to figure out what was happening to Tony. As she reached the basement door, she hid behind a wall, peeking at Dave calmly sitting with a drink while Tony knelt in agony. Her heart raced with worry, but she took a deep breath, steeling herself, and entered the room with her gun drawn.

"Hands up!" Pepper demanded, pointing the weapon at Dave, her voice shaking with anger.

Dave slowly turned his head toward her, raising an eyebrow. "Whoa, feisty. I wonder what Tony sees in you," he said nonchalantly, still seated.

"I said hands up!" Pepper repeated, loading the gun to emphasize her point.

Dave rolled his eyes. "Shoot if you want, but I'm not raising my hands. It's pointless," he replied, completely unfazed.

"What did you do to him?" Pepper demanded, tightening her grip on the gun, her voice rising with panic.

Dave glanced at Tony and then back at Pepper with a calm demeanor. "Nothing harmful," he said with a slight shrug. "Just helping him enhance his suit."

****

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