Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Oprah of Injection Pistol
[Third Person's PoV]
Everyone was suited up in their armors, even Tony's mother, Maria, who stood with an awkward smile, looking over her newly armored form.
"I honestly don't know what to say about this. This wasn't what I expected to happen…" she admitted, still getting used to the feel of the suit.
"Think of this as a family event," Tony reassured her, a grin evident in his voice. "All we're doing is going flying and testing the suits. Everyone's in on it."
"Alright, if you say so…" Maria muttered, still uncertain but willing to go along with it.
Meanwhile, Howard and David were already moving around, testing out the range of motion in their suits.
"Oh wow, this feels so light. It's like I'm just wearing a coat over my normal clothes," Howard said, marveling as he opened and closed his hand, watching the armor respond smoothly.
David, manipulating the tentacle-like extensions of his suit, nodded in agreement. "These feel like extensions of my normal limbs. They move exactly how I want them to. You two have really outdone yourselves," he praised Tony and Melissa.
Melissa, with a smile, activated her suit fully, the sleek armor forming over her body as she hovered in place. "Shall we take them for a test drive?"
Tony's suit did the same, the mask sliding down to cover his face. "I think it's time we take these to the skies."
…
The cliffside near their home began to shift, revealing a hidden launchpad. One by one, figures shot out from the opening—Tony leading the way, followed by the rest of his family, with Melissa bringing up the rear. Once the last figure cleared the cliff, it sealed back into place.
Tony flew at the front, his HUD displaying a split screen showing the faces of his family members as they communicated in real-time.
"WOOOOAH!" Howard shouted, twirling in the air with childlike enthusiasm. "This is amazing! We should have done this sooner, Tony!"
Maria flew low over the ocean, her fingertips skimming the water's surface. A serene smile formed on her face as she relaxed into the experience. Just then, a dolphin leaped out of the water, followed by several others, their playful presence widening Maria's smile even more.
David flew close to Melissa, his face reflecting pure joy. "I can see why you love doing this. It feels so freeing," he remarked, his voice filled with awe.
"I know, right? I absolutely love flying… It's the best," Melissa responded, sharing a knowing smile with her father as they soared through the sky together.
The family spent the day flying near each other, testing out their suits' weapons and various capabilities.
They explored the skies, pushing the limits of their technology, and eventually, they all hovered together, watching the sun set on the horizon. As the sun dipped below the ocean, the sky transitioned into a canvas of stars, and they all shared a quiet, peaceful moment above the world.
…
Later that night, Tony was in his lab with Howard and David, handing each of them an injection pistol containing a serum. The atmosphere was more serious now, the day's excitement giving way to thoughtful contemplation.
Tony looked at both of them, his expression earnest. "I'm going to be honest—while I say this will upgrade your quirks, I'm not sure by how much. The effects could be minor, or they could be completely different from what we expect. I just know they'll be upgraded to the next level. The quirk factor is still something I find very strange, and I'm still researching it, so the effects may be unpredictable."
"But is it dangerous?" David asked, holding the injection pistol in his hand, his brow furrowed in concern.
"Theoretically, no. Everything should be perfectly fine. And if something does go wrong, I'd be able to fix it. This thing is 99.99% safe."
"And the 0.01%?" Howard asked, raising an eyebrow.
"How should I know?" Tony shrugged. "I'm not God."
"Well, none of your inventions have let us down before, Tony, so I'm going to trust you," Howard said with a nod, his trust in his son evident.
"This could be the first one, you know. There's a first time for everything," David added, his tone tinged with pessimism.
"Oh, stop being a party pooper, Dad. It'll be fine," Melissa chimed in from her seat, her back turned as she scrolled through a tablet, her eyes scanning and reading.
Howard patted David's back, seeing his downcast expression. The two men eventually left, each with their injection pistol in hand, heading to their rooms.
Once they were alone, Tony turned to Melissa, curiosity in his voice. "So, what are you doing? You've been reading that since we returned from our test flight."
"I'm studying…" Melissa replied, not looking up.
"You are?" Tony asked in surprise, prompting Melissa to stop and turn toward him, giving him a straight look before shaking her head and returning to her reading.
"Ever since the SSS, my cognitive abilities have doubled. I'm trying to push them to their limits by learning about a subject I always found difficult. I'm trying to see if I can come up with a different idea for the suits based on what I learn."
"And you're being secretive about what you're learning because…?" Tony asked, intrigued.
"I want to surprise you. I want to show you that you aren't the only super genius," Melissa said, looking back with a smile.
"You know I already think you're a genius, right? You have nothing to prove…" Tony said, his expression serious.
"I know, but this is more for myself. I want to prove to myself that I can do the things I set my mind to," Melissa responded, her tone equally serious.
"Alright, I'll be your silent supporter then," Tony nodded.
Melissa stood up, kissed Tony, and said, "Thank you," before kissing him once more and returning to her seat.
"Anyway, I'm going to meet Momo," Tony said as he turned to leave.
"Excuse me?" Melissa asked, looking at him in confusion.
"I kind of owe her an SSS. It was my way of bribing her into accepting me on her team during the sports festival," Tony explained with a grin.
"Ah, alright. Don't be too long then…" Melissa said with a knowing smile.
…
Momo sat in front of her mirror in a nightgown, her long black hair loose and cascading over her shoulders. She checked her phone before putting it back down, resuming brushing her hair. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her terrace window. Confused, she peeked outside and found Tony hovering outside, standing on a hoverboard with his skin suit on.
She quickly went outside to meet him. "Tony! Are you okay? I wanted to call you and make sure you were alright, but I didn't know when it was the appropriate time."
"Yeah, I'm good. Everything's already been resolved. My parents were just kidnapped," Tony said, waving it off as if it were nothing important.
"What!? Are they alright? Your mother was pregnant, wasn't she? Nothing bad happened to her or the baby, right?" Momo asked, her concern clear.
Tony shook his head. "Like I said, everything's alright. It's all been resolved."
Momo let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad… Ah, do you want to come in?"
"Sorry, I can't stay long; it's really late. I came to deliver something to you…" Tony said, pulling out an injection pistol with the SSS.
Noticing her confusion, Tony explained, "This is what I talked to you about during the sports festival." He went on to explain its full effects and how it might enhance her quirk.
"I see… You didn't have to deliver it tonight. I could have waited, you know. After all, you should be spending time with your family after what happened. This should have been the least of your concerns," Momo said, touched by his gesture.
Tony shook his head. "They've already gone to bed. Plus, I had to deliver it to you since a Stark always keeps his word."
Momo smiled and shook her head. "Thank you, Tony."
"Anytime. Goodnight, Momo," Tony said as he tapped his belt, slowly turning invisible.
"Goodnight, Tony," Momo said with a smile before looking down at the injection pistol, caressing it with her thumb.
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