Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

The next morning, at the academy gates.

"Jinx, if you pull any more stunts like yesterday, don't even think about getting allowance for the next six months!"

"Tch. It's just pocket money, I don't care~!"

Jinx, now growing out her hair with plans for twin tails as long as her height, had her hands folded behind her head, looking completely unfazed. Duke flipped his hand, and a heavy money pouch filled with golden Gena coins appeared in his palm.

"Not even interested in ten thousand Gena a month?"

"I don't... I, " Jinx's eyes practically turned into gold coins, locking onto the pouch like a hawk. Her pupils sparkled with greed.

"You want it?"

"I want it!" Jinx nodded like a woodpecker. Duke slapped the pouch into her hand. "Then behave. I don't care what you spend it on, but no more chaos."

"Got it!!"

Hugging the money pouch like treasure, Jinx ran off, but suddenly turned around to wave back, signaling she understood.

Watching the noisy little rascal disappear, Duke's lips curved into a subtle, amused smile.

Raising a kid, ahem, raising a daughter... isn't so bad after all!

"Alright then, time to head to Jayce's place."

Mounting his motorcycle, Duke patted Arrogance's frame. The machine responded by twisting its front and roaring to life, then sped off toward Jayce's workshop.

Jayce's lab sat on the outskirts of Piltover, chosen deliberately in case of experimental mishaps. The place used to be an old shipyard, but Jayce had bought it and repurposed it into his personal research space.

High walls surrounded the lab, with guards stationed to maintain security. Thanks to Mel, backed by the Ferros family, Jayce's research into Hextech had received considerable investment.

After all, the synthetic Hextech gemstone that had eluded scholars for decades had been accidentally discovered by Jayce. Now that the breakthrough was made, he was entrusted to continue and deepen the research.

At the gate, Duke presented his credentials. The iron doors slowly opened to reveal Jayce and Viktor waiting to greet him.

"Welcome, Duke!"

"You're looking sharp today, Jayce."

Duke dismounted and approached. Arrogance transformed into humanoid form and obediently followed behind. Jayce's eyes caught the movement, and he instinctively stepped aside to let Arrogance pass.

"So this is the artificial mechanical lifeform Viktor mentioned you created?"

"More or less," Duke said casually. "Took a few shortcuts. You guys already know about my innate magical affinity."

Jayce and Viktor nodded distractedly, their attention fully stolen by Arrogance. For researchers, nothing was more captivating than a living, breathing silicon-based lifeform standing right in front of them.

"Alright, enough gawking. He's still young, piss him off and he might punch you into next week."

Duke ignored the two and walked into the lab. Jayce hurried after him, excitement barely contained.

"Can I study your creation, Duke? Just a quick look?"

Duke stopped, turning his head slightly with a sharp, warning gaze.

"Jayce. I hope I never hear that again. He may be my creation, but he's also my son."

"This is your one and only warning."

"...Got it," Jayce replied sheepishly.

Viktor quickly tried to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, enough of that. Come take a look at what we've been working on."

The trio, plus one dragon, entered the lab. Jayce's lab was a two-story circular facility: the first floor for experiments, the second for data storage and report writing.

"We're trying to push Hextech development forward, but we keep hitting a wall. The gemstones' energy can only be channeled through rune arrays, and they're unstable."

Viktor leaned on his cane as Duke walked over to the newly built rune pedestal, fiddling with the rotatable rune array.

"At the moment, the only method we've got for channeling energy is through these runes. No other alternatives yet," Jayce added.

Duke picked up Jayce's notebook and raised an eyebrow. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Of course. If you're joining the project, you're free to read all my notes!"

Jayce puffed his chest proudly. Duke, who already had a copy of the notes, flipped through them theatrically, then set them back down.

"Have you considered resonance between gemstones and high-powered magical sources?"

Jayce scratched his head. "Not really... we've been so focused on how to harness the energy, we haven't looked into interactions."

"At the last evaluation meeting, your experiment failed because of interference from a strong magical presence. Similar energy types will resonate, they amplify each other."

"That's why your rune pedestal turned into a weapon."

"So you're suggesting... we explore gemstone-to-gemstone resonance?" Viktor asked, catching on first.

"That's what I was about to say!" Jayce added quickly.

Clack!

Duke dragged over a blackboard, grabbed a piece of chalk, and began scribbling formulas.

"If gemstones can resonate, then during resonance, could there be some kind of link formed between them?"

Lines of formulas covered the blackboard as Duke's eyes shone with focus. At the lab entrance, Arrogance sat in awe, gazing at his creator.

To him, Duke was everything, his god.

The one who gave him a body. The one who gave him life. The one who gave him meaning.

"In that case, we can derive something important," Duke said, finishing the last line. He turned to Viktor. "Your turn."

"An... energy pathway?" Viktor offered hesitantly.

"Exactly!"

"Based on these calculations and observed resonances, we have reason to believe that Hextech gemstones can form linked energy conduits!"

"And that could be the breakthrough you've been searching for."

"But even if we prove it, what field could we apply this to?" Viktor asked.

Duke took off his coat and slung it over the blackboard, stretching lazily. "Enough theory. I'll just show you."

Using the materials on hand, Duke quickly assembled a small demonstration device. As he fastened the last screw, he instinctively reached for his tool belt, only to realize he wasn't in his lab.

Jayce and Viktor stared at the device, their faces shifting between wonder and puzzlement.

"What is this?" Viktor asked, following his instinct to ask rather than guess.

The device consisted of two copper coils connected by a guide rail.

Duke picked up a small steel ball and flicked the switch. The power from the Hextech gemstone surged.

"You know the principle: electricity generates magnetism, magnetism induces current. So, if resonance between magical energy can form channels, why not electromagnetic resonance?"

Duke placed the steel ball on the rail and gave it a soft puff. It rolled forward slowly, then faster, and faster, until it became a blur and punched clean through the wall.

"A one-way electromagnetic rail can accelerate metallic objects. The field keeps pushing the ball forward until it breaks through the velocity threshold."

"But... that's just a weapon," Jayce said, clearly uncomfortable.

"That's one way to see it. But what if we change our perspective?"

Duke powered down the device, pulled over another blackboard, and started drawing again.

"If we can prove energy channels between Hextech gemstones, we could scale this up."

He pointed at the cooling rail. "Enlarge it. Swap the steel ball for a ship, or..."

He pointed to the sky. "An airship."

"Install the base stations at departure and arrival points. Once the conduit is active, we can send vessels through in record time."

"And the result?"

Viktor's voice was dazed. "A complete revolution in transportation, bringing the twin cities closer than ever. If this works, we'll go down in history!"

"Exactly. It's all about perspective, Jayce. You're still thinking too small. Look higher!"

Duke stood on tiptoe, raising his hand dramatically.

"Only from higher ground can you see a greater future."

"If this works... what would the technology be called?" Jayce asked, ignoring the lesson and already swept away in the idea. "With this, we could cross continents in mere hours!"

"Morning hunt in Noxus, afternoon tea in Demacia, and stargazing in Freljord by night, entirely possible."

Dusting chalk off his hands, Duke looked back at the railgun. "As for the name?"

"Hextech Flygate."

"What do you think?"

End of chapter...

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