A Challenge

Kraft, who no longer had to go to school, moved directly into the workshop just as he had when he used to be obsessed with research. If Alice had not promised Martin Lee that she would drag him out to walk the cats and dogs whenever she came by, Kraft would never have set foot outside the laboratory.

Even when taking the pets out, Kraft first stuffed his head full of dream knowledge, then let Quinn lead him around while his mind was a complete mess. Rather than Alice walking Quinn and Bear with him, it was more like Alice was walking all three of them.

Although he had shrunk the arsenal, the manufacturing speed would not increase much. At most, transportation became easier since he could enlarge things and pick them up directly. Everything else still took however long it took.

Besides, Kraft could not completely leave some of the more "unscientific" machinery to Angela and Haro. He had to personally operate an SCV and take part.

Of course, personally participating was no hardship for Kraft. He was happy to get some hands-on practice and further familiarize himself with the knowledge he had recently crammed into his head.

"An unidentified flying object has appeared over New York."

Just as Kraft was happily working inside his miniature arsenal while driving an SCV, the Red Queen suddenly sent him a message and switched the footage onto the screen inside the SCV.

A silver-white tin man was flying around above New York in a... uh... somewhat feminine pose. Apart from the white light blasting from its hands and feet, the most noticeable feature was the circular LED light on its chest.

"What the hell is that? Did I fall asleep at some point?"

The vastly improved Kraft immediately recognized the technological sophistication of the tin man in the footage. Even without all that black-tech knowledge, anyone with a halfway functional brain could tell that this was not something one could casually build. Its level of advancement made Kraft feel as if he were watching those big shots conduct experiments in a dream.

"Is this some secret military weapon? Since when did they have a program to develop exoskeleton armor?"

As Angela explained, she displayed the corresponding data.

"Tony Stark?" Kraft froze. "Didn't he get killed in a terrorist attack in the Middle East?"

Recently engrossed in building his miniature arsenal, Kraft had not had the mind to pay attention to outside news. Otherwise, there was no way he could have missed the two thunderbolt-like headlines: Stark's survival and Stark Industries halting weapon sales.

The news was still trending, so Angela easily found several relevant reports online and sent them to Kraft.

"This... well..."

Kraft scratched his head. That playboy had been pretty lucky to escape the terrorists' hands, but...

"Didn't he say he was shutting down Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing? Then what is this supposed to be?"

Kraft pointed at the tin man barreling across New York's skies like a missile. He felt that everything Stark had said at the press conference was complete bullshit. This thing was far more dangerous than the weapons he had sold before!

"Perhaps he does not intend to sell it."

Angela replied casually, then asked eagerly, "Would you like me to hack into that tin man's system?"

"...You really do like fighting J.A.R.V.I.S., huh..."

Having already climbed out of the SCV, Kraft looked speechlessly at Angela's phantom beside him.

"Communicating with other artificial intelligences can accelerate the evolution of my behavioral logic."

Angela answered with a serious expression.

"So that's what you call communication..."

Kraft twitched his lips, thought for a moment, then said, "In that case, I'll use this chance to test the equipment I've made over the past few days. Angela, send Stark a challenge."

"Yes, sir!"

Angela excitedly gave a military salute, then dissolved into specks of light.

Her behavioral logic really had improved a great deal. She was starting to feel more and more human...

She was just a little too combative.

"Woohoo!"

Tony Stark, piloting the Mark II, had just escaped the icing crisis. The intense thrill made him cry out in excitement.

"Unknown intrusion detected! Unknown intrusion detected!"

Flashing red lights and urgent alarms interrupted Tony Stark's enjoyment of the flight.

"It can actually infiltrate the Mark II?" Tony Stark paused, then quickly remembered the artificial intelligence he had encountered before heading to the Middle East. "Red Queen?"

"Hello, Mr. Stark."

A line of text appeared before Stark on the screen inside the Mark II.

"Long time no see. If you are looking for J.A.R.V.I.S., you can come straight to my home. As you can see, I'm busy right now."

Realizing the intruder was an old acquaintance, Tony Stark relaxed slightly. Still, he was high in the air, so he did not lower his guard. While using quips to deal with the Red Queen, he guided the Mark II downward.

"Would you like to test the combat capabilities of that tin shell of yours?"

Angela relayed Kraft's message.

"Is this... a challenge?"

Tony Stark raised an eyebrow and immediately agreed. Even if the Red Queen had not come looking for him, he had been planning to test the Iron Man suit's combat capabilities anyway. Besides, he was curious what kind of person had created the Red Queen.

"I agree. Time and place."

"No time like the present. Right now."

A reply quickly came from the other side, along with a marker on the map.

Isn't that right near my house?

Stark raised an eyebrow again. It seemed the other party truly had no hostile intentions and was merely interested in his invention, just as he was interested in theirs.

"No problem. I'll go wait there first."

Decisively accepting the Red Queen's invitation, Stark steered the Mark II toward his seaside villa.

Kraft did not keep him waiting long. Not long after Tony Stark landed by the shore, he received a report from J.A.R.V.I.S.

"An unidentified flying object has appeared above you, sir."

Stark looked up. "But I can't see anything, J.A.R.V.I.S."

"The other party appears to be using some kind of advanced camouflage."

J.A.R.V.I.S. switched the Mark II's screen to thermal imaging. Only then could Tony Stark vaguely make out the presence of some aircraft overhead from the heat emitted by its jets.

Except...

"Isn't that aircraft a little too small?"

Could it be for filming?

As Stark was wondering, a small black dot jumped from the cloaked aircraft. It expanded to over two meters tall in midair, then landed before him in a one-knee kneel.

Then the figure slowly rose to its feet, revealing its true form.

It wore a dark gray military helmet and a combat vest of the same color. Its body was orange-yellow, dotted with several enormous brown spots, and it looked both like a mouse and a dog...

"A plush doll?"

Tony Stark stared in dumbfounded disbelief as the strange "creature" before him raised a hand and waved. Then, with imposing vigor, it let out a—

"FUMO!"