{Chapter: 212 - Iron Suit}
After a brief rest, Aiden exhaled deeply and stood up, brushing his fingers through his hair with a determined gleam in his eyes. "Time to get to work," he muttered, rolling his shoulders as he prepared to execute the second phase of his personal plan—an idea that had been lingering in the back of his mind ever since his journey across timelines began.
Iron Man's suit.
It wasn't for himself—Aiden had long surpassed the need for any mechanical enhancement—but it was something he knew could be a game-changer for others. More specifically, for the women, for his women.
He thought of Carol.
Although she didn't possess powers of Star Sapphire yet in this version of the world, her flight instincts and prowess were exceptional. With an Iron Man suit customized to her reflexes and strengths, she'd be untouchable in the air.
Then there was Pepper. Last time she came here, he saw the sparkle in her eyes as she wore the mark 21 Armor. She may have acted like it was no big deal, but Aiden had noticed the way her fingers lingered on the repulsors, how she traced the edge of the armor plating. That quiet longing didn't go unnoticed.
And Aiden was never one to ignore the desires of his women. Since she likes it he can easily make it for her.
With a sharp breath in, Aiden activated Hiro's space-time ability once again. Unlike Hiro, who always squinted like he was in agony—his face contorting like he was constipated—Aiden only had to slightly furrow his brow, and with barely a sound, he disappeared.
In a blink, he was standing at the heart of Stark Tower.
Time froze. The world beyond the massive glass windows was suspended in a perfect still life. The hustle, the sounds, even the wind ceased to exist in this time-stopped bubble. Stark Tower gleamed like a modern palace, and Aiden couldn't help but admire the wealth of intelligence and ambition poured into every polished surface and arc-reactor-powered gadget.
He strolled through the pristine halls with a calm but curious air. As he entered the lab, he saw Tony Stark hunched over his workstation, goggles on, fingers typing rapidly into a console. If time wasn't frozen, the AI assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. would've detected him instantly. But Aiden didn't want any disruptions.
The purpose of coming here is for the iron suit; however, it is not to take away the finished product, but rather to figure out the blueprint, production process, and construction of the suits.
It is better to teach people to fish than to fish yourself.
….Although it's not really accurate, it's almost the same.
Since he has the ability to study and create his own iron suit, why bother taking a finished yet defective product?
His gaze shifted to the large screen in front of Tony.
"Oh? Hulkbuster already?" Aiden murmured, leaning in.
Blueprints danced on the display—rotating schematics, stress analysis simulations, neural-link tech integrations. It was impressive. The level of engineering detail Stark had achieved was nothing short of brilliant. It made Aiden raise a brow with quiet respect.
He smirked.
Tony Stark may be just a man, but he was the kind of man who looked at a god and said, "Let me build something to punch that in the face."
Aiden imagined future iterations—Thor Buster, Phoenix Killer, even the rumored Celestial Buster armor. It was ambitious, even though they were bad busting the one they were made for, it still shows Tony intellect to fight against beings who muss him with little effort. The intent behind it, though—that refusal to kneel, to back down—that's what Aiden liked.
He wondered briefly if there'd ever be an "Aiden Buster" armor built. He chuckled at the thought.
Walking across the lab, he approached a platform lined with various Iron Man suits, each gleaming under LED lights like a metallic army standing at attention. With a fluid motion of his hand, the suits floated, rising from their docks and floating silently into a line, as though welcoming his inspection.
He stepped in front of one of them, his fingers brushing the cold exterior. Then, with a light tap, the armor disassembled—segment by segment peeling away midair like petals from a mechanical flower.
Aiden's eyes sharpened as he invoked Sylar's analytical ability. The entire suit seemed to slow further in his perception as intricate parts revealed their secrets.
Circuits. Pressure regulators. Power nodes. Nanite stabilizers. Flight vector calibrators.
Every bolt, every line of code running through the embedded processors was laid bare before him. The more he saw, the more he understood.
This wasn't just devouring knowledge—it was enlightenment. Sylar's ability wasn't merely about copying—it was comprehension. But that comprehension didn't make you a master. Just like any talent, it had to be honed, practiced, perfected.
He looked at all the parts of the iron suit and could see how it was constructed and how it worked!
