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Ending: 10/08/25
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Tony stared at Seph, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Alright, Mr. Mysterious. I can see that little smirk of yours. What's cooking in that overpowered brain of yours?"
Seph chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, just a little idea that might make our dear friend Justin Hammer regret ever stepping into this game."
Tony blinked. "…I like where this is going."
Rhodes frowned, tilting his head slightly. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"
Seph's smirk deepened. "Well, if Hammer wants to let a snake into his home, I say we should help him."
Both Tony and Rhodes exchanged looks before simultaneously tilting their heads in confusion.
"What?"
Seph sighed dramatically. "Seriously? You two are supposed to be geniuses, and I have to spell it out for you?"
Tony scoffed. "Excuse you, I am a genius. Rhodey here just has a military-grade forehead."
"Hey!" Rhodes barked, scowling. "This forehead has saved your ass multiple times, Stark."
Seph chuckled but then turned serious again. "Listen, we all know that a guy like Ivan Vanko, who's driven by revenge, isn't just going to help Hammer out of the kindness of his heart. If I were a betting man, I'd say he's using Hammer as a tool to get back at Tony."
Tony groaned, throwing his head back. "Oh great, so basically I'm just the universe's punching bag. Everybody wants to kill me, steal my tech, or both."
"Aw, poor Tony," Seph teased, patting his shoulder mockingly. "Want me to get you a therapy puppy?"
Tony gasped, placing a dramatic hand over his chest. "You would do that for me?"
"No."
"Ouch."
Seph chuckled but then turned to JARVIS. "JARVIS, present the gift I prepared for Tony for him getting older by another year."
The AI's smooth voice responded immediately. "Right away, sir."
A small portion of the office floor shifted, sliding open to reveal a hidden compartment. From within, a small arc reactor emerged—sleek, glowing, and distinctly different from the one in Tony's chest.
Tony's jaw dropped. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
He quickly moved forward, staring at it as if it were a work of art. "Wait, wait, wait. Is this…?"
"Powered by the new element, much better than Palladium," Seph confirmed with a smile.
Tony was dumbfounded. For the first time in his life, words failed him.
Rhodes blinked. "Holy shit…"
Tony slowly reached out and picked it up, turning it over in his hands with a reverence usually reserved for priceless treasures. "JARVIS… when did this even…?"
"Master Seph prepared this shortly before the Monaco Grand Prix," JARVIS answered.
Tony's head snapped toward Seph, his eyes wide. "Before Monaco? Are you serious?"
Seph simply shrugged. "I figured your birthday would be a good time to gift it."
For a brief moment, Tony Stark—billionaire, playboy, genius—was speechless. Then, without warning, he lunged forward and hugged Seph.
Seph chuckled, patting his back. "Alright, alright, don't get all mushy on me."
"Too late," Tony muttered.
Rhodes smirked. "You two need a room?"
"Shut up, Rhodey," Tony shot back, before finally pulling away and holding the new arc reactor up again. "Damn… I don't even know what to say. This thing is perfect."
Seph nodded. "Then why are you still standing around? Try it out."
Tony didn't need to be told twice. Within seconds, he had removed the old, palladium-powered reactor from his chest and replaced it with the new one.
The moment it clicked into place, a surge of energy coursed through him. For the first time in months, he felt… good. No burning in his chest. No slow poisoning.
Just pure, clean power.
"Oh… oh hell yeah."
Seph watched Tony bask in his newfound health for a few moments before speaking again. "Alright, now that you're done fangirling over my gift, let's talk about the real plan."
Rhodes smirked. "This should be good."
Seph leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. "We need someone on the inside. Someone Hammer would trust."
Tony blinked. "Uh, I don't think anyone in this room qualifies for that."
Seph smirked. "That's where you're wrong. Hammer would love to get his hands on your tech, Tony. So why not let him?"
Rhodes' eyes widened. "Wait… you don't mean—"
"Exactly," Seph cut in. "We let Hammer think he's winning. We let Rhodes take the Mark II suit and act like he's handing it over for upgrades."
Tony's face went blank. "Oh my God."
Rhodes, on the other hand, looked genuinely excited. "You mean I get to fly one of these bad boys?"
"Not just fly," Seph grinned. "You get to be the inside man. Let them think they're improving the suit when in reality, they're walking straight into our trap."
Tony rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful. "I have to admit… that's evil. I love it."
Seph smirked. "I thought you might."
Rhodes clapped his hands together. "So let me get this straight. I take the Mark II to Hammer, let them soup it up, and then we use that to bust them when they inevitably try something stupid?"
Seph nodded. "Pretty much."
Tony was staring at Seph now, his expression unreadable. "…How do you do that?"
Seph raised an eyebrow. "Do what?"
"Read my damn mind," Tony muttered. "I was just thinking that if something ever happened to me, I'd want Rhodey to take up the mantle of Iron Man."
Rhodes' jaw dropped. "Wait, what?!"
Tony sighed. "Yeah, yeah, don't make a big deal out of it. It's just… look, if there's anyone I trust with the suits, it's you, Rhodey."
Rhodes was visibly moved but immediately masked it with a scowl. "Damn it, Stark, don't get all sentimental on me."
Tony grinned. "What, can't handle my big emotions?"
"No, I just don't want to see you die, you reckless idiot," Rhodes snapped. "And stop making me emotional, damn it."
Tony laughed and clapped Rhodes on the back. "Relax, big guy. I'm not going anywhere just yet."
Seph smirked, watching their banter. "So, does that mean we're all in agreement?"
Rhodes took a deep breath and then nodded. "Hell yeah. I'm in."
Tony grinned. "And I officially approve of this plan."
Seph smirked. "Then it's settled. Rhodey takes the Mark II, and we let Hammer and Vanko think they're winning."
Tony cracked his knuckles. "And when the time comes… we destroy them."
Seph chuckled. "Now that's the Tony Stark I like to see."
With the plan now in motion, the real game was about to begin.
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