Tony stood in front of the experimental field he had personally constructed.
At the center of the field stood a massive support frame.
Beneath that frame was a two-meter-tall behemoth, concealed beneath a large black cloth.
Its protruding edges hinted at a humanoid shape.
Clearly, this was Tony's armor.
"You should feel honored," Tony said, opening his arms wide. "You are about to witness the debut of the world's greatest masterpiece! And it's the second time you've seen it!"
Leon didn't object. "Seems like that's true. Go ahead—show me your performance."
Tony's expression turned slightly more serious.
He kept his hands raised. "Start it, Jarvis."
Creak!
At his command, several mechanical arms extended from the support frame and pulled off the black cloth.
Revealed beneath was a sleek, steel-colored armor.
The surface gleamed with a liquid metallic luster, reflecting the sunlight like rippling water.
For a moment, it even felt like the dim basement brightened.
The mechanical arms continued moving, disassembling the armor into segments before reassembling it piece by piece onto Tony.
Each steel scale moved like it had a will of its own, sliding into place and layering over Tony's body.
Once fully equipped, the arms retracted, and the armor's eyes lit up with a faint glow.
Chi!
Air hissed from the gaps between the armor's plates, as if the suit were breathing.
"Look! This is my armor!" Tony declared, lifting his arms as flames blasted from both his palms and feet.
He hovered in mid-air. "This is Mark 2! I can fly now!"
"Wow, cool!" Leon looked at the metallic figure floating before him and couldn't help but admire it aloud.
Jarvis's voice suddenly echoed: "Mr. Stark, the Mark 2's flight system still requires additional testing."
"No, no, no, Jarvis. Sometimes, you have to learn to run before you can walk."
Tony dismissed the warning without hesitation.
It was clear he was eager to take to the skies.
He hovered effortlessly, opened his faceplate, and looked at Leon.
"Mark 2 is equipped with flight stabilizers, palm impact beams, and more. It's thirty years ahead of its time!"
"Now it's your turn. Where's your armor?"
Leon didn't answer immediately. Instead, he circled Tony slowly.
"Made of titanium steel, powered by new energy, integrated with the Jarvis system—yes, it's an epoch-making masterpiece."
Then his tone changed. "But it's far from perfect. I noticed you had gold among your spare materials, but you didn't use it. That's going to be a failure."
Tony frowned. "Why would I add gold to armor? That's completely unnecessary!"
"In a few minutes, you'll understand why it's necessary," Leon replied, his expression turning serious.
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing two bracelets on his wrists, glowing faintly.
"Watch closely. This is my armor. Jarvis, launch the program!"
Di!
An electronic tone sounded.
The bracelets' lights turned red, and a distant rumble echoed from upstairs—crashing, shattering noises coming from the garage above.
Tony raised a brow. "Something just broke in my lab. What are you doing?"
"Uh, probably a minor mishap with the flight path... Look, it's coming!"
Leon suddenly rose into the air and spread his arms.
At that moment, a red and blue oval pod, trailing flames, burst into the garage.
"Your armor's a flying trash can? That's really... Wait—what the hell?!"
Tony's mockery halted mid-sentence.
As the pod flew into the garage, it disassembled in midair.
Flaming armor components swirled around and attached to Leon's body with perfect precision.
Red and blue scales clamped seamlessly around his torso, assembling into a sleek, powerful suit.
The armor's eyes lit up.
Every segment moved in harmony with Leon's body, adjusting to his posture and breath.
It looked less like a machine and more like a living steel creature—an exquisite blend of beauty and strength.
Once assembled, the armor blasted flame from its back and feet, keeping Leon aloft.
He pointed to various parts of the suit, explaining the features one by one.
"My armor is powered via these bracelets. When idle, it transforms into a flying pod that can be deployed remotely.
It's not yet weaponized, but it has multiple reserve slots for future upgrades."
He turned slightly, showcasing the back. "The added propulsion unit frees up my hands for combat—or even waving hello while flying."
He continued, "There's even a liquid filtering system installed, allowing users to... relieve themselves mid-flight."
Tony, who had been awestruck, suddenly interrupted.
"Wait, wait! That last function—are you saying you installed a toilet in your suit?! That's disgusting!"
"Oh? I thought you'd appreciate that feature." Leon smirked.
Most people wouldn't know, but Leon understood Tony all too well.
That liquid filtration feature was something Tony proudly showcased in the movies.
The fact that he was pretending to dislike it now only meant he was flustered.
"Me? Appreciate that? Don't be ridiculous. That function is a disgrace to the very concept of armor!" Tony protested dramatically.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Well, either way, I win this round, right?"
He began counting. "Your armor has fewer functions, it's less convenient to wear, and it's not modular. That's three points already..."
"No, no, no, Leon. You're missing something crucial," Tony cut him off.
"Armor is a weapon. Its primary function is combat. Too many features just overcomplicate things."
Leon gestured for him to elaborate. "So?"
"So, when comparing armors, what really matters are things like speed, adaptability to the environment, and raw power."
"I don't disagree," Leon replied, already forming an idea. "Then how about this—we fly up into the sky and see who's faster and can go farther?"
Tony snapped his fingers. "Exactly what I was thinking."
"Alright. Let's head outside. Jarvis can give the countdown, and then..."
Leon increased the power to his thrusters and shot upward.
"Whoa, whoa! Leon, are you saying we're actually going to race in these suits?" Tony asked, alarmed.
"How else are we going to compare them?" Leon stopped mid-air and turned back.