Henry chuckled inwardly. This guy never stopped being arrogant.
I'd rather keep bad news to myself than say it out loud, Henry thought. Saying it aloud doesn't make it any less true.
"Really? Are you sure?" Henry said, merciless.
"Do you want me to remind you your palladium poisoning is approaching critical levels? You've been staring in the mirror lately like you're becoming the Avatar. The Super Soldier Serum boosted your cell activity and temporarily suppressed the toxin's spread, but it treats symptoms, not the root cause. It's like pumping air into a tire that's about to explode — it'll only make the explosion louder."
"My guess is that in a few days, even if you look like Captain America, you'll still die from organ failure. Unless you, as a true genius, can find a stable element to replace palladium."
Tony went pale. In front of Henry — a man who was more monster than man — pretending didn't work. Henry always used the most cutting words to deliver the bluntest truths.
Tony refused to be beaten. His tsundere pride kicked in and he changed the subject fast.
"Why the drama?" he snapped, stiff-necked. "Stop wasting time and test my priceless new body! Show me how far I am from my goal of becoming America's most popular man!"
"You've already hit lifetime honorary chairman of the Narcissism Association," Henry replied. "You could run for office."
Tony ignored him and scanned the workbench for a prop that would prove his strength. He settled on an alloy rod as thick as an arm.
He gripped it and flexed for show. "Watch, mortals! Witness a miracle! Cheer for your genius Tony Stark!"
He strained. Seconds passed. The rod didn't budge. His face reddened, veins popped, and he looked like a man constipated for a month. The rod stayed put.
Awkward silence.
Tony tried to laugh it off. "I didn't warm up. Any great performance needs rehearsal." He tried again, all his strength this time — still nothing.
Jarvis interjected at the perfect moment. "Sir, that is a composite test alloy. Theoretical calculations show it requires at least an instantaneous explosive force of sixty tons to deform permanently."
Tony's face burned.
Henry burst out laughing. "Tony, that constipated face could win an Oscar. World's richest man tries to bend an unbendable bar — headline material."
"It was an accident," Tony sputtered, returning the rod to the table. "I didn't want to damage expensive materials. Yes, that's it."
"Right, sure," Henry said, smiling. Then to Jarvis: "Don't let him embarrass himself again. Analyze his current condition and tell him to stop attempting things beyond his capability."
"On it, sir," Jarvis replied. "Based on comprehensive analysis of the transformation data and biological models, Mr. Stark's base strength is approximately seventeen tons — roughly three times the enhanced effect of the original Super Soldier Serum. Theoretically, he's equivalent to three Captain Americas."
"Three Captain Americas? Not bad," Henry said, stroking his chin. "One fights, one yells encouragement, the last takes selfies for social media. Perfect team."
Tony managed a proud smile despite the earlier humiliation. "It's enough. I don't need to be a monster. I'm not just brute force — I have my brain."
"Yes, your brain that can't even bend an iron bar," Henry added, merciless.
Tony didn't argue. He walked to the professional testing area with purpose. "Jarvis, record everything. I'll show you what true power looks like."
"Always recording, sir."
Henry and Ethan followed. Henry teased, "You gonna hit that force plate with your head? That thing's harder than yours."
"Shut up," Tony snapped. He set his stance and delivered a punching strike to the heavy force plate made of special alloy.
Bang. The plate shuddered. Numbers lit up on the screen.
"Instantaneous explosive force: 8.6 tons," Jarvis reported.
"It's fine," Tony said, brushing his hands off as if he'd swatted a fly. "Warm-up done."
He moved through the testing area, lifting equipment like it was foam, doing curls with one hand, tossing loads back on the racks. The novelty wore off into a quiet thrill. He stood, hands shaking slightly from exertion, and stared at them as if seeing himself anew.
Then he grew serious and looked Henry in the eyes. "Henry," he said, voice low. "We've got power now — more than people should have. We need to talk."