Marvel : Super Soldier at the Start

"What are you doing, Tony? Are you crazy?"

Blake and Pepper Potts almost simultaneously reached out to stop Tony, but his sudden action was too quick. 

"I'm researching the genetic modifications of the Extremis virus. Its stability is just too poor. Even with a stabilizer, if your emotions fluctuate strongly, there's still a chance of spontaneous combustion at any moment." 

"Injecting this into myself allows me to experience every tiny change it undergoes, which will accelerate my research in developing an antidote. This is the best way to ensure both of their safety." 

"And besides..." 

Tony smirked mischievously at Blake. 

"You two had better avoid being overly affectionate anytime soon. If your heart rate speeds up too much, it might go, *boom*!" 

Tony's reasoning made Blake roll his eyes. Wasn't it you who was impatient to get closer to Pepper? Why drag me into this? 

"Tony, the success rate for this is terrifyingly low. You're putting yourself in danger!" 

Pepper held Tony's hand, worried. 

"Relax. I've got it all under control. And don't forget, Blake can use the Time Stone to reverse time directly. Remember Peggy Carter? So there's no real risk to my life." 

"But Tony," Blake interjected, "I haven't borrowed the Time Stone yet. Last time, there were a lot of circumstances aligning. If it's just to save you, she might not be willing to lend it to me." 

Tony: "..." 

... 

As it turned out, plot armor does exist for certain characters. 

Tony, Pepper, and Natasha all managed to survive the ordeal purely through their bodies and sheer willpower. 

Blake watched as Tony's entire body turned orange-red, and the hole in his chest—left behind after removing the arc reactor—began to fill in, pulsating and writhing. At the same time, tiny, glowing-hot shrapnel was expelled from his body. 

"That's disgusting, Tony. It looks like you're using your chest to... defecate!" Blake commented with a look of disdain. 

"I used to refuse to remove the shrapnel and heal my injuries because I believed that the arc reactor in my chest was a symbol of Iron Man. For a while, I was even dependent on the suit." 

"But later, Steve told me that what makes me Iron Man isn't this," Tony said as he held the removed arc reactor, gazing at it. 

"It's this," Tony continued, pointing to his heart. 

"So, I thought, I've created and upgraded my suits so many times—maybe it's time I fixed myself." 

During the days Tony spent working on the antidote, Blake finally understood why, despite the Marvel Universe being filled with brilliant scientists and advanced technology, Tony Stark stood out as the brightest genius. 

It wasn't just his extensive knowledge—his passion for tinkering with machines was simply his favorite hobby. 

Back during the events of *The Avengers*, Tony had spent an entire night studying data on the Tesseract, transforming himself into an accomplished astrophysicist. 

And in just a few days, he had seamlessly become a top-tier biologist. 

Blake couldn't help but wonder: if it were possible to safely retain the Extremis virus, wouldn't it be a great way to enhance everyone's combat abilities?

But Tony immediately refuted the suggestion, stating that achieving complete stability was possible, but it would entirely alter a person's form, or even their personality. 

At first, Blake used himself as an example, pointing out that the flame energy he controlled far exceeded that of the Extremis warriors. 

However, Tony explained that, at a genetic level, Blake was no longer truly human—at least not an Earth human. While Tony could theoretically use Blake's genetic blueprint to enhance others, the survival rate would be abysmally low. Out of a billion people, perhaps not even one would survive. 

Others would either die immediately from genetic collapse or transform into monsters. 

This reminded Blake of Green Goblin and Dr. Curt Connors from the Spider-Man universe. 

One of them had their personality altered, while the other experienced changes in both personality and physical form. 

In fact, mutations based on personality could even lead to the emergence of a new persona, turning someone into a split-personality madman. 

So, this kind of enhancement really came down to luck—or perhaps destiny. 

For instance, one person bitten by a spider becomes Spider-Man, while another might die of poisoning. Similarly, Captain Marvel was created when Carol Danvers was exposed to the energy explosion of the Tesseract. For someone else, the same event might have simply resulted in their death. 

Destiny—or the idea of fate—is truly mysterious. 

Although Blake had changed many things since arriving in this world, certain events or "fated" connections still seemed to follow their original paths. 

The time and place might shift, but the ultimate outcomes often remained similar—like Captain America meeting Falcon. 

Or, as in the case of the two people standing before him now, who looked oddly like a father and son. 

"Tony, don't tell me Maya Hansen actually gave birth to your kid back in the day!" 

Blake glanced at the eleven or twelve-year-old boy standing next to Tony. 

"You know what I absolutely can't deal with? It's not someone handing me things—it's when an ex-girlfriend or a one-night stand suddenly shows up out of nowhere and says, 'Hey, I had your kid years ago.' I just can't handle that." 

"But if it were this kid, I think I could reluctantly accept it. Unfortunately, he's not mine. Come on, Peter, say hello to Blake." 

"Hello, Mr. Blake. My name is Peter Parker. It's a pleasure to meet you!" 

"...What?" 

Blake jumped up from his chair in shock. 

"Damn it! What are you doing? You're scaring the kid!" 

Tony quickly pulled young Parker aside. 

"It's fine. What did you say your name was again?" 

Blake adjusted his expression, crouching down to face the boy. 

"Peter Parker, sir!" 

Though young, Peter spoke with poise and politeness, leaving a strong impression. 

Blake scrutinized the child carefully. 

Although he didn't look exactly like the version from the movies in Blake's previous life, his demeanor and features made it clear—this was Spider-Man. 

"Nice to meet you, Peter Parker." 

Confirming his identity, Blake warmly ruffled Peter's hair. 

"This kid is a genius," Tony chimed in. "Stark Industries organized a competition for kids under high school age, encouraging them to create science experiments and inventions. The top contestants receive Stark Industries' educational grants. This kid optimized the V8 engine I built when I was six years old." 

"Can you imagine? He's only eleven! This is absolutely next-level genius!" 

Tony enthusiastically introduced Peter to Blake. 

"That's impressive, but Tony, it feels like you're indirectly complimenting yourself." 

"Okay, sure, there's some self-praise in there," Tony admitted with a shrug. "But seriously, don't compare anyone to me. I graduated from MIT at seventeen with the highest honors. If my dad hadn't insisted on making my academic record look normal, I could have graduated three years earlier." 

"But this kid? He's already at the level of a genius high schooler, and he only just graduated elementary school."

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