This ability is more complicated than he thought. It is not directly consumed by devouring. Simply put, it is more like an innate talent that develops after devouring, but it still needs to be trained and comprehended to be truly used.
Aiden nodded to himself.
He didn't need to take the suits. He would leave them where they were. What mattered now was the knowledge—how to create, how to improve, how to personalize. When he returned to Pepper and Carol, he'd give them more than gifts—he'd give them power.
He smiled faintly, already imagining Carol's eyes lighting up as she took flight in her custom-built armor, the wind rushing through her hair, her voice filled with that curious mix of awe and affection.
Maybe she'd even say something flirtatious like, "Trying to make me fall for you all over again, huh?"
And maybe he'd smile and reply, "I never stopped."
Yes, he thought, watching the suits float around him in reverence—this was going to be worth it.
Aiden stood in the quiet, sterile lab, his fingers gently running over the polished edge of the disassembled Iron Man suit. It was like touching the bones of a technological titan. Though his Sylar ability had shown him the internal workings—the way gears turned, thrusters aligned, and the mechanisms folded upon themselves—there was a big difference between knowing where the parts went and understanding why they went there.
He found himself in a similar place to Forge from the comics—capable of building anything, but only through repeated practice, refinement, and instinct.
Assemble. Disassemble. Analyze. Repeat.
Again and again, Aiden broke the suit down into components and reconstructed it, his fingers working faster with each repetition. At first, he followed intuition, mimicking what he had seen Tony Stark design. But after the sixth or seventh time, it began to click. Every micro servo, shock stabilizer, and adaptive hydraulic brace began to make more sense. He began to understand the stress distribution when the suit flew at Mach speed, the impact-resistant layering, and how nanotech could potentially streamline it all.
Then came the arc reactor.
Standing in front of the miniature power core, Aiden frowned. This was Tony's crown jewel—the impossible engine that defied conventional physics, acting as both heart and brain of every Iron Man suit. He couldn't reverse engineer it immediately. Even his Sylar-derived ability couldn't fully decode the miraculous math holding it together. He could build the chassis of a suit, yes. But without the arc reactor, it would be like crafting a god's body with no soul.
Then came the next problem—software.
Jarvis was more than just a system assistant; he was responsive, intuitive, even humorous. Without an AI, the suit would feel like a glorified coffin—one with flight capabilities and missiles, but a coffin nonetheless. Even a skilled user would struggle with reaction time and tactical coordination at high speeds.
Aiden leaned back, breathing deeply as he realized the extent of what he needed. His body was strong, evolved, even enhanced powers, but building this wasn't just about strength—it was about collaboration.
He stood up, but immediately his vision blurred slightly. He rubbed his temple.
How long had he been working? Two, three hours without pause?
Energy consumed under frozen time wasn't something he could ignore. Even with his unique physiology and recovered strength, the toll was real. Waving his hand, he gently guided the Iron Man suits back to their display racks with telekinesis, ensuring each one slotted perfectly into place.
Time resumed only once he was far from the tower.
With a flicker of light from the Reality Ring, dark green lines of energy wrapped around him and drew him toward the land. He didn't fly the whole way this time—he teleported the rest of the journey, reappearing in his quarters aboard his ship.
He dropped into bed, exhausted but satisfied.
After ten minutes of rest, he rose again.
"System," he said mentally, not aloud, as always. "Take me into the fighting field."
The world shimmered for a breath, then twisted, stretching into the familiar space of the fighting arena—a boundless plane with no sky, no sun, only an endless silver-blue horizon and a subtle hum of energy in the air.
Aiden stood tall in the center, hands in his coat pockets, looking calm as ever.
Moments later, light pulsed in the distance, and a figure appeared—her body tense, her stance guarded.
Jessica.
She manifested with a jolt, her fists instinctively clenched, legs braced for combat. Her eyes scanned her surroundings before locking onto Aiden. Her breathing slowed as her gaze narrowed.
Her tone was sharp, uncertain. "What the hell...? Where am I? What is this?"
"You're not hallucinating," Aiden said gently, stepping forward with a disarming smile. "And you're not in danger."
Jessica's arms slowly lowered, her eyes still narrowed. "You again…" she muttered. "You brought me here? How? What is this place?"
