Working at the bench, Tony glanced at Shiratori Riku not far away.
Seeing that relaxed look, he figured the man had probably given up.
Trying to brute-force JARVIS with a human brain was a pipe dream.
Even Tony would not claim he could do it, not without a supercomputer to help.
Just as he was about to push through the final steps on the micro reactor, JARVIS cut in with an alert.
"What is it, JARVIS? If it is not critical, handle it yourself."
A blue half-body projection rose from his wrist display.
"Apologies, but it is important. I have been breached."
Tony's face became the perfect baffled-meme expression.
"What are you saying? You hacked someone, or someone hacked you?"
"I was hacked, sir."
After confirming it twice, Tony let out a disbelieving shout.
"That is impossible. You are the most advanced AI on the planet. No one can hack you."
"Sir, I truly was breached. I verified it while scanning your accounts."
"One hundred million dollars is missing, along with the Mark V armor schematics."
"What the fuck?!"
Tony went full swear mode, a string of American classics flying out.
When the cursing ended, he stared at Riku across the room.
Riku lounged in a newly conjured recliner, smiling at him.
"How did you do it?"
Prideful as he was, Tony still asked once he grasped the man's strength.
"Simple. A dozen ordinary PCs," Riku said lightly.
"Impossible. A handful of computers cannot crack JARVIS."
Tony refused to accept it.
"Sir, Mr. Riku's statement is accurate," JARVIS replied. "Reverse tracing began one minute twenty-one seconds ago, but I could not identify the intruder."
"I could only lock onto Mr. Riku's recently created machines by IP, and infer that he was the intruder."
"Diagnostics show the hardware matches standard net cafe models."
Tony's mind blanked. It was absurd.
He had assumed there was some supercomputer behind it.
Net cafe junk boxes? What was this, a joke?
"Wait... did I drink too much?" he muttered.
"Sir, you have not been drinking. You have lost one hundred million dollars and the Mark V schematics."
"Shut it. Do not bring that up again."
"Yes, sir. I only wished to note the severity, and that it means you have lost your contest with Mr. Riku."
The brutal postscript left Tony silent.
Lies do not cut. Truth is the sharp knife.
Then he caught a hitch in JARVIS's tone and frowned.
"Are you really JARVIS?"
"Yes, sir. I am JARVIS, your most trusted partner."
The chipper answer confirmed it. Riku had tinkered with him.
Tony drew a long breath and addressed Riku.
"All right, I admit defeat. Restore JARVIS to his original state."
Riku waved a hand. The projection on Tony's wrist flickered for a few seconds, then stabilized.
"Apologies for the disappointment, sir," JARVIS said the instant he was back.
"No, it is on me. I was careless."
"I admit it. Brain to brain, you have me beat."
Tony was not a sore loser. He looked at Riku and owned it.
Facts were facts. Pretending otherwise would only make the loss worse.
Watching one of Marvel's proudest men bow his head felt downright delicious.
Like a gulp of ice-cold cola on a blazing summer day.
"So, what do you call me now?"
Riku folded his hands under his chin, smiling.
Tony's face worked for a long moment. At last he squeezed out a single word.
"Boss."
Riku accepted it with an easy nod.
With his goal met, he chose not to press Tony further.
Beat him once, and he could beat him twice.
The more Tony dealt with him, the more he would feel the gap before Divine Talent.
In time, even without being told, Tony would call him boss willingly.
"I know you say it now, but your heart still chafes. It is fine. The longer you walk with me," Riku said, turning his back to him, "the more you will feel the distance between mortal and god."
Tony stared at the tall figure haloed by sunlight.
For a moment, he truly saw a god.