"Next ability… hmm, that's it. The tests are done, Tony," Leon said, spreading his hands.
"Done?" Tony perked up, straightening his back as if he'd just heard good news.
He zoomed in on the chart on the computer. "I thought you'd give me a whole page of abilities."
"A whole page? It wouldn't be that exaggerated," Leon floated over to Tony.
"Why not?" Tony replied in an exaggerated tone. "I remember you saying you had all of Superman's abilities."
"I thought you were going to show off, like reversing time in Superman 1, or using heat vision to heal wounds."
Leon landed in front of him. "Don't joke around. How could I have those kinds of abilities?"
"You said it yourself—you have all the abilities Superman has," Tony insisted. "I still remember the confident look on your face when you said that in the garage."
Leon was momentarily speechless. He'd been struck by his own boastful words.
Who told him to make such claims, especially when this world hadn't even seen Henry Cavill's Man of Steel Superman yet?
The earlier versions of Superman in film and TV were much stronger than Cavill's portrayal. At the time, he had been referring to Cavill's Superman when comparing himself.
Leon sighed. "Okay, I take it back. Actually, I only have the abilities of a Kryptonian."
"Superman is strong because he's the protagonist in the comics," Leon explained. "His Kryptonian relatives aren't as powerful."
"And neither am I," he added, walking to the computer to check the records. "Don't assume my strength will keep increasing at this rate. I think I'm already close to my current limit."
Tony found this interesting. "Really? That makes sense. A lifeform capable of reproduction shouldn't have unlimited evolutionary potential."
He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we can run a simple experiment, build a model, and estimate your future growth curve?"
"That's exactly what I want to do," Leon agreed readily. "But I'll need your help with the upcoming tests."
"No problem," Tony replied without hesitation.
Leon smiled and patted Tony on the shoulder. "Thanks, Tony."
"But for now, we should head back. There's still a basement waiting to be repaired."
"Damn it, you shouldn't have mentioned the basement. I can already picture Pepper's angry face," Tony said, looking up at the sky, where countless raindrops were falling.
"How about this? You deal with Pepper, and I'll fix the basement."
"I don't like this deal... but deal!"
Night.
Leon used biokinesis, combined with heat vision and freezing breath, to solidify the last part of the rebuilt wall. He casually wiped the cement from his palm onto his denim jumpsuit.
"Phew… finished!"
Leaning against the wall, he looked around, pleased with his night's work. The once battle-scarred basement, full of holes and debris, was now completely renewed—even the spray paint had been redone.
Superpowers really are productive!
After making sure everything was in place, Leon walked upstairs.
He headed to the yard, casually took off his denim jumpsuit, and dove into the pool.
After swimming dozens of laps, he surfaced, flicked his hair back, and leaned on the pool's edge, gazing at the stars.
The summer night air was misty over the pool, the sound of water gently lapping at the edges creating a calming atmosphere. Streams of water trickled down Leon's muscular frame, each line of muscle perfectly highlighted.
"Tired, huh? Congratulations, you've been promoted to the Stark family's official renovation guy. No more worrying about repairs at home," Tony's voice came from behind.
Leon didn't even turn around. "Just this once. Next time something breaks, you're fixing it yourself, Tony."
Tony handed him a glass of red wine. "Then next time, you face Pepper. She just left and wouldn't stop complaining about how I keep destroying things at home and need to get back to work at the company."
"She's right—you really should go to work, Tony," Leon chuckled. "What kind of company president lounges around at home all day? That company's bound to go bankrupt."
Tony swirled his wine. "Maybe I just happen to have that kind of president by my side?"
"Go away. I'll find a replacement CEO before you even know it," Leon laughed, taking a hearty sip of wine.
Their conversation paused there.
The pool fell silent, with only the breeze and the gentle flow of water in the background.
After a while, Tony suddenly jumped into the water with a splash. He swam a few laps, then stopped beside Leon, panting lightly and staring at the stars with him.
"Leon…" Tony began, then fell quiet for a moment.
"What is it? If you've got something to say, just spit it out. Why are you acting all shy?" Leon immediately caught on to Tony's hesitation.
Tony shrugged. "I just think… maybe we brothers should have a real talk."
"What's with the sudden sentiment? Are you playing the role of Daddy Tony now? Don't tell me I scared you today."
Tony nodded. "You did scare me. But not in a bad way."
"I just didn't expect your power to reach such an outrageous level."
He took a sip of wine. "It's beyond anything the world can comprehend."
"One punch with the force of 3.6 million tons of TNT… There's no one on Earth who could stop you if you really wanted to do something."
"Including me," he added, genuinely astonished.
He glanced at Leon's chiseled form. "You're too powerful. If someone else had seen what you did today, they might not be able to sleep tonight out of fear."
"Would you?" Leon asked.
"Of course not! I'm your dearest brother!"
"I'm the brother who still took you to dances to meet pretty girls even after you peed on me when you were two!"
"How could I be scared just because you've gotten stronger? I'm only happy for you!"
Tony sounded sincerely proud.
Leon knew Tony wasn't the type to lie. No one had ever made him feel the need to. And now, his tone was as calm and smooth as flowing water, impossible to doubt.
"I know you, Leon. You've never been someone who uses power, or wealth, or flattery to get your way."
"In these past eighteen—almost nineteen—years, you've never used your money or status to do anything bad."
"Just like me!" Tony added quickly, not one to let an opportunity to boast pass.
"So I want to ask—do you have any plans for the future?"
At this moment, Tony truly sounded like a devoted father earnestly guiding his son into adulthood. You could hear the fear in his voice—fear that Leon might lose balance with his newfound power and behave like a reckless upstart.
Leon could tell Tony was worried, though it felt a bit like he was being underestimated.
Still, Tony's concern, delivered without his usual arrogance, was deeply touching.