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Chapter 291 - Chapter 291: The Plan (2)

[Third Person Pov] 

Tony held out his wrist, the faint blue light of his holographic display flickering to life above the repulsor plate. A percentage hovered in the air — 48%. The number pulsed softly, then began to climb… 49%.

"Boss," Friday's voice chimed through his comms, calm yet edged with urgency. "Ultron has just now re-entered our galaxy."

Tony's brows furrowed. "Shit. The virus isn't exactly complete yet." He glanced down at the rising percentage, lips pressed thin. "But it should be by the time Ultron arrives."

His arc reactor shifted from its usual blue glow to a swirling black-purple as the energy output changed configuration. A ring of dark light spiraled outward, forming into a shimmering tear in space. 

"Isn't that…" Aizawa's voice trailed off, eyes narrowing as he stared at the portal. The faint distortion reminded him too much of a familiar quirk. "That looks exactly like—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Tony interrupted quickly. "Worry about that later. Ultron's already on his way. Melissa and I will get ready. Momo, you know what to do, right?"

Momo straightened, her usual poise replaced with a spark of resolve. "Of course," she said, nodding firmly before following them through the warp gate.

They stepped into Tony's lab — a storm of light, motion, and sound. Dozens of drones zipped across the air, manipulating holographic schematics while mechanical arms worked creating the virus. All coordinated under Friday's and Tony's precise command.

Their ship waited on a raised platform at the far end of the room — sleek, silver, and angular, its hull still marked with faint burn traces from their last journey into the Quantum Realm.

Tony extended his hand; his liquid metal armor rippled, forming into a compact communicator that detached from his palm. He tossed it toward Momo, who caught it deftly. "Here. With this, we'll stay connected no matter what happens out there."

"Wait!" Momo called as Tony turned to mount the ship. He froze, turning his head just in time for her to step closer.

Before he could say another word, she leaned in and kissed him — quick but full of feeling. When she pulled back, her voice was soft but steady. "That was for good luck."

Tony blinked, momentarily stunned, then broke into a grin. "Nice…" he said with that trademark Stark smirk.

Melissa crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "And where's my good luck kiss?" she asked teasingly, her voice playful yet pointed.

"What?" Momo's face flushed crimson.

Melissa laughed, shaking her head. "Relax, I'm kidding. Now come on, we don't have a lot of time." She grabbed Tony by the back of his armor and pulled him toward the ship while he waved over to Momo, his grin stretching wide.

Inside, the cockpit hummed to life. Tony and Melissa strapped into the pilot and co-pilot seats. Holographic displays flared up in front of them as they flipped switches and adjusted controls.

"Unlike last time," Tony said, his tone sharpening, "this isn't about taking a luxury trip."

Melissa smiled, her excitement barely contained. "Hehehe, I feel like a real superhero heading out to save the world."

Tony chuckled, glancing back at his wrist display — 76%. "We are real superheroes on a mission to save the world."

Melissa's grin widened. "Then let's not keep the world waiting. Initiating first shrink sequence — all stand clear."

Momo stepped back as the platform beneath the ship began to hum. Energy rings cascaded downward, and the air vibrated as the ship shimmered, its outline bending light. In a matter of seconds, the vessel shrank rapidly — first the size of a car, then a toy, and finally no larger than a pebble.

"Cool…" Momo breathed, crouching down. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a pair of tweezers, carefully plucking the miniature ship off the floor. She squinted, peering at it in awe.

Inside the cockpit, Tony and Melissa stared wide-eyed at the colossal view before them — Momo's massive face, her dark eyes filling their entire viewport.

"Whoa…" Melissa whispered, her voice tinged with awe. "I don't think we ever got to experience this part before."

"Establishing communication," Tony said, flipping a switch on the dashboard. The cockpit lights dimmed as a soft hum filled the ship. "Hello Momo, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear!" Momo's voice crackled through the comms, cheerful and slightly distorted. Her laughter followed, light and melodic. "You're both so tiny, hehehe."

Tony smirked, but his attention remained locked on his wrist display. The blue numbers scrolled upward—86%… 87%… 88%… 90%. Each rise brought a flicker of relief, tempered by tension.

"Wait, Tony," Melissa said, her tone suddenly serious as she leaned closer to the display. "If the synthetic virus spreads through contact… won't our ship get infected too when we make contact?"

