After returning to his Malibu mansion, Tony Stark went straight to his underground workshop.
The crude Mark I schematic floated in holographic projection before him.
He began stripping away bulky plating, simplifying the frame, improving articulation points, and redistributing weight for balance and mobility.
This would no longer be a walking tank.
This would be flight-capable armor.
The Mark II.
"JARVIS, notify Yinsen when he wakes up. I'll need him down here," Tony said while rotating the virtual model.
"Yes, sir," the AI replied.
The workshop lighting dimmed as design overlays and structural simulations appeared, assisting Tony in real time.
Meanwhile, after completing his daily training with the Perfect Superpower Training Box, Karl suddenly felt something change.
Three months had passed.
A surge of unfamiliar energies flowed into his body.
Instinctively, he focused on his farm.
In the next instant—
He vanished.
And reappeared on the farmland outside Queens.
Teleportation.
Karl let out a slow breath, then tested the second ability.
His eyes glowed crimson.
A thin beam of searing energy shot forward.
Sizzle—
Two perfectly circular holes burned into the soil, edges glassed from intense heat.
Laser vision.
Karl turned toward a nearby agricultural machine weighing nearly a ton.
He focused.
The machine trembled…
Then lifted smoothly into the air.
Telekinesis.
He rotated it, suspended it, then gently lowered it back into place.
After repeated tests, Karl confirmed:
He had fully mastered all three abilities.
Even more surprising—
The influx of energy had strengthened his connection to shadow energy.
He could now summon over 1,500 Shadow Ninjas.
His control over the Ice-Ice Fruit had also sharpened; telekinetic focus allowed finer manipulation of ice structures.
Two pairs of frost wings formed behind him.
With telekinetic propulsion layered over cryogenic lift, his aerial maneuverability increased dramatically.
Karl surveyed the field, satisfied, then summoned Shadow Ninjas to repair the scorched ground.
With a thought, he teleported back home.
The following days returned to a peaceful rhythm.
Time with Aunt May.
Dates in the city.
Quiet evenings on the farm.
Meanwhile, Karl quietly accumulated Stark Industries shares at rock-bottom prices.
Then one day—
His phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Who is this?"
"Hey, Carl — it's me. Get over here. I've got something you need to see."
Tony Stark.
Karl smiled.
He knew exactly what it was.
"Alright. I'm curious what could make you call personally."
"You'll love it. Hurry up."
The line clicked dead.
Karl chuckled.
Even knowing what awaited him, he still felt anticipation.
It was Iron Man armor.
With a thought, he teleported.
He appeared in Tony's living room.
"JARVIS, where's Tony?"
"Mr. Carl, the boss is in the workshop. He instructed that you may proceed directly."
Karl descended to the underground lab.
There, Tony and Yinsen stood beside a sleek, silver exosuit suspended in a magnetic assembly frame.
Karl approached slowly.
"This the surprise?" he said. "Not bad… looks sharp. Hey, Yinsen."
"Good to see you, Carl," Yinsen replied warmly.
Tony grinned like a child unveiling a new toy.
"The Mark II. Flight-capable. Fully articulated. Built for altitude and speed."
Karl circled the armor, studying its polished titanium shell.
"Impressive. But tell me… is it frost-resistant?"
Tony frowned.
Karl placed his hand lightly on the suit.
Frost crystals began creeping across the metal surface.
"Hey! Hey! Stop icing my suit!"
Tony rushed forward, brushing the frost away.
Karl smirked.
"Have you considered high-altitude icing? At extreme altitude, temperature drops can freeze intake systems and lock servo joints. If propulsion stalls, you fall."
Tony froze.
"…Oh."
He looked at the armor.
Then at Yinsen.
"Oh, that is not good."
He spun toward the console.
"JARVIS — update materials request. I need improved thermal resistance, anti-icing surface treatment, and revised flight envelope modeling."
"Updating design parameters, sir."
Tony ran a hand through his hair.
"That could have killed me."
Karl shrugged.
"You're welcome."
Later, Tony insisted on testing combat mobility.
Karl summoned a Shadow Ninja.
Without JARVIS combat assistance, Tony struggled immediately.
The ninja moved with trained precision.
Tony's servos whined as he tried to compensate.
The katana flashed.
Scratches appeared across the Mark II's surface.
"Hey! That's expensive!"
Tony stumbled backward.
"JARVIS — assist targeting!"
With AI stabilization and targeting assistance, Tony finally gained control and forced the ninja back before disabling it.
He stood there breathing heavily.
Karl and Yinsen exchanged amused looks.
Then—
Pepper Potts entered the workshop.
She stopped cold.
Tony stood inside a damaged armored suit.
Knife scoring visible across the chest plating.
"Tony," she said slowly, eyes narrowing, "you told me you were done building weapons."
Her voice was stern.
But her eyes were fixed on the damage.
On the danger.
On him.
Karl and Yinsen shared a knowing glance.
Tony opened his faceplate.
"This isn't a weapon," he said defensively. "It's a high-tech prosthetic—"
Pepper folded her arms.
"Tony."
He sighed.
"…It's a suit."
She stared at him.
Then at the damage.
Then back at him.
Concern outweighed anger.
Karl quietly lifted his glass.
Yinsen followed.
The two men clinked glasses softly as Tony Stark tried to explain himself to the only person in the room he feared disappointing.