Ultimate Iron Man

Tony sat in the workshop late at night, his secret notebook open before him. The pages were full of sketches hastily hatched during short lapses in attention, lists carefully tabulated, and names written in neat, precise letters. It was Alexander Pierce, Arnim Zola, and many more names stared back up at him, reminded of the villains he knew from the comics and movies of his past life.

The weight of the task before him pressed heavily on his small shoulders. He was just seven years old, yet the responsibility of saving his family and dismantling an organization of that secretive nature felt both terrifying and exhilarating. He clutched the pencil tightly and began writing a new idea that had been circulating in his mind all day.

"If I can't stop them, no one will," he said to himself, his voice steady despite the fear that persisted at the edges of his thoughts.

Tony understood he couldn't rely on his father. Howard was brilliant, but between his responsibilities as the head of Stark Industries, his work for S.H.I.E.L.D., and his growing dependence on alcohol, Howard was far too distracted. If anything, Howard might even dismiss his concerns as childish fantasy. And what was he even supposed to say? He couldn't possibly reveal the secret of his rebirth.

No, this was something Tony would have to handle on his own.

Tony flipped to a blank page in his notebook, heading it The Plan.

The first step, he decided, was to create a tool that could do what he couldn't. A tool that wouldn't tire, wouldn't falter, and wouldn't doubt him. An artificial intelligence—far beyond anything Howard had ever dreamed of. If Tony could control technology, if he could command the flow of information on the Internet, he could expose HYDRA's spies with ease.

But first, he needed to start small. His own computer.

Howard's unfinished projects and spare parts, forgotten and collecting dust in the estate's storage areas, would provide the perfect raw materials. Over the next few weeks, Tony scavenged every component he could find: circuit boards, processors, cooling fans, and even wires from decommissioned prototypes. He carefully avoided anything Howard might miss, not wanting to raise suspicion.

His nights were spent assembling these parts in the workshop, the space becoming his sanctuary. The air smelled of oil and solder from his previous project, and the rhythmic hum of machines was his lullaby. His fingers worked with a precision that belied his age, connecting wires and testing circuits with the determination of someone much older.

It took weeks of trial and error, but finally Tony had made a working computer. Not much to look at—it was an odd assortment of mismatched components housed in a makeshift case—it worked. And the moment it powered on, with its screen glowing in life, Tony's heart swelled with pride.

"Okay," he muttered to himself, settling back in his chair. "One step down, a million to go."

The computer was basic, with limited processing power and memory, but it was his. More importantly, it was the foundation for his real project: the AI.

Tony named it Project Hermes. Hermes, the Greek messenger god, felt like a fitting namesake for what he envisioned—a system capable of transmitting and interpreting information at lightning speed.

His life over the next six months became a careful balancing act between his formal education, his growing knowledge, and his secret project.

Mornings were spent with his tutors, breezing through lessons on math, science, and engineering. These subjects were almost too easy for him, so he often used the time to ask more advanced questions, subtly steering his tutors toward topics that would help him with Project Hermes.

"Mr. Richards," Tony said one morning, interrupting his physics tutor. "How does quantum entanglement work in practical applications? Can it be used for data transfer?"

The older man blinked, startled by the advanced question. "Well, Tony, that's a complicated field. But... in theory, yes, it could revolutionize communication."

Tony nodded, filing the information away for later.

Afternoons were for self-study. He devoured books on coding, electrical engineering, cryptography, and network systems. Many of these he borrowed from Howard's private collection, sneaking into his father's study late at night to retrieve them. He also began experimenting with programming languages, teaching himself BASIC and assembly code.

Evenings belonged to Project Hermes. In the quiet solitude of the workshop, Tony worked tirelessly on the AI. He started with basic algorithms, teaching the system to recognize patterns and learn from data inputs. Slowly, it began to respond to voice commands, though its responses were clunky and limited at first.

His makeshift computer struggled to handle the demands of his AI algorithms. To overcome this, he carefully "borrowed" more advanced components from Howard's labs, always ensuring he left everything exactly as he found it.

While Tony was incredibly intelligent, there were still concepts he didn't fully understand. When he encountered these roadblocks, he turned to his hidden notebook, sketching out ideas and solutions until he found a way forward.

Life at home was becoming increasingly difficult. Howard's temper flared more often, and his drinking worsened. Maria did her best to keep the peace, but even her warmth couldn't shield Tony from the tension that filled the house. And to make things worse, he had to be extra careful to make sure his dad didn't suspect him of borrowing his instruments without permission.

By the end of six months, he had made remarkable progress. Project Hermes was no longer just an idea—it was a functioning AI. The system could analyze simple data sets, recognize speech, and even simulate basic hacking scenarios in a controlled environment.

One night, as Tony sat in his workshop, he decided to test the AI's voice interface.

"Hermes, are you online?" Tony asked, leaning forward in anticipation.

A soft, robotic voice crackled through the speakers. "System online. Awaiting input."

Tony grinned. "What's two plus two?"

"Four."

"What's the square root of sixteen?"

"Four."

"What's my name?"

"Tony Stark."

He laughed, a rare moment of joy in an otherwise challenging time. Hermes was still rudimentary, but it was a start. With time, Tony knew he could expand its capabilities.

