"Knock? There aren't any real doors in this lab. It's all glass."
Malrick walked in casually.
"What are you hiding under there? Prepping props to block ?"
He nodded toward the object under the cloth. "Judging by the shape, it's your new armor. I didn't see you wearing it earlier."
Malrick reached toward the cloth, curious, but Tony slapped his arm away.
"Back off! Stay at least three ters away from my baby!" Tony spread his arms wide, shielding the armor like a mother hawk.
"Really? You do know I can see through things, right?" Malrick raised a finger.
Tony crossed his arms. "Try it."
Malrick activated his x-ray vision but paused, confused. "Wait... you lined the cloth with lead? Are you serious? Did you make an anti-Superman cloak?"
Tony smirked. "Close. An anti-Superman armor is coming—eventually. But this particular suit? It'll blow your mind. And until it's ready, not even a peek."
He added, confident and dramatic, "Just wait. When the battle with the Ten Rings cos, you'll be shocked—like a frog hopping out of a well for the first ti."
"So you're saying it'll be ready in a month?" Malrick squinted at the shape beneath the cloth.
"That's the plan. So unless you've got sothing pressing, I need to get back to work."
"Actually, I do. I'm taking Shirley to New York tomorrow. Thought I'd see if you wanted to co."
"New York? Your new headquarters?"
"Yeah. Need to et Natasha, get Shirley an ID, and introduce her to the Widow agents."
"Sounds good, but I can't make it tomorrow. Give my regards to the team."
Tony paused. "One more thing. Is Shirley going to take your last na now? Stark?"
"No. She'll remain Birkin. Her parents may not have been great, but that na is still her connection to the past. You don't erase the first twelve years of a kid's life just because the world changes."
Tony scratched his head. "Hard to argue with that. Didn't expect you to be the empathetic one."
Malrick smirked and smacked the back of Tony's head. "And who's the real rebel here, huh?"
---
The next morning, Malrick took Shirley to New York after breakfast.
They soared through the clouds, Shirley squealing with delight the entire way.
They landed atop a 30-story office building in Franklin District.
Shirley threw her arms up. "That was amazing! So much better than flying on a plane. Can we do it again on the way back, Brother Malrick?"
"Of course," he laughed, swiping his card at the alloy door on the roof. "You can fly as much as you want."
As they entered, a digital voice greeted them.
"Welco to the New Technology Building, Master Malrick. Jarvis' subsystem is fully operational."
"New Technology Building? Was the original company actually called that?" Malrick asked as they stepped into the elevator.
"Yes, sir. Prior to your acquisition, this was New Technology Light Industrial Manufacturing."
To establish a visible HQ in New York, Malrick had chosen this moderately sized building. Large enough for purpose, small enough to not feel wasteful.
Jarvis, along with Natasha and the Widow agents, handled the acquisition and renovation process.
This was Malrick's first ti visiting in person.
"Is Natasha in the office?" he asked.
"She's currently in Tennessee, handling A.I.-related business."
"Oh, right. She ntioned wanting to acquire A-Tech and fold it into Stark's portfolio."
Malrick face-pald. "How's it going? Need backup?"
"Miss Natasha is presently engaging in physical negotiations with the company's CEO and cannot respond."
Malrick blinked, then looked toward Tennessee with enhanced vision.
He saw Natasha flooring Aldrich Killian with a brutal kick.
"Yikes. That's gotta hurt."
Without the Extremis virus, Killian was no match for Natasha.
It was a routine cleanup. Nothing he needed to worry about.
"How many are in the building right now?" he asked.
"There are 145 Widow agents currently working on renovations, sir."
Only Malrick would use elite agents to remodel an office.
But the Widows loved it. The building would be theirs. They were shaping it with their own hands.
Malrick smiled, rembering Yelena's pride in changing the button style of a coat—a tiny choice that represented freedom.
"Most of the Widows are here, huh? No wonder they're so into decorating," he muttered. "Where's Yelena?"
"She's painting a mural in the lobby."
"A mural? That wasn't in the design plans."
"Correct, sir. The lobby was designated for your use."
The elevator began descending. Shirley held Malrick's hand tightly, absorbing every detail and na he ntioned.
The doors slid open.
And there it was—a massive mural in bold red and blue.
A cartoon Superman stared back at them.
Except… he looked about 70% like Malrick.
And he was wearing the classic outside-underwear look.
Malrick's brain shut down.
"Brother Malrick, that's you! You look so cool! But why are your red undies on the outside?" Shirley bead.
Malrick sighed deeply, questioning all of his life choices.
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