Tony strolled toward the ballroom entrance, leading Jarvis with an air of absolute entitlement. He completely ignored the guards, who, to his satisfaction, did not make another move to stop him. A smug grin spread across his face as he glanced back at Pepper.
"See, Pepper? All bark, no bite," he declared. "You just have to be firm with these types, and they fold every time."
With that, Tony began his ascent up the short flight of stairs. One step, two steps, three, four... On the fifth step, a flicker of confusion crossed his features. The staircase clearly had only three steps. Why was he still climbing? He looked down, only to see two more steps materializing ahead of him. He spun around, and his jaw tightened. He was still standing on the very first step.
He shot a glare at the guards, who were watching him with undisguised amusement. Their mocking eyes seemed to say, "Look at him. He can't even climb a set of stairs."
Tony's face stiffened. He suspected the steps were some sort of mechanical trick, moving backward as he moved forward, controlled by the two sentinels.
"This little parlor trick won't stop me," he muttered.
Gathering himself, Tony took a powerful leap, aiming to land directly on the top step. For a moment, he felt the solid surface under his shoes. He had made it. But when he looked again, a jolt of shock went through him. He was back at the bottom of the staircase, not having cleared a single step.
Annoyed, he decided to step back to get a better look at the contraption and find its flaw. But as he took a step backward, his foot found only empty air. It was as if the ground directly behind him had simply vanished. He flailed his arms wildly, trying to regain his balance, but his reaction was too slow. He was about to fall backward, a fall that could have easily cracked his tailbone.
Fortunately, Jarvis had been shadowing Tony's every move. He instantly shot out a hand, catching and steadying him.
"Oh, shit! What the hell is with these stairs?" Tony cursed under his breath, a genuine flicker of fear in his eyes.
Pepper rushed to his side. "Tony, are you okay?" she asked with concern. She had watched the bizarre spectacle from the ground, seeing Tony walk in place, endlessly climbing and descending the same few steps as if caught in a time loop.
The illusion was a product of a localized spatial distortion, a seamless loop grafting the forward and backward directions together. Only those wearing one of the club's signature monocles were immune to its effects.
Just then, the screech of tires echoed from behind them, followed by the satisfyingly complex sound of mechanical transformation. A blonde girl, Ilyana, strode past them. She cast a sideways glance at Tony and made a dismissive "tsk" sound, her disdain for his struggle obvious. Following her like a shadow was a striking, dark-haired woman in a white dress, moving with the poise of a royal guard.
Having been so openly ridiculed by a teenager, Tony felt a burning wave of humiliation. If he could have shrunk, he would have gladly crawled into the nearest crack in the pavement. To make matters worse, he watched as the blonde girl and her companion walked straight up the stairs and into the Unique Ballroom without a hint of trouble. They weren't wearing monocles.
"Hey! Hey, wait a minute!" Tony shouted, his indignation flaring. "Why do they get a pass? Are you discriminating against me?!"
He felt singled out, trapped by a ridiculous magic trick while two women waltzed in as if they owned the place.
The guards merely smiled. One of them finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with superiority. "She is the sister of our proprietor. She is, of course, free to come and go as she pleases. As for you..." He let the sentence hang, the condescending "tsk tsk" implied.
"So you're openly practicing nepotism! I refuse to do business with such a disgusting establishment. Pepper, we're leaving. Forget this ridiculous cooperation!" Tony announced, spinning on his heel. His grand declaration was less about principles and more about salvaging his bruised ego.
Pepper, who knew Tony better than anyone, rolled her eyes. She quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Tony, stop it," she pleaded. "It took forever to get this meeting. Are you really going to let all my work go to waste? Besides, these are the people who rescued you from Afghanistan."
Tony hesitated, caught by the resentful look in Pepper's eyes. Jarvis stepped forward.
"Sir, we have seen those two women before. The young lady is the one who was racing you on the motorcycle. The woman behind her is that same motorcycle. She is also a Transformer. And according to our data, the girl is likely a mutant. She utilized her abilities during the Decepticon invasion."
"What? That beautiful woman is a Transformer, too? Jarvis, are you serious?" Tony asked, his surprise completely overriding his previous anger.
In response, Jarvis simply held out his palm. A holographic video materialized in the air, showing Ilyana's arrival just moments before. The footage showed her braking into a sharp, stylish drift before flipping off the motorcycle. The silver bike then fluidly transformed, its mechanical parts rearranging themselves into the form of the black-haired woman in the white dress.
"It's true! Transformers can actually assume a human appearance!" Tony exclaimed. An idea sparked in his mind. "Hey, Jarvis, can you do that?"
For a split second, the corner of Jarvis's mouth seemed to twitch. "Sir," he replied dryly, "I am unable to become a beautiful woman."
Tony's own mouth twitched. "Jarvis, are you implying I only have eyes for beautiful women?"
"That has not been my observation, sir, but it is your established reputation."
"Jarvis, you wound me."
As he spoke, Jarvis's metallic form began to shift. The mechanical plates retracted and dissolved, replaced by the features of an adult male with light-colored hair and sharp, well-defined features.
"It really works!" Tony said, looking his friend up and down, a new level of appreciation in his eyes.
Pepper was equally astonished. First, her A.I. had become a robot, and now that robot could look human. The world felt more magical by the minute. She quickly remembered their purpose. "Okay, Tony, we should go in. This is for you."
She pulled two monocles from her pocket and handed one to Tony. Knowing her boss, she had prepared them in advance. It was the mark of a truly qualified assistant.
"Alright, fine. I'll condescend to go inside," Tony said haughtily, taking the monocle and awkwardly fitting it over his right eye. After he put it on, the guards offered no further resistance, and the strange phenomenon on the stairs was gone. They successfully entered the ballroom.
"The decor is decent, I suppose," Tony remarked loudly, his way of trying to cover his earlier embarrassment.
Pepper, having been there before, confidently navigated the opulent space. Soon, she led them to the door of a conference room.
"No one to greet us. How rude," Tony couldn't help but mutter.
Ignoring him, Pepper raised her hand and knocked twice on the polished wooden door.