The experiment…
Was a complete success.
Howard Stark had already done the hardest part decades ago—he had worked out the theory, mapped the structure, and left behind the blueprint.
What he lacked…
Was the technology to bring it into reality.
And now—
That final step had been completed.
Even Tony Stark stood there in stunned silence.
He had been prepared for failure.
For long nights in the lab.
For weeks… months… maybe even years of trial and error.
Instead—
It worked on the first try.
"…Alright, Peter," Tony finally said, letting out a breath as he patted Peter on the shoulder. "I admit it."
"You're a genius."
In his hand—
A brand-new element.
Stable.
Radiant.
Alive with potential.
For once, there was no arrogance in Tony's voice.
Only genuine admiration.
Peter couldn't help the faint sense of satisfaction that rose within him.
Getting Tony Stark to say something like that?
Even if it was "cheating"…
Still felt amazing.
…
After all—
What was the point of power?
If not to enjoy moments like this?
"You're not bad yourself," Peter replied casually, returning the gesture.
He placed the new element into a containment unit and handed it to a nearby graduate assistant for testing.
It was almost ironic.
A college-bound student…
Now casually directing graduate-level researchers.
"Hey—give that to me."
Before the assistant could react, Tony stepped forward and took the element back.
"Mr. Stark!" the assistant protested. "We haven't run any safety tests yet. It could be unstable—harmful—even incompatible with the reactor. We can't—"
"Relax, kid."
Tony pulled out a prototype reactor he had prepared in advance.
"My father once said—sometimes, before you learn to walk…"
"…you have to run."
With that—
He lifted his shirt.
Removed the old Arc Reactor from his chest.
And without hesitation—
Inserted the new one.
"Mr. Stark, wait—!"
Too late.
A soft glow spread from his chest.
Energy—clean, stable, powerful—began to flow.
"…Oh."
Tony froze.
Then exhaled slowly.
"Oh… this feeling…"
…
Nearby, Peter crossed his arms, watching with interest.
He wasn't worried.
Tony wasn't reckless—
Not this time.
Because just moments ago—
The lab had delivered confirmation:
The healing serum tailored to Tony's genetic profile…
Was complete.
…
In other words—
Tony now had a safety net.
As long as his brain wasn't obliterated—
As long as his body remained mostly intact—
He could recover.
Fully.
"God… I've never felt this good before."
Tony flexed slightly, almost in disbelief.
"This is incredible… Peter, this new element—this is insane!"
The new reactor didn't just outperform the old one.
It eliminated the palladium poisoning entirely.
It was cleaner.
Stronger.
Perfect.
It felt like being reborn.
"Glad you like it," Peter said with a smile.
Then—
He added calmly:
"I think it's time we discuss pricing."
Tony froze.
Just seconds ago, he had been on top of the world.
Now—
His expression collapsed instantly.
"…You couldn't let me enjoy that a little longer?" he groaned. "Five more seconds, Peter. Would that have killed you?"
Peter just smiled.
Because the value of this discovery…
Was immeasurable.
A new element.
Stable.
Functional.
Humanity's periodic table had taken centuries to reach its current state.
Every new addition required unimaginable effort.
Most artificially created elements existed for only fractions of a second—
Decaying almost instantly.
But this?
This one—
Could be used.
And more importantly—
It had a purpose.
An energy source.
A perfect core for the Arc Reactor.
Even ignoring everything else—
This alone was worth hundreds of billions.
"Three hundred billion in capital," Peter said casually, "plus ten percent equity."
He smiled.
"Honestly, Tony—you're getting a bargain."
Tony stared at him.
Deadpan.
Peter spread his hands.
"Hey, we're friends."
"Helping each other is what friends do."
The silence stretched.
Tony's face twitched.
Because what Peter had just done…
Was brutally simple.
He took Howard Stark's legacy—
Gave it back to his son—
And charged him for it.
And not just a little.
A fortune.
In the end—
The deal was struck.
The rights to use the new element—
Limited exclusively to Arc Reactor applications—
Granted to Stark Industries indefinitely.
In exchange—
Peter received:
$30 billion in liquid capital
10% additional shares in Stark Industries
Combined with his previous holdings—
Peter now controlled 20% of Stark Industries.
Nearly identical to what Obadiah Stane once held.
To make it happen—
Tony had to convene the board.
Dilute shares.
Restructure ownership.
He still retained 52% control—
Absolute authority.
For now.
But if something like this happened again—
If his shares were diluted further—
Then Stark Industries…
Would no longer belong solely to Tony Stark.
And Peter?
He walked away smiling.
Because once again—
He had turned someone else's legacy…
Into his own profit.
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T/N:
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