Now that Hermes was operational, Tony shifted his focus to the next phase of his plan: integrating the AI with real-world systems. To do this, he needed access to more advanced hardware and, eventually, the Internet. He began devising ways to gain access to Howard's resources without drawing attention.

One evening, Tony sat in his workshop, flipping through his notebook. His handwriting filled every page, the once-blank paper now a maze of ideas and strategies.

"Phase Two," he muttered. "Expand Hermes. Test its hacking capabilities. Start small, but aim big."

The stakes had never been higher, but Tony's resolve never wavered. If he was going to defend his family and destroy HYDRA, he needed to be a patient man. Every move had to be calculated.

Despite his busy schedule, Tony occasionally allowed himself moments of reflection. He thought about his parents—Maria's gentle kindness and Howard's fleeting moments of pride. He worked harder for them, even as their presence in his life grew more distant.

One night, Maria stopped by the workshop while Tony was working. She beheld him for a moment; her heart hurt to see her young son so intent on what he was doing, so determined.

"Tony," she said softly, stepping into the room.

He looked up, startled. "Mom! I didn't hear you."

She smiled, walking over to him. "You've been in here all day. It's late, sweetheart. Come inside."

"I'm almost done," Tony said, his voice quiet but firm.

Maria put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you love your projects, but don't forget to take care of yourself too. You are still just a little boy, Tony. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders."

Tony hesitated, then nodded. "Okay, Mom. I'll come in soon.

As Maria left, Tony stared at the door, his chest constricted. He loved his mother so much that he almost hated keeping secrets from her. But this time he could not stop. Not now, when everything was already set in motion.

...

[2 years later]

Two years had passed since Tony Stark first booted up Project Hermes. Time had only sharpened his skills and expanded his ambitions. Now nine years old, Tony had access to a more powerful machine, thanks to his mother. The sleek new computer she had gifted him for his birthday was light-years ahead of his original cobbled-together creation, but Tony being Tony, had no intention of using it as it came out of the box.

Maria smiled warmly as she handed Tony the wrapped box, the twinkle in her eye showing her excitement. "Happy birthday, Tony! I figured it was time you had a proper computer."

Tony tore through the wrapping paper with the enthusiasm of a child, but his excitement wasn't for the computer itself—it was for the potential it held. Under the silver case and polished glass was a machine just waiting to be taken apart and upgraded, according to his will. With his knowledge and parts from his dad's storage, 'upgrading the machine would be fun.' He thought.

"It's awesome, Mom," he said, giving her a tight hug. "Thank you."

Maria ruffled his hair, her smile growing. "Just don't forget to spend some time outside too, okay? A computer can't replace the real world."

Tony chuckled, nodding. "I'll try."

As soon as she left the room, he began to work.

Over the next few days, Tony carefully upgraded the computer, dismantling it piece by piece and replacing components with custom-built parts scavenged from his father's old projects. He increased its processing power, expanded its memory, and integrated a cooling system that would allow it to run complex algorithms without overheating.

"Now, this is what I'm talking about," Tony muttered to himself as he reassembled the machine. "This is Hermes' new brain."

With the enhanced hardware, Project Hermes leaped forward in functionality. Tony had spent the last two years refining the AI's algorithms, teaching it to process and analyze data at a pace that would make even seasoned engineers jealous. Now, with the new computer's power, Hermes became smarter, faster, and far more capable.

"Hermes, run diagnostic protocol Alpha," Tony said one night, leaning back in his chair as the computer's screen came to life.

"Protocol Alpha initiated. Diagnostic report in progress," the AI responded, its voice now smoother and more human-like.

Tony watched as lines of code streamed across the screen, detailing Hermes' capabilities─ The AI could now sift through massive datasets in seconds, identifying patterns and anomalies with pinpoint accuracy. While Tony had been cautious about connecting Hermes to the Internet, he had created a secure virtual environment for testing its hacking capabilities. Within this sandbox, Hermes had successfully breached simulated firewalls, cracked encrypted files, and even mimicked basic social engineering techniques.

Gone were the days of clunky, robotic responses. Hermes now understood natural language, allowing Tony to hold seamless conversations with the AI.

Tony pushed Hermes further each day, setting increasingly complex challenges to test the AI's limits. One night, he tasked it with analyzing encrypted data he had "borrowed" from one of Howard's research files.

"Decrypt this file and summarize its contents," Tony instructed.

"Decryption in progress. Estimated time: three minutes," Hermes replied.

Tony tapped his fingers on the desk, impressed. The file was heavily encrypted, but Hermes had no trouble breaking it down. When the AI finally displayed the decrypted data, Tony couldn't help but grin. It was a blueprint for a new type of reactor—a design Howard had been keeping under wraps.

"Not bad, Hermes. Not bad at all."

While Hermes was growing more powerful by the day, Tony knew it wasn't enough to keep the AI confined to his workshop. If he wanted to take down HYDRA, he needed Hermes to interact with the real world. But that came with risks. The moment Hermes touched the Internet, it would leave a digital footprint that could attract unwanted attention.

"Well, time to create a cloaking protocol and upgrade the codes..." He cracked his fingers.

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