-----
-----
Peter's sudden "CEO-mode" may have earned him a few annoyed glares...
But no one dared to speak out against him.
They'd already been locked in that place for over a month. What were a few more days, really?
"So, since no one's objecting, I'll take that as a yes."
Seeing that nobody spoke up, Peter just assumed they all agreed.
Then he remembered the cheering he'd heard earlier and couldn't help but ask, "Wait, did I hear you guys say the nano-suit is finished?"
"Yeah, that's right, Mr. Superman. We actually wrapped it up already, but now that you want to make changes…"
Reed's earlier excitement over the successful experiment was gone. Now his tone had a hint of helplessness.
After all, running into a "client" like Superman… well, that's just bad luck for them.
"It's fine. The main concept of the nano-suit isn't changing. All I want is to swap out the power source. It won't take you guys much extra time."
Peter calmly explained his idea.
"Swap out the power source?"
Everyone looked a bit confused. The current nano-suit was powered by the Arc Reactor—Tony Stark's invention—one of the most groundbreaking energy technologies in the world.
And now Peter wanted to replace it? Did that mean…
"Why change it? Are you saying my Arc Reactor isn't good enough?"
Tony, who hadn't even complained when Peter asked them all to work overtime, finally lost it. He got up from the couch with a dark look and stared straight at Peter.
You could question Tony about a lot of things—but never his tech.
"Or are you telling me you found something better than the Arc Reactor?"
He wasn't just being defensive. He genuinely couldn't figure out what kind of power source could be more efficient or practical than his own creation.
"I wouldn't say it's better than the Arc Reactor," Peter replied. "It's just more suited to me."
Tony's Arc Reactor was a cold fusion device—compact and easy to carry.
Meanwhile, Dr. Otto's artificial sun setup was much larger and better suited for powering big facilities.
"Besides, the new energy source I want to use needs a special kind of tech to support it…"
In the end, Tony agreed to Peter's new plan.
Sometimes life's just like that. When you really want something, it keeps slipping away. But when you stop caring, suddenly it comes running at you, like you insulted it. Maddening.
"So anyway, show me what you've got so far."
Even though the power system still needed to be redesigned, the version of the nano-suit powered by the Arc Reactor was already pretty much perfect.
Peter wanted to see for himself what a month of hard work from all these brilliant minds had produced—and whether it lived up to his expectations.
Plus, honestly, it was time to ditch the "old" suit he was still wearing. It was cool and all, but not even as flashy as Thor's outfit.
"Alright then, let me show you what we've got…"
Just mentioning the nano-suit made everyone in the room light up. They were all proud to be part of such a groundbreaking scientific team.
Especially those lesser-known scientists. During this time, they'd come to realize just how massive the gap was between true geniuses and even the so-called elite minds of the world.
Arc Reactor tech, nanotechnology, neural interface control, AI-driven system algorithms, shock absorption systems so advanced they defied belief…
Every single one of these was the kind of tech a scientist could spend their entire life chasing—and still never crack.
But now, here they were. Built from scratch in a matter of weeks, by some of the greatest minds humanity had ever seen.
And the wildest part? They combined all those insane technologies into a single suit—the most powerful battle suit in human history.
Forget the Nobel Prize. With a suit like this, you could change the fate of an entire country.
The next second, Tony casually picked up a palm-sized, glowing, circular device from the table and slapped it onto his chest.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you're about to witness the greatest invention by the most brilliant scientist of the century—Tony Stark!"
"…Okay, fine, some of the tech was cracked by other people, but I swear, given enough time, I could've done it all by myself—"
He cut himself off as everyone gave him death stares.
"Alright, alright, I'll shut up."
Peter wasn't amused. "Cut the crap."
"Okay, okay, starting now."
Seeing the look Peter gave him, Tony didn't dare stall any longer. He tapped the device on his chest twice.
In the next moment, the nano-metal particles stored inside were activated. Fueled by the Arc Reactor, they swarmed across his body at incredible speed.
In less than five seconds, his whole body—except for his head—was wrapped in a sleek, black suit that shimmered with a metallic sheen.
"This nano-suit is made of five layers of nanostructures stacked together," Tony began explaining, full of pride.
"The inner layers are bio-nanotech. They make the suit comfy to wear and help reduce the effects of inertia when you accelerate or stop instantly—so your body doesn't get wrecked."
"The outermost layer is made from an entirely new nano-metal—harder than titanium alloy. It's strong enough to tank a missile hit head-on without taking any damage."
As the suit finished forming, Tony continued his enthusiastic demo.
"And here's the best part—you can control the whole thing just by thinking."
The next second, the suit began to morph rapidly.
Nano-particles flowed across his body, reshaping into all kinds of weapons and tools in real time.
Daggers. Swords. Shields. Hammers. Axes. Energy cannons…
"Basically, anything you can imagine, this thing can turn into—just from your thoughts."
To prove the point, Tony even formed a knife and fork in his hands—like he was about to have a fancy dinner.
"And if you're ever feeling lonely at night, it can even turn into—"
"That's enough! I don't need any of those features!"
Peter cut him off before he could go any further down that road. Those "fancy extras" were useless to him—and kinda ridiculous, to be honest.
All Peter needed was a suit that could form quickly and cover his body. That was it.
He already had a body like steel—he didn't need the extra bells and whistles.
"Alright, alright, you're the boss."
"But—there's one feature you will want."
Suddenly, Tony stopped showing off the morphing capabilities. He gave Peter a mysterious grin.
Then, jets of fire blasted out from under his feet, slowly lifting him off the ground.
Behind him, the nano-particles flowed again, forming a bright red cape that gently waved in the still air of the lab.
At the same time, the particles on his chest shifted, shaping themselves into a glowing golden "S" symbol.
"I heard that in your family… this symbol means hope."
"….."