Iron Man's Gift

After breakfast, Hass put on his police uniform and, unusually, put on a stern face as he called Jerry aside.

"What is it, Dad? Did Elsa break one of your collectible Lightsabers again?"

Jerry looked at the rather serious Hass in surprise. This was not Hass's usual style.

"Ahem, it's not that!"

Hass coughed awkwardly, then put on his stern expression again and said:

"Jerry, you've been sensible, kind, and righteous since you were little. Your father finds that very comforting, and I'm very proud of you.

"But you're still a child, after all. If you ever encounter something like yesterday again, I hope your first thought will be to protect yourself. You're my only son. If anything happened to you..."

Yesterday, when Hass learned at the precinct that Jerry and Elsa's bus had been hijacked by robbers, he had nearly exploded.

Later, after finding the bus, he learned from Teacher Bailey that Jerry had stepped forward and offered himself as a hostage in place of the others. His feelings had been incredibly complicated.

From the standpoint of a police officer, Hass naturally encouraged and approved of Jerry's actions.

But as a father, how could Hass possibly want his child to do something that might endanger his life?

Although Jerry was not his biological son, after all these years, Hass had long treated Jerry as his own flesh and blood.

In the end, the father in him overcame the police officer. That was why he solemnly warned Jerry that if something like this happened again, as a child, his first priority had to be protecting himself.

"I know, Dad. Honestly, I was pretty scared afterward too. I won't do it again."

Jerry was not really a child. Naturally, he understood Hass's good intentions and nodded without any argument.

Of course, if something like this happened again, ordinary child Jerry would not step in. The one who would act would be the mysterious wizard boy.

"That's good. You and Elsa play at home while I go to work. Call me if anything comes up!"

Seeing that Jerry showed no resistance or displeasure, Hass relaxed slightly.

After all, what Jerry had done was highly praiseworthy. Anyone would commend him for it, yet as his father, Hass had not expressed approval. He had been afraid Jerry would not understand what he said today and might develop some unhealthy rebelliousness.

But the result was clearly very good.

Jerry was as sensible as ever, and as unusually mature as ever. He easily understood Hass's intentions.

"Elsa, Daddy's going to work. Aren't you going to give Daddy a kiss?"

After talking with Jerry, it was almost time for work. Hass called out toward Elsa, who was watching cartoons in the living room.

Elsa did not disappoint him. She leaped off the sofa, ran over, and planted a kiss right on Hass's big face.

"Daddy, let's play a game before you go to work!"

"A game? What game?"

Hass froze for a moment.

"Let's see who can hit more lightly. If you win, I'll let you go to work!"

Elsa blinked at Hass with an innocent expression.

"Sure, that'll be easy!"

Hass clenched his fist and then gave little Elsa an extremely, extremely light tap on the stomach.

"Now it's my turn!"

Elsa giggled, clenched her little fist, and used all her strength as she shouted:

"Ice Queen's Sanction!"

Then she slammed her fist into Hass's stomach, knocking him from a crouch straight onto his butt.

"Okay, Daddy, you win. Go to work!"

After hitting him, Elsa ran back to watch cartoons without looking back, leaving Hass with a completely baffled expression.

"Ding-dong!"

Just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Hass opened the door to find a delivery man holding a long cardboard box. He politely asked:

"Is Mr. Jerry Carmen home?"

"He is. What is it?"

A puzzled expression appeared on Hass's face.

"This is his delivery. Please have him come out and sign for it!"

The delivery man set the cardboard box on the ground.

"My delivery? I didn't buy anything online."

Jerry, who had come over after hearing the commotion, looked equally confused.

He was an eleven-year-old kid. He either trained or looked for chances to earn Little Red Star, and he barely even went online. Why would he buy something online, especially something this large?

The delivery man glanced at the shipping label.

"It was sent to you by a lady named Virginia Pepper Potts!"

"That name sounds familiar."

As Jerry signed for the package, he searched through his sparse memories of Marvel movies.

"Isn't she Iron Man's girlfriend?"

"Oh my God, this is actually an Iron Man suit! This is so cool! Jerry, someone actually sent you a set of Iron Man Armor! You can't even buy this stuff on the market yet!"

While Jerry was trying to remember, Hass had already opened the box and taken out a life-sized Iron Man model that matched Jerry's proportions. He looked incredibly excited.

"Dad, Iron Man promised to give it to me when he saved me yesterday. I thought he was joking, but I didn't expect him to really send me one.

"But I thought your favorite was the Lightsaber from Star Wars?"

"Star Wars is just a movie, but Iron Man Armor really exists! I love Tony Stark's armor that can fire Energy Cannons!"

Jerry was speechless.

He had never imagined that his father Hass was also an Iron Man fan.

Someone once said that chuunibyou could be inherited. Jerry had not believed it. But after meeting Hass and Elsa, he finally understood that chuunibyou really could be inherited.

Elsa liked all kinds of magic, while Hass loved all kinds of mechs and Lightsabers.

"Dad, if you like it, you can have it!"

Jerry was not particularly interested in armor or mechanical things. He had only asked Iron Man for a model to flesh out his persona a little and keep Iron Man from becoming suspicious of him.

Besides, the model Iron Man gave him was definitely just a model. It could not possibly have anything that could be used as a weapon.

"Jerry, Daddy loves you!"

The moment Hass heard Jerry's words, he was so happy he nearly jumped up. He bent down, about to give Jerry a deep "fatherly kiss."

"Dad, it's 8:40. You have twenty minutes to get to the precinct, or you'll be late!"

Jerry raised a hand and precisely blocked Hass's "fatherly kiss."

"Oh God, time passes too quickly! Jerry, put this armor model away for me. Don't let Elsa break it!"

Hass looked at the time, hurriedly handed the Iron Man Armor model to Jerry, and rushed out in a panic.

"Sure enough, men stay boys until the day they die."

Jerry could not help shaking his head.

A thirty-six-year-old police chief, sharp and capable at the precinct, actually liked this kind of thing. Well... it really was not that strange.

After all, if someone gave him the Nunchucks Bruce Lee had used, he definitely would not be nearly as calm as he was now.