Looking at the formidable genius in front of him, Leo's smile broadened. "Mr. Stark, now that the formalities are done, I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"Oh, why should I help you?" Tony countered, raising an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Why don't I go help the thousands of homeless veterans your company's war machine helped create?"
Leo wasn't phased by the jab. His smile remained steady, the look in his eyes oddly pitying. "I think you have a multitude of questions you want answered, right? Questions about that golden light, about your survival, about the people who are coming for you. This is a mutually beneficial agreement, Mr. Stark. A deal, wouldn't you say?"
Tony's casual composure slipped. He leaned forward, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "What else do you know, kid?"
"There's so much more to know. Not just your past mistakes, but the future dangers," Leo said calmly. "You can find the answers to many questions here, but there will always be a price. However, I believe you are uniquely motivated to pay that price, aren't you?"
Tony sighed, defeated by his own boundless curiosity and the verifiable terror of Leo's previous revelation about Raza. "Fine. Great. You're good. What do you want, already?"
"Metal. I need high-quality metal, and preferably a large quantity, right now," Leo said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Tony paused, remembering the six tons of low-grade steel Jarvis found in the transaction history. How much metal does this kid need? Is he building a small moon in Queens?
Tony, however, was not about to look cheap in front of an eleven-year-old visionary. He needed to reassert his dominance through ostentatious wealth.
"Jarvis, divert two tons of our specialized 'tungsten alloy impact-resistant high-strength steel plates' and another two tons of our 'medical-grade titanium alloy plates' directly to the Malibu facility. Expedite the delivery."
"Yes, sir. Estimated arrival in two hours and fifteen minutes."
"Four tons of exotic metal, on demand. Do you need any more, prodigy? I'm happy to show off," Tony said, a hint of extravagant mockery in his eyes.
"Mmm, no need," Leo hummed, slightly overwhelmed by the immediate, lavish delivery, but quickly settling back into his role. "That's plenty for the first consultation fee."
"My turn now," Tony demanded, pacing the room, the Arc Reactor thrumming beneath his jacket. "How do you know all this? My family, my business affairs, the exact mechanism Ethan used to save my life?"
Leo scratched the back of his neck, feigning slight awkwardness. "This is a very broad question. I don't know everything, but I only know the things that are important and highly consequential to the timeline. Ethan was fundamentally important to your survival and your transformation, so I know a lot about him."
"As for how I know it, it's a form of enhanced perception—a superpower, if you will. You'll meet others who possess different abilities, but few, if any, will have this depth of foresight. You can be assured of that."
The name Ethan brought Tony back to the cold, dark cave. He stopped pacing, his gaze softening with genuine sadness. "What else about Ethan? Did he have family? Did he regret dying for me?"
"Ethan didn't lie to you. His family did die at the hands of the people who captured you. He left this world without fear, only with a single, profound regret: that he wouldn't be there to witness the man you were about to become," Leo revealed.
Leo leaned closer. "And on the technical front: Do you recall why Ethan even considered putting an electromagnet device in your chest to save you?"
"No, that technology wasn't publicly known," Tony muttered, frowning.
"It was in 1999, at that technology conference in Switzerland. Ethan introduced you to his friend, Dr. Wu from China. Dr. Wu had made huge strides in the integration of robotics with heart disease intervention. It was that fringe technology, which Ethan had studied and understood, that gave him the exact knowledge he needed to save you."
Leo raised an eyebrow in a gesture that mimicked Tony's own arrogance. "Oh, and speaking of that conference—another person came looking for you, remember? They had traveled a very long way, but you ignored them and went straight to a woman's room instead. You've accumulated quite a list of slighted people over the years, Mr. Stark."
Tony shook his head dismissively. "I don't care. Other people's hurt feelings are not my problem. Back then, thousands of people wanted five minutes of my time every day. I couldn't possibly handle every single request."
"Hopefully, you're right," Leo shrugged, a dark hint in his voice. Killian will be coming for him in a few years, and he's already found his first batch of Extremis virus test subjects.
"By the way, Mr. Stark, did you take my advice and go see Colonel Rhodes?"
Tony recoiled slightly. The fact that Leo knew about the secretive meeting he had just had with Rhodey, and the nature of the conversation, was profoundly unsettling.
