The cold, concrete space of the underground garage workshop felt huge and empty at night. The only light came from the bright work lamps, casting long, dark shadows. Lin Yu stood to the side, a small smile on his face as he watched his friend. Tony hovered in the air, his body held up by the sleek metal flight aid.
"Okay, I can fly now," Tony said, his voice full of wonder. With Lin Yu's help, he had learned the control skills very quickly. He flew a few slow circles around the large garage, getting a feel for the movement. The soft hum of the device was the only sound. Finally, he landed gently on the ground, his feet making a quiet tap on the concrete floor.
"Then let's test the performance of the AK2," Lin Yu said, his voice shaking with excitement. He could not wait to see the suit in action.
"Yeah," Tony nodded. He walked over to the special assembly table he had designed. As he approached, the table seemed to come alive. It split apart with a smooth, mechanical sound and stretched out. At the same time, more than a dozen thin mechanical arms dropped down from the ceiling. They moved with quick, precise motions, attaching the pieces of the AK2 prototype armor all over Tony's body. The metal parts clicked and locked into place.
"Jarvis, are you there?" Tony called out after the suit was fully on. The helmet enclosed his head.
"Standby," replied a calm, British voice from inside the helmet.
"Start the HMD," Tony ordered.
Inside the helmet, a clear, bright monitor lit up right in front of Tony's eyes. It began to check all its systems and scanned the whole garage, mapping every car and tool.
"Start checking," Tony said.
"Tune in all the environment settings at home," he continued.
"Okay, sir," Jarvis replied.
Tony's eyes were now filled with information. He could see the shape of the room and many numbers and details about everything around him. It was like seeing the world through a smart, digital filter.
"Okay, how's it going?" Tony asked, looking at all the data.
"My parts are up and ready," Jarvis confirmed.
"Try to simulate walking?" Tony suggested.
"Load your behavior and calibrate the simulation," Jarvis answered.
"Calibrate the exterior controls, and check the body," Tony ordered.
"Yes," Jarvis said.
The AK2 armor, which was still just bare, silver metal, began to move on its own. It was a beautiful and complex machine. In front of Lin Yu's eyes, the suit checked itself. Small parts and modules floated slightly, then fell back into place. They stretched and shrank. In the gaps between the metal plates, a bright blue light would sometimes flash. The whole thing had a mesmerizing, mechanical beauty that made Lin Yu stare.
"It's really cool!" Lin Yu said, his voice full of honest admiration. He found the suit utterly dazzling.
"The test is over. Prepare to self-test after power off," Jarvis reminded them.
"Uh, I think you should check the weather and air traffic control first," Tony said, ignoring the warning. "Start monitoring the ground control information."
"Sir, there are still a lot of calculations to be done before the actual flight," Jarvis said, his voice always careful and exact.
"Jarvis! My dad said, do it first and then talk," Tony said, cutting Jarvis off. His tone left no room for argument.
"Yes, Jarvis, practice is the best way to test the performance of the airframe," Lin Yu added, stepping closer. "And there is me. I will fly with Tony. Even if Tony really falls from the sky in a while, I will catch him."
"Ready? 3, 2, 1." With a low roar, the AK2 ejected bright flames from the palms of its hands and the soles of its feet. Tony floated up, then slowly leaned forward. He shot out along the exit ramp of the underground garage and into the night.
"Hey, wait for me, you bastard," Lin Yu said with a laugh. He did not need a suit. He simply floated up from the ground and flew after his friend, a silent streak in the dark.
"Whoa yeah whoo hoo!" The AK2 flew out of the garage entrance and into the open air. Tony's joyful shout echoed behind him. He rushed into the sky like a shooting star, dragging a long, glowing trail. He carved several wide, happy arcs against the backdrop of the stars.
"How do you feel?" Lin Yu asked. He flew right beside Tony, keeping pace easily. He sent the words directly into Tony's mind using his mental power. Since the day Lin Yu had awakened this power, it had merged with the infinite energy he already possessed. The little bit of mental force was nothing compared to his true strength, and it was absorbed and fused instantly.
"The control is very smooth," Tony said after a moment. The initial nervousness was gone from his voice, replaced by a relaxed confidence. "Would you like to compare who is flying faster?"
"Why do I hear your words so familiar?" Lin Yu complained, remembering a similar challenge from before. Then he said in a calm, sure tone, "Tony, I did not mean to offend you. But you are still too young to compete with me in flying speed."
