The Mask Slips

"Pym Particles, as expected?"

After returning to his mansion, Tony Stark had J.A.R.V.I.S. search for information and found data related to the technology that could enlarge and shrink objects.

"But that stubborn old man has always been hostile towards Stark Industries, hasn't he?"

Dr. Henry Jonathan Pym, also known as Hank Pym, had discovered subatomic particles that could change the size of objects and named them "Pym Particles" after himself. He also founded his own company, Pym Technologies.

However, this old man seemed to have a feud with his father, Howard Stark. He never gave Tony a good look during their few meetings and had even criticized Stark Industries in the media.

Given Tony Stark's arrogance, he naturally wouldn't have any good feelings towards Hank Pym.

"Could it be that old man's child? But that's not right. If it were someone from the Pym family, they wouldn't likely be so friendly towards me."

Although he had been beaten up by Kraft, Tony Stark could feel that the other party didn't harbor any real malice...

Well, maybe a little.

But that bit of malice was more like a mischievous prank from a naughty child, unlike the attitude one would expect from the descendants of Hank Pym, who viewed Tony as an enemy.

Moreover, Stark had specifically checked. Dr. Pym only had an adult daughter and one student; there were no other descendants, let alone underage ones.

"Hoo~ I didn't expect the old guy's daughter to be quite pretty."

Seeing a photo of Hope van Dyne, Tony Stark couldn't help but whistle.

"Then, that kid is unlikely to be related to old man Pym," Stark mused, stroking his chin as he analyzed, "That's right. Pym Particles were just discovered by that old man first. Since he could discover them, others can naturally discover them too."

Although he had misunderstood the source of Kraft's ability to change size, Tony Stark's overall line of reasoning was sound.

After ruling out the possibility of Dr. Pym's descendants, Stark began searching for information on famous young geniuses.

Among them was Kraft, the chief designer of the Dream Toy Company.

And in Tony Stark's mind, Kraft was the most suspicious. Even though there were more suspicious individuals, Stark inexplicably concluded that he was the pilot of that comical plush mecha. He himself was a bit puzzled by this intuition.

Perhaps it was because he was a loyal customer of that kid's products?

With Kraft listed as the prime suspect, the more Stark analyzed, the more he felt it was him...

A young genius, wealthy family, and living in New York. Most importantly, judging by the array of strange gadgets on Kraft's Clever Hands Channel, this kid clearly had a unique way of thinking. Therefore, it was quite reasonable for him to build a plush-type exoskeleton armor.

His prankish behavior also found an explanation. It wasn't a secret that Kraft Lee was prejudiced against non-East Asian races. Tony Stark had J.A.R.V.I.S. do a quick check and learned the whole story. Although this was only information processed by Martin Lee, it was enough to support Stark's speculation.

However, even though Tony Stark had basically confirmed Kraft's identity, he had no intention of exposing him. Since Kraft had previously breached his firewall without further intrusion, he naturally had to respect the other party's privacy. If he didn't want to reveal his identity, Stark wouldn't expose it either.

Of course, this also had to do with Kraft's age. If Kraft were an adult now, Tony Stark wouldn't have such a good temper.

Kraft, unaware that Tony Stark had already guessed his identity, was excitedly doing somersaults in his studio.

While Kraft wasn't a fan of Tony Stark, he acknowledged the playboy's business acumen. Moreover, Tony had created an exoskeleton mecha that was not inferior to his own Dream Creations. Being able to beat up such a Stark made it absolutely impossible for Kraft not to be excited.

Of course, after the excitement, Kraft also felt a sense of lingering fear. Ever since he had equipped himself with a large number of items in his micro-factory, he had become somewhat overconfident. While he didn't think he was invincible, he had started to look down on those so-called technology companies. However, Tony Stark's Iron Man suit had brought him back to his senses.

Despite chasing and beating up Tony Stark today, Kraft didn't believe that the Iron Man suit was all there was to it. Tony Stark hadn't even painted it, nor had he equipped it with many weapons. Clearly, this armor was just an early version. With Stark's genius and the financial backing and military resources of Stark Industries, it would be too easy to enhance the suit's combat capabilities.

And Tony Stark was just a relatively famous scientist. There were many other scientists at the same level in the world, as well as research teams funded by various countries and factions. Who knew if there were other hidden "black tech" masters lurking in the shadows?

Putting aside other things, wasn't the Hulk a living example of this?

In addition, Kraft also discovered his own shortcomings – his physical fitness couldn't keep up.

When the combat rhythm reached a certain level, Kraft's reaction speed couldn't keep up. He basically had to rely on Angela and Haro for assistance. He felt that Tony Stark was probably similar in this regard. Although the impact wasn't significant, he still lacked some flexibility.

And there was no sense of participation...

If Kraft hadn't wanted to experience the joy of piloting a mecha, why would he build these mechas that required a pilot? He could have just made them autonomous robots controlled by artificial intelligence. Ultimately, he was just a fifteen-year-old boy.

There was also the issue of stamina. In fact, if Tony Stark hadn't called for a stop, Kraft wouldn't have been able to last much longer. Although artificial intelligence solved the control aspect, the λ-Driver system used emotional energy, which required Kraft to maintain concentration. Otherwise, Botai-kun's punches would lack power.

Not to mention that Kraft also had to shout periodically to stimulate his emotions, which also consumed a considerable amount of physical energy...

"Emmmm... Angela, please create a workout plan for me first."

After much deliberation, Kraft still couldn't bring himself to research human augmentation. The traumas of his childhood weren't easily overcome, so he could only settle for the next best thing.

After a friendly exchange behind the scenes between two "scientists" who mastered black technology, they both put this "minor matter" out of their minds. However, it had attracted the attention of a certain special agent organization whose name was still very long and convoluted.

After all, Tony Stark hadn't been secretive when he was flying all over New York. Since Kraft could discover him, S.H.I.E.L.D., as an intelligence organization, could naturally do so as well.

Moreover, Kraft had later set off such a conspicuous firework.

Fortunately, Tony Stark's villa was quite secluded, and the few cameras that might have captured footage of the area were hacked by Angela. Therefore, S.H.I.E.L.D. only knew that Stark had tinkered with a tin man, and Kraft's existence was not exposed.

"Keep a close eye on Tony Stark's movements!"

The former and current directors of S.H.I.E.L.D. issued the same order to their subordinates.