Ultimate Iron Man

Tony Stark stood at the edge of the MIT campus, his two diplomas folded in a smooth leather case tucked under his arm. The sun had begun to set, stretching long shadows across the stone paths where he had strolled many times before.

At 19, he was even younger than all of his fellow students, but his achievements far surpassed theirs─he had graduated with degrees in physics and engineering, already had patents that brought him a steady income, and was recognized as both supremely intelligent and a little crazy.

And then, there was the other legacy. The one he never spoke about.

Tony tightened his bag's strap and walked to Rhodey, who stood a few feet away. He pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it over to Rhodey.

"What's this?" Rhodey asked, furrowing his brow as he took it. He opened it and pulled out the paper, revealing a check for $50,000. His eyes went wide as he looked at Tony. He was shocked and couldn't believe that someone would just casually give him a cheque for that amount. It was too big of a sum. "What the hell, man?"

"Relax, it's legit," Tony said, smirking. "Prize money from the robotics competition. You know, the one where I basically humiliated every other team on the planet? I never used it. Figured it's time it went somewhere worthwhile."

Rhodey shook his head, pushing the check back toward Tony. "No way. I can't take this. That's your money, Tony. You earned it."

Tony crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Rhodey, you're going to take it. And you're going to fulfill that dream of yours—military academy, right? Then use the rest to help your parents. I know things have been rough since your dad's accident. This will help."

Rhodey's jaw tightened. "That's not the point. My family doesn't need charity, and neither do I."

Tony's smirk faded, replaced by a rare moment of sincerity. "It's not charity. It's a little bribe from me so that when you reach your goal, you can help me out whenever I do something stupid."

Rhodey gave him that look.

Tony sighed. "Look, I don't do this kind of thing, ever... but you're the best damn person I know. You've stood by me when I didn't deserve it. You've got this whole 'honor' and 'duty' thing I'll never understand, but the world needs people like you. So, take the damn check before I hack into your bank account and deposit it myself."

Rhodey stared at him, conflicted, before finally sighing and putting the check into his pocket. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"Yeah, I've heard that once or twice," Tony said with a grin. "But seriously, Rhodes, don't waste this. Go do your thing. Be the hero everyone already knows you are."

Rhodey chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Alright, Tony. I'll take it. But you'd better promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Take care of yourself. And maybe, just maybe, try not to burn the world down in the process."

Tony gave him a mock salute. "Scout's honor."

The two friends exchanged a firm handshake that quickly turned into a bro hug. As they pulled apart, Tony felt a pang of something unfamiliar. Gratitude? Regret? He wasn't sure. But it was quickly buried under his usual bravado.

"I'm heading out tonight," Tony said as checked his wristwatch. It was time to pack up all his properties from the makeshift lab of his. The truck should already be there.

Rhodey nodded, his expression serious. "Good luck, man. And if you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

Tony gave him a parting wave before striding toward the waiting car.

...

[Stark mansion]

The tall iron gates opened with a little, mechanical sound, revealing the long driveway flanked by tall cypress trees. The driver drove the car onto the gravel and parked near the entrance to the mansion. Tony stepped out.

It had been three years since he had left home, living in campus housing while attending MIT. But everything looks the same, down to the last detail.

Jarvis, the family butler, was waiting for him at the door. He was in his usual crisp black suit, "Master Anthony," he said with a warm smile, "Welcome home."

"Jarvis!" Tony greeted, grinning at the familiar face. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I can't complain, sir. And you look like a grown man now."

"I suppose that's what happens when you're not around your old guardians." Tony chuckled. "What about Dad? Is he home?"

"Your father is currently occupied at Stark Industries," Jarvis said as they walked inside. "There was an urgent board meeting that required his attention."

Tony smirked faintly. "Of course there was."

Before Jarvis could respond, a sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway. Tony turned, just in time to see his mother rushing toward him. Maria Stark's face lit up with unrestrained joy as she opened her arms wide.

"Tony!" she exclaimed, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Oh, my darling boy!"

Tony stiffened at first. Physical affection wasn't exactly his forte but eventually, he relaxed and hugged her back. "Hey, Mom."

Maria pulled back just enough to study his face, her hands gently cupping his cheeks. "Look at you. You're all grown up. I swear, you left a boy, and now you're a man."

He shrugged with a wry smile. "What can I say? Time flies when you're drowning in late nights and coffee."

Her expression softened, though concern lingered in her eyes. "You look tired, Tony. Have you been taking care of yourself?"

"Define 'taking care,'" He replied lightly, sidestepping the question. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Maria sighed but didn't press the issue. Instead, she took his arm and led him toward the living room. "Come, sit down. I want to hear everything—what you've been up to, how your classes went, everything."

Jarvis took his bags back to his room.

.

.

"Two degrees. Haha. You really outdid yourself, Tony," Maria said proudly, sipping her tea as she listened to Tony talk about MIT. "Your father is so proud. He wanted to pick you up from the campus himself, but he received an emergency call from the company. He asked me to apologize for not being here."

