The lab was filled with a bright, clean light.
Tony had done it.
Using the old map his father left behind, he had created a brand-new element.
It didn't look like the old, dirty palladium.
It was pure and white, humming with power.
Sam stood by as Tony swapped the old core for the new one.
As soon as the new element clicked into place, the dark veins on Tony's neck vanished.
The "muddy" energy in his chest was replaced by a clear, steady glow.
"I feel... incredible,"
Tony whispered, looking at his hands.
"No more poison. No more ticking clock."
"You did it, Tony,"
Sam said, smiling.
To celebrate, Tony did what he does best: he threw a massive party. The Malibu mansion was filled with music, expensive drinks, and famous people.
Tony was in the middle of it all, laughing and telling stories. He looked younger and stronger than ever.
But Sam wasn't partying. He stood in the shadows near the balcony, wearing a simple black suit.
His eyes moved across the room, watching every guest.
To the people there, he looked like a quiet assistant.
But to Sam, the room was a map of energy.
He could see the bright, happy light of Pepper Potts as she talked to guests.
He could see the sharp, disciplined energy of Natasha, who was attending the party as "Natalie" the legal assistant to keep an eye on things for S.H.I.E.L.D.
And then, there was Obadiah.
Obadiah was standing by the bar, holding a glass of scotch.
His energy was darker than before. It was no longer just "muddy"—it was heavy and sharp, like a cold iron blade.
He was watching Tony with eyes that were full of hate.
Pepper walked over to Sam, holding two glasses of water. She looked tired but relieved.
"He's really okay now, isn't he?"
She asked, looking at Tony.
"He is,"
Sam said, taking a glass.
"The new element saved his life. But be careful, Pepper. When a light gets brighter, the shadows get darker."
He nodded toward Obadiah. Pepper looked and shivered.
"He hasn't spoken to Tony all night. He just watches. It's... it's creepy."
"Don't worry,"
Sam said softly.
"I'm not letting him near the lab or Tony. My job hasn't changed."
As the night went on, Tony staggered over to Sam, looking a bit dizzy from all the excitement.
"Sam! My man! Why aren't you dancing? I have five models over there who want to know who the 'mysterious silent guy' is,"
Tony joked, leaning on the railing.
"I'm fine right here, boss,"
Sam said, his hand resting near his pocket where he kept a small wooden charm he had carved. It was infused with his Foundation Establishment Qi.
"Someone has to make sure you don't fall off the balcony."
Tony looked at Sam, his eyes becoming serious for a moment.
"You knew I'd find it, didn't you? The new element. You saw it before I did."
"I saw that you weren't finished yet,"
Sam replied.
"A man with your spirit doesn't just go out quietly."
Tony clapped him on the back.
"You're a good man, Sam. Weird, but good."
As Tony went back to the crowd, Sam felt a sudden cold chill. It wasn't the wind.
It was a spike of dark energy coming from the basement level. Obadiah had disappeared from the bar.
Sam closed his eyes and let his Qi flow through the floorboards.
He felt Obadiah moving toward the private elevator that led to the lab.
"Natasha,"
Sam whispered into his small earpiece.
"I see him,"
Her voice came back, cool and ready.
"He's heading for the storage room. Should I take him out?"
"No,"
Sam said, his voice turning cold.
"Let him try. I want to see exactly what he's been building in the dark. Just keep Pepper safe. I'll handle the snake."
The party music was still thumping upstairs, but the basement was cold and quiet.
Sam stepped out of the elevator. He didn't turn on the lights.
He didn't need to. His Foundation Establishment eyes could see the dark, oily energy filling the room.
Suddenly, a massive light flickered on. Standing in the center of the lab was a monster. It was ten feet tall, painted in dull, heavy silver. This was the Iron Monger. It looked like Tony's suit, but it was bigger, meaner, and built for war.
The helmet opened, and Obadiah Stane looked out. He was grinning.
"I knew you were more than a coffee boy, Sam,"
Obadiah boomed through the speakers.
"But it doesn't matter. This is the peak of human science. Your little 'spirit tricks' are over."
Obadiah slammed the helmet shut and charged. The floor cracked under the machine's weight. He swung a massive metal fist at Sam's head.
Sam didn't move. He wanted to test his new body. He raised his arms to block.
BOOM!
The force was like a truck hitting a wall.
Sam was pushed back ten feet, his shoes leaving black marks on the concrete.
His muscles burned. Even with his iron-like bones, the pure weight of the machine was incredible. It was heavy, cold, and strong.
"Is that all?"
Obadiah laughed. He fired a shoulder rocket.
Sam tilted his head, and the rocket zipped past his ear, exploding against a wall.
Sam realized that against a machine this big, he couldn't just use his muscles.
He had to use his Qi.
Sam reached for the Chinese sword on his back.
As his fingers touched the handle, the "pond" of energy in his Dantian began to overflow.
A bright, pink light rushed down his arm and into the steel.
The sword didn't just glow; it began to hum with a beautiful, musical sound that drowned out the noise of the machine.
"Science is good, Obadiah,"
Sam said, his voice echoing in the lab.
"But you forgot that the soul is older than the engine."
Obadiah roared and tried to grab Sam with a giant claw.
Sam moved. He didn't run; he flowed like a petal in the wind.
He used the Blossom Step, appearing behind the Iron Monger in a blink.
Obadiah turned and fired the heavy machine guns on his arms.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Sam swung his sword in a blur. He wasn't just blocking; he was cutting the air itself.
Every bullet that hit his pink Qi shield turned into dust.
"Enough games,"
Sam whispered.
He held the sword with both hands. He poured half of his liquid Qi into the blade.
The pink light became so bright that Obadiah had to look away.
The air in the lab grew warm, and the scent of cherry blossoms became overwhelming.
Sam leaped into the air. He looked like a streak of pink lightning.
"Cherry Blossom Art: Falling Petal!"
He swung the sword down. There was no loud bang. There was only a soft shiiing sound.
Sam landed softly on the other side of the room and sheathed his sword.
For a second, nothing happened. Obadiah stayed frozen in the giant suit.
"What did you do?"
Obadiah growled.
"You missed!"
Then, a thin pink line appeared across the chest of the Iron Monger.
Then another along the arms. With a loud CLANG, the massive machine slid apart.
The arms fell off. The heavy torso split in two.
The suit was perfectly cut in half, but Obadiah was sitting right in the middle, untouched.
Not a single hair on his head was harmed.
The cut had been so precise that it passed within millimeters of his skin without drawing blood.
Obadiah sat in the wreckage of his multi-million dollar war machine, trembling.
He looked at Sam, and for the first time, he saw a god instead of a boy.
"The party is over, Mr. Stane,"
Sam said, his eyes glowing with calm power.
Natasha stepped out from the shadows, her hand on her hip.
She looked at the sliced machine and then at Sam.
She gave him a slow, proud smile.
"Nice cut, Sam. I think the boss is going to have some questions about his floor, though."
Read more at [email protected]/phelio currently at chapter 44