Pepper sucked in a sharp breath.
If this were brought to market, it would completely transform the world's energy landscape!
Tony nodded in satisfaction, then steered the conversation back to superheroes.
"As for us becoming superheroes, that's just a way to promote these projects."
"What's the most important thing in the world today? Traffic! Recognition from people all over the world!"
Tony spread his hands, looking like a seasoned schemer.
"If the two of us became superheroes with the whole world watching, flying across the news headlines every day, what do you think would happen to Stark Industries' stock?"
"As long as we're around, the company's stock will shoot straight through the roof!"
Tony took a sip of red wine, leaving Pepper to digest it all.
Luca nodded too and chimed in.
"To put it bluntly, we wouldn't need to face any real danger or bother with trivial little affairs."
"We'd just need to show our faces to the public at the right times, on a regular basis, and beat up a few unlucky bad guys."
"As long as people all over the world remember and worship us, they'll naturally be willing to buy the company's stock and products."
"And that's enough. As for those genuinely troublesome matters, are they important? Not at all."
Pepper was still utterly dumbfounded.
She was having trouble processing it.
Wait!
Is that... how you become a superhero?!
You call this a superhero?!
Using a superhero's fame to drive up your own company's stock? Turning saving the world into a marketing campaign?!
After a long while, Pepper finally burst out laughing.
She doubled over, laughing so hard that tears nearly came out.
It seemed she'd been worrying for nothing.
Tony and Luca were still the same as ever. Their true natures hadn't changed one bit.
When she'd first heard they wanted to be superheroes, she'd really thought aliens had taken over their bodies in Afghanistan.
After all, what kind of billionaire would want to be a selfless superhero?
Now it seemed she'd been overthinking things.
They were still bastards.
Pepper wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and joined in the teasing.
"Aren't superheroes all supposed to be like Captain America? Doing good deeds all day, kind and upright, brave and just, willing to sacrifice themselves for others?"
"Aren't you afraid you'll ruin children's dreams of being heroes by doing this?"
Luca rolled his eyes, as if he'd heard something unbelievable.
"I'm sorry, Pepper. We've never been that kind of people. What are kindness and integrity? Can you turn them into numbers in a bank account?"
Luca pointed at himself and shook his head.
"Please, remember who we are. We're the richest people in the world! I'm a capitalist with no scruples! Don't think you can use some vague notion of morality to guilt-trip me!"
Tony had been enjoying what he heard, but the second half didn't sit well with him.
"Hey! You're the cold-blooded capitalist, Luca. I'm not."
Tony straightened his clothes and struck what he thought was his most handsome pose.
"I'm an infinitely charming playboy, a billionaire, a genius inventor, a philanthropist, Iron Man! I'm also the savior of this world!"
Luca: ...
Damn it!
That made it sound as if he were just a villain who knew how to make money, while Tony was a dazzling protagonist.
"Savior of the world, my ass! You can't even fry an egg, and you're going to save the world? You're just a lousy old man who can't even unscrew a bottle cap!"
"Who are you calling a lousy old man?! I've got way more stamina than Happy!"
"Oh yeah? Then how about you try me?"
"You violent maniac! You barbarian with muscles for brains!"
Pepper watched them helplessly.
Even so, she felt a sense of ease she hadn't experienced in a long time.
She now had a rough idea of the two men's plan.
As long as they weren't throwing their lives away, they could do whatever they wanted.
She glanced down at her watch and saw that it was getting late.
All right, it was time for work.
She couldn't afford to be as carefree as these two hands-off bosses.
There was still a pile of crap at the company waiting for her to deal with.
So she waved to the two men, who were still arguing.
"All right, gentlemen. You stay here and take your time studying these great inventions."
"I have to get to work. Remember to get some rest early, and don't tire yourselves out."
With that, Pepper turned and started toward the stairs.
When Luca heard that Pepper was leaving, he immediately snapped out of the argument.
He hurriedly called out to her.
"Don't go yet, Pepper! You haven't seen my armor!"
Luca pointed at the sealed hatch on the other side of the lab.
"I guarantee the suit I designed is way better than Tony's garbage! You'll absolutely love it when you see it!"
Pepper didn't even turn her head. She replied helplessly as she climbed the spiral staircase.
"Take your time looking at it yourselves, Master Luca! I really don't have time. Someone will deliver your burgers to the door in a little while, so remember to eat them while they're hot!"
When Tony heard that Pepper wasn't going to look at Luca's armor, he immediately burst into triumphant laughter.
"Hahaha! You hear that, Luca? Potts isn't interested in your suit at all!"
"She's a woman of taste. She only likes my Mark II!"
Listening to the racket behind her, Pepper shook her head helplessly.
Those two really were the same as ever. They hadn't changed at all.
