At Mach 1, Tony Stark felt like he was pushing the envelope. His vision blurred slightly at the edges, the G-force pressing down on his chest like a hydraulic press. Even with the inertial dampeners, he was still just a man in a can.
But Lucas?
Lucas was a blur. A streak of casual, effortless power.
"He's not even sweating," Tony gritted his teeth, watching the telemetry data on his HUD. "He's flying at Mach 2 in a T-shirt and jeans, and he looks like he's going for a stroll."
"Can we estimate his physical durability?" Tony asked, trying to distract himself from the nausea.
"Based on the velocity and air resistance," Jarvis replied, his voice calm amidst the roaring wind, "his skin must be harder than titanium. To withstand Mach 2 without a suit... his molecular density is off the charts. He is, for all intents and purposes, a living tank."
"A living tank," Tony repeated. "And he flies."
"Compare him to Captain Rogers," Tony ordered. "Is he Super Soldier level?"
"Negative, Sir," Jarvis said instantly. "Captain Rogers represents the peak of human potential. His estimated top speed is 60 mph. His durability allows him to survive falls and blunt trauma. Mr. Chen is currently moving at 1,500 mph. The comparison is... negligible."
"Negligible," Tony scoffed. "Great. So he's not just better than Cap. He's exponentially better."
It gnawed at him.
Tony was a genius. He built his power. He forged it in a cave (well, in this timeline, a garage). He earned every rivet, every circuit.
But Lucas?
"He's a cheat code," Tony muttered. "Rich people rely on technology. Poor people rely on mutations. Lucas relies on... what? Being a Transmigrator?"
"Did he inject something?" Tony wondered aloud. "Super Soldier Serum? Extremis? Compound V?"
"There is no evidence of medical enhancement in his file," Jarvis noted. "However, given his knowledge of the multiverse, it is highly probable he acquired a 'Power Up' from a source unknown to us. Perhaps he found a radioactive spider. Or a cosmic artifact."
"Or he just got lucky," Tony said bitterly. "The Lottery System."
He remembered the diary mentioning "Rewards." Lucas got rewards for writing.
"So he writes a diary about my life, and gets superpowers in return?" Tony shook his head. "That is the definition of unfair."
"Sir," Jarvis interrupted, pulling Tony from his pity party. "I must draw your attention to his attire."
"His clothes?"
"Yes. At Mach 2, the friction heat should be incinerating his clothing. Cotton has a flashpoint of roughly 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The air around him is currently exceeding 800 degrees."
Tony zoomed in. Lucas's shirt was pristine. Not a scorch mark. Not even a wrinkle.
"He has a force field," Tony realized. "A bio-electric aura. It protects him and whatever he's wearing."
"Correct, Sir. A telekinetic or bio-energy sheath. It likely reduces drag and provides thermal insulation."
"So he's fast, strong, durable, flies, and has a force field," Tony listed the abilities. "Is there anything he can't do?"
"We have not seen him shoot lasers from his eyes yet, Sir," Jarvis offered helpfully.
"Don't jinx it, Jarvis."
"Sir," Jarvis's tone shifted to a warning. "Engine temperature is critical. The Arc Reactor is stable, but the thruster output is exceeding thermal limits. If you continue at this velocity for another sixty seconds, the boots will melt."
"Melt?" Tony glanced at the diagnostics. The boots were glowing cherry red.
"Right. Melting is bad."
He looked ahead. Lucas was a tiny speck now, disappearing into the horizon.
"He wins this round," Tony admitted, easing off the throttle. "Slow down. Let's not turn into a meteor."
As the Iron Man suit decelerated, Tony felt the weight of envy settle in his stomach.
"I need to upgrade," Tony whispered. "Mark 3 isn't enough. I need speed. I need durability. I need a suit that can go toe-to-toe with a god."
"Jarvis," Tony said, his mind already designing the next iteration. "Start a new project. Code: Bleeding Edge."
"We're going to need nanotech. And maybe... a little bit of that magic Lucas keeps talking about."
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