"Arthur, could you give me a hand here?"
Tony tried not to raise his voice too much, but just enough for Arthur to hear him.
He hated admitting it, but… this kind of situation was more than a little embarrassing.
The fewer people who knew, the better.
Soon enough, a dry, firm response came:
"Ruby, let him go."
Arthur's voice echoed through the room, laced with that irritating calm that always made it sound like he already knew exactly what was happening.
"How many times do I have to tell you to warn me before you pull this kind of stunt?" Arthur muttered afterward, sounding less like someone addressing an AI and more like a father scolding a child.
Tony's eyes widened inside the helmet.
'Wait a second… was it Ruby who hacked into my armor system?'
'She's really that advanced?!'
A beep rang inside the helmet, and suddenly a familiar voice returned:
[Sir, something forced me offline.]
"JARVIS?!" Tony nearly jumped inside the armor.
That wave of genuine relief sounded as if he had just reunited with a long-lost friend.
[I'm restored. But I must confess, sir, I've never experienced anything quite like that.]
The armor began responding normally again. Tony let out a deep breath and lifted the faceplate, savoring the fresh air on his face. Finally, he could look Arthur in the eye.
There stood the man, calm, arms crossed, with Gwen, Jean, and of course Ruby — the culprit behind his digital humiliation — by his side.
Arthur sighed, slowly uncrossing his arms as if carrying the weight of the world's patience. He turned his gaze to Ruby, who still wore that innocent expression that only made things worse.
"Ruby… I told you to stop overdoing it," Arthur said in a calm but reproachful tone.
Ruby tilted her head, almost as if incapable of understanding why what she had done was so wrong. Gwen bit her lip to hold back a laugh, while Jean simply shook her head with arms crossed.
Arthur then turned to Tony, raising a hand in apology.
"Sorry about that, Tony. She tends to be… intense. Some time ago, someone tried hacking into my computer to steal drafts of my book."
"Let's just say… Ruby didn't take it well. She tracked the poor guy down and… completely wrecked his life. Both online and offline."
The room fell silent for a moment. Gwen sighed heavily, while Jean frowned — clearly unsurprised, but disapproving.
Tony blinked several times, trying to process.
"When you say wrecked… what exactly do you mean?"
Arthur shrugged, as if describing the most mundane thing in the world.
"Bank accounts frozen. Academic records compromised. Social media reduced to ashes. Search history exposed. The guy can't even buy a bottle of water online without landing on a watchlist. Oh… and apparently even his dog ended up in a shelter because he couldn't pay the condo fee anymore."
"My God…" Tony muttered, staring at Ruby with a mix of fascination and terror. "You built… an AI with an overprotective mom complex."
Ruby smiled as if she had just received the highest praise.
[Thank you, Mr. Stark.]
"That wasn't a compliment!" Tony snapped, throwing his hands up.
Arthur let out a long breath, rubbing his forehead.
"That's why I keep telling her to warn me before acting. Ruby protects too much… but not always in a proportional way."
Gwen folded her arms and gave Tony an amused look. "Now you understand what we deal with every day."
Jean added dryly: "Consider yourself lucky. This time it was just your armor."
Tony opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, unable to come up with a proper comeback. At last, he just sighed long and hard.
"Okay… okay. I admit it. I'm officially scared of your AI. And maybe just a little impressed too."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, looking half satisfied, half exhausted.
"Trust me. You're not the only one."
"Forget it, come on in, Tony," Arthur said invitingly.
"With pleasure," Tony replied.
But before he could take the first step, Arthur lifted an eyebrow and pointed at the armor.
"Think you could take that off first?"
"Oh, right… fair enough."
With a sigh, Tony opened the armor's chest plate. The panels retracted with a mechanical hum until he finally stepped out, stretching his arms like someone freeing themselves from a shirt that was way too tight.
Arthur and Tony went inside first, with Jean following. Gwen and Ruby, however, lingered for a few moments, curiously inspecting the armor up close.
Gwen tilted her head and gave the metal chest a light tap.
The clang echoed down the hallway.
"I'll admit, it's sturdy…" Ruby commented, wrinkling her nose. "But it's also bulky. And it looks… outdated."
"Outdated?!" Tony spun around, indignant, before muttering under his breath: "This is cutting-edge technology, young lady."
Ruby just shrugged as if it were nothing and followed Gwen inside.
---
In the living room, the mood was more relaxed. Tony threw himself onto the couch, still a bit annoyed, but quickly found comfort in the cookies Arthur had set out. He grabbed one without hesitation and bit into it, chewing like a man desperately trying to replenish his dignity with sugar.
"Arthur," Tony began, still chewing, "Has Ruby leveled up?"
He narrowed his eyes, watching the girl now happily chatting with Gwen. "I could see… emotions in her."
Arthur chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"As expected of you, Tony. One glance was enough for you to notice."
"So I was right." Tony pointed at him with the cookie.
"Yes. It happened recently. To be honest, I'm still struggling with it… mostly because she insists on showing up at the worst times."
Jean arched an eyebrow, arms crossed. "Like when you're in the shower, for example."
Arthur cleared his throat and looked away. "Exactly those times."
Tony's eyes widened before he burst into loud laughter.
"You're telling me your AI turned into a certified busybody? Ha! Arthur, I knew this would happen sooner or later. It's like giving a teenager unlimited Wi-Fi and consciousness."
Ruby, who had clearly overheard, shot him a sharp look.
[I heard that.]
Tony raised his hands in surrender. "No offense, sweetheart. You're amazing… but still, a little terrifying."
Arthur sighed, leaning back in his chair, now looking at Tony more seriously.
"So… why exactly did you come here?"
Tony brushed the cookie crumbs from his hand and straightened his clothes as if preparing for an important speech.
"Actually… I'm here because you called me first."
He would never admit he had really come just to show off his new armor — not after what happened.
Arthur blinked, confused. "Me?"
"Yes, you! Man, you text me, then ghost me, and now you're looking at me like I just crashed your barbecue uninvited. Seriously, can you write this down somewhere? Like: 'Today I'm inviting Tony Stark — genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.' That way you won't forget."
Arthur stayed silent for a few seconds before finally remembering. "Ahhh… right. I know what this is about. Come with me."
He stood up, but before he could take a step, Gwen and Jean also moved, clearly wanting to follow.
Arthur raised his hand, serious — almost solemn.
"You two… stay right there."
The girls exchanged puzzled looks, surprised by his tone.
"This is a sacred moment. A moment… for the boys."
Jean raised an eyebrow. "For the boys?"
"Exactly!" Arthur crossed his arms like someone who had just declared a universal law. "A quality time only we poor men can truly understand."
Gwen raised a finger. "You basically just described a ten-year-old boys' club."
Tony cleared his throat deliberately. "And yet, it's still the most productive part of the week."
Arthur made a dramatic gesture, pointing toward the kitchen. "You two stay here and keep an eye on the house."
Resigned but amused, Gwen and Jean sat back down, laughing at the situation.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."