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The low hum of machines filled the spacious basement of Tony Stark's villa, punctuated by the occasional clang of tools.
Tony, wearing a grease-streaked tank top, stood next to his new project: the Mark II armor. Beside him was Seph, his arms crossed as he leaned casually against the workbench, observing Tony with a mix of amusement and intrigue.
"You know," Seph said, breaking the silence, "for someone who insists on being the smartest person in the room, you spend a lot of time covered in soot."
Tony glanced down at the smudges on his shirt. "This, my friend, is the price of progress. Sweat, grit, and—" He sniffed the air—"burnt metal. I'm redefining fashion."
"Or just confirming you've got no sense of it," Seph quipped.
Tap Tap Tap
Before Tony could fire back, the sound of heels clicking on the polished floor announced a new arrival. Pepper Potts entered the room, her sharp eyes scanning the scene. Her gaze landed on Seph, and she froze mid-step.
"Seph?" Pepper blinked in surprise, clutching a tablet to her chest. "What are you doing here?"
"Fixing your boss," Seph replied smoothly, gesturing to Tony. "He's got the brains but apparently no common sense."
Tony threw his hands up. "Great, now you've got Pepper on your side? What's next, JARVIS? You gonna turn on me too?"
JARVIS's calm voice chimed in. "Sir, I am simply here to provide assistance, not to partake in banter."
"Traitor," Tony muttered, eliciting a chuckle from both Seph and Pepper.
Pepper, despite her initial surprise, looked relieved. "I'm glad you're here, Seph. Tony's been working non-stop, and I was starting to worry he'd run himself into the ground. At least now he's got someone to keep him in check."
Seph smirked. "Oh, don't worry. I've been keeping him on his toes."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Can we get back to the part where I'm a genius creating revolutionary tech?"
Pepper gave him an affectionate smile before leaving the two to their work.
The hum of machinery grew louder as Tony strapped on the thrusters for their first test. The prototype wasn't much to look at—just boots with sleek, metallic accents and miniature engines that Tony had spent weeks perfecting.
"Alright, the moment of truth," Tony said, securing the last strap. He glanced at Seph. "You might want to stand back. I don't want to accidentally barbeque you."
Seph took a deliberate step forward. "I'll take my chances. Besides, if you screw this up, I'm not missing it."
Tony smirked. "You've got a lot of faith in me."
"Oh, I've got faith," Seph replied. "Just not in your ability to stick the landing."
Tony ignored the jab and activated the thrusters. A sharp whirr filled the air as the boots roared to life.
Slowly, Tony began to hover, wobbling slightly as he adjusted the power.
"Not bad," Seph admitted, watching Tony float a few feet off the ground. "You look like a drunk bird, but it's progress."
"Drunk bird? Please," Tony said, gritting his teeth as he tried to stabilize. "This is controlled chaos."
A sudden burst of power sent Tony careening toward the ceiling.
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" He shouted, narrowly avoiding a beam before slamming into the far wall with a loud clang.
Seph winced. "You okay over there, genius?"
Tony groaned, peeling himself off the wall. "Yeah. Just testing the durability of the suit—and the wall. Both are solid, by the way."
Seph shook his head, laughing. "You're like a toddler with a jetpack."
"Hey, every toddler's gotta learn to walk before they can fly," Tony shot back, limping back to the center of the room.
After a few more adjustments and several more crashes, the thrusters were finally ready for a proper test drive. Tony donned the full Mark II suit, the metallic plates locking into place with satisfying clicks and whirs.
"Alright, JARVIS," Tony said, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet. "Let's take her for a spin."
"Be careful," Seph called out as Tony stepped onto the launch pad. "I'd hate to have to scrape you off the pavement."
Tony shot him a thumbs-up. "Don't wait up!"
With a deafening roar, the suit's jets activated, propelling Tony upward and out of the villa through a hidden exit in the ceiling.
Seph watched as the billionaire disappeared into the night sky, shaking his head.
High above Malibu, Tony soared through the air, the Mark II gleaming under the moonlight.
"JARVIS, give me a status report," Tony said, the exhilaration in his voice evident.
"Thrusters are performing at 95% efficiency, sir," JARVIS replied. "Altitude stable at 10,000 feet. All systems nominal."
Tony grinned. "Not bad for a first flight, huh?"
"Indeed, sir. Although I would advise against excessive altitude until further testing."
"Yeah, yeah," Tony said, banking to the left. The suit responded flawlessly, cutting through the air with precision.
Back in the villa, Seph watched the live feed from JARVIS on a nearby monitor.
"He's like a kid in a candy store," He muttered, shaking his head.
But Tony's joy was short-lived. As he climbed higher, frost began to form on the suit's exterior.
"Uh, JARVIS? What's with the ice?"
"Temperature is dropping rapidly, sir," JARVIS warned. "We're approaching freezing conditions. The suit's propulsion system is not optimized for such altitudes."
"Great," Tony muttered, his hands flying over the controls. The frost thickened, and the suit began to lose power.
"JARVIS, get me down—now!"
"Attempting to stabilize," JARVIS said, his voice calm despite the situation.
But it was no use. The suit's systems were failing, and Tony was plummeting toward the ground.
Back in the villa, Seph's eyes narrowed as he watched the descent. "Damn it, Stark."
With a subtle flick of his fingers, Seph activated his powers, reducing the gravity around Tony just enough to slow his fall.
Tony hit the ground with a loud crash, skidding across the lawn and coming to a stop mere inches from one of his prized cars.
Groaning, he managed to sit up. "JARVIS, remind me to never do that again."
"Noted, sir."
Inside the villa, Seph leaned back against the workbench, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Tony stumbled inside a few minutes later, still clad in the now frost-covered Mark II. "Alright, who's the genius that designed a suit that can't handle a little ice?"
"Pretty sure that was you," Seph said, grinning.
Tony pointed at him. "Don't start. And how'd I not crash into the car? Luck?"
Seph shrugged. "Let's call it divine intervention."
"Yeah, right," Tony muttered, pulling off the helmet. "You know, for someone who doesn't do tech, you've got an annoying habit of being right."
Seph smirked. "And for someone who does tech, you've got an annoying habit of almost dying."
The two exchanged a look before bursting into laughter, the tension of the night melting away.
"You're alright, Seph," Tony said, clapping him on the shoulder.
"And you're not so bad yourself, Stark," Seph replied. "Just try not to kill yourself before we finish this thing, okay?"
"No promises," Tony said, already turning back to the drawing board.
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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