Just then, Tony's agonizing screams in the experimental chamber abruptly stopped. The entire lab instantly fell into a dead silence.
"What's wrong, Jarvis?" Ethan quickly asked.
"Sir, Mr. Tony's vital signs are stable. The serum transformation is complete."
WHOOSH!
The chamber door let out a slight pressure release sound, then slowly rose. A thick plume of white, cold vapor emanated from the chamber, like dry ice marking the opening of a stage play. Henry and Ethan simultaneously looked into the chamber.
A body full of power and beauty was presented before them. Tony Stark was still Tony Stark. But he also seemed to have completely changed into a different person. His already fit body was now even taller and more proportionate.
The lines of every muscle looked as if they had been meticulously sculpted, full of explosive power, yet without any bulkiness. His height seemed to have increased significantly, easily exceeding six feet. His skin, which had been somewhat pale from continuous fatigue, now looked full of vitality and health.
Most importantly, his entire demeanor had changed. If the old Tony Stark was an unreservedly sharp genius, the current one was like a powerful, restrained beast.
He slowly opened his eyes. He looked down at his hands, then felt his finely sculpted abs, and then slowly stepped out of the experimental chamber.
"I have to say..." he spoke, his voice much deeper than before, with a husky, magnetic quality.
"This feeling is actually pretty good."
He stretched his neck, producing a series of crisp cracks. Then, he looked up at Henry, who was watching him with an amused expression, and gave that familiar arrogant smile.
"Hey, little brother," he said.
"Didn't you just say my ass wasn't perky enough?"
"Oh? It seems your ears work pretty well, even though you were screaming like a castrated pig earlier," Henry shot back without missing a beat.
"What, do you want to compare now? I don't mind letting you know what true natural talent looks like."
"Alright," Tony scoffed, walking up to Henry, scrutinizing him with a provocative gaze.
"However, I must admit, your 'seven-times-a-night' claim is very appealing. I feel like I could easily do seventeen times now, let alone seven. You should believe that I can punch a tiger to death now."
"I believe it," Henry nodded, then his tone shifted.
"But I'm more curious, can you punch yourself to death now? After all, anyone can brag."
"Damn it, your whole family is pathetic!!" Tony instantly exploded.
"Oh, I forgot. We are family," Henry noted, nodding his head.
"..." Tony felt like this bastard was about to provoke him into a second mutation.
"By the way," he forcefully changed the subject, trying to salvage some of his older brother's dignity.
"Regarding that Phase Two Boss Battle plan, I have to say, Henry, your idea is not bad. I really like it. I've already had Jarvis pre-set a battle-damage self-destruct sequence in my Mark III. Next time some fool comes looking for trouble, I'll give him a big surprise."
"Oh? Is that so?" Henry raised an eyebrow.
"Then you'd better be careful. Don't end up blowing yourself up instead of delivering a surprise. After all, I don't trust the reliability of a program set by a guy whose brain is only filled with parties."
"Are you questioning my professional capability!"
"I'm merely stating an objective fact."
They were once again locked in a new round of arguments over the aesthetics of their Armor. Ethan watched them, shaking his head and smiling helplessly. He knew that the familiar Tony was back.
And he was stronger, and even more of a jerk, than before.
"Oh, you've admitted defeat already? I thought your mouth was as tough as your body now," Henry sneered, an expression that implied, I knew it.
"Fine, since you just rolled off the assembly line and haven't passed the warranty yet, I'll let you off this time."
Tony ignored his trash talk. He subconsciously placed his hand on his chest. The faint blue light of the Arc Reactor was still running smoothly there. He didn't say anything, but a subtle look of surprise and relief flashed in his eyes.
The symptoms of palladium poisoning, which had constantly plagued his body, robbing him of sleep and reminding him that his life was ticking away, were actually gone!
He could distinctly feel that every breath was easier, and every heartbeat was filled with power, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Henry looked at his thoughtful expression and instantly knew what he was thinking. Tony's palladium poisoning had already started at this point in the timeline.
"What's wrong?" Henry asked lazily, his voice slightly irritating.
"Are you thinking about why your body, which was about to be scrapped, suddenly feels so light? Are you surprised that your poisoning symptoms have eased? Surprised? Shocked?"
Tony's body stiffened. He immediately retracted his hand and put on an arrogant expression that implied, What nonsense are you talking about?
"No. What are you rambling about? My body is perfectly fine, a hundred times better than yours. I was just feeling the power brought by this brand-new body. You muscle-brained, simple-minded people wouldn't understand."
He didn't want Henry to know his true condition. He certainly didn't want his brother, who always enjoyed seeing him fail, to know the bad news that he was slowly dying from palladium poisoning. This was his ridiculous and pathetic older brother's pride.
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