The Iron Lung System

Howard's son was born.

Far away in Canada, Brad learned the news immediately, having kept New York under surveillance through technological means.

Brad could now confirm that this was definitely not the future Tony Stark.

Although the baby had not been named at first, he was diagnosed with a severe genetic disorder as soon as he was born.

He could not breathe on his own. Although life-support equipment designed by Howard himself was keeping him alive, this was no lasting solution.

Howard seemed to have aged years overnight, with his white hair, the wrinkles on his face, and the toll that round-the-clock work and worry had taken on his body.

He resigned as chief scientist of the Strategic Scientific Reserve and began searching the world for a way to save his child.

Once a staunch scientific materialist, he had become a pitiful father willing to try anything, beg for anything, and even believe anything.

Later, he even named his child Arno Stark, hoping to borrow a little of the luck of the world bodybuilding champion who had recently become immensely popular among ordinary people.

He began poring over research material left behind by Hydra, looking into magic, witchcraft, and even the ancient qi cultivators of the mysterious East.

Whenever he discovered someone with unusual abilities, Howard visited them in person, humbled himself, and begged them to save his son.

Some eagerly tried to help, but their efforts always came to nothing.

"Sometimes, saving a single life is far harder than saving the world, Stark."

A wizard waved his hand and blew Howard, who had come seeking help, out through the door.

Howard stood outside, his body trembling slightly.

JARVIS stood beside him, glanced up at the dark clouds, and opened an umbrella just in time to shield Howard from the approaching rain.

"Let's go, sir."

A light rain began to fall, and the two figures receded down the street.

"Wait, Mr. Stark!"

Two young men ran toward them through the rain.

Howard stopped.

Two impossibly young men appeared before him.

The young man who had just called out to Howard introduced himself. "My name is Charles, and this is Erik."

(The future Professor X and Magneto.)

"Perhaps we can help you, Mr. Stark."

Erik stared coldly at Howard and snorted.

"Why should we help a warmonger?"

"I've explained this many times on the way here, Erik. To open the first door toward peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants."

Howard learned from Charles that a school for mutants existed.

A spark of hope rekindled within him, and he brought his son and an entire set of life-support equipment to Charles's castle, now the school for mutants.

At Charles's signal, a group of young mutants with healing abilities took turns trying to help.

But in the end, every one of them shook their head.

Then a mutant known as Mr. M placed his hand on the glass enclosure around the life-support equipment and stood motionless, frowning, like an Eastern qigong master channeling his power.

Howard, who had been monitoring his son's vital signs on the instruments, rose to his feet in delighted surprise.

Arno's condition was actually improving!

But it lasted only half an hour before Mr. M collapsed to the floor, his face pale.

"I'm sorry, Professor Charles. My ability isn't strong enough yet. I can't reach deep into his genes to cure this child's illness."

Howard swallowed his pride and stayed for several more days.

He stayed until Mr. M passed out from exhaustion.

Finally, after repeated, thorough examinations, Howard and Charles realized that Arno's genetic disorder had not been cured, only greatly alleviated.

Even if they continued treatment, this was the best result they could hope for.

With lingering regret, Howard left the X Academy, thanking them profusely.

Then he received a message from Brad.

"Let me try."

Fortunately, Mr. M had bought Howard a great deal of time, and Arno's condition was no longer so critical.

Howard immediately brought Arno to Canada.

A figure as small and thin as before stood outside the base to welcome Howard.

Meanwhile, the real Brad, who had grown to a height of 1.8 meters, was using surveillance feeds to remotely control the Ultimate Nullifier Robot built to resemble his former physique.

Mind Uploading Technology and Brad's formidable programming skills had allowed him to transfer some of his behavioral patterns into this specially built TX-Type Ultimate Nullifier.

No outsider could tell the difference.

Unless he went through an airport security scanner.

Inside the base, Howard saw the results of Brad's recent research.

Animals fitted with various mechanical prosthetic limbs bounded around the observation room.

"These are only the preliminary results. Some of the others are in the underground laboratory."

For the first time, Howard truly felt his eyes had been opened.

He examined the data and physical specimens Brad showed him.

There were pigs fitted with mechanical hearts and snakes with bionic skeletons. Brad had achieved a success rate of over eighty percent in combining biology and machinery.

This was Brad's attempt to explore the heights Bolivar would reach in the future.

But he clearly still had a long way to go, because Bolivar had replicated biological genes in the Sentinels, which could also independently analyze their surroundings and evolve to counter specific threats.

For now, however, Brad had become one of the most promising candidates to solve Arno Stark's strange respiratory illness.

"Did you... start these experiments combining biology and machinery for Arno?"

Howard looked up from the computer screen and gazed at Brad with a complicated expression.

"Of course not."

"Brad" folded his arms.

"At first, I just wanted to study prosthetic limbs. But after I heard about your son, I expanded the experiments in this direction."

"Actually, I did it for you, Howard."

"Brad" adjusted his glasses.

"Your talent deserves to be put to use. Resigning from your job for your son makes you a good father, but it also seriously limits what you can accomplish."

"My experiments are nearly complete. Join me, Howard. Together, we'll solve your son's problem quickly, and then you can return to your post."

Howard's white beard trembled. He stumbled into several office chairs, knocking them over as he hurried excitedly toward Brad and embraced him.

He felt a little hard to the touch.

But Howard paid no attention to that.

Only when he began working alongside Howard in the same laboratory did Brad realize just how formidable he was.

No wonder Howard did most of his research alone. The vast majority of people in this world simply could not keep up with his train of thought.

Even Brad often needed some time to grasp Howard's ideas when inspiration suddenly struck him.

Six months later, Howard and Brad jointly developed the Iron Lung System and successfully implanted it into Arno Stark's chest, with only a very mild rejection response.

Watching his son drift peacefully to sleep in his arms, Howard excitedly promised Brad a portion of the shares in Stark Industries.

Brad shook his head and declined the offer. Howard fell silent for a moment, then converted those shares into funds and set the money aside. He used it to establish the Maria Foundation, making Brad and his own son Arno its actual joint owners.

He also decided that when little Arno turned three, Brad would become his godfather.