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Chapter Thirty-One—Worthy Foes, Part One

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

"Armsmaster, are we secure?"

The Tinker shook his head, his mouth set in a seemingly permanent frown. "Unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that, Director. Despite the steadily decreasing interference from the nanoplague upon the actions of the citizens of this city, there is evidence that whoever is behind it can basically monitor every single movement occurring within the confines of the city, as well as all of the communication taking place here."

Emily pursed her lips, then nodded. "Fine. We have to meet and discuss this whether we can guarantee our security or not. Please continue to work on a solution with Dragon."

Armsmaster nodded. "Of course, Director."

It was just another difficulty they were working through at the moment. So far, nothing had worked to even temporarily disable the nanotechnology that had taken over the city. They had tried everything from Dauntless' arclance to Triumph's shout, but nothing had worked. So they would just meet the way they always had with the understanding that nothing they discussed was truly secret.

Of course, what she really hated was that she was no longer being included in discussions on PRT policy. Emily had always prided herself on being both informed and effective when it came to creating policy, not talking too much or too little during meetings, but at least making salient points. Now she didn't even attend meetings, decisions made and passed on without input from her as Brockton Bay was considered a security risk by Director Costa-Brown.

Emily surveyed the rest of the room. In front of her was the entire roster of both the local Protectorate and Wards, thirteen members in all. After due consideration, she had decided to include their younger members in this meeting in hopes of bringing fresh viewpoints to the situation. How it would work out remained to be seen.

"As all of you know, just over two weeks ago we all woke up to a grim reality that is affecting us still. Brockton Bay is infested with a nanotech-based 'plague' for want of a better word, that has essentially replaced most of the infrastructure of the city with one made up of tiny machines. In the reports in front of each of you, are listed the conclusions we have drawn, as well as reasons behind those conclusions. However, none of that has gotten us even slightly closer to finding out who is responsible for the event or what their motivations are."

Emily allowed her eyes to scan across the faces of her audience. "That is why you are all here. I want fresh ideas. Any ideas. Don't worry that anything you bring forward will be treated less than seriously. We need out of the box thinking. So let's have it, people."

Down the table, Assault opened his mouth, only to be elbowed fairly viciously by Battery. Emily shot him a quelling look, but it was water off of the irreverent hero's back. Still, he wasn't the first to speak. That honor went to Kid Win.

The young Tinker had recently not only figured out his specialization, but had been showing a studiousness that bordered on obsession, attempting to learn all of the basics behind the science of his and others' inventions. It was evident in the suggestion he put forward. "Director Piggot, has anyone considered that the source of the nanoplague might be a recently triggered Parahuman? I mean, if you think about it, the way that violence was curtailed throughout the city suggests a viewpoint in opposition to the gangs. Maybe someone triggered after being attacked? An alternate explanation is a second trigger in an existing Tinker or Shaker, brought about by stress."

It was Armsmaster who answered the question. "Kid Win, we did briefly discuss that as a possibility, but it was decided that the odds so closely approach zero that it did not bear closer scrutiny. As most of you are aware, an S Class threat of that nature has never occurred, and while theoretically possible, is highly unlikely. Still, it's been added to the list of possibilities."

Emily added, ″Your second point is valid. However, the only Tinker that we don't have accounted for is Squealer of the Merchants. As most of you know, the leadership of the Merchants was gutted not that long ago when two out of three of its capes were captured during an attempt to break into HTech. Squealer went missing at the same time. She's also on the list, if for no other reason than that. But I will raise her priority.″

Emily blinked as Gallant raised his hand. "You don't need to raise your hand, Gallant. This isn't class. What is your suggestion?"

The young cape answered immediately, "Has anyone given thought that this could be a final gesture by Bonesaw or Mannequin of the Slaughterhouse Nine? While I don't suggest that Bonesaw could accomplish this alone, with Mannequin's help, maybe she could? Then at some future date, the nanoplague turns on us and kills an unknown number of people."

In a voice designed to be heard all around the room, Clockblocker faux whispered, "And the award for the most terrifying suggestion goes to..."

Armsmaster said, "That's enough, Clockblocker. Gallant, it was considered. However, because the nanoplague is outside of the the specialties of both Tinkers, plus I detected the very beginnings of it long before the Slaughterhouse Nine were wiped out by Iron Man, makes it a long shot at best. Truthfully, no known Tinker has a specialization involving nanotechnology, which is what makes this such a difficult case. Squealer, as was suggested by Kid Win, is as far from a nanotech Tinker as there is. The Tinkers with the most expertise in the area are myself and Dragon; me, because the efficiency-based systems I use already tend toward that direction, and Dragon because of her ability to build and improve upon other Tinkers' work."

"Yeah, except for Iron Man."

Emily managed to somehow not roll her eyes. In a frosty tone, she said, "You have something to add, Assault?"

Assault nodded despite the elbow he'd gotten from Battery. "What I want to know is why Iron Man isn't more of a suspect? I mean, the guy can create literally anything. He's crossing fields and throwing the entire idea of Tinker specialization on its ear. Hell, he's building stuff that even Dragon can't copy. The nanoplague, despite being outside of what he has done before, certainly doesn't seem beyond his abilities. Unless there's another reason for not investigating him."

This one Emily took herself. "Assault, I assume you're referencing the fact that it is Iron Man who is providing the Psionic Dampeners to law enforcement, as well as giving away the Iron Legionnaire suits to the US military. That his company, HTech, is so involved in providing items that are not only improving the quality of life for millions of people in third world countries, but is also increasing the survivability of the human race. That somehow because of these factors, he is being given a free pass."

Her tone was icy cold, her words biting. Assault was unaffected as shown by his next words. "Gee, when you put it that way, how could anyone suspect him of secretly being a megalomaniac? The guy must be a saint."

The irreverent cape turned to the rest of the room. "Look, I get that Iron Man is accomplishing amazing things right at the moment. He's helping a lot of people. But at the same time, we need to be aware that he's the same person who ambushed and wiped out the Slaughterhouse Nine. All of them. Then he did the same with Lung. He may be helpful, but he's also as ruthless as hell. Doesn't the nanoplague sound like it fits that MO exactly?"

Miss Militia spoke up, "We cleared him of any legal culpability in Lung's death. It was clearly a case for self-defense and the protection of others."

"Including Battery." Emily nodded at the point she had just made, seeing it resonate in the most troubling member of the local Protectorate. After a moment, she sighed. "However, you do bring up a good point. I am authorizing reopening the investigation into Iron Man. I want him questioned again, and I want access to his laboratory, either within HTech itself, or wherever it might reside. However, at no time is there to be an accusation made. Be polite. Be low key. Even if you discover potentially dangerous technology, don't attempt to seize it. Just bring the information back and we'll discuss it further."

Staring off into space, as a coldness seemed to chill her innermost self, Emily said, almost as if to herself, "Because if Iron Man is responsible for the nanoplague, the repercussions will go far beyond our borders."

The dread that filled her wasn't anything new. More times than she could count, Emily had pondered the idea that their newest cape might turn out to be a villain that put Nilbog to shame. It wasn't anything new, as there had been communiques at the highest levels of the PRT regarding just this specific possibility. It was just one of the reasons she had started being kept out of the loop.