"I understand. He's busy, and I don't mind. But enough about me. How are you doing?" Tony asked, trying to change the topic. "How's Dad been?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a few charity events here and there," Maria said dismissively, as if they were nothing. "And Howard is...well, you know how he is."

"He isn't drinking again, is he?" Tony asked with concern in his eyes.

Maria sighed. "No, thank goodness. It has been two years since his last slip. But he's still working far too much. I tell him he should take a break, but he never listens. I guess some things never change." She smiled at him, reaching over to place her hand on top of his. "And you, Mister. Go to your room and sleep." She said noticing the black circles under his eyes and his exhausted expression.

"But Mom, I'm not sleepy yet," Tony whined like a kid. "I need to arrange my lab again."

Maria raised an eyebrow and gave him a stern look. "Do not argue with your mother. I'll wake you up at dinner."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll go to bed."

She patted his hand gently. "That's my boy. Now, off you go. You need your rest."

Tony got up from the couch and leaned down to kiss Maria on the cheek. "Good night, Mom."

"Good night, dear."

With a smile and a nod to Jarvis, Tony headed upstairs to his room.

...

[Morning]

The morning sun came through the gaps in the curtains followed by the smell of freshly brewed coffee and warm croissants wafted through the air from the kitchen and gently woke him up. Tony groaned and rolled over, burying his face into the pillow. He didn't have a headache today but felt too lazy to move. It had been quite long since he slept this late. He looked at the table clock, "Sigh!" It was already 8 a.m.

"Sir," Jarvis's voice came from outside the door, followed by a light knock. "Your mother requested I wake you for breakfast. She insisted, in fact."

Tony grumbled but pushed himself up from bed. His room was mostly bare, save for the essential furniture and a few scattered pieces of clothing.

"Fine," he muttered as he sat up. "Tell her I'm coming."

"As you wish, sir."

Jarvis turned and left.

"Hungg!!" He yawned and stretched before getting out of bed. He took his robe and dragged his feet toward the bathroom to wash up before heading downstairs.

Downstairs, Maria sat at the grand dining table. The table was set with an array of breakfast foods—eggs, toast, bacon, and fresh fruit. Howard's seat, as expected, was empty. And the TV was on.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Maria greeted, her face lighting up as Tony shuffled into the room.

"Morning, Mom," Tony mumbled, grabbing a piece of toast and flopping into a chair.

"Did you sleep well?"

"As well as I ever do," he replied, taking a bite.

Maria gave him a concerned look but didn't push. Instead, she gestured to the television mounted on the wall. "You should watch this. It's all over the news."

Tony glanced at the screen as the anchorman's voice cut through the serene breakfast atmosphere.

"...in a shocking turn of events, the United States narrowly avoided disaster late last night. Soviet missiles, believed to be part of a Cold War escalation, were launched in the direction of major U.S. cities. However, in an unprecedented twist, the missiles' trajectories were altered mid-flight."

Tony continued eating, 'So, Hank did it. Janet should be safe. Phew! Another event altered. Now, hope it doesn't come to bite me in the ass.'

The screen showed a map of the missile paths. Red arcs represented their initial trajectories toward Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles. Midway, the paths abruptly veered, redirecting toward remote locations marked with black dots.

"These black dots," the reporter continued, "represent known bases of terrorist organizations. According to military sources, these facilities were utterly destroyed in the strikes. Notably, one of the largest targets, thought to be a Hydra compound, was obliterated in what experts are calling 'a precision strike on a massive scale.'"

Tony's brow furrowed as he tried to put on his act. "Hydra? As in the Nazi offshoot? I thought they were long gone."

Maria set her cup down, her expression grave. "That's what they've always wanted us to believe."

The reporter continued, "While initial analysis suggested sabotage, experts are now speculating that the missile guidance systems were hacked. The level of sophistication required to alter such systems remotely has left military analysts stunned. But whoever did that, saved millions of lives in just one night. It's truly a miracle. If you are watching, then thank you, hero."

Tony felt like facepalming, "Hero? Seriously?" He shook his head as he took another bite of his toast.

Maria turned to her son, her gaze softening. "It's all over the news. Everyone is praising this mysterious person. And who knows? Maybe there really is a superhero out there."

He forced a smile, swallowing his food before saying, "Maybe."

The screen shifted to a press conference. A general stood behind a podium, flanked by somber officials. "We are conducting a full investigation," he said, his voice firm. "This level of cyber warfare is unprecedented, and we are exploring all possibilities."

Tony leaned back in his chair, "Hacking Soviet missiles? That's... insane. Whoever did this must've had access to some serious tech."

Maria's eyes remained on the screen, her hand gripping her teacup tightly. "What do you think, Tony? Could someone really do that?"

He shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Theoretically, sure. But it would take a genius. Or a lunatic. Or both."

Maria narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. "You know something?"

Tony smirked. "I plead the fifth."

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[Read over 16 advance chapters] [No double billing]

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