Chapter 27: Mark II

------------ 7/5/2009, Stark Basement lab Malibu, California---------------

Sitting in a chair at a desktop computer in his basement lab, was Tony Stark. Doing a lot better after he returned home and got to replace the arc reactor in his chest. Tony waves a hand over the keyboard, making it light up following the movement of his hand. Pressing a few keys on that custom keyboard, he begins to work.

Tony:"Jarvis, you up?"

Jarvis:" For you, Sir, always."

On the screens of the now running computer can be seen the 3D design images for the armor he used to escape the 'ten rings. The other screen shows the programs used to run that armor.

Tony: "I'd like to open a new project file, index as Mark Two"

Picking up a pen from the cup on the desk, he points at the 3D design and proceeds to drag it. The design follows the pen from one screen to the other. Then disappears as he moves the pen to the tabletop to his side. Which then projects a holographic model of the armor design that slowly rotates after pulling apart to its base components.

Jarvis: Shall I store this on the Stark Industries Central Database?"

Tony gets up from his chair and begins to walk around the tabletop to his side. All the while viewing the hologram of the design.

Tony: "Actually, I don't know who to trust right now. Till further notice, why don't we just keep everything on my private server?"

Jarvis: " Working on a secret project, are we, sir?"

Reaching the other side of the table, Tony watches as the hologram model pulls itself together to once again show the intact armor. Tony then begins to interact with the model, starting by moving the helmet. Then he lifts the arms and pulls the representation of inner mechanics from the armor and throws it in a holographic trash bin.

Tony: I don't want this winding up in the wrong hands." Tony then spins the armor and proceeds to do the same with all the unneeded outer components of the armor. After he throws that away, all that is left is just the shell. " Maybe in mine, it can actually do some good….." Then Tony looks at the 3D model and spins it on the table as he looks over all the parts.

Unknown to Jarvis and Tony, there was someone else listening to their conversation. The new project file and the private server was also accessed from another location without anyone aware. Ever since Tony was brought home from the press conference months ago, Tony's systems were hacked and access points were made by someone Tony didn't even know existed. Under the orders of Damien, and in an effort to better monitor Tony, Alfred hacked into the systems and created access points that would allow him into all of Stark's systems without being noticed by Jarvis. Having a copy of Jarvis' core system from Damien made the process easier. Allowing Alfred to mask his actions and activities on the servers.

Over the past few months, monitoring Stark proved useful when scans of the two versions of the arc reactor were made. These scans, along with the huge reactor powering Stark Headquarters in California, allowed for major changes in Star Labs and Genesis Island power systems.

With the help of nanotechnology, Damien was able to also use nanobots to recreate mini arc reactors the size of watch batteries. Doing so he was able to have a more energy efficient system for both star labs and Genesis. Now Star labs is completely off the grid and no longer needs to rely on solar power and energy transported from genesis.

Now that Damien is preparing to graduate from middle school and he is beginning High school in September of next year. Knowing this, Damien is spending his summer training even harder and going on missions with his mercenaries in costume. By doing so he has perfected multiple martial arts and trained his healing factor as well. The experience gained was just what he needed to prepare for the coming trails. In order to do so, he ended up spending three weeks 'sick' at home. Damien also had to use teleport tubes on some nights to go on a few quick missions over summer break.

Damien spent most of August with his friends and training at Star Labs. Using special gravity based equipment to train his body and the completed danger room to practice and prepare for most situations. But with school starting the beginning of the upcoming month, Damien and his friends enjoyed their break from school while it lasted.