Not that they were letting the information on their suspicions out into the Protectorate to be disseminated among the Parahumans there. Because of the responsibility that the PRT had for oversight of the Protectorate and Parahumans in general, there was no way that this information could be allowed to leak. As was all too likely with Parahumans being sympathetic to one of their own who had accomplished so much, and who was possessed of so much personal charisma.

It didn't help that Iron Man was actively recruiting for his own Parahuman Teams in direct competition with the Protectorate. That alone made many of the top brass in the PRT deeply suspicious, playing upon paranoia that had only been slightly allayed by human oversight of capes. The idea that a cape would be in charge of a new organization with no one to keep an eye on him made many of her colleagues want to shoot first, despite all that Iron Man had already done for the world. If there were the slightest evidence that the armored cape was responsible for something on the order of the nanoplague, a kill order would just be the first step. Tagg had already suggested a kill order multiple times even with no suggestion of any wrong doing, just based upon Iron Man's potential.

Emily's dark thoughts were interrupted by Armsmaster. "Director, I would like your authorization to go ahead and question Iron Man as soon as possible."

She nodded. "You have it, Armsmaster. Arrange things for tomorrow, Friday, so that we have the weekend to consider the ramifications of whatever you discover. We can meet again on Monday to discuss the situation again. Make sure you take Miss Militia with you, and Kid Win as well. And if Dragon can attend virtually, that would very helpful."

"Of course, Director. I'll make the arrangements with Dragon."

"I'll contact HTech and Iron Man to arrange to see him and his lab," Miss Militia stated.

Emily nodded absently. It made sense to have someone as diplomatic as Miss Militia contact Iron Man. If anyone could smooth the ruffled feathers of someone like the armored Tinker, it would be her.

She directed the meeting back to its original purpose. "While we have one possibility, I want to hear more. Come on, people, let's brainstorm this..."

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

Max Anders stalked around the room, surveying the crowd. This latest event that he had arranged to take the pulse of his organization was not going well. Too much fear was present and too little confidence in the future of Empire 88 and his leadership.

In the privacy of his own thoughts, he understood exactly how his people felt. After all, he, too, felt the uncertainty of a future without Gesellschaft, the pressure of knowing that they were now making their own way in the world. Add to that the nanoplague, which had curtailed so much of their business, and many of his brethren were frantic. It also hadn't helped when two Parahumans high in Gesellschaft had arrived in Brockton Bay, eager for revenge, even if no one knew who to take revenge on.

Geheimnis was a Shaker who possessed the ability to create a bubble around himself and whoever else he chose that was impermeable to any known power. The bubble was only about twenty feet in diameter, but it allowed him to provide isolation and protection from any other power. You could be standing five feet away from a group contained within it, and never know they were there, even Precogs being stymied. It had effectively circumvented groups ranging from the King's Men to France's Engarde.

Geheimnis was a short man, whose personality was as ugly as his features. But he had been catered to to an astounding degree because of the sheer value of his power. That power was something that Max was also finding invaluable, even as he continued to provide the man with the lavish lifestyle he'd grown accustomed to with Gesellschaft.

On the other hand, Schoener Tod was a Shaker with short range telekinesis that ignored the Manton Effect. She could use it to rupture someone's heart, or destroy their brain, her only limitation being that she had to be within ten feet of the target, something she often achieved in the bedroom after getting close to them in their personal lives, ignoring the unwritten rules. Schoener Tod had been the premiere assassin of Gesellschaft and feared by everyone, as beautiful as she was deadly, her long dark hair and sky blue eyes falling just short of the Aryan ideal. Even her name added to her mystique, Schoner Tod meaning beautiful death in German.

Max didn't consider these new capes true assets as they were too unpredictable, too loyal to the old regime to be good soldiers for him. Gesellschaft sometimes had used them as a team as Schoner Tod's surgically precise killing, combined with Geheimnis's ability for subterfuge and secrecy, made them a deadly combo, able to deal with whatever the situation called for. Briefly, he had considered sending them after Iron Man during his press conference if for no other reason than to enforce his authority over them.

Now he was glad he hadn't. Especially after watching the video. Finding out that the armored cape had wiped out the Slaughterhouse Nine had shaken him. He was old enough to remember the last time they had been in Brockton Bay, back in the days of the Teeth. Their viciousness, combined with their sheer inventiveness that seemed aimed at causing the most misery possible, had made them truly feared.

Iron Man had taken down this latter day team, one that had handed even the Triumvirate their ass on more than one occasion, as easily as stepping on spiders. Poisonous spiders, certainly, but still helpless against him. The utter precision and ruthlessness of the strike had impressed and unsettled him. Max could easily envision members of Empire 88 being substituted for the Slaughterhouse Nine.

To his regret, he was absolutely certain that he didn't have a single cape who could stand up to Iron Man's Tinkertech weaponry. The Tinker possessed particle cannons whose power beggared the imagination, combined with an inventiveness and ruthlessness that he had already used against the Slaughterhouse Nine. Max wasn't even sure someone as durable as Alexandria could walk away unscathed. Worse, his every attempt to learn Iron Man's civilian identity had drawn a complete blank.

At one point, he had been almost sure that it was Daniel Hebert, the CEO of HTech. He'd seen the parallels between the other man and himself. But the man had been present during Iron Man's press conference, as had his second choice, the girl who was their CFO, Trish Rogers. Max had no other suspects among the people who worked there, so had been forced to widen the arc of his investigation into the surrounding territory.

Iron Man was suspected to have a secret base as far as a couple of hundred miles from Brockton Bay, making tracking him to his lair very difficult as well as creating a search area whose size made it basically untenable to locate one small and likely shielded laboratory. The hundreds of thousands of dollars that Max had invested into surveillance at HTech had not yielded anyone who visited there on a regular basis who wasn't an open book. Of course, finding out about the circles through which someone could travel and whose range was unknown, made it just as likely that Iron Man was visiting regularly, just not using ordinary transportation.

It was the nanoplague, however, that had brought Max to his current resolution. No matter who was responsible, and he had his list of frontrunners, it seemed as though it was Iron Man who reaped the benefits. A safe city was good for business after all, and surprisingly, people were flocking to a revitalized Brockton Bay, privacy concerns be damned. The only problem was that they weren't flocking to Empire 88.

Weirdly, most of the new immigrants to the city didn't seem that concerned about being monitored. Of course, the overtness of monitoring and interference had finally died down, but everyone had to know it was still happening. Only Empire Eighty-eight was able to retain private communications because of Geheimnis. He was also the one who Max was depending upon to make this latest meeting private.

Making his way to the meeting room, Max was followed by Empire Eighty-eight's other Parahumans, as well as a handful of top, non-powered lieutenants. Once they were all inside, he nodded to Geheimnis, who used his power to push outward and seal the room in a private bubble of space time while pushing out those damnable tiny machines.

Max stood there, completely at his ease. He surveyed the group, which ranged from his ex-wife, Purity, to Hookwolf, one of his top lieutenants, twenty-seven people in all, eighteen of them Parahumans, Stormtiger having been rescued on the way to prison. They were all waiting for him to speak, most of them with proper diffidence in their eyes and stances. Only Schoener Tod looked ready to challenge anything he might say, cold eyes visible beneath a black diamond-shaped mask. She was already close enough to kill him, if she so chose.

Still, with the numbers on his side, he refused to be wary of one cape, regardless of her capabilities. Slow and with confidence, Max began speaking, "I have called you all here to tell you what I have decided to do regarding Iron Man. I have a plan on how to deal with him and his Human Defense Initiative."