"How do you know that I cannot compare to you? You helped build it. You know the AK2 has a flight speed close to Mach 3," Tony said, his voice proud and a little hurt.
It was true. Because of Lin Yu's help, this AK2 prototype was already as advanced as much later models. Tony had every reason to be confident in his creation.
"It is not that I look down on you," Lin Yu said. He did not want to argue. "So let us just fly. I will wait here and see if I can catch up with you in three minutes." He said this only because he felt he had to prove his point.
"You underestimate me," Tony said, his competitive spirit fully ignited. "Jarvis, boost with maximum power output!"
The four exhaust flames on the AK2 suddenly blazed brighter, like small suns. The suit shot forward, its speed jumping to the peak, nearly three times the speed of sound. The air screamed around him.
Lin Yu simply stopped moving. He hung in the empty sky, suspended by his mind. He shook his head gently, a little helplessly, as he watched Tony become a distant speck of light.
Three minutes later, Lin Yu finally moved. He flew out, not in any hurry. Just three seconds later, he saw Tony flying ahead of him.
"What is that kid boasting about? He must not be able to keep up now," Tony said to himself, glancing over his shoulder and seeing nothing but empty sky. He felt a wave of satisfaction.
"No, sir," Jarvis's voice cut in. "Mr. Lin Yu is catching up. He is very fast. According to the time it takes for him to catch up with you, his speed should be close to Mach 25."
"What?" Tony exclaimed, his eyes going wide behind the helmet.
"Hi, Tony," Lin Yu said, slowing down to fly right beside him again. He looked at Tony with a friendly smile.
"You kid, you are too much," Tony said, his voice a mix of shock and frustration.
"Hey hey, you still did not believe me," Lin Yu replied with a soft laugh. "Okay, I won the game. Now we should try the highest flying altitude of the AK2."
"Okay, I lost," Tony said. The frustration lasted only a moment before his curious mind took over. He turned the AK2 upward, pointing its nose at the stars. "Okay, let us see how strong this thing is." He felt a thrill of adventure.
"Jarvis, what is the record of the SR71 Blackbird?" Tony asked.
"The record for fixed-wing flight is 85,000 feet above sea level," Jarvis replied.
"Records are meant to be broken, come on!" Tony yelled. The AK2 roared as it pushed to full power again, climbing straight up into the thin, cold air of the upper atmosphere. Lin Yu followed closely, a silent guardian.
"Sir, the altitude is too high and the surface will be severely icy," Jarvis warned, his voice calm but firm.
"Go on," Tony said, brushing the concern aside. He was having too much fun.
Lin Yu watched as a thin, white layer of frost began to form on the silver metal of the AK2. He said nothing. He had reminded Tony about this problem before. This was just a test prototype, and it did not have a de-icing system yet. But Tony, lost in the joy of flight, did not care.
"Ah!" Sure enough, a short time later, the AK2 sputtered and shut down completely, frozen solid. Jarvis's voice went silent. Tony was suddenly just a man in a heavy metal suit. He waved his arms and legs, but it was useless. He began to tumble, spinning out of control as he fell from the great height.
"History is always surprisingly similar," Lin Yu thought, shaking his head as he watched his friend fall. He remembered the first time he came to this world, when the AK1 had failed and fallen in almost the same way.
"I am frozen, Jarvis! Quickly activate the ailerons!" Tony called out in a panic. But Jarvis was offline. His calls were useless.
"Open the ailerons manually," Lin Yu's voice sounded directly in Tony's mind, clear and calm. "Why panic? You have me. Even if you cannot open the ailerons, I can use my mental power to stop your fall."
"That is right," Tony said, the fear leaving his voice. He found a raised metal circle around his waist. He pulled it. A ring inside turned and rose, forming a handle. Tony grabbed it and twisted hard. The icy layer on the AK2 shattered with a loud crack. Instantly, the pair of ailerons on his back snapped open. The air caught them, and his violent fall suddenly slowed. The powerful wind ripped the remaining ice from the suit. With a soft chime, Jarvis restarted.
The four propellers of the AK2 burst back to life with bright white flames. Tony soared upward again, leaving the fear of falling far below.
"Yeah hahaha!" he laughed, the sound full of pure joy and relief, echoing in the vast, silent sky.