Phone playing regular ringtone
Liam didn't recognize the number, but he had been receiving calls from different lawyers, so he picked it up without thinking.
"Hello..."
"Kid, you should come by my house. We both need to properly thank you." It was Tony. He had searched for Liam's number, and it was not that difficult to find.
"..."
"My address is..." Tony continued but was then stopped by Liam himself.
"I know where you live. I will be there," Liam replied, and he disconnected the call.
Same night, 11:30 PM
The Stark Mansion
Out of nowhere, the proximity alarm of the Stark Mansion went off. Tony was in his living room, talking with Yinsen about their lives, when it sounded.
"Who has the guts to invade this place late at night? JARVIS..." Tony was irritated and ready to call security.
"Sir, there is someone at the door of your home. He bypassed the main gate without my knowledge. Should I show you the person? He isn't armed or wearing any kind of mask to hide his identity."
"Show me," Tony answered. Soon they saw who was bold enough to bypass the strict security at the gate and sneak in so casually. Once Tony saw who it was, he told JARVIS to stop the alarm and inform security not to bother.
"Say it was a cat," Tony added at the end. It was Liam who had shown up so late at night. Tony and Yinsen personally went to welcome him inside.
"You could have come through the main gate. Why take such a long route?" Tony complained. Tony shook his hand, but Yinsen actually went and hugged him. Yinsen hadn't expected that Liam would be here, so far away from Afghanistan. He was a scientist, so getting an entry visa for him without his own passport was easy—especially when Tony vouched for him and explained how Yinsen had saved his life.
He was really thankful to Liam for being here.
"The whole road is reeking of reporters and secret agents. I don't want people to question me," Liam replied.
"Did someone tell you that you are too paranoid?" Tony asked. Liam could only roll his eyes. This was coming from someone who thought making an AI was a good way to save the planet just because he was paranoid about an alien invasion. In that regard, Liam was an angel.
"Only the paranoid survive," Liam replied.
Liam then took a short tour of the whole house since it was his first time visiting a billionaire's home. He had only seen Tony's house briefly in the movies, but seeing it in reality made him realize that movies could only show so much. This was way beyond luxury and sophistication.
In the end, they finally reached Tony's garage, where he kept his cars and worked on all his inventions.
"I thought you would start making a suit for yourself immediately," Liam said as he looked around the garage.
"I was thinking the same, but before I start, I want to take a look at BT. If that's alright with you. I want to take some inspiration from it before I begin my project. By the way, how do you know I'll make a new armor?" Tony asked with no sense of shame. Liam didn't seem to mind at all, though.
"You're predictable at times, Stark," Liam said.
He also knew that Tony wasn't actually asking for help but wanted to repay Liam by upgrading his Titan. Once Tony learned Liam's actual age, he had already decided to take him under his wing—but he planned to do so subtly. Tony had even sent his lawyers to invest in Liam's new, upcoming company and help him financially.
Of course, the latter part wasn't known to Liam, as the lawyers hadn't contacted him yet. They were still drafting the deal. In the desert, Liam had mentioned that Tony could work on his Titan when given the time. But Liam also knew that once Tony got a close look at BT, he would be surprised.
Liam summoned BT in the huge garage, but due to BT's size, it had to bend its knees and sit on its buttocks to fit in the space.
"BT, let Tony here work on you. You can show him all the secrets," Liam said.
[Affirmative, Liam]
"JARVIS scan this Optimus Prime part 2."
"..."
"Sir, I've scanned the unit. This machine's internal systems are highly advanced for its era. It appears to be powered by a fusion core, utilizes neural linking technology, and is outfitted with a versatile weapon system."
"Oh, don't undersell it, JARVIS. This thing is the lovechild of a Gundam. Did I say it right?"
"A comprehensive analysis of BT-7274's systems, I must conclude that this machine represents a pinnacle of engineering. Its architecture, combat adaptability, and maybe even the AI sophistication, which I am yet to break, leave very little room for meaningful improvement."
"Wait, wait, hold on. Are you telling me there's nothing I can add to this guy? No weak points to exploit, no inefficiencies to fix? JARVIS, you're starting to hurt my ego here."
"Apologies, sir, but BT-7274's fusion core operates at 98.7% efficiency, far surpassing any known modern energy source. Maybe the reactor at your heart could make a comparison at best. Its neural link interface allows seamless integration with a pilot, utilizing advanced safeguards to prevent cognitive overload. Additionally, its combat systems feature adaptive. It has thrusters that had never been seen before, camera clarity that had not been invented yet, even by you, holographic reinforcements that had been incorporated anywhere before. The neural link itself, by my computation, will take a bit more time for humanity to reach. Even I am finding it hard to actually make a thorough comprehension of what I am scanning."
Both Tony and Yinsen were flabbergasted after what JARVIS had said, this made Liam put up a victory sign. Tony felt a bit ashamed now as he didn't expect that.