She quickened her pace, leaving the lab and heading for the living room upstairs.
After Pepper left,
only the two brothers remained in the lab.
Luca couldn't be bothered to continue the pointless bickering with Tony.
As the saying went, actions spoke louder than words.
He walked over to the console and gave an order.
"JARVIS, open hatch two immediately. Let a certain blacksmith who doesn't know his own limits get a good look at what real technological aesthetics are!"
"Right away, Mr. Luca," JARVIS responded immediately.
With a faint hiss of escaping air,
a wall on the other side of the lab slowly parted to either side.
Tony folded his arms, looking as unimpressed as ever.
"Don't waste your time, Luca. No matter what tricks you've come up with, the Mark II is definitely the best-looking! I'm the god of combining mechanics and art!"
But when the hatch opened fully and the lights inside came on,
Tony's words stopped short.
Inside the display case was a black suit with sharp, sleek lines!
The suit was made from a blend of unknown materials.
There was nothing superfluous anywhere on it. Every detail was just right, conveying an explosive sense of power.
Unlike Tony's heavy armor, which covered him from head to toe, however,
Luca's suit didn't have a helmet.
Now that he had a superhuman physique and a bio-force field, he had no need for protection from wind or bullets, much less a breathing mask.
Leaving his face exposed would actually let him release energy more effectively.
A black cape was attached to the back of the suit!
Overall, the armor really was breathtakingly cool, like a dark god of war who had walked out of hell.
For a moment, even Tony couldn't help staring.
That design... that finish... damn it, how could it be so cool!
That was exactly the reaction Luca had wanted from Tony.
Ever since they were kids, he'd never lost to Tony when it came to taste.
"Well, Tony? Stunned speechless?"
"I told you, my design is the best! The Mark II looks like a toy next to it!"
Luca's taunt immediately brought Tony back to his senses.
Although he admitted to himself that the suit was cool, his competitive nature meant he could never concede it aloud.
"What good is looking cool?! That doesn't mean you're the best! I'm the one and only genius in the field of mechanics!"
He pointed at the armor, trying to find a flaw.
"JARVIS must have given you tons of help and made loads of revisions for you to finish it so quickly!"
"Otherwise, with your drawing skills, where all you can manage are stick figures, how could you possibly design blueprints like these?!"
To save his pride, Tony was ready to play dirty.
"If JARVIS hadn't gained the ability to upgrade a year ago, you definitely couldn't have finished it! So it's not all your own work!"
After hearing him out, Luca smiled and spread his hands.
"Just accept it, Tony. Making excuses is what the weak do. Being cool is a lifelong thing, but your armor will eventually become obsolete."
Tony was so angry his teeth itched, but he was also speechless.
He took two deep breaths and silently comforted himself.
I'm the older brother. I'm a mature man. I can't get angry with my childish little brother. I can't get angry.
Then Tony forced his gaze back to the Mark II.
After a moment's thought, he raised the corners of his mouth confidently and made a proposal.
"Let's put aside whose design looks better for now. I'm going to start painting my armor."
"How about this? In two hours, we go out and test them together. Do you dare have a real contest?"
Luca gave Tony a strange look.
"Are you sure, bro?"
"JARVIS said that when I fly, my minimum speed is Mach 5. Are you sure you want to race me?"
Unexpectedly, Tony waved a hand instead of arguing with Luca.
"Didn't you say it yourself? You're a mutated superhuman, while I'm just an ordinary human. Isn't it perfectly normal for a human to be slower than you?"
"Besides, this is only the Mark II prototype. My armor can keep being upgraded and replaced with newer models!"
A competitive gleam flickered in Tony's eyes.
"And tonight, speed isn't what I'm competing over!"
Luca froze.
What did that mean?
If not speed, then what?
Were they going to see whose armor was tougher?
One look at his expression told Tony what he was thinking, and he immediately added something.
"How about this? After the two of us make our first appearance as superheroes in downtown Los Angeles,"
"we'll see whose name the public calls out the most! We'll see who has more fans! Whoever has more influence wins the bet!"
Luca raised an eyebrow, instantly interested.
"Oh? You want to go straight out and make an appearance later? That eager, huh?"
"Fine! I accept your challenge!"
"I believe the people of Los Angeles will definitely prefer a powerful man like me. After all, I'm showing my face, while you're just a tin can with no visible face."
At that thought, Luca declared confidently,
"You can't win, Tony. When it comes to personal charm, I've always crushed you."
Not to be outdone, Tony immediately began preparing the paint for his armor.
"Then we'll see! In two hours, you'll know just how ridiculously wrong you are!"
"You don't understand the charm of roaring machinery at all! That's a man's romance!"
Luca fired back, unwilling to be outdone.
"A man's romance is the feeling of punches landing on flesh. What kind of skill is hiding inside an iron shell?"