"Then it seems your Mark II should have already begun formal manufacturing," Leo observed casually.
Leo's omniscience caused Tony to stand up abruptly, staring at the boy with genuine alarm. "I genuinely feel less safe the longer you're in the same room as me."
Leo simply shrugged again.
"Mr. Stark, may I stay here?"
"Stay? Here, in Malibu?"
"Yes. I believe that with me around, your development progress will be significantly faster, and I can offer relevant counsel at opportune moments," Leo said, looking at him with intense, expectant eyes.
Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose, the headache intensifying. "Alright, fine. I need to observe you anyway. But I need to know the physics of your 'flying.' Were you flying that day at the ambush site?"
"To be precise, metal manipulation and controlled flight are part of my ability set. So, yes, I flew away that day," Leo smiled.
This was Tony Stark's first direct encounter with a verified superhuman—a child who was an anomaly in his scientific worldview. Despite his inherent distaste for things he couldn't control, Tony had to suppress his discomfort.
"Okay," Tony relented. "I'll find you a guest room, but you have to agree to my conditions. First, I need a blood sample so I can study your physiology."
"No problem. Deal," Leo nodded easily. "Then, let's figure out how to manage my Aunt Jenny and Uncle George. They are probably getting very impatient out there."
It took every ounce of Tony Stark's considerable wealth, charm, influence, and a stack of expertly crafted official-looking documents. After hours of careful persuasion, promises of constant security, a ridiculously lucrative stipend for Leo's "summer internship" ($5,000 per month), and a solemn oath that he would not involve Leo in any dangerous activities, Jenny reluctantly agreed. She set a hard deadline: two months maximum, and Leo must be back before school started.
Uncle George, slightly star-struck by the money and the mansion, booked their first-class plane tickets back to Queens.
After seeing the black Buick disappear down the long, winding drive, Leo let out a massive, whooping shout. "Yes! Now we can go all out!"
Watching the eleven-year-old's unbridled excitement, Tony felt a pang of something akin to recognition. It was his younger self, eager to cast off parental restrictions and dive into chaos.
"Leo, they're gone. Are you happy?" Tony asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, I appreciate the love they give me," Leo replied, his tone immediately turning serious. "If the world were simple and peaceful, I might just bask in that care. But now that I know what's coming, I have to take responsibility."
As he spoke, a huge flatbed trailer rumbled up the drive. The delivery was here. Fifteen pieces of dark, dense silver tungsten alloy and twelve pieces of sleek, dark grey titanium alloy plates were offloaded. Two strong delivery men, directed by Jarvis's holographic arrow, carried the multi-ton load toward the large guest wing Tony had designated for Leo.
As twilight bled into darkness, Tony looked at the situation—his basement studio, his sanctuary, had been breached, and his solitude was now shared. Pepper used to be the only other soul here.
"Jarvis, grant Leo temporary limited access. And inform Pepper."
"Mr. Stark, what would you like for dinner tonight?"
"Pepper will bring food back. And let's be clear, Leo is not allowed in my basement studio under any circumstances." Tony pointed a finger at Leo.
"Jarvis, record Leo's biometric information and grant him access to the main residence and his assigned wing."
"Yes, Mr. Stark. Mr. Leo, please follow the designated marker."
Jarvis's voice guided Leo to a nearby data entry room where his fingerprints and retina scan were taken, along with the promised blood sample.
When Leo returned to the main hall, the massive room was now brilliantly lit, and Pepper had just entered, dropping her handbag onto a sofa.
"Hey, Leo!" Pepper greeted him warmly. "Jarvis already filled me in. Welcome to Malibu. Look, I brought back an extra meal!"
"Thank you, Pepper. Where is Mr. Stark?"
"He's already locked himself in the basement studio. I was just coming to find you. You can watch TV or explore—just don't touch anything in the wine cellar!" Pepper joked, taking Tony's dinner down to the basement.
Leo stood in the magnificent, high-tech hall, gazing out at the star-dusted Pacific. More importantly, he looked toward the guest wing, where several tons of high-quality metal were now stored.
This is truly amazing, he thought, a sense of immense satisfaction washing over him. My forge is now fully stocked.