Tony froze for half a second before muttering, "...That is a very good question." He exhaled sharply, running his fingers through his hair before gesturing toward her. "Alright, help me out. We'll coat the ship manually."

Bracing his forearms against the controls, he triggered a command. Liquid metal began to flow from his armor like mercury, wrapping around the ship's hull in shimmering streams. It spread and hardened instantly, reshaping the vessel with new layers of sleek protection.

Outside, Momo gasped as she watched the transformation. "Woah… it's beautiful." The pebble-sized ship now gleamed with a mirror-like finish, reflecting the lab lights in dazzling silver ripples.

"There," Tony said, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow. "That should protect us from any viral contamination… Hopefully " His grin was forced.

She raised a brow. "Hopefully?"

Tony pointed at her defensively. "Hey, don't give me that look. Everything we're doing so far is theoretically. We're basically winging—"

A chime interrupted him. His wrist display flashed 100%.

"Synthesized Physical Virus Complete," Friday announced.

Tony's eyes widened. "Yeah, baby!" he cheered, punching the air. "Finally!"

Momo laughed softly as one of the mechanical arms extended forward, holding an open vial filled with a faintly glowing purple liquid. "Alright, I'm dropping you in. Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Tony said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Dropping you in three… two…" Momo tilted the vial and released the ship. It sank through the glowing substance, disappearing beneath the surface in a trail of bubbles.

---

Moments later, Momo stepped out of the warp gate, where the rest of Class 1-A and Class 1-B were waiting. The air outside buzzed with tension; everyone's faces were tight with anticipation.

Aizawa was the first to speak. "Tony and Melissa?" he asked, his tone flat but eyes sharp.

Momo raised the vial, showing them the tiny speck floating inside. The miniature ship shimmered faintly at the bottom, lights blinking like distant stars.

"Alright, guys," Tony's voice came through the comms, clear but small. "This is it. Melissa and I are about to go quantum. Momo, we're leaving it all to you. No pressure, by the way."

"Right… no pressure," Momo muttered, tightening her grip on the vial.

Todoroki stepped forward, his expression calm and resolute. "You're not alone in this. We'll fight with you and create the opening you'll need."

Kirishima cracked his knuckles beside him, smirking. "Damn right we will."

Mina added, "We've got this, Momo!" and the others echoed in agreement, voices rising in unity.

Momo's expression softened, gratitude welling in her chest. She bowed slightly. "Thank you… all of you."

Inside the vial, Tony and Melissa exchanged a glance as the shrinking process began. The world outside expanded exponentially; molecules stretched into landscapes, atoms became swirling galaxies. They were diving deep—subatomic.

Then came a sudden, bloodcurdling scream.

"AAAHHHHH! AHHHH!! AAAAAHH!!"

"Tony!" everyone shouted in horror.

A pause. Then— "Hehehe… nah, just kidding," Tony chuckled through the comms.

Collective groans filled the air.

"Stark," Aizawa said coldly, his voice low and deadly calm. "That was far from amusing. Pull another stunt like that, and I'll personally make sure you're the first among the first years to receive detention."

Tony's voice shrank into submission. "Yes, sir…"

Before anyone could comment further, Toru suddenly pointed skyward. "In the sky!"

Cracks of blinding light tore through the clouds. From within the rift stepped Ultron—gleaming, radiant, and terrible. His metallic body pulsed with solar energy, molten plasma spilling like liquid sunlight from the seams of his armor.

Momo's breath caught. "Tony… it's Ultron. He's here."

Tony's voice hardened instantly. "Right on time. Momo, call it. You remember my battle cry from earlier, right? Go on—do it."

"Do I really have to?" she asked, sounding both nervous and exasperated.

"It's about unity," Tony said seriously. "You have to."

Momo inhaled deeply and closed her hand around the vial. When she looked up, her eyes were blazing with determination.

"Hero Course of U.A…" she shouted adding her own twist to include everyone, her voice ringing through the battlefield. "Assemble!"

"HAI!!" both Class 1-A and 1-B roared in unison.

The ground shook as they charged forward, a tide of heroes-in-training rushing headfirst into the coming storm. Above them, Ultron spread his arms, his body blazing like a miniature sun.

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