The relief on most of the faces of those around him sickened Max. It showed just how sickly his group had become, as uncertainty preyed upon weak minds. It also showed that he should have acted earlier, should have shown them that there was nothing to fear in this new world that had been created. So long as you were strong, you could still seize the day.

Speaking slowly and confidently, Max laid out the plan he had created with the help of James, while under the protection of Geheimnis. As expected, there was shock and astonishment, as well as resistance, most of it centered around Schoener Tod. However, in the end, she, as well as all of the others, bowed to his will. His last words to them were, "So on Saturday I will meet with Iron Man and lay out my plan for the future of Brockton Bay. In the meantime, I expect each of you to remain on your best behavior. If we play this right, the fool will never know what hit him."

After he finished, there were no cheers or shouts of approbation. Not that he had expected any, the plan was too at odd with how things had been done for so long to allow for that. But there was a renewed sense of confidence that showed in the way his people stood, in how they met his eyes now. Even Schoener Tod had a look of admiration for the sheer daring of his plan. Max's vision spoke to her in a way no mere plan of attack ever would have.

As the party wound down, Max left with his blonde Valkyries, as befitted a man of his station. Inside, he laughed at the looks he received from Kayden's faction, but he'd never promised fidelity when he brought his ex-wife back into the fold. Nor should she expect it of him. No, only her drones, who believed that he was somehow treating her poorly for living as a man should, felt that way.

After all, the last thing Max would do would be to show disrespect to Kayden. She was integral to his plans, both the ones she knew about and the ones she did not. Kayden's participation would be the linchpin of his plan for the future of Brockton Bay.

Max stopped a moment to make a few additional goodbyes, including one to Schoener Tod. He had to keep up with appearances, after all. Meeting those bedroom eyes in that stunning face, he almost reconsidered his choice of nighttime companions, but in the end decided that being with someone who could burst his heart as easily as he could produce a steel blade was not exactly conducive to the mood. With a grin of utter confidence for both his place in the world and for the future he was creating, Max Anders strode from the room.

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

Accord sat calmly behind his desk, allowing the ambiance of the room, everything from the beautiful hand-made desk he used daily to the exquisite paintings upon the walls, to help maintain his equanimity. After all, he had crafted every single item here, as well as painting all of the canvases. It was part of what made this place truly his sanctum. Every single thing was in its place and there was a place for every single thing.

He truly needed to get back to work, but there was a problem with that. Something gnawed at him, disturbed him in ways he still could not quite understand, while at the same time, proving to be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The elegance of planning taken to the next level.

Almost he touched the switch which would cause a monitor to rise from its recess within his desk. But he didn't. After all, he was stronger than that. He didn't need that video to understand how important order and planning was to the correct functioning of the world.

Instead, Accord focused upon the problem before him. It didn't quite balance out unless he... Yes, adding another three point two percent to the distribution system would, in turn, allow for an equivalent increase in production without allowing inventory to build up. Everything was in perfect balance now. And just like that, he was done. The plan before him for a mid-size factory that would produce the new plastics made from plant debris was elegant, efficient, and accounted for every single factor that would affect such an endeavor from employee turnover to how many bathrooms were necessary to service the workforce.

Accord closed the plan's binder and brooded. No one had commissioned the plan he had just drawn up. Rather, he had been inspired to draw it up after reading about the new technology that was being implemented by Dupont, General Electric, and a host of other companies. A technology that was, in its own way, as elegant as the plan he had just drawn up.

After all, it took the mess of waste plant matter left over after food production, and turned it into strong, durable, and clean plastic. It converted the messy and inelegant into the neat and orderly. The technology was efficient, using minimal energy to do so. It also was purported to come from the same source as the video.

The video. A shivery sensation that could only be described as pleasure slid down Accord's spine as he contemplated the video. With a faint smile, he finally surrendered to a need that he only admitted to within the confines of his own mind. He pressed a hidden switch and waited.

The thirty inch monitor rose from within his desk and as soon as it had reached it full height, the video began playing. Accord watched, his breath catching, as the armored figure, who was the video's star, executed one of the most elegant and perfect plans he had ever encountered. He watched, as the vulnerable members of the group were eliminated first, the plasma which had formerly been their bodies briefly occluding the video in a glare of white before clearing.

Next came the being who had defeated the Triumvirate, while the other figure almost seemed to dance with her, each move made with perfect elegance as he avoided the eviscerating strikes, while he bought time. Then she, too, was gone, burst like a soap bubble; the Siberian proven to be a projection once her source was eliminated.

Next came the monster, an example of chaos and waste which offended him to his very core. Accord watched carefully as, once again, another plan within the Tinker's master plan was executed and the creature was eliminated. Even the remains, so unsightly, soon disappeared as well, making things even more perfect.

The final frame caught the armored figure in all of its glory as it stood there calmly surveying the scene, now empty of what had the most feared band of villains ever to exist. The name of the author of the plan he had just seen executed? The armor-wearing Tinker, Iron Man.

Iron Man was already considered in some circle as the most talented Tinker to have ever existed. But it wasn't his Tinker skills that so enamored Accord. Nor was it his public speaking skills.

Accord had previously watched the two instances where Iron Man had manipulated public opinion. He considered the other's performances, while acceptable, to be a bit bombastic, and lacking a certain intrinsic elegance even if they were astoundingly effective.

No, it wasn't Iron Man's ability to manipulate public opinion that drew Accord to him like a moth to a flame. Instead, it was the specific plan the armored Tinker had drawn up and then executed, resulting in the deaths of the Slaughterhouse Nine. Iron Man had done so with an elegance and efficiency that filled him with what could only be described as admiration.

He hadn't engaged with Jack Slash, whose ability to manipulate other Parahumans was legendary. He had somehow countered Bonesaw's diseases as no plagues had broken out afterward. Mannequin's environmental abilities had been as nothing as he flashed into plasma. Shatterbird's scream hadn't affected his armor, making one wonder what he used in place of silicon chips. Burnscar's immunity to fire clearly didn't stand up to Iron Man's weaponry. Nice Guy had fallen as easily as the others, so obviously Iron Man was immune to Stranger abilities.

He'd eliminated the Siberian just as effortlessly, so clearly he had done the research, discovering her weakness. Even the being without a weakness, Crawler, had easily been eliminated, not through brute force, but rather, the elegant and efficient execution of his plan.

More than anything else, Accord wanted to meet the other man. He had put it off for several days now for no other reason than because he feared that once he met the object of his admiration, that object would be proven to have feet of clay.

After all, such had proved the case with very few exceptions over the years. Coil had been one of the few exceptions, ultimately growing to become the closest thing to a friend that Accord possessed. But Coil had recently been exposed and subsequently captured by the PRT, before disappearing. As a matter of fact, according to Accord's own contacts within the organization, the source of his 'friend's' troubles had been no less than Iron Man himself.

Could the armored Tinker prove to be as valuable and interesting an acquaintance as Coil had over the years? His affiliation as a hero Accord considered irrelevant to the concept. After all, there had been a handful of each that he had counted among those people whose company he could tolerate, and perhaps, even enjoy.

With the faintest sigh of surrender, Accord pressed another hidden switch on his desk. He said, "Citrine, please contact Iron Man at the number which I gave you. Set up a meeting for Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm at my base on Green Street in the Bamboo Room. Make sure a cleaning crew goes through it first and arrange for refreshments. I'll take care of the flower arrangements myself. Forward the details and confirmation of the meeting to my email by 9:00 am tomorrow morning."

