While Tony was fully absorbed in testing, Liam Hayes casually studied the Ark Reactor sitting in front of him. Tony clearly assumed Liam wouldn't understand something this advanced, which was probably why he left it exposed without hesitation. Unfortunately for him, Liam's mechanical aptitude wasn't just comparable—it was terrifyingly close to perfection.
With a single glance, every structural detail of the Ark Reactor was recorded inside his enhanced cognition, processed instantly by the Ultimate Evolution Module. Layers of circuitry, energy pathways, material composition—nothing escaped him. Within seconds, he had already broken down the entire system and reconstructed it in his mind, down to its most microscopic interactions.
At that point, the reactor held no secrets from him.
Without hesitation, Liam raised his hand and activated molecular manipulation. Metallic particles began assembling in midair, responding to his will with flawless precision. One component after another formed in his palm, each aligning seamlessly as if guided by an invisible blueprint.
In mere moments, a palm-sized reactor began taking shape in his hand.
"God—!!!"
Tony happened to glance back at exactly the wrong time, and what he saw nearly short-circuited his brain. He froze mid-motion, staring as the device rapidly assembled itself out of nothing. By the time the final structure stabilized, his expression had completely collapsed into disbelief.
His jaw practically hit the floor.
Liam examined the finished product in his hand, nodding slightly in satisfaction. This wasn't just an Ark Reactor anymore—it was something far superior. The original design had always been flawed at its core, relying on palladium as a catalyst for cold fusion while quietly poisoning its user.
What Liam had created eliminated that weakness entirely.
"The thing is," Liam said casually, tossing the reactor toward Tony without a second thought.
"Hey—watch it!"
Tony snapped out of his shock and caught it hurriedly, his heart nearly skipping a beat. He looked down at the reactor in his hands, then back at Liam, his expression turning complicated in an instant.
"Weiss… I had no idea you could do this. You basically just reverse-engineered my Ark Reactor on the spot. If you're going to steal my tech, at least pay royalties."
Liam didn't look the slightest bit embarrassed. "You're the one who left it out in the open. I'd be wasting an opportunity if I didn't take a look."
Even if Tony hadn't shown it, Liam could've extracted the data remotely through electromagnetic interference. Either way, Tony wouldn't have had any way to stop him—and definitely no way to enforce royalties.
At that moment, Tony's earlier test results finally came through. He glanced at the data, and his expression immediately shifted from annoyance to excitement.
"This is incredible," Tony said, his voice filled with genuine awe. "The palladium synthesized from your new element completely eliminates the toxicity issue. No side effects whatsoever."
Liam tilted his head slightly. "Yeah, about that—I gave it a new name. It's not the Ark Reactor anymore. It's the Last Element Reactor."
Tony shrugged without much resistance. Naming rights didn't matter when only Liam could actually create the thing. As far as he was concerned, the tech was still effectively irreplaceable.
Without wasting any time, Tony installed the new reactor into his armor. The connection completed smoothly, and a brilliant white glow erupted from the chest unit, far brighter and more stable than before.
"That's beautiful," Tony muttered, crossing his arms as he admired the upgraded suit. "Now if only I could make this thing more portable."
"Not a bad idea," Liam replied, leaning casually. "But don't forget—you still owe me eight suits."
Tony rolled his eyes but didn't argue. "Relax. Once you finalize the performance specs, I'll start building immediately. But you're helping me refine this new reactor tech too."
"Deal."
It was a clean exchange—mutual benefit without any wasted effort. If Tony managed to miniaturize the reactor further, Liam would gain access to the upgrades as well. As for whether Tony would eventually rediscover his father's hidden element, Liam didn't care in the slightest.
Compared to what he could already create, that discovery was barely scratching the surface.
At that moment, the lab's doorbell rang.
"Weiss! I heard you were here."
Clarice rushed in the moment she got confirmation, her expression filled with concern. Not seeing Liam when she woke up had clearly left her uneasy, and she hadn't wasted any time coming over.
"Relax," Liam said softly, pulling her into his arms. "You haven't even had breakfast yet."
He casually retrieved the leftover pizza from the living area and reheated it with a flicker of controlled flame. The slices warmed instantly, steam rising as if freshly baked.
"Eat while it's hot."
Clarice nodded with a bright, relieved smile. She took a bite, her eyes softening as she leaned slightly closer to him.
"Hey," Tony's voice cut in sharply, loaded with irritation. "Can you two take that somewhere else? This is still my lab."
Liam didn't even try to hide his amusement. "Jealous? You could do the same. Or what—too scared to confess to Pepper?"
That single line hit harder than any physical attack. Tony froze for a second, then scoffed, clearly deflecting.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Liam smirked and raised his hand, casually flipping him off in response. "Thought so."
"Are you done here or what?" Tony waved dismissively, already turning back toward his work.
"Yeah, we're heading out."
Just as they were about to leave, Tony suddenly paused and turned back. "Oh—almost forgot. There's a tech expo in a few days. You're a major shareholder now, so you might want to show up."
"Tech expo?"
Liam considered it briefly. That event would likely involve Justin Hammer and Ivan Vanko stirring trouble. Still, the entire situation felt beneath him.
"I'll pass," he said flatly. "But keep your guard up. Ivan Vanko might be working with Hammer. Call me if things get messy."
To Liam, armored suits were nothing more than toys.
With that, he wrapped an arm around Clarice and vanished instantly, space folding around them as they disappeared from the lab.
Tony stared at the empty space for a moment before shaking his head. "That ability is way too convenient."
He turned back to his work without another thought.
Back at the Mutant Academy, Liam immediately summoned the X-Men upon arrival. The group gathered quickly, curiosity evident on their faces.
"So," Storm began, crossing her arms slightly, "what happened at Tony Stark's party?"
Liam gave a small smile. "Something did happen. But let's wait until Lorna and Logan get here first."
Logan arrived shortly after, his sharp gaze landing on Liam the moment he entered. There was something mildly annoyed in his expression.
"Enjoy the party?" Logan asked casually, though his tone carried an edge.
"Yeah… I guess," Liam replied, slightly confused by the question.
"Next time, bring Rogue."
Liam blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then it clicked—Rogue must've said something to Logan. Considering their relationship, it wasn't surprising she'd vent to him.
"Got it," Liam said, nodding with a thoughtful expression.
A few minutes later, Lorna finally joined them.
"Alright," Liam said, stepping forward slightly. "Now that everyone's here, I've got two things to say. First—the school's competition needs to happen soon. Within the next few days, ideally."
Storm frowned slightly at that. "Isn't that too rushed? The students on your list just started training."
She had been pushing them hard over the past few days, but realistically, it was still early. Their progress wasn't exactly stable yet, and throwing them into competition now might not produce the results they wanted.
Liam looked at her calmly, clearly having already considered that.
....
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