While Tony found himself charmed and increasingly entertained by the bizarre tales spun by Lord Blackwood, others were a bit more skeptical.
Pepper Potts, ever practical, was notably displeased with the price tag attached to this "pet," especially given Tony's tendency to buy impulsively. She wasn't pleased that he'd bid so high on an item as strange as a snail, even if it did speak.
Over the past few days, however, Pepper's opinion softened as Blackwood shared more details about his supposed life and adventures. What had started as curiosity turned into genuine fascination.
Each tale was filled with vivid descriptions and an almost uncanny level of historical detail, as if Lord Blackwood truly believed himself to be a gentleman adventurer trapped in a snail's body. Whether real or delusional, Blackwood's stories were rich and entertaining enough to draw even Pepper into the lab to listen.
In this time, Tony also enlisted the help of his AI, JARVIS, to run deeper tests on Lord Blackwood's unique brainwave activity and physiology. The scans showed inexplicably complex neural activity for such a small creature—almost as if there was indeed a human mind compressed within his tiny form. This discovery only intensified Tony's intrigue.
With Pepper, Tony, and the occasional lab visitor now spending time with Blackwood, the snail's tales became the highlight of many lab hours. Blackwood himself, ever proud and oblivious to the oddity of his situation, continued on as though he were hosting grand evening dinners in some grand manor rather than being observed in a glass enclosure.
Finally after few days, Tony returned to his lab, eager to conduct a more thorough analysis of Lord Blackwood, the self-proclaimed gentleman adventurer in a snail's body. The specialized equipment he'd ordered had finally arrived—a set of neural scanners, cognitive pattern analyzers, and even a tiny voice recorder designed to pick up sounds within Blackwood's tank.
"Alright, Lord Blackwood," Tony said, adjusting his gloves as he prepared to lift the snail carefully from his tank to a specially designed enclosure with sensory scanners. "Time to figure out exactly what's going on in that 'brilliant' mind of yours."
Lord Blackwood, seemingly unperturbed, moved to the edge of his enclosure, observing Tony's preparations with what could only be described as curiosity. His small, watchful eyes followed each motion as Tony set up the scanners.
"Fascinating setup, my good man," Blackwood commented. "Reminds me of a time I found myself captured by a tribe deep in the forests of… ah, I'm getting ahead of myself."
"Sure, buddy. Let's focus on the here and now," Tony said, positioning Blackwood under a small scanner. "This will measure neural responses—assuming you've got any. Ready?"
"Always prepared, Stark," Blackwood replied. "A gentleman must face all challenges with grace, even those of a scientific nature."
As the scan began, Tony studied the readings closely. Surprisingly, the scanner picked up faint neural activity—minimal, but unmistakable for a creature of Blackwood's size. The data was a mix of simple patterns, the type expected from a small creature, yet occasional spikes hinted at something more complex, possibly memory recall or cognition.
"Looks like there's more to you than meets the eye," Tony murmured, tapping through the data with a look of intrigue.
"Didn't I tell you?" Blackwood huffed. "A man of my distinction harbors untold secrets."
Tony couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, Lord Blackwood. How about we test this voice recorder next? Let's hear one of those grand tales of yours in crystal clarity."
Lord Blackwood straightened, as though preparing for a performance. "Ah, I see you're finally prepared to appreciate a true narrative! Very well," he began, his tiny voice somehow carrying a tone of grandeur, "Allow me to recount my journey through the caverns of Solfánir, where shadows waltzed and frost never melted…"
As Lord Blackwood began his tale, Tony adjusted the voice recorder, leaning closer to capture every word. The snail's small, cultured voice resonated through the lab, weaving a vivid tapestry of imagery that felt almost too real for a creature his size. Blackwood spoke of descending into the icy caverns of Solfánir, a place "where even shadows shivered and each breath froze in the air."
The details were rich and intricate: he described the crystalline formations jutting out from the cavern walls, like fangs ready to snap shut, and the eerie, flickering lights that seemed to follow him through the darkness.
According to Blackwood, the caverns were said to house an ancient relic with the power to "reshape reality itself," though countless explorers had met their doom seeking it. Only a true adventurer with a brave heart could survive the perils of Solfánir's depths.
"Sure you're not making this up, Blackwood?" Tony teased, fascinated despite himself. "Sounds like a great setting for a sci-fi flick."
Lord Blackwood narrowed his tiny eyes, an expression of pure indignation on his face. "I assure you, Stark, I am not a mere storyteller of fiction. These are my memories—true experiences, etched into my very being!" He lifted himself slightly, his shell gleaming in the lab's artificial light. "In fact, I would say my experiences in Solfánir surpass anything your 'sci-fi' could conjure."
Pepper, who had entered the lab mid-story, crossed her arms, smiling at Tony's incredulous look. "You have to admit, Tony, he's a compelling storyteller," she remarked, watching Blackwood with growing admiration. "It's hard to believe all this could come from… well, a snail."