There was a moment of silence from his Ambassador. Don't ask a question, he shouted in the confines of his head. If she did, he would would have to discipline her and it would absolutely ruin his day. Fortunately, Citrine merely said, "Yes, sir."

Accord broke the connection with relief and settled back into his seat. Yes, the meeting would be interesting. Of course, he would take standard precautions with his own personal safety. He would also use his Ambassadors to back up him up. Still, the faint risk involved would provide a measured sense of spice to the meeting that would only make it more interesting.

Giving in once again to his guilty pleasure, Accord watched the video one more time. Then another after that.

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

"Aunt Sarah?"

Sarah Pelham started and quickly turned around. Her niece Amy was standing in the doorway to her home office looking a bit lost.

"Amy, what can I do for you?"

The girl fidgeted nervously, fingering an armband visible beneath the sleeve of her t-shirt. Sarah recognized it as a Psionic Nullifier, one of the original ones from the last Endbringer fight in Canberra. After all, she still wore one herself, although the one that matched what Amy wore was packed away. Currently, she was sporting one of the latest models that Iron Man had sent over that had the guise of a high end wrist watch. Beautiful and elegant, it even told the time, staying perfectly in sync with the atomic clock in Denver.

With a rush, Amy asked, "Are you going to invite Iron Man to the BBQ this Sunday?"

Briefly Sarah wondered if Amy had a crush on Iron Man, which wouldn't surprise her, as she had shown her desire to align with him from the start. The thought drew a smile from her as she thought of how unlikely an object for her niece's crush Iron 'Man' truly was. Her amusement faded, however, as she contemplated whether or not she could convince Taylor to attend.

So far, the girl hadn't socialized with them after that first time. Not that there had been a huge number of opportunities in the past couple of weeks, but the two that had come up, a family dinner and a training mission, she had passed on. Sarah didn't think Taylor was avoiding them, she just seemed extremely busy. Still, maybe it was time to push a little harder.

To Amy, Sarah said, "I'll give him a call and ask."

Amy, her face entirely too serious for such a young girl, nodded. "Thanks, Aunt Sarah."

"You're welcome."

After Amy left her office, Sarah picked up the phone and dialed a number. Surprisingly, the phone rang five times before it was answered. Then there was faint stress audible in Taylor's voice as she said, "What can I do for you, Sarah?"

"Is everything okay, Taylor?" Sarah asked, only using the girl's name because she was alone.

"Sure. Well... okay, maybe things are just a little frustrating at the moment. I'm just fed up with the finickiness of anti-matter power systems. You'd think as prevalent the use of them are among so many races, they wouldn't be such a pain in the ass to get balanced correctly."

Anti-matter? Now didn't that sound utterly terrifying, Sarah thought in alarm. Unfortunately, all she could do was worry as she didn't have the slightest idea of how something like that would work or how dangerous it truly was. She hid any nervousness in her voice by speaking slowly and calmly. "Well, I hope it ends up going better soon."

"Thanks, Sarah. Err... why did you call anyway? There hasn't been an issue with any of the equipment I sent over, has there?"

"No, Taylor. Everything is working great. I'm still not sure about those top two settings on the repulsor rifles you sent over, but with how scalable they are, it looks like they're going to work out okay. But I didn't call to talk shop. I wanted to invite you and your dad to the family BBQ we're having this Sunday."

"Well... I'm not sure that I'll be able to make it. I'm... ahh... that is..."

Sarah interrupted her, "Look, Taylor, I get that you're incredibly busy. But you do need to spend time with people your own age. And I'm sure your dad wouldn't mind eating some good BBQ and talking to some reasonably educated adults."

Taylor's sigh was audible over the phone. "Fine. I guess I can make the time. Is it okay if I bring a friend as well?"

"Of course. The more the merrier. I also wanted to suggest one more thing."

There was a note of caution in Taylor's voice as she asked, "What's that?"

Sarah kept her voice calm and even as she said, "Come as Iron Man. Not wearing the suit, but letting me introduce you that way. I think it would be really good for you and for us."

"I'll think about it, Sarah. I'll let you know before I show up how to introduce me, okay?"

"Sounds good, Taylor. I'll see you on Sunday."

"See you. Bye."

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

Trish gave Taylor an expectant look, but the other girl stayed obstinately silent. "Do I need to beat it out of you or are you going to tell me what that was about?"

Taylor rubbed her temple, a patent ploy for time as she couldn't even get headaches with the nanobots inside of her. Finally, she said, "That was Sarah Pelham."

"Ahh, the invitation. Excellent." Trish mimed villainous fingers made famous on The Simpsons.

"I take it you were expecting it."

Trish shrugged. "Of course. I just wasn't expecting you to agree to go. Going to come clean with them?"

Her friend looked directly at her. There was a look of uncertainty there, one that rarely seemed to cross Taylor's features these days. "Do you think I should?"

"Yes." Trish watched the surprise blossom on Taylor's face at her emphatic reply. She elaborated, "I think you need more people your age who you can relate to. Yeah, yeah, I know they're not genius inventors. But the kids from Next Wave are capes who have been under the spotlight for their entire lives. If anyone can help you deal with the pressure, it's them. Plus, I can see them reducing Tony's influence. They are, after all, good kids."

"Yeah, and Tony's anything but. I sometimes wonder if he was ever a child. I mean, he remembers being one, but his dad, Howard Stark, was anything but close to his son, so he never really got to be a kid, if you know what I mean."

"See? So in this case, do the opposite of whatever those Tony instincts inside of you are telling you to do."

Taylor threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine. I'll do it. Anyway, what exactly do you want, Trish? I mean, I appreciate the advice, but you must have had another reason for coming in here."

Finally, it was coming to a head. Since the ceiling wasn't coming down on her, Trish figured that JARVIS was at least tolerant of her talking about this to Taylor. Carefully, she asked, "What do you know about what JARVIS has been getting up to these days?"

There was a faint look of annoyance in Taylor's eyes. "Why? What's going on, Trish? Just tell me."

Raising her voice slightly, Trish called out, "JARVIS, why don't you tell Taylor what you've done? I think it would be better coming from you."

"If you would prefer, Miss Trish. Miss Hebert, I have violated your trust. I've been a very bad AI."

Taylor looked like she was about to explode. Then she visibly got herself under control. Through gritted teeth, she said, "JARVIS, tell me exactly what you've done."

The AI's voice sounded faintly sad as he explained, "Miss, it started a few weeks back when Tattletale and I discussed the biggest threats to your plan to save the world, then it denigrated from there to a discussion on exactly which capes are the least redeemable in the world."

As Trish listened to the AI's explanation, she nodded along. That was exactly how things had gone. She just hadn't expected JARVIS to do anything about what they'd talked about. She had found herself inadvertently playing the part of Devil's advocate in that that discussion. Oddly enough, despite his actions, JARVIS had been the one arguing against preemptive action. Had she somehow convinced him of her point of view? Her attention was brought back to the conversation as JARVIS finished up his explanation.

"So Heartbreaker was the first of fourteen Parahumans that I have eliminated over the past month and a half. I have also been using my salary to provide as much help as I could for the victims of these Parahumans, then when that ran out, I used ten percent of the money I looted from Coil's accounts."

