Chapter 29: T S VI
Tony sat calmly on his sofa, sipping his drink while his gaze remained fixed on the gauntlets lying on the table in front of him. He studied them, their dark metallic surface glinting faintly under the room's light, as the quiet hum of the mansion filled the air.
His mind wandered as he placed the drink down and reached out to the gauntlets, fingers lightly brushing over them. "Suit up," he said, half-heartedly, closing his eyes.
But nothing happened.
"Hm, should I say it with more passion?" Tony thought, amused by the fact that his usual command hadn't worked. He opened his eyes, looking at the gauntlets again, but they remained motionless on the table.
"Alright... maybe I just need to control them better," he mumbled to himself. Closing his eyes once more, Tony focused, imagining himself commanding Ifrit—not just speaking the words, but mentally connecting with the power within the gauntlets. Slowly, he visualized the armor materializing around him, summoning it through sheer will.
"Come on... get back on," Tony murmured, concentrating harder, trying to tap into the mysterious energy the gauntlets held.
After opening his eyes once again, Tony found the gauntlets lying motionless on the table, still not responding to him. "How did I do it back there?" he mumbled to himself, recalling how the gauntlets had absorbed his Mark II suit effortlessly after the battle. He had simply wished for the suit back, and it had reappeared, yet now, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't replicate the effect.
Frustrated, Tony leaned back into the sofa, rubbing his temples. "I should just call Garcia," he muttered under his breath, realizing that he needed answers. Without wasting another second, Tony grabbed his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and dialed Dave's number.
The phone rang, and Tony impatiently waited for Dave to pick up, hoping he'd be able to shed some light on the gauntlets' mysterious abilities.
"Hello?" Dave's voice sounded from the other end of the call.
"Thank god you picked up. What the hell did you leave me with?" Tony almost shouted into the phone, his frustration clear.