System Notification
[New Blueprint Unlocked]
Plasma Containment Technology – Derived from Sangheili Energy Sword technology.
Monomolecular Blade Design
Integration Potential: 98.2%
Suggestion: Adapt into modular appendage system.
The message flickered across the system screen as I sat on my bed, the hum of the Sandevistan low and steady at my back. Curved plasma arcs, magnetic fields bending impossible light into shape, monomolecular sharpness that didn't just cut — it unraveled.
"Great." I muttered. "Now we've got lightsabers with a superiority complex."
But already my mind raced. The plasma could be reshaped into appendages, mounted on a skeletal frame. Gwen's spider-limbs weren't just going to be grappling hooks anymore. They'd be weapons that even the strongest enemies would think twice about facing.
I slid vials of nanobots — diluted, safe, "training-wheels" versions into my bag. These weren't for combat. They were designed for extraction: to phase sharpnel, bullets, or foreign objects out of the body without collateral damage.
And I knew exactly who I was going to see.
Peter POV – Stark Mansion, Malibu
The journey was long but I needed to be patient. J.A.R.V.I.S led us down to the workshop and the elevator chimed open, spilling me into glass and steel. Holographic projections of armor prototypes hovered midair, glowing in blues and reds. A robotic arm lazily welded a half-finished gauntlet in the corner.
And Tony Stark was sitting on a stool with sunglasses on indoors because of course he was.
"You ghost me for a week," He said, twirling a screwdriver like a drumstick, "and then show up with… what is this, Tupperware for ants?"
I set the vials down. They pulsed faintly with silvery motes.
"Nanobots." I said. "Stripped down. Designed to remove shrapnel or fragments from your body safely. And no it's not the same as the ones swimming in me."
Tony tilted his head, watching the glow. "So… let me get this straight. You just… solved my 'shrapnel-in-heart' problem with something you whipped up between algebra homework and lunch?"
I smirked. "Don't pout. You're still the guy who built an arc reactor in a cave."
He leaned back, grinning. "Kid, you've officially crossed the line from 'impressive' to 'terrifying.' I should've put a leash on you the second I met you."
"I'd have broken it." I shot back.
He laughed, but there was steel in his eyes. "So. You come here to flex or you got something bigger in mind?"
I flicked my wristwatch, bringing up holo blueprints. Two suits rotated in the air. Mine: angular plating, segmented armor, powered with modular adaptability. Gwen's one is sleeker, lighter, with four appendages that glowed with plasma containment fields.
"I want to build these," I said. "Mine's about survivability. Gwen's… I want her to be safe. Stronger than spandex. Stronger than just webbing."
Tony whistled low, circling the projection like a shark. "Okay, first thought: horrifying. Second thought: impressive. Third thought: horrifying again. Kid, you're designing weapons platforms not costumes. But this goes beyond fanfare unless she is someone important."
I shrugged. " She's the one sitting with Mrs. Potts. Also tell that to the people who try to gut her in alleys everyday."
He didn't have an answer to that.
The Reactor Debate
Tony tapped the power core section of my design. "Okay, let's talk power source. You've sketched in a micro-fusion reactor. Ambitious. Stupid. Impossible. You're welcome for the bluntness."
"It's not impossible." I argued. "Fusion's stable if you confine it with nano-scale magnetic lattices or scaled down gravitational control units. I already have a proof-of-concept based on magnetic lattices running in my basement."
Tony blinked. "You built a miniature sun in your basement?"
"Yeah. Next to the laundry machine. Uncle Ben's happy if he doesn't have to pay for the electric bill." I deadpanned.
He rubbed his forehead. "Kid, you realize the miniaturized arc reactor solved this problem years ago, right? Energy-dense, self-sustaining, safe, already battle-tested. Why reinvent the wheel?"
"Because your arc reactor relies on palladium or as you call it Baddasium. Baddasium lasts but hard to synthesize." I countered. "Finite resources. My lattice confinement runs on hydrogen isotopes practically infinite. And if you're worried about stability, my nanobots can phase out failing components before it goes critical."
Tony narrowed his eyes. "So your plan to keep your fusion core stable… is to pray your robot ants don't screw up?"
"My plan," I said firmly, " is to never depend on someone else's tech as the baseline. If I use fusion, it's mine. It's scalable. Adaptable. Not tied to Stark Industries. Not tied to you."
For a moment, silence. Then Tony smirked, slow and wolfish. "You know, kid, most people want to be me. You? You want to make sure you never need me."
"Exactly."
He clapped me on the shoulder, grinning. "God, I love you. You're going to make me obsolete and it's going to be glorious."
Gwen and Pepper POV, Stark Mansion Lounge
Upstairs, Gwen sat across from Pepper on a sleek leather couch, cups of steaming tea between them. The skyline burned with sunset behind the glass.
Pepper's smile was warm, but sharp. "So, you've been… looking after him?"
Gwen chuckled softly. " Used to look after him. First best friend, genius yet not very good at standing up for himself. Now we look after each other. He forgets to eat, he collapses in his chair after running himself ragged while he supports me through thick and thin. Sometimes I feel like I'm dating three people at once: the genius, the vigilante's sidekick and the boy who can't stop worrying."
Pepper's eyes softened. "That sounds somewhat familiar. Tony used to vanish into his workshop for days. I'd find him half-burned, grease-stained, insisting he didn't need sleep. Men like them… they need someone to remind them they're human."
"And you never thought about walking away?" Gwen asked quietly.
"I did." Pepper admitted. "But then I realized… who else was going to make sure he didn't kill himself chasing his ghosts? Loving someone like Tony isn't easy. Loving someone like Peter won't be either. But if you choose it Gwen, you can't do it halfway."
Gwen swallowed, fingers tightening on her mug. "…I already chose. A long time ago, I just came to terms with it sometime ago."
Pepper reached over, squeezing her hand. "Then hold on and don't let the world make you doubt that choice."
Back in the Lab – Peter POV
"So let me get this straight," Tony said, spinning the hologram again. "You want to give your girlfriend plasma sword spider legs, while you strap yourself into a self-made power armor with a baby sun in the back."
I smirked. "Pretty much."
Tony threw up his hands. "Fantastic. Not only are you making me obsolete, you're making me look boring."
"Relax. You've still got the signature goatee."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, Parker. Let's get to work before your nanobots decide to eat my coffee machine."
Closing – Peter POV
The lab hummed around me. Above, Gwen laughed at something Pepper said — soft, unguarded. Beside me, Tony was already sketching upgrades onto my schematics, muttering about alloys and patents.
For the first time, I realized I wasn't alone in building anymore.
Gwen had my heart. Tony had my back. Pepper gave Gwen the wisdom to hold on.
The suits rotated in holographic light, promises of battles to come. And in that moment, I knew—
The future wasn't just mine. It was ours.
Read 20 chapters ahead on P.A.T.R.E.O.N
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