Iron Man: Ultimate Upgrade

Tony Stark's mind was still buzzing from the shock of his awakening. His body felt strange, like it was on autopilot—faster, sharper, more aware. But it was time to focus.

The Ten Rings had made it clear they weren't going to kill him right away. No, they had a different plan. They had their own twisted agenda, and he was their unwilling key. But Tony wasn't stupid. He wasn't about to let them break him, at least not easily.

The door to his makeshift prison cell creaked open, and a man stepped in—a tall, rugged figure with a scar running down his face. He was flanked by two others, both holding automatic rifles. They had the look of men who'd seen too many battles, too many lives torn apart. But what caught Tony's attention was the man's eyes. Cold. Calculating.

He had the air of someone in charge.

"Tony Stark," the man said, his voice rough. "You will build for us. The Jericho missile. It will be your salvation."

Tony didn't flinch. His eyes flicked toward the crude medical apparatus keeping the electromagnet in place, the thing that was keeping him alive for now. But it wouldn't be enough forever. If he didn't find a way out soon, they would have control of his life. They could do anything they wanted to him.

He forced a grin, the trademark Stark arrogance slipping into place. "Jericho missile, huh? You know, I always wanted to build something that would make a bang. But you want me to build that?"

The man, clearly unimpressed with Tony's humor, leaned forward. "I am not interested in your jokes, Stark. You will build it for us, or we will make sure you die slowly. Your choice."

Tony's eyes narrowed, studying the man. He could see the desperation in his eyes, but it wasn't enough to make him panic. He had options, and he needed to play it cool. In the original timeline, Tony had been in a similar position—held captive, forced to build weapons. But he'd escaped, and he was going to escape again. He was smarter now, and he had the power to back it up.

"Alright, alright," Tony said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "You want a missile? Fine. But you've got to give me some materials to work with. You can't just expect me to work with scraps, can you?"

The man's eyes gleamed with suspicion. "Materials?" he asked. "What kind of materials do you need?"

Tony smirked, his mind already racing through the list of things he could use to his advantage. "Well, first off, I'm gonna need some high-grade steel. I'm thinking of a reinforced frame for the missile. Some rare earth metals, maybe titanium, a few circuits for guidance systems. You know, the usual stuff."

The man eyed him with suspicion but said nothing for a moment. Tony could tell he was considering the request, weighing the options. But Tony wasn't about to let them back out of this deal. He wasn't going to build their missile just to see them kill him afterward.

"You give me those materials," Tony continued, leaning forward slightly, "and I'll give you a missile that'll make your enemies really regret crossing you. Trust me."

The man finally nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Fine. We'll get you the materials. But you'd better deliver."

Tony's smile widened, his plan beginning to take shape. "Oh, don't worry. I'm a man of my word… for the right price."

As the man turned and walked out of the room, Tony's mind raced. He didn't trust them for a second, but he knew what he had to do. The Jericho missile was nothing more than a distraction, a stepping stone. While they were busy thinking they had him under their thumb, Tony was going to build something entirely different—something they'd never see coming.

It was time to play along, to give them just enough to keep them off his back while he figured out his next move.

Tony returned to his makeshift cave lab, moving swiftly to a place without any surveillance. His mind still buzzed with the plan to build the Jericho missile, but beneath his calm exterior, something far more important occupied his thoughts—his newly discovered powers. The capabilities granted by the Upgrade ability were vast, far more than any normal human, or even Tony Stark himself, could possess. His body, now partially liquid, had shifted into something closer to machine than man.

Regeneration:

His mind wrapped around the idea of regeneration. He could feel it deep within him—the ability to turn his body into liquid. This wasn't just rapid healing like a normal person might experience with a simple cut or bruise. No, this was far more advanced. His cells, tissues, and even his bones could rapidly regenerate by converting into liquid form, then reconstructing themselves in their optimal configuration. This allowed for ultra-fast healing—far faster than anything a human could achieve. His body could even survive major trauma, like losing limbs or internal damage, by quickly reconstructing itself.

Using this ability, Tony carefully manipulated the magnet with his thoughts, feeling its power, then focusing his energy on his chest. With a wave of his hand, the magnet seemed to lose its pull, and he felt his body shift into liquid form.

He could literally feel the metal inside his chest—his bones, his blood, even the shrapnel. His cells reconfigured, and in an instant, he was able to pull the jagged fragments out, causing no harm to himself. His body reformed around the injury, leaving no trace of the metal that had once been his death sentence.

As he was in a hidden place without surveillance, and with Yinsen deep asleep, Tony took full advantage of the opportunity to experiment with his new powers, ensuring no one saw his actions

After mastering his regenerative ability, he shifted his thoughts to his next ability.

Upgrade:

But the true potential lay in his other power—the ability to merge with and upgrade technology. Tony had always admired the capabilities of his own technology, but now he could do something far more advanced: he could become the technology.

He could merge with it, understand it on a molecular level, and improve it beyond its original design. If the Ten Rings had any idea what he could do, they wouldn't just be asking him to build a missile—they'd be begging him to control the world's most advanced systems.

Optic Lasers and Phasing:

The next power he discovered came when he focused on his eyes. They tingled, and then, without any physical movement, a concentrated laser shot from his pupils—a powerful beam of optic energy that could easily slice through metal. It wasn't just about destruction, though. It was the precision, the control, that amazed him but he controlled his power not wanting to cause commotion and alert terrorists.

Tony could also phase through metal, or any other technology, at will. His body could disintegrate into pure energy or data for a split second, letting him pass through the densest of materials. Technology didn't stand a chance against him—not in his new form.

Cyber-Dominance:

But the real kicker, the one that made his mind whirl, was his ability to dominate the cyber world. Tony had always been good with machines, but now, he could control them on a level that was incomprehensible to any human. He could hack, manipulate, and dominate any system with ease. His thoughts could infiltrate the deepest parts of the digital world, overriding firewalls, bypassing security measures, and commanding any device to do his bidding. It was as if he had merged with the world's entire digital infrastructure.

Energy Source Integration:

Then there was the most unbelievable power of all. Tony discovered that he could absorb and integrate any energy source directly into his body, making him a living, breathing battery.

Considering all this, Tony had already formulated his next strategy