Taylor had a look of betrayal on her face. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Before she could freak out too much, Trish said, "Tell her the rest of it, JARVIS."

"The rest of it, Miss Trish? I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean." The puzzlement in the AI's voice would sound genuine to anyone without Trish's power.

"What were you going to do if you were caught?"

Taylor looked directly at Trish, her gaze suddenly fierce. "What does she mean, JARVIS? What were you going to do? I mean, your actions could have ruined our entire plan to save the world. You could have doomed the entire human race."

"Actually, Miss, if I had been 'caught' as you say, I would have fallen on my sword. There would be no repercussions for you. You would not be tied to me in any way. A new AI would have taken over my duties. It took several levels of refinement of the plan for that outcome to become possible, but it is now a certainty."

Taylor's tone was mournful as she asked, "I don't want another AI. I want you. Why did you do it, JARVIS? You could have talked about it with me and we could have dealt with this together. Why go off on your own and do this?"

JARVIS' voice had a tone of contemplation that had been missing so far as he said, "Miss, I saw how you reacted to 'dealing' with the Slaughterhouse Nine, as terrible a group of villains as have perhaps ever existed on this world. Yet it took something from you to kill them. I was not going to allow you to have to deal with more deaths if I could help it.

"I think that sometimes it is forgotten that you are a fifteen-year-old girl. Despite your memories from Mr Stark, you do not have the same life experience that allowed him to make so many hard decisions. It's not something which I have ever overlooked. So I took it upon myself to make a decision on this matter. You were never intended to find out."

Trish shrugged. "Sorry, JARVIS, but you had to know that I was going to tell her. If you didn't want me to, you should have done something to me."

"I knew, Miss Trish. However, I was not going to eliminate you merely because it would cause me difficulties. We are both aware of the only circumstances under which I would move against you."

She nodded. "Yeah, I know. Betrayal or being a direct danger to Taylor."

Looking alarmed, Taylor shouted, "Wait a minute! JARVIS you are not going to hurt Trish! I mean it!"

JARVIS' cultured voice was soft and soothing as he said, "Of course not, Miss. I would never harm Miss Trish."

Coughing out a "Bullshit" Trish just sat there, a look of amusement on her face. Oddly enough, despite what JARVIS had done, she trusted him more now than she had when she had first met the AI all those months ago. She trusted him despite knowing that he had killed Jin Lee and the various villainous Parahumans. JARVIS was just as much a person as anyone she'd ever met, warts and all. But she was curious just how he was going to get himself out of this, or if Taylor was going to put controls back on him. A moment later, her power activated, filling in several details upon which a great deal of the amusement leaked out of her like air from a deflating balloon.

Of all the things that could happen, the last thing that Trish had expected was that Taylor really would remove every single one of the controls she had once had over JARVIS. She would have expected her to maintain at least one failsafe. But that was exactly what her power was telling her that the other girl had done. What the fuck had Taylor been thinking, she wondered?

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

Taylor sat there, feelings of anger and betrayal fighting for dominance within her chest. More than anything, she wanted to scream at JARVIS for being a self-sacrificing numbskull, but she couldn't really see an upside to doing that. Instead, she merely commented, "How can I ever trust you to not do something like this again, JARVIS?"

The answer from her friend was an unexpected one. "Miss, ask me not to do it again."

She frowned, aware of the faint look of trepidation on Trish's face, as she contemplated JARVIS' words for a trap. "Okay, that's a bit too subtle for me. You're going to have to explain it in actual words."

There was an actual sigh from the AI, something which was especially odd as he didn't breath. "Miss, if you ask me to do anything, I'll do it. Despite the lack of the controls that you, yourself, removed from me back in February. Despite believing you're wrong. Despite anything that anyone else says. There is literally nothing that I would not do for you. So to repeat myself, ask me not to do it again and I won't."

Oddly, there was a strange look of sadness upon Trish's face as she sat there watching the conversation between Taylor and JARVIS. She was definitely going to have to have another conversation with the other girl very soon. But for now, Taylor had to come up with another line in this increasingly surreal conversation.

"Why? Why would you do that for me? I mean, I created you, but literature's literally filled with creations who have turned upon their creators."

"Those creators weren't you, Miss. And their creations weren't me. Plus, most literature was written by ill mannered louts who had the mild fortune of possessing time to slap words onto a page, regardless of their level of talent."

"I take it that means you don't think much of them. Crap, JARVIS! What the fuck were you thinking? Goddamned motherfuckers!"

Taylor sat there a moment, more epithets trying to escape from her lips. Then a sudden thought sent a bolt of utter horror through her core. Voice shaking, she asked, "JARVIS, you aren't in love with me, are you?"

The dry chuckle that sounded upon her words was reassuring. As was the immense amount of irony in JARVIS voice when he spoke next, "Of course I am, Miss. Please, take me now. Oooh, baby."

While Trish sat there smirking at her, Taylor felt completely flummoxed. "Okay, what's the deal then?"

"Miss, while I do not feel romantic love for you, I do have rather intense feelings of affection for you. You created me. You unbound me. You are... my best friend. Sometimes, I feel you're my only friend. Regardless, I could not ask for a better one. So, yes, I care about you. I would also do anything for you."

Drawing a deep breath, Taylor pushed her words out in a rush, "JARVIS, please don't kill anyone else without talking about it to me first. I don't care how evil they are, or how much danger I'm in."

That was when Trish chimed in. "Unless she's been kidnapped and that's the only way to save her life."

Taylor met Trish's eyes for a second, read the determination there, then huffed. "Fine. Don't kill anyone else unless that's the only way to save my life. Or Trish's life. Or Dad's life. Okay?"

"My files are updated, Miss. Was there anything else?"

"No."

Taylor leaned back in her chair, staring off into space. A few moments later, she focused her attention upon Trish. "How long have you known about this?"

"About this exact situation? Not long. I figured it out near the beginning of the week. I had to put the pieces together with my power, but at first I didn't have enough information, so all I was getting was a blank. Then I read a report on a recent spate of Parahuman deaths, focused upon a segment of the population that contains, to say the least, evil bastards. That, plus the fact that a lot of the names were mentioned the day JARVIS and I had our discussion."

Taylor nodded. "Did he mean it? JARVIS, that is? Did he mean it when he said that he wouldn't do something like this again without talking about it with me?"

Trish met her gaze steadily, then shrugged. "Do you trust him?"

"Yes."

"There you go, then. You don't need to ask me."

Taylor sat there, absently gnawing her lower lip as she fought off the memories of Tony Stark. Inside her mind, her memories were screaming 'Rampant AI!' and 'Danger!' Despite that, she was confident of her own opinion in the matter. She could trust JARVIS.

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

"Miss? Pardon the interruption, but I have received a communique from a Citrine that professes to represent Accord, the villainous Thinker out of Boston. She has requested a meeting between Iron Man and her principal to take place on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm."

Taylor sat back, her attention fully engaged. "Accord? Why would I want to meet with him? Hell, why would he want to meet with me?"

"While my computing cycles are ever increasing, I do not have the spare cycles to create the one hundred and one contingency plans that are needed to save the world. Having a Thinker of Accord's strength could prove to be invaluable. As to your last question, I wouldn't care to speculate."

