Tony stood in front of the experimental platform he had built.
At its center stood a massive frame. Draped beneath it was a two-meter-tall figure shrouded in a heavy black cloth. The shape beneath clearly outlined a humanoid form—Tony's new armor.
"You should feel honored," Tony said, arms wide. "You're about to witness the debut of the world's greatest masterpiece. And not just once—twice."
Malrick didn't argue. "Looks like it. Go on, let's see the show."
Tony's expression shifted, growing more focused.
"Let's begin, Jarvis."
At his command, several mechanical arms extended from the support rig and lifted the black cloth in one smooth motion.
Beneath it stood a sleek, steel-colored suit. The metallic shell gleamed under the lights, reflecting like rippling water. The entire basement seemed to brighten.
The arms sprang into motion, disassembling and reassembling the armor, moving with the precision of clockwork. One by one, the pieces locked into place on Tony's body, overlapping like steel scales coming to life.
When the final piece settled into position, the arms retracted. The armor's eyes flickered to life with a cool blue glow.
A soft burst of air hissed from the joints as if the suit were breathing.
"Take a good look. This... is my armor."
Tony raised his arms. Jets flared from his palms and boots, lifting him off the ground.
"This is Mark II. And now—yeah, I can fly."
"Wow. Cool," Malrick admitted, eyeing the metallic suit with admiration.
Jarvis interjected at the worst moment:
"Mr. Stark, the Mark II's flight systems still require additional testing."
Tony waved it off. "No, no, Jarvis. Sometimes you've got to run before you can walk."
His enthusiasm was undeniable. He was practically glowing with anticipation.
Hovering mid-air, Tony flipped up the helmet visor and looked down at Malrick.
"The Mark II is equipped with flight stabilizers, palm repulsors—everything. It's at least 30 years ahead of the curve."
"Your turn. Where's your armor?"
Malrick didn't answer immediately. He simply began walking in a slow circle around Tony, analyzing.
"Titanium alloy. New arc reactor core. Jarvis system integration. Definitely a masterpiece," Malrick admitted. Then his tone shifted. "But... still lacking. I noticed gold was in the spare materials. You didn't use it. That's a problem."
Tony frowned. "Why the hell would I add gold? That's just cosmetic."
"You'll understand in a moment."
Malrick rolled up his sleeves, revealing two glowing wristbands.
"Check this out. Jarvis, begin initialization."
The lights on Malrick's bracelets turned red. Upstairs, a loud mechanical whirring began, followed by the crashing of various tools and equipment.
Tony's expression tightened. "That sounded like something breaking. What did you do?"
Malrick offered a sheepish grin. "Maybe the route was a little off... Look—here it comes!"
Malrick levitated off the floor, arms extended. A moment later, a red-and-blue pod came hurtling through the garage entrance, spewing flames.
Tony opened his mouth to make a snarky remark—then stopped, stunned.
As the flight pod entered the room, it began disassembling in midair. The individual armor components detached, each guided by thrusters, and began snapping into place on Malrick's hovering body.
Red and blue panels spiraled into position, locking together with seamless precision. The transformation was flawless. Malrick's suit came together with a hiss and snap, a perfect fusion of engineering and design.
The armor's eyes lit up. Every joint shifted subtly with his movements, like it had muscle memory.
It didn't just look functional—it looked alive.
This was a suit built not just for utility, but with aesthetics, speed, and performance in mind.
Jets ignited at his boots and spine, keeping him suspended in the air.
He began pointing at various components.
"This suit deploys remotely from a compact flight pod. Doubles as aerial support."
"There are no weapons yet, but plenty of slots for future upgrades."
"The rear propulsion system frees up both hands mid-flight, great for fighting—or just waving hello."
"Oh, and it has a new filtration system. Solves... practical problems during long flights."
Tony blinked. "Wait—are you saying you can pee in the suit?"
"Liquid filtration," Malrick corrected, deadpan. "I thought you'd appreciate that feature."
Tony scowled. "That's disgusting. That's sacrilege."
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "Strange, I could've sworn I saw you show off that exact feature in a press conference once."
Tony coughed. "Fake news."
Malrick chuckled. "In any case, I win."
Tony's brow lifted. "How do you figure that?"
"Well," Malrick began counting on his fingers, "my armor has more functions, is easier to deploy, looks better, moves better—should I keep going?"
Tony waved him off. "Whoa, whoa, slow down. You're forgetting what armor is. It's not a fashion statement. It's a weapon. Performance is what matters—speed, adaptability, combat strength. Not whether it can act like a flying bathroom."
"Then let's test that." Malrick hovered toward the garage exit. "Let's see who's faster. We'll both take off, let Jarvis count us down."
Tony grinned. "Now we're talking."
Malrick boosted his thrusters. "Let's go, Stark. Time to see who's really ahead."
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