"Oh, right. How could I forget you, old buddy?"
Tony had expected JARVIS to appear. In fact, the Smart Assistant's presence made him breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Lumine remained quiet beside him. Even JARVIS's sudden voice hadn't stirred the slightest change in her expression. When Tony stopped, she stopped too.
"It's fine. A minor issue."
Giving the girl a reassuring look, Tony pulled back his sleeve to reveal a watch-like device. His fingers kept working as he spoke to his old friend JARVIS.
"Don't panic, JARVIS. I know there's another Tony Stark in the room beneath my feet, but don't worry. I'm not an impostor either."
After tapping his wrist device twice, Tony looked up. "I assume you checked my vitals the moment you detected us, then discovered your signal was being blocked."
[Yes.] JARVIS was perfectly candid. [Although my analysis indicates that you are genetically identical to the Mr. Tony inside, judging by your appearance and bodily functions, you, the intruding 'Mr. Tony,' are clearly older.] [I have activated the CN7954 Contingency Plan. The connection will be restored shortly.]
JARVIS's utterly serious tone nearly made Tony lose his composure. "Ahem, ahem. CN7954? What's that? Oh! The clone countermeasures I programmed for you in college?"
It took Tony two seconds to remember exactly what Contingency Plan 7954 was. He hadn't expected something he'd written on a whim years ago to come boomeranging back at him today.
"All right, a reasonable conclusion, but I'm not a clone, and I'm not old! I'm just... more mature than he is!"
[If that phrasing offers you some comfort.]
There was a subtle wit and humor to JARVIS's tone, and even his voice seemed lively and playful. He sounded as though he were genuinely having a friendly conversation with