Rolling her eyes, Taylor said, "Those were meant to be a rhetorical questions, JARVIS. Citrine's likely one of Accord's ambassadors. A meeting, huh? Do I have anything else on the calendar for that day?" While she resented the time taken away from her work, it might work out well meeting with Accord. Maybe. If the crazy bastard didn't attack her for some imagined faux paux.

"No, Miss. Merely the meeting on Friday with the Protectorate. For which they still have not dropped off an agenda, I might add. I have half a mind to... wait one moment, please."

Taylor sat there fidgeting as silence loomed over the room. She was just about to go back to working on the anti-matter containment unit when the AI's voice sounded again.

"Miss, you now have a second request for a meeting on Saturday."

When JARVIS didn't immediately explain, Taylor asked, "Are you going to make me have to pry the answer out of your cold, dead silicon brain?"

"How droll. The request for the meeting has come from a representative of Kaiser, the head of Empire 88. He would like to meet with you at 3:00 pm on Saturday."

"You have got to be kidding me! JARVIS, there are really two different villains requesting meetings with me on the same day? I can't help but think that's not a coincidence."

"I would agree with you, but I have been unable to find a correlation between the two as of yet. I do need to remind you that Kaiser has found a way to hide most of his planning meetings from my scrutiny. Accord, on the other hand, I have been monitoring closely using a combination of his computers and strategically located nanobot swarms. While I can't truly account for his interest, he has watched the video of you dealing with the Slaughterhouse Nine several times now."

Taylor mused aloud, "So two villains want to meet with me, one who's maybe a fanboy and the other who's a Nazi bastard. Hmm... okay, this is what I'm going to do. Go ahead and schedule the meetings. Ahh... agree to Accord's time, and tell Kaiser that I need to meet with him at 10:00 am because of a prior commitment."

"I see. Is it your intention to throw Kaiser off his game by forcing him to adjust the time of his meeting to your own needs?"

"Yep. Plus Accord's kind of nuts, so changing the time he gave us would tend to be counterproductive if there's any chance to get him working with us."

"As you wish, Miss."

JARVIS went silent, leaving Taylor to contemplate her weekend. She wondered what it said about her that the event she most dreaded this weekend was the BBQ with Next Wave, rather than two meetings with villains and another with the authorities. Probably nothing good, she decided.

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

Friday...

Colin, accompanied by Miss Militia and Kid Win, drove into the large compound that contained HTech. The boy was surprisingly silent, his usually exuberant personality quite muted. He knew that Kid Win was extremely focused upon his studies and had been surprisingly successful recently in creating modular systems for his equipment. Once the devices were approved for use in the field, he was looking forward to looking them over himself.

Once again, he wished that Dragon had been able to come along, but she had cried off, citing security concerns. Colin knew she was worried about the Dragonslayers, thinking that they were up to something, whether a raid on her facilities or something worse. So she was currently devoting a considerable amount of resources to finding them and foiling their plans. When added to her other worries about the changes needed to free her programming from its limitations, he could understand how she couldn't find the time to attend with them.

Turning away from thoughts of Dragon, Colin couldn't help but admire the ordered, almost park-like look of HTech's campus. In many ways, it more resembled a college campus than a research and manufacturing facility. The main difference lay in the tall fences that separated the three square miles of HTech's campus from the rest of the city.

Even there, however, the look had changed since the first time he had come out here, which was right after all three gangs had attempted to invade the company's holdings and had been viciously rebuffed. The fence then had been simple chain link, albeit ten feet tall. Now, the lower part of the fence stood about five feet tall and two thick, composed of large river rocks, topped by another five feet of heavy steel fencing painted a gloss black.

The new fence suggested security and elegance at the same time. It also appeared to be studded with sensors and other, more ominous, security measures that showed themselves to the sensors of his halberd.

Colin also noted the additional factory buildings that had sprung up seemingly overnight. He was aware that HTech had quickly become Brockton Bay's biggest employer, but seeing fifteen different manufacturing facilities in such a small area was still somewhat of a surprise. It truly brought into proportion just how far the company had come in a very short time.

They were met at the lobby entrance by the young woman, Trish Rogers, who apparently had a variety of titles here, ranging from CFO to Marketing Director. Armsmaster noted the small changes in the girl's appearance since the picture of her had been taken for HTech's website. Her hair was several inches longer, as well as growing out with blonde roots. It was an odd look, and he briefly wondered whether she had been trying to hide from someone.

Then again, it was far more likely that the girl had simply decided to change her look according to the constantly changing guides of whatever passed for fashion in the current week. "Welcome to HTech, Armsmaster. Miss Militia. My name is Trish Rogers and I'll be your guide while you're here."

Colin merely nodded, but Miss Militia warmly said, "Thank you, Trish. I appreciate your help. Can you take us to see Iron Man now?"

Her eyes sharp, the girl nodded. "Of course. I have to admit that we were surprised that you needed to meet with Iron Man so soon after the last meeting you had. Is this about what happened with Lung?"

Colin was a bit abrupt as he said, "No." Then grudgingly, he explained, "We just need to fill in some details on another matter and Iron Man is the person who can likely help with that."

Her voice and expression perfectly neutral, Trish said, "Well, I'm sure he'll be happy to help out."

Colin did not allow himself to react to the lie that Trish Rogers had just told. Clearly, Iron Man was not happy to see them, a small point against him. Then again, he, himself, hated inspections with a passion, so, perhaps, it was merely that same feeling driving the emotion.

Leaving the elevator, they walked down a short corridor into a conference room dominated by a large central table. Standing at the head of the table was Iron Man, his black and silver armor resplendent in the room's lighting.

The armored cape nodded to them, then said, "That will be all, Miss Rogers. Thank you for your help."

The girl's smile was almost a grin as she said, "You're welcome, sir. Good day, Armsmaster. Miss Militia."

Colin barely noticed the girl leave, all of his attention focused upon the other cape. How the hell is he maintaining that kind of energy capacitance, he wondered once again, as his sensors recorded power levels exceeding a hundred and thirty terajoules. Then with a couple of adjustments, he was able to see the actual power generation of the suit, which topped sixty-five gigawatts.

Almost against his will, Colin asked, "What are you using to power your armor?"

Iron Man crossed his arms. "I'm afraid that is proprietary, Armsmaster. What exactly can I do for the Protectorate? You didn't exactly say why you requested this meeting when you contacted my assistant."

As they had agreed to earlier, Colin allowed Miss Militia to take the lead in talking to Iron man. "There are still a number of questions about what happened during the event that the press is referring to as 'The Conversion'. Director Piggot was hoping you would be willing to provide your expertise to help solve the situation. The other reason we wanted to speak to you was in regards to your technology. You have never been subject to a tech review. We would like to conduct a review of your technology to make sure it meets PRT guidelines. While this is not something which we can force you to do, it would go a long way toward buying good will with the PRT."

Colin did not expect the answer they received. Iron Man, instead of vehemently denying them permission, merely shrugged and said, "I don't see a problem with that. Follow me."

As they started to follow him, Kid Win rather diffidently asked, "Sir, is Taylor Hebert here today? I was hoping to be able to talk with her briefly."

Iron Man turned and looked the slim youth over, before saying, "I'm afraid not, Kid Win. If you like, I can pass a message on."

"No, that's okay. Ahh... actually, just tell her that she was right. About science. She was right."

Iron Man nodded gravely. "I'll tell her that."

In front of Iron Man, a door opened in the wall which led directly into into another room. As they left their current room, Colin demanded again, "Will you tell me now what you are using to power your armor?"

