Chapter 7: Father's Sins, Son's Burden

"AARON, STOP!"

The voice, amplified and commanding, cut through the chaos of the warehouse. Tony, slumped on the floor, his makeshift armor sparking and failing, looked up in disbelief. It was Howard.

He stood at the warehouse entrance, silhouetted against the night sky. He wasn't alone. Behind him were a dozen figures, clad in black, heavily armed with weapons that looked both familiar and disturbingly advanced – a blend of Stark Industries technology and something… alien.

Aaron, poised to deliver the killing blow, froze. His face contorted in a mixture of surprise and fury. "Stark? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question, Aaron," Howard replied, his voice dangerously calm. "This wasn't part of the agreement."

"The agreement?" Tony croaked, struggling to make sense of the situation. "What agreement?"

Neither man answered him. Aaron glared at Howard. "The boy interfered. He disrupted our operation. He has the data."

"And you decided to kidnap my wife in retaliation?" Howard's voice hardened. "That was… unwise."

"She's a loose end, Stark! Just like he is!" Aaron gestured towards Tony with his weapon.

Howard stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Aaron's. "Release her. Now."

A tense standoff ensued. The Serpent Society operatives shifted uneasily, their weapons trained on Tony and Howard's men. The air crackled with unspoken threats.

Finally, Howard spoke, his voice low and menacing. "Project Nightingale. Remember?"

Aaron flinched. Whatever "Project Nightingale" was, it clearly held significant weight. He hesitated, then gave a curt nod to his men. They reluctantly released Maria, who rushed to Tony's side, her face pale with fear and relief.

"This isn't over, Stark," Aaron hissed, his eyes burning with hatred. "You've made a powerful enemy." He and his men retreated, disappearing into the night.

Howard's men, without a word, fanned out, securing the perimeter and checking for any remaining threats. Howard approached Tony and Maria, his expression a mixture of concern and… something else. Something Tony couldn't quite decipher.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"I… I think so," Tony said, his head throbbing. Maria hugged him tightly, her body trembling.

"We need to get you home," Howard said. He turned to his men. "Secure the area. And… dispose of any evidence."

The ride back to the mansion was silent and tense. Maria held Tony's hand, her grip tight and reassuring. Howard sat in the front seat, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. Tony, his mind reeling, struggled to process what had just happened. Howard had saved them, but at what cost? And what was the "agreement" he'd mentioned?

Back at the mansion, the confrontation was inevitable. Tony, his injuries tended to by a hastily summoned Stark Industries medical team, faced Howard in his study. Maria stood beside Tony, her presence a silent plea for honesty and understanding.

"What the hell was that, Dad?" Tony demanded, his voice raw with anger and confusion. "You knew those people. You had a deal with them?"

Howard sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked… tired. Older than his years. "It's… complicated, Anthony."

"Complicated?" Tony scoffed. "They kidnapped Mom! They tried to kill me! And you're telling me it's complicated?"

Howard began to spin a story, a carefully constructed narrative of half-truths and omissions. He claimed he'd been working undercover, infiltrating the Serpent Society to dismantle them from within. He said he'd been using Aaron as a source of information, feeding him carefully selected data while secretly working to undermine their operations.

"I knew they were interested in Stark Industries technology," Howard said. "I was trying to find out why. To identify their leaders, their ultimate goals."

He admitted to his past involvement with HYDRA, through his association with Arnim Zola during the war. But he framed it as a youthful mistake, a forced collaboration under duress. He claimed he'd cut ties with them decades ago and had been working to atone for his sins ever since.

"I never wanted you to get involved in this, Anthony," Howard said, his voice filled with a mixture of regret and frustration. "Your interference… it jeopardized everything."

Maria, caught in the middle, pleaded with both of them. "Howard, please… tell him the truth. All of it."

Howard hesitated, his gaze flickering towards Tony. "I am telling the truth," he insisted. "I'm trying to protect you. Both of you."

Tony wanted to believe him. He desperately wanted to trust his step-father. But his "Technological Intuition," the evidence he'd gathered, the nagging feeling in his gut… it all told him otherwise.

While recovering, with Maria's help in cleaning his wound, Tony activated the MARK I, which he'd managed to partially repair. He uploaded the data from Aaron's device and the files from Howard's old lab. He tasked the AI with analyzing the information, cross-referencing it, searching for inconsistencies and hidden connections.

The results were damning. The System decrypted encrypted communications between Howard and Aaron, revealing a long-standing collaboration, not a recent infiltration. Howard wasn't trying to dismantle the Serpent Society; he was actively working with them. He was providing them with technology, resources, and information, in exchange for… something.

The true motive was revealed in a series of heavily redacted documents related to "Project: Rebirth." The Serpent Society, with Howard's help, was attempting to recreate the super-soldier serum. They were seeking specific components, research data, and expertise that only Stark Industries could provide. Howard, driven by a twisted sense of legacy and a desire to complete the project he'd started decades ago, was their key collaborator.

The system is also giving an alert.

[Warning: Host emotional state is unstable.]

[Recommend: Seeking emotional support]

Tony feel betrayed.

"I know you're hiding something," Tony said quietly. "I can feel it." He gestured towards his head. "I have… a way of knowing things."

Howard's expression hardened. "Don't be ridiculous, Anthony."

Tony knew he couldn't confront Howard directly, not yet. He needed more proof, a more concrete plan. He decided to play along, to pretend to trust him while secretly continuing his own investigation.

He also knew he needed to be better prepared. He couldn't rely on Howard, on anyone but himself.

He returned to his workshop, his mind buzzing with plans. He had 220 SP burning a hole in his virtual pocket. He accessed the System Shop and purchased the "Advanced Materials Fabrication Blueprint" (100 SP), the "Energy Weaponry Specialization Skill" (80 SP) and "Combat Analysis Module Blueprint" (40SP).

[Blueprints and Skill downloaded to Host's memory.]

He began to rebuild his armor, using the new blueprint to create stronger, lighter plating, incorporating the remaining fragments of the "Strange Metallic Alloy." He refined the repulsor design, making it more powerful and efficient. He integrated the "Combat Analysis Module" into the MARK I, allowing the AI to provide real-time tactical feedback during combat.

It was still a prototype, but it was a significant improvement. He was slowly, painstakingly, becoming Iron Man.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered, knowing she would be worried sick if she knew the extent of his plans.

"I know you are," she replied and place here palm on his shoulder.

She didn't know his full plan, but she trust him.

As he worked, he kept replaying Howard's words, his explanations, his lies. He knew he couldn't trust him, but he also couldn't simply abandon him. He needed to understand why. Why was Howard doing this? What was his ultimate goal?

The chapter ended with Tony, clad in his newly reforged, still-prototype armor, staring at his reflection in a piece of polished metal. He was no longer just a teenager playing hero. He was a young man burdened with a terrible legacy, forced to confront the sins of his father and forge his own path. He was becoming Iron Man, not out of a desire for glory or adventure, but out of necessity, out of a desperate need to protect those he loved and to stop a threat that was far greater than he had ever imagined.

The System, silent for once, offered no witty comments, no cheerful notifications. It simply displayed a single, ominous message:

[Warning: Threat Level… Escalating.]

Howard is talking with someone in other line.

"Yes, i know, it's because of my son... He is becoming more like me... Yes, i know the risk... I will handle him."