Superman in Marvel: Multiverse Ascendant

"I mean, you can fly by yourself, right?"

"What if your armor isn't fast enough, and you fly ahead of me? What should I do then?"

Tony finally remembered that Leon's speed was dozens of times faster than his Iron Man suit.

"Am I the kind of person who would cheat?"

"You wouldn't cheat, but why did you knock me out two days ago?"

"Alright, I'll step out of the armor. Jarvis, you take control of it."

"Wait, Jarvis is controlling it? You mean your armor can be fully unmanned?" Tony hadn't developed that function yet.

"Of course. What do you think? My armor is pretty impressive, right?"

"It's very… ahem, I mean, it's a good idea. I've thought of it before, but I didn't have enough time."

"...Then you're really amazing, Tony."

"Ahem, alright, Jarvis, ready? Let's start the race." Tony changed the subject, feeling slightly guilty.

"Understood, Mr. Stark. I'll begin the countdown. Three seconds. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready."

Jarvis began: "Ready. Three... two... one... go!"

Both armors ignited their thrusters simultaneously, taking off at full power. Flames trailed behind them as they soared into the sky.

Watching them disappear into the clouds, Leon muttered to himself.

"Honestly, both armors are slow."

"For me, armor is just sentimental at this point."

He grasped his collar with both hands, activating his bio-force field, and shot into the sky like a retrograde meteor.

"Oooh!!" Tony accelerated, reveling in the sensation. He had never felt so free in the sky before.

"For millions of years, the sky has been unreachable for humans."

"The desire to conquer the skies is ingrained in our very genes."

"No wonder so many people in history tried to fly. This feeling is incredible!"

Tony was exhilarated, confident that he was the ultimate machine-flying genius.

"Jarvis, how far behind is Leon's armor now?" He was sure he had gained the lead.

But Jarvis, ever blunt, replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but the mecha controlled by my subroutine has left you far behind."

"What?" Tony was stunned. "That's impossible!"

"Unfortunately, it's true. The gap between you and Master Leon's armor is now 700 meters."

Tony squinted at the sky, but the thick clouds obscured his vision.

"This must be a mistake. Speed up, Jarvis! Max power!"

Mark 2 fired its thrusters harder, piercing through the clouds.

But minutes passed, and Tony still couldn't spot Leon's armor—not even an exhaust trail.

"Damn, why is he so fast?"

"Because Master Leon designed a more efficient motion system and reduced the armor's weight, increasing both acceleration and top speed," Jarvis reported.

"...Alright, fine, I'll admit it. The guy's a genius. But I refuse to lose this race. Jarvis, push the power beyond the limit!"

"Sir, I must remind you—higher altitudes may cause the armor to freeze due to low temperatures."

"Forget that! Keep flying!"

Minutes later, Tony finally glimpsed the faint tail flame of Leon's armor.

"Yes! That's it! Close the gap and overtake him!"

"Sir, the outer armor is freezing. Continuing could damage key components."

"Ignore it! Keep accelerating!"

Fueled by adrenaline, Tony's competitive spirit burned hot.

If this were a shonen manga, he'd explode with power right now, surpass Leon, and claim victory.

But Marvel physics doesn't play along.

—In Marvel, only those who suffer enough get to break the laws of physics.

As he ascended, frost rapidly covered Mark 2, thickening at an alarming rate.

The armor's acceleration slowed.

Before Jarvis could warn him—

Mark 2 suddenly stalled.

Every circuit inside froze. The power cut off instantly.

"Wait, what's happening—AHHHHH!!"

His body lost balance. He plummeted like a flailing frog.

"Jarvis! Jarvis! Open the wings!"

The system was unresponsive. The freezing had short-circuited everything.

The armor fell faster and faster, gravity showing no mercy.

"No, no, Leon! Leon, save me!" Tony screamed in panic.

The next second—

"No problem, Tony."

Leon appeared in a flash, intercepting Mark 2 mid-air. The freefall stopped instantly.

The sheer relief was overwhelming.

Tony, still in shock, gasped, "Oh my god, that was way too close. Thanks, Leon… Though I bet you were watching me make a fool of myself the whole time."

"Don't say that. I was actually curious to see if you'd stay calm and turn the situation around."

"You better mean that..." Tony took a deep breath, steadying himself.

"Sir, I'm relieved you're safe," Jarvis chimed in as he descended in Leon's armor. "That was quite terrifying."

Leon adjusted his grip. "Alright, race is over. Let's head back."

Tony didn't argue.

On the way, he suddenly asked, "That gold material you mentioned… was it for solving the freezing issue at high altitudes?"

"Yep. Gold allows the armor to function in extreme conditions."

Tony fell silent.

Back in the underground garage, Tony removed his armor with the help of his smart arm.

"Leon… you won." He sighed, feeling a little dejected.

"Yes, I won."

Leon smiled brightly, then sat beside Tony.

"But actually, Tony… you won too."

Tony frowned in confusion.

"You were the one who taught me how to build an armor like this. That's why I could make it," Leon explained.

"If you teach other engineers, do you think they wouldn't learn? Of course they would. And because everyone thinks differently, some might even build better armor than you."

"The hardest thing in the world isn't learning or improving—it's creating something from nothing."

"And Tony, you were the one who created it."

"If not for you, maybe even twenty years from now, no one would have built a small arc reactor. No one would have built Iron Man armor."

"I beat you this time, but only because I had the chance to refine and improve your work."

"Tony, do you really think you can't surpass this?"

Tony immediately shook his head. "Of course not..."

"Just… fine, give me some time. I'll do it too."

Leon patted his shoulder. "See? Tony, you just need time. I only won because my super brain let me skip ahead."

Tony's earlier frustration gradually faded. His expression turned complicated. "Leon… you're really different now."

"You're just realizing this? I'm practically a mini Superman at this point."

"No, I mean… you've grown up."

Leon raised a brow. "Not sure if that's an insult or a compliment."

"It's a compliment, of course!"

"Alright, Tony, what I meant was, ever since you came back from Afghanistan, you've grown—"

"Stop! Stop! Why are you suddenly roasting me?"

"See? That's what I just said."

"...Ugh, you win again. Damn it, you should've gone to Columbia University instead of annoying me all day."

"Look at you, getting all flustered again."

"Get out! Get out of here!"

"Fine, fine, I'm going." Leon grabbed his armor and bolted.

Tony shook his head helplessly.

Then he chuckled.

"...That kid is really something."

...

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