"Yeah, well, I'm still processing the 'gentleman adventurer' part," Tony admitted, glancing at the neural readings. The monitor continued to display surprising spikes, as though Blackwood's mind were indeed reliving these experiences. Each spike seemed to correspond with a particularly intense moment in the story, giving weight to the possibility that these "memories" were more than simple fabrication.
"Tell me, Blackwood," Tony asked, scratching his chin thoughtfully, "when you, uh, got here, did you know you were… a snail?"
Lord Blackwood seemed momentarily taken aback. "A snail?" he scoffed, his tiny eyes glaring with righteous defiance. "I, my good man, am and always have been Lord Blackwood, gentleman, adventurer, and scholar."
Pepper exchanged a glance with Tony, clearly intrigued. "So you… remember being human?"
"Remember? My good woman I am a human, and a far more handsome one this this chap, why don't we get to know one another better." He adjusted himself in his shell as if he were straightening an invisible tie.
Tony couldn't hold back a laugh at Blackwood's attempted charm. "Easy there, Blackwood. Let's not forget you're barely six inches tall."
Lord Blackwood gave a dignified snort, if a snail could be said to snort. "Do not let my present circumstances deceive you, Stark. True gallantry transcends physical form."
Pepper smiled, shaking her head. "I'll give you points for confidence, Lord Blackwood. But maybe we should focus on figuring out why your consciousness is in this form. Tony, any theories?"
Tony glanced back at the neural data, his fingers dancing across the tablet screen. "Honestly? It's bizarre. I'm seeing neural signatures here that look a lot more sophisticated than any snail should have. It's almost like… a human consciousness got squished down, compressed to fit inside that tiny brain. There's no precedent for this, at least not in anything I've come across."
Blackwood looked at Tony thoughtfully. "Perhaps, Stark, you're thinking of this from a strictly scientific standpoint. Not everything can be dissected by the blade of logic. There are realms… powers, shall we say, beyond the reach of what you call science."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Magic? That's what you're implying, isn't it?"
Blackwood simply offered a coy smile. "I have seen wonders that defy understanding. Caverns filled with living shadows, ancient beings that converse in dreams. Do you think that your world—your version of reality—is the only one?"
Tony considered Blackwood's words, his gaze narrowing. He was no stranger to the concept of alternate realities and powerful forces that didn't fit neatly into scientific boxes.
He had to admit that some of the items he had seen at those two auctions indeed seemed to be impossible from a normal standpoint, but that didn't mean he was willing to accept something as out there as magic.
No, there had to be a scientific explanation behind it. Hell, apparently, his future self would invent the damned time machine, so he refused to believe that this wasn't just science he had yet to understand.
Tony set up a series of specialized microphones around Blackwood's enclosure, each one designed to pick up even the faintest of vibrations. He also adjusted the neural scanners to focus specifically on areas that seemed active during Blackwood's speech. He turned to Pepper, who was helping to arrange the equipment.
"The thing is," Tony said, half to himself, "a snail's body doesn't have the structures needed to create vocal sounds. No vocal cords, no diaphragm, nothing. So whatever's happening here, it's got to be something completely different. Maybe some kind of resonance or manipulation of external factors."
Pepper handed Tony a small device that resembled a laser pointer. "And you think this might tell us how he's doing it?"
Tony nodded. "If we can detect the source of the vibrations, we might understand how the sound is produced. Blackwood, I need you to start talking again. Tell us about one of your adventures—something vivid. The more you talk, the more data we can gather."
Blackwood gave a dignified nod. "Ah, an audience once more. Very well, I shall recount the tale of my expedition to the Sunken Catacombs of Dromaria." He began to speak, his small, cultured voice filling the lab.
Tony watched the monitors closely as Blackwood spoke. The neural scans lit up, and the microphones picked up subtle vibrations. Tony's eyes narrowed as he saw the readings. It wasn't just Blackwood's neural activity that was unusual—there were strange oscillations occurring in the air around him, almost like sound waves were being generated externally, rather than from within his body.
"Pepper, look at this," Tony said, pointing to the display. "The sound waves are forming outside of Blackwood, almost like he's manipulating the air around him to create speech. It's not coming from within his body. It's like… he's using some kind of localized field to generate the sound."
Pepper peered at the screen, her eyes widening. "You mean he's somehow controlling the air itself?"
Tony nodded slowly. "Exactly. But how? There's nothing in a snail's biology that would allow for this kind of control. It's almost like he's creating a resonance field—something that can manipulate sound waves in a precise way." He paused, considering. "Maybe there's some kind of energy at play here that we're not picking up directly—something that lets him focus and amplify his thoughts into sound."
Blackwood, still narrating his tale, seemed oblivious to the analysis being conducted on him. He spoke of ancient traps and hidden treasures, his voice unwavering and steady. Unaware that his audience was far too busy to marvel over him to focus on his story.