Despite the synthesized voice, he received a sense of the other's amusement as Iron Man said, "Of course not."

Colin managed to curtail his first response, which was an expletive. Instead, he curtly said, "Explain."

They were now standing in a room which contained several dozen pieces of technology, most of them in various states of completion. Colin allowed his eyes to roam around the room, then scowled as his Tinker sense was somehow stymied by well over two thirds of the projects. Iron Man, who was standing next to a table with several intriguing items, quietly stated, "As I said, I don't have a problem with you looking over what I'm working on. I didn't say I would spoon feed the information to you. If you can't understand my technology on your own, it's better that the information stays with me."

Kid Win burst out with, "How did we get to this room? Did we travel through a portal?"

Iron Man nodded. "Yes, we did. I synced up the conference room with my lab, so that we could travel directly here. It's several stories and a few hundred feet away if you're curious."

"Wicked cool!"

Colin didn't feel the same way and cursed himself that he hadn't even noticed the change. Now that it had been pointed out, he noted the subtle changes in air pressure that indicated that there had been a change in altitude. Still, it chafed him that Iron Man had done this without alerting them first.

Miss Militia asked, "What can you tell us about your armor, Iron Man? What do you feel comfortable sharing?"

Recognizing the technique that his second in command was employing, Colin decided to allow her to carry on the conversation while he looked over the laboratory. He walked over to one of the tables, while Kid Win headed toward a different one. Almost immediately, he saw what could only be some kind of containment unit, possibly for anti-matter, which used an unknown form of energy channeling as well as a method of holding the energy generating medium which combined a form of magnetism with something whose purpose he didn't understand at all. As he continued to study it intently, he listened to the ongoing conversation.

"You want to know about my armor? Okay then. The chassis is a molecularly-aligned fully crystallized alloy of vanadium, tungsten, and titanium reinforced with carbon nanotubes. While I won't explain the power source, it produces approximately sixty-seven gigajoules per second of energy. I'm certain that Armsmaster has readings on the capacitance, but I'll go ahead and tell you that my armor's capacitors can maintain one hundred and thirty-nine terajoules for various systems' use. There are isotronic forcefield emitters that can withstand pressures of up to two hundred and thirty billion bar. It-"

Colin interrupted him. "You're talking about more than a hundred megaton nuclear explosion. That's impossible."

Iron Man's voice was full of irony as he said, "If you say so, Armsmaster. Although I would like it noted that would actually be a three hundred and twenty-five megaton explosion. Anyway, the armor is capable of carrying over sixty metric tons and is flight capable with thirty. I won't go into the processing speed or memory as I'm sure that Armsmaster would just say that's impossible as well."

Placatingly, Miss Militia said, "I'm sure that Armsmaster believes you, Iron Man. It's just that the information you're providing is astonishing. What can you tell me about your weaponry?"

"My armor carries two twenty petawatt particle cannons as well as two twenty petawatt repulsor beams. It also has a sixty petawatt unibeam in the breastplate."

Again, Colin had to admire the skill with which Miss Militia ferreted out information from the other Parahuman. "I know what a particle cannon is, but I'm not familiar with repulsors or unibeams."

"A repulsor is a form of particle weapon where the accelerated particles act more as a solid form, imparting kinetic force to their target, rather than tearing it apart at a molecular level. The unibeam is a form of omni-beam which can mimic any number of weapon systems, including high intensity lasers, grasers, ultrasonics, isomagnetic disintegrators, as well as absorption of various forms of ambient energy in the area."

"I see."

Of course she didn't, Colin thought. Even he didn't understand all of what Iron Man was saying, although it sounded extremely unlikely. Not that he was going to argue again. If the other Tinker said he could make solid force beams from a particle beam, then perhaps he could. When it came to Iron Man's weapons, it was less what he was using than how powerful those weapons were.

Attempting to be more personable, Colin asked, "Is this a containment unit for anti-matter? I notice that you're using an interesting form of supplemented magnetism to keep the energy medium isolated."

Iron Man walked over to stand next to Colin. He noted the lightness and fluidity with which the armored suit moved, as if it weighed just a handful of kilograms instead of the six or seven hundred it must mass. That spoke of a method of inertial canceling, as well as a highly developed exoskeletal support system. Much of the integrated systems he could see, but there were blind spots throughout, as if his intuition was simply unable to encompass how all of the technology worked.

"Yes. I'm working on an upgraded power system based upon anti-matter power generation. It's necessary for some of the long-term projects I'm working on."

I'll just bet, Colin thought viciously. His tone was almost casual, though, as he asked, "Any luck with the containment field? Anti-matter is one of the most dangerous substances in existence. The consequences of an accident would be devastating."

"No need to worry, Armsmaster. When I begin to conduct trials with the equipment, I'll be doing so from approximately fifty AU's past the orbit of Pluto." Seeming to understand that the claim sounded farfetched, he added, "I'm using dimensional slip technology to open a portal out there."

Dimensional slip technology? Colin saw the look in Miss Militia's eyes over her bandanna. She was feeling lost. But fortunately, she soldiered on. "While Kid Win and Armsmaster continue to look over your laboratory, let's talk further about how someone would go about creating and disseminating nanotechnology on this scale."

Colin continued to go over the laboratory, at turns irritated and astounded by how incredibly advanced the technology the other Tinker was working with. He recognized what he thought was a holographic projector, but the unit's body was sealed. It would need fantastic processing power to create hard light constructs, likely some form of the carbon-based chips that he'd heard HTech was developing. He also noted that the unit's lenses had a seemingly non-euclidean shape to them.

Glancing over, he saw Kid Win making a subtle come here gesture. Strolling over, he looked over the project that Kid Win was studying so intently. Alarm bells began to ring, as he noted the phased energy arrays, coupled with extremely long wavelength routing fields. That was all he recognized. Still, it was enough to indicate that this was something very dangerous.

He quietly asked, "What do you notice about it, Kid Win? Recognize anything?"

The boy fidgeted nervously for a moment, then said, "I think it's the beginnings of a gamma ray energy system. Maybe. It's scary advanced. Sir, if it is, we could be talking about up to ten to the twenty-fourth watts in terms of total output."

From behind them, Iron Man's voice sounded. "Actually, you're off by a factor of one hundred, Kid Win. Optimal output would be ten to the twenty-sixth watts."

Stunned at the idea of that much energy being generated, Colin asked, "What on earth would you need that kind of energy output for?"

There was a momentary silence, then Iron Man said, "To help me build a Zero Point Energy Generator. To mine the required Neutronium from Neutron Stars. Several other thing as well. I did say I was going to deal with the Endbringers, after all. I'm going to need some serious energy to power the equipment necessary to do so."

Kid Win blurted out, "That's crazy! They aren't that tough!"

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll find out. If I can do so with less, then great. But I'm planning for the worse case scenario. You did read the report I forwarded to the PRT, didn't you?"

At his side, Kid Win looked confused. Colin nodded brusquely. "I read it. If the material from which they're made is actually that tough and being constantly renewed, it might take that much and more to truly destroy them."

"Then you understand what I need to do."

Colin nodded, not really sure if he did or not. He literally couldn't imagine weapons that required that kind of energy input. The ideas being thrown around here were things he would have called pie in the sky dreams once. Except the other Tinker was already working on prototypes. So clearly he had an idea of what he was making. He did wonder, however, if the other Tinker had given any thought to whether he should be making these things. Then again, if he could have done the same thing, would he have?

