53.Tony’s Discovery

John's gaze sharpened as he leaned slightly forward, intrigued by Tony's words.

"Something interesting, huh?" he said, rubbing his chin.

Tony grinned, the kind of smirk that promised mischief. "Oh yeah. You're gonna love this."

Bruce Banner, who had been listening quietly until now, let out a dramatic sigh. "And I suppose I'm just going to be left out of this conversation?"

Tony turned to him with an exaggerated shrug. "Banner, buddy, I'd love to bring you along, but… let's be honest, this isn't exactly your field. No offense."

Bruce rolled his eyes, folding his arms. "None taken. I'll just sit here, sulk, and reflect on my life choices."

John chuckled at their usual banter, but his curiosity wouldn't let him sit still any longer. He stood up, giving Bruce a small pat on the shoulder before following Tony out of the lounge.

---

The elevator ride down was brief, and as soon as the doors slid open, John was greeted by the vastness of Tony's personal workshop. The room was a marvel of technology—holographic displays floated in the air, mechanical arms whirred as they worked on various projects, and neatly arranged workbenches housed all kinds of experimental devices. The air had the distinct scent of heated metal and machine oil.

Tony led John toward a cluttered worktable near the center of the room. Sitting atop it was a small, polished piece of metal, roughly the size of a palm. It gleamed under the workshop lights, and as John moved closer, he immediately noticed the intricate engravings on its surface.

His breath hitched.

The runes.

They were the same ones he had found on the Helicarrier—the ones he had called singular runes back then. They weren't hastily scratched symbols or amateur carvings; no, these runes were carefully inscribed, their lines precise and glowing faintly with an otherworldly shimmer.

John reached out, hesitating for a moment before brushing his fingers across the metal's surface. The texture was smooth, but there was an underlying sensation of power humming beneath the engraving, like a dormant force waiting to be activated.

"This… this looks like an artifact," John muttered, his eyes wide with amazement. He had read about magical artifacts created with runes, but seeing one being developed right in front of him was something else entirely.

Tony grinned at John's reaction. "Knew you'd like it."

John looked up at him, still slightly in awe. "You did this? You engraved this rune yourself?"

Tony crossed his arms, nodding with a mix of pride and excitement. "Yep. Took a lot of trial and error, but I finally managed to get the rune to stick to the metal without fading or breaking apart."

John's mind raced with possibilities. Rune inscription was an art that you can find any in magical novel, one that only trained enchanters or magical craftsmen could usually accomplish. The fact that Tony—someone without a magical background—had managed to do this was beyond impressive.

"How?" John finally asked, still processing what he was looking at.

Tony's grin widened, and he leaned back against the table. "You're gonna laugh."

John arched an eyebrow. "Try me."

Tony rubbed the back of his neck before answering. "I, uh… got inspired by a novel."

Silence.

John blinked. "Wait. What?"

Tony chuckled, clearly enjoying the expression on John's face. "Yeah. You know, one of those fantasy books where blacksmiths enchant swords and armor with runes. Figured, 'Hey, if they can do it, why can't I?' So, I started experimenting."

John stared at him, torn between disbelief and amusement. "You read a novel and thought, 'I should try this in real life'?"

"Hey," Tony pointed at him, "don't knock it. It worked, didn't it?"

John couldn't argue with that. He turned his attention back to the rune-engraved metal, still fascinated.

"How did you actually do it?" he asked, wanting to know the process in detail.

Tony smirked, enjoying the chance to explain. "Alright, listen up, magic man. At first, I tried laser engraving the runes onto the metal, but that was a disaster—the runes wouldn't hold any energy. Then I switched to electrochemical etching, but again, no reaction. Then it hit me: what if the rune itself wasn't just about carving, but about binding the energy into the material?"

John nodded, following along.

"So, I built a high-frequency energy emitter to simulate a controlled burst of magical resonance," Tony continued, his hands moving animatedly as he explained. "I modified the energy signature using some data I got from your runes on the Helicarrier, and once I figured out the right frequency, I inscribed the rune using a precision-focused plasma tool while simultaneously injecting energy into the engraving."

John's eyes widened. "You combined science with rune inscription?"

"Damn right I did." Tony grinned. "And after many, many failed attempts—some of which may or may not have involved minor explosions—I finally got this." He tapped the metal piece proudly. "A rune that actually sticks."

John picked up the metal again, examining it closely. The lines of the rune weren't just carved—they were infused. The glow was faint but steady, proof that Tony had managed to get the rune to bond with the material itself.

"Have you figured out what it does?" John asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Tony's confident expression faltered slightly. "Uh… not exactly."

John frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well… it doesn't do anything. Yet," Tony admitted. "It holds energy, but I haven't figured out how to activate it or what effect it's supposed to have."

John stared at him. "So… you made a magical rune artifact… that doesn't do anything?"

Tony groaned, rubbing his temples. "Okay, when you say it like that, it sounds bad. But this is just the first step! I need to run more tests, maybe inscribe a different set of runes, tweak the energy input…"

John couldn't help but smirk. "So, basically, you made something impressive but useless?"

Tony pointed at him accusingly. "I will figure it out, alright? Give me time."

John chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'll admit, this is amazing work. If you actually manage to create functional rune artifacts… well, let's just say you'll be making history."

Tony smirked. "That's the plan."

John placed the metal piece back on the table, his mind still buzzing with thoughts. If Tony could replicate rune inscription without needing magical knowledge, then the possibilities were endless.

For now, though, they had no idea what the rune actually did.

What John and Tony didn't know was that it was possible because of Tony's natural ability, "Quick Hand," which was still in its initial form. Once Tony breaks through to the next level, "Quick Hand" will evolve into something impressive.