Aiden didn't answer right away. Instead, he approached her at an angle—never threatening, but smooth, confident. The kind of presence that made you feel watched but never unsafe.
"This place doesn't matter," he said softly. "What matters is why you're here."
Jessica crossed her arms, but her voice wasn't as harsh now. "You're always full of secrets. So go on. What do you want this time?"
"I need you to find three people," Aiden said. His tone was serious now, eyes fixed on hers. "People with special abilities."
Jessica raised a brow. "What kind of abilities?"
"Charlie Andrews," he began, ticking the name off his fingers. "Waitress. Sweet smile. Power? Enhanced memory. She remembers everything. Not just words—faces, sounds, data. All of it. She's a walking encyclopedia."
Jessica gave a slow nod, intrigued despite herself.
"Then there's Hana Gitelman," Aiden continued. "She can communicate with machines. Digital signals respond to her like whispers in the wind. She can hack satellites with a thought, tear through encryption like paper."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a hacker's wet dream."
Aiden chuckled. "Exactly. And lastly… Micah Sanders. A kid. But don't let the age fool you. He's brilliant. Can manipulate any electronic system—touch it, think it, own it."
Jessica listened, folding her arms but nodding as he spoke. "Alright. Sounds like a nerd task force. What's the mission?"
"I want them to build an Ai and some other programs. Not just any AI." Aiden's voice dropped lower, his expression serious. "Something better than what your world considers artificial intelligence. Self-aware. Flexible. Loyal. Adaptable. One that can control something for me or manage a starship."
Jessica blinked, confused for a moment. "Artificial... intelligence? You mean like a computer that thinks?"
"Exactly. Think of it as a mind. But digital. A friend who never sleeps, never forgets, and can react faster than any human."
Jessica scoffed lightly. "You want me to find these people so they can build a robot brain?"
Aiden stepped closer, smiling. "When you say it like that, it sounds boring."
She shook her head with a smirk, but there was something soft behind her eyes now. A spark that wasn't there before.
"You sure love sending me on these little errands."
"I trust you," Aiden said, his voice dropping an octave. "And I know you like having something to hit if things go wrong."
Jessica chuckled, brushing a lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "Fine. But I expect more than a thank-you when I'm done."
"Oh, you'll get more than a thank-you," Aiden said with a slow smile, stepping closer again. "You remember our last night, right?"
Jessica's breath caught. He was closer than before—too close—and her body betrayed her before her brain could respond. That slight blush on her cheeks, the subtle shift in her posture, the way her eyes darted away for half a second...
Of course she remembered.
"Don't go getting cocky," she muttered, even as her voice faltered slightly.
"Too late," he teased, and reached up to gently brush her cheek. "You melted for me once, Jess. And you're still melting."
She pushed his hand away, but it wasn't with force. It was reluctant. "I don't melt."
Aiden leaned in, his breath brushing her ear. "You don't have to. Just don't run cold when I hold you."
Jessica stared at him for a long moment, then finally—finally—allowed a faint smirk to tug at her lips. "You're a bastard, you know that?"
"I've been called worse," Aiden said with a grin.
He pulled back, his demeanor shifting to something more focused again. "Find them. Charlie, Hana, Micah. Let Charlie study AI. With Hana feeding her data and Micah handling the physical systems, we'll have something even Stark would be jealous of."
Jessica let out a breath and nodded. "Alright. I'll find them. But if this turns into another world-ending event..."
"I'll be the one standing between you and the end," Aiden said simply. "That's my promise."
Jessica gave him one last long look. There was still fire in her gaze, but it was laced with something new—trust, even if she wasn't ready to admit it yet.
"Fine. I'll be back."
"It might sound difficult, but with Hana's help, it shouldn't be a problem. If you have any problems, I will solve them."
Speaking of it, the main development of superpowers is from a genetic aspect. If it's focused on technology, then the result will be good. After all, with Hana and Micah, this puts them at a great advantage.
After the research, he can copy their abilities, then come back here and modify the artificial intelligence so there won't be any problems and also save time..
With a flash of light, she disappeared from the arena, leaving Aiden alone with his thoughts.
A faint smile lingered on his lips.
"One more piece on the board. Let's build something the world's never seen."