The truth was that uru metal was completely unaffected by physical laws. Once it had been forged into shape, it could never be altered again.
The fragment Lucas had previously brought to Tony was usable only because it was already a wreck, and the enhancement from the runes had faded. Even then, Tony had been unable to fully reshape it, which was why the resulting armor looked so unconventional—the Destroyer Armor existed precisely because uru metal simply refused to cooperate.
Now that they were in Wakanda, nothing had changed.
No matter what methods Tony and Shuri tried, uru metal stubbornly refused to change form. Nanotech was completely out of the question.
"If this really won't work, then we should just give up,"
Shuri said, sounding more like she was comforting herself.
"This metal isn't even from Earth. And haven't we already successfully nanofied your vibranium armor? Vibranium isn't weaker than this stuff anyway."
Her words failed to convince Tony—let alone console him.
"For now, that's all we can do,"
Tony said through clenched teeth.
"When we get new technology someday, we'll revisit it. As for this damn armor—I'm launching it into orbit."
He didn't want to see it anymore. Every glance reminded him of failure, something he absolutely could not tolerate.
"JARVIS, send this armor to a satellite,"
Tony ordered.
"Store it as a contingency asset. Perform regular maintenance."
"Yes, sir."
The Destroyer Armor activated immediately, igniting its thrusters and blasting out of the research center, vanishing into the sky in an instant.
Stark Industries currently maintained five satellites in low Earth orbit. One served as an armor support satellite, carrying every suit Tony had developed so far. The other four were surveillance and positioning satellites used for communication and monitoring.
Tony was already planning a sixth—one equipped with a swarm of small unmanned drones for support operations and large-scale strike capabilities.
---
"Tony~! Your armor is finished~!"
Shuri called out, almost simultaneously with the completion notification for Tony's vibranium nanotech armor.
Tony hurried to her side.
At their feet, a section of the floor opened, and a humanoid test dummy rose up. On its chest was a hexagonal Arc Reactor, only a few centimeters thick—completely different from the bulky version embedded in Tony's own chest.
"All systems normal,"
Shuri said as she examined the data streaming in.
"The output hasn't dropped at all. I can't believe we actually succeeded in compressing it this far."
"Shuri, this Arc Reactor technology alone would shock the entire world,"
she said excitedly.
And she wasn't exaggerating.
Even Wakanda—whose technology surpassed the rest of the world by a century—had never been able to develop an Arc Reactor. Most of Wakanda's energy was still extracted directly from vibranium, with consumption far exceeding that of Tony's near-perpetual energy source.
At this point, the device could hardly be called a reactor anymore.
In addition to supplying power, it functioned like the Black Panther's necklace—a nanotech storage core, combining energy generation and nanomaterial containment into a single system.
This design had been Tony's idea.
The Arc Reactor's exceptional stability made it ideal as both a power source and a nanotech reservoir. Nanites stored within it received constant energy replenishment, while simultaneously assisting the reactor's operation. The two systems reinforced each other, dramatically increasing overall output.
Likewise, Tony had gained Wakandan nanotech from Shuri, while providing her with extensive data on energy systems and artificial intelligence. The two sides had even reached a cooperation agreement, which now sat on T'Challa's desk, awaiting his signature.
Once approved, Stark Industries and Wakanda would collaborate extensively in multiple technological fields.
This was exactly what Shuri wanted.
Wakanda's weaknesses lay in energy systems and artificial intelligence—areas where Stark Industries excelled. Meanwhile, Stark Industries lacked access to vibranium, which Wakanda could supply.
There was only one critical clause:
vibranium could be used solely for Tony Stark's private research and must never be distributed externally.
Tony had agreed without hesitation. He only wanted it for personal research anyway, and if Wakanda insisted, they clearly had their reasons.
"Go ahead. Touch the reactor and activate it,"
Shuri said, instinctively taking a step back.
Tony froze—and immediately took a step back as well.
"You're not about to test this on me like you did on your brother, are you?"
he asked warily.
The last time they'd tested the Black Panther suit, Shuri had taken the exact same step back. Seeing her do it again made Tony's heart skip.
"Relax. Nothing's going to happen,"
Shuri said casually.
"Wait a second—I'll record this first."
She activated the recording device on her wrist.
That familiar motion—and familiar words—made Tony even more uneasy. Cold sweat nearly broke out as he became convinced he was about to be blasted across the room.
Seeing his reaction, Shuri burst out laughing.
"Seriously, you'll be fine. This is your armor. Don't you trust your own work?"
Tony forced himself to calm down, inching forward cautiously. He hunched slightly, reached out, and quickly tapped the reactor.
Static electricity from his body activated the nanotech system.
Like liquid mercury, nanites poured out of the Arc Reactor, flowing across the test dummy and covering it completely in the blink of an eye.
The result was unmistakable:
Classic red-and-gold color scheme
A design that preserved strong mechanical aesthetics
A signature Stark-style helmet
A hexagonal Arc Reactor on the chest
Energy absorption and nanotech self-repair, just like the Black Panther suit
Repulsors in the palms and a chest-mounted energy cannon, fully retained
Tony's face flushed, his breathing quickening.
As a die-hard mech enthusiast, he felt that the Black Panther suit didn't even compare.
This—this—was the ultimate romance for a man.
Nanotech vibranium, yet without sacrificing mechanical beauty.
This was the armor Tony Stark had always dreamed of.
"Sir, your heart rate has increased significantly and your breathing is irregular,"
JARVIS reported calmly.
"Please remain calm."
"JARVIS, now is not the time,"
Tony snapped.
"You're killing the mood, you know that?"
Just like that, his excitement was doused.
"Alright,"
Shuri said, rolling her shoulders.
"Next, let's test its durability."
Specialized wristbands formed around her hands—her upgraded panther-themed hand cannons, also enhanced with nanotech.
With a thought, the panther-shaped weapon deployed over her arm.
She aimed directly at the Iron Armor—
—and fired.
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