Chapter 9: The Heart of Iron
The world held its breath. Days turned into weeks, and the news from Afghanistan remained grim. Then, a flicker of hope. Tony Stark was alive. The mansion, which had been a mausoleum of worry, suddenly burst back to life. Pepper, her eyes red-rimmed but shining with relief, was constantly on the phone, coordinating his return. Adama and Morgan, from their hidden vantage point, watched the news channels with a quiet intensity.
Then came the press conference. Tony, looking disheveled but defiant, walked in, flanked by Rhodey and Pepper. He cut off the prepared statement, grabbed the microphone, and in a move that would forever echo through the annals of pop culture, declared: "I am Iron Man."
Adama, watching the live feed with Morgan, couldn't help but grin. "Well, there it is. The moment that launched a thousand fan theories and approximately zero successful attempts at building a real Iron Man suit in a garage."
Morgan, however, was less amused and more concerned. "He looks... different. More intense. And that thing in his chest..."
"That's the arc reactor," Adama explained, his voice low. "It's keeping him alive. And it's going to power his suits." He knew the initial arc reactor was crude, prone to issues. He also knew that a faulty power source could derail Tony's entire journey, or worse.
"Can't have the main character dying of a faulty battery. That's just bad writing. And I'm here to fix bad writing."
He focused on the System, a specific command forming in his mind. "Luck Save. Target: Tony Stark's arc reactor. Priority: Stability and flawless operation."
[System Message] Luck Save Activated. Arc reactor stability secured. 10 Non-Permanent Luck Points spent.
The System's response was instantaneous, a subtle hum that resonated through Adama's mind. He felt a faint, almost imperceptible shift in the cosmic probabilities, a gentle nudge in the fabric of reality. Somewhere, in Tony's chest, the nascent arc reactor, which might have flickered or caused a minor power surge, now hummed with perfect, unwavering efficiency.
Later that day, Tony returned to the mansion, a whirlwind of energy and new obsessions. He immediately retreated to his lab, muttering about "clean energy" and "personal responsibility." Pepper tried to get him to rest, to eat, to simply be, but Tony was already lost in the intoxicating allure of his new creation.
Adama and Morgan observed him from a distance, their presence unnoticed amidst the chaos of Happy Hogan trying to manage the media and Pepper trying to manage Tony.
"He's already building," Morgan whispered, watching the faint glow from the lab. "He's not even taking a break."
"That's Tony," Adama said, a wry smile on his face. "When he gets an idea, he's like a dog with a bone. A very smart, very rich dog with a penchant for high-tech weaponry." He felt a quiet satisfaction. The arc reactor was stable. The path was clear. Tony would build his suit. The world would get its Iron Man.
He knew the road ahead for Tony would be fraught with peril, with self-doubt, and with the constant weight of his legacy. But now, at least, he wouldn't have to worry about his heart giving out due to a design flaw. That, Adama thought, was a small victory in a world full of much larger battles. And it was a victory he and Morgan had secured, silently, from the shadows. The Heart of Iron was beating strong.
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