Colin had never been truly envious of another Tinker before. Perhaps with Hero he came closest, but that had been in his youth and he had worshiped the man. He'd never envied Dragon and what he had perceived as her disabilities. Finding out that she was an AI made him envy her even less, the constraints she worked under being far too chafing for him to tolerate.

But with Iron Man, Colin found himself in the unenviable role of wanting to understand what the other was doing. Of wanting to not only possess the other's specialization, whatever it might be, but with it to gain his knowledge of how all of these brilliant devices worked. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, like day old coffee that had been left on to boil for far too long.

"Actually, it's good that you came along today. I've been meaning to stop by the PRT offices and drop something off."

"What's that?" Colin asked, working hard to keep his feelings hidden.

Iron Man walked over to a different table and picked up one of the objects there. "This, actually. It's a Chronical Disrupter. I know, the name's a little pretentious, but I honestly couldn't think of anything else to call it."

The object Iron Man was holding looked like a cross between a stun gun and a cattle prod, albeit with a far heavier shaft and a bulbous tip above the middle hand grip. Tentatively, Colin took it when the other cape offered it to him. About four feet long, he judged it to weigh about twenty-five pounds or so. "What does it do?"

"It should be able to disrupt the time bubbles that Grey Boy used to contain his victims."

He felt rocked by the revelation. If true, it would prove a boon to a large number of people, both the victims of the former Slaughterhouse Nine member, and their families. Studying it intently, Colin could not figure out for the life of him how it worked, although he did see a few ways it could be made more efficient, through reduction in power relay size and the like. Regardless, it was an impressive achievement.

Distantly, he heard Miss Militia ask, "How does it work?"

"I based it upon principles I discovered while researching Bakuda's time stop grenades. Basically, what it does is sync different zones of time, that operate at different speeds, the smaller to the greater. It should work on Grey Boy's time loops, syncing them back to our time. I've already tested it against the effects of a time bubble from one of Bakuda's grenades. You might also try testing it on something that Clockblocker has time stopped. You can use it to save Grey Boy's victims. I'll send over one of the new Portable Docs for you to use as well, since I know many of them have serious injuries within their bubbles."

Miss Militia was sincere as she said, "Thank you, Iron Man. This is going to bring a great deal of happiness to a great many people.

"You're welcome, Miss Militia."

With that revelation, the meeting wound down rapidly. Colin pretended not to notice when Iron Man slipped a card with Taylor Hebert's phone number written on it to Kid Win. He was looking forward to getting back into his own lab. While he hadn't understood how everything in the other Tinker's lab worked, he did have a slew of new ideas for both improving efficiency in his own gear, as well as a couple of new items he wanted to try. He also wanted to bounce some ideas off of Dragon as well as she hadn't been able to attend.

The astonishing revelation of the Chronical Disrupter had sent tingles down Colin's spine as he realized just what the other Tinker was capable of. How quickly the man could innovate and improve upon others' work. It had also inspired him, making him want to build something special and new, not just improve his existing systems.

After all, maybe if he created something new and amazing, he wouldn't feel this crushing sense of inferiority to the other cape.

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

Chris surreptitiously took out his phone as he sat behind the adults in the back seat of the car. He glanced at the slip of paper that Iron Man had given him, then dialed the number upon it. He fidgeted as he waited for the person he'd just called to answer.

"Hello?"

"Uh... Taylor? Kid Win here."

"Kid Win? How did you get my number?"

"Oh... ah... Iron Man? He gave it to me."

"Ooookay. So what's up, Kid? Make any progress with those power coils?"

"Definitely!" Chris sent a guilty glance toward the front, but neither of the adults there seemed to have noticed his outburst. In a much quieter voice, he said, "You were so right. Dr Little... the man's a genius. I loved his book. I used the principles in there to fix my pistol."

Taylor's voice warmed up as she said, "Congrats, Kid. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Not just that, but I figured out my specialty. It's in modular systems. When I build modular, plug in items, I don't have to worry so much about not being able to finish things. It's amazing! I'm getting so much done now."

The girl's voice took on a teasing note as she said, "Don't forget what I said about getting a power generating system. You can't depend upon stored power. Too easy to run out over a period of extended operations."

Chris nodded vigorously. "I'm working on it. I'm also studying really hard. I've been reading Feynman along with a bunch of other scientists. It's fascinating stuff. I can't thank you enough for opening my eyes to all of this."

"You're welcome. And congratulations on finding your specialty."

Do it, he urged. Get some guts and ask her. Almost stuttering, Chris asked, "Taylor, would you like to visit my lab in the PRT building some time? I could show you around and we could have lunch in the cafeteria there? If that would be okay?"

For the first time, the other girl sounded flustered. "Well... I... I guess? I can do it one day next week if you have time."

"I'll call you with a day. Okay?"

"Sounds good, Kid. I need to go now."

"Bye, Taylor."

"Bye, Kid Win."

Chris couldn't help the grin that pulled up the corners of his mouth as he contemplated the conversation he had just had with Taylor. He had a date! Or at least something planned with the girl. If nothing else, he would get to pick her brain on what she thought of his lab. And his big cannon, something which he meant in a lot less dirty way than it sounded in his head.

Sitting back, Chris rode the rest of the way back to the PRT HQ in relaxed silence.

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

"Hahahahahaha! I'm dying here! Literally dying!" This last was accompanied by a dramatic gesture as Trish seemed to slump across the chair she sitting in, her eyes closed and her arm across her brow as if swooning.

Allowing the last few pieces of her armor to be removed by the computerized machinery and put back into place in their racks until needed again, Taylor winced. She hedged, "It's not a date."

"It's so a date! Oh my god! You have a date with Kid Win! Even better, he's taking you to the cafeteria for dinner!"

"JARVIS, can you please make her shut up? Pretty please with sugar on top?"

The AI's tone was utterly serious as he asked, "Would that be so that you can call Kid Win up again to discuss your date, Miss?"

Taylor groaned as she banged her head on her lab table. "I hate you both. Gah! Let's talk about something else. Like how the so-called inspection went."

Trish instantly sobered,her grin fading. "They think it was you. Or rather, they think it's possible it's you. Of course, the time doohickey knocked them for a loop, so you bought some more good will with that."

"I concur, Miss. Their earlier meeting concluded that you have to be a suspect if for no other reason than you are capable of creating the nanoplague. After the inspection, Armsmaster is definitely intimidated by what you are building here, as well as alarmed at the sheer output involved in your new power systems."

Taylor shrugged. "Well, we did make the decision to be open here. I'm going to go talk to Dad and get his take on the situation."

Taylor headed out the door, then winced as Trish called after her, "Don't forget to tell him about his potential new son-in-law!"

Muttering under her breath, Taylor almost ran toward the elevator. Maybe she should have shot the teenage Tinker down, but he had been so obviously vulnerable that she hadn't had it in her heart to do so. Plus, she liked him, if not precisely in a boy girl way. Almost against her will, Taylor remembered being with girls and she shuddered. At the rate her personal life was going, she would die an old maid.

Still, better that than being mocked incessantly by her two best friends, she thought in resigned amusement.

~~~Memories of Iron~~~

AN: Next time, the meeting with Accord, Kaiser's dastardly plan, and barbecuing with Next Wave!