[Third Person's PoV]
"Alright, Friday, on a scale from one to ten, how cool was I just now?" Tony asked with a smirk.
"A six," Friday replied.
"What?! Surely, you're just hating. That was a solid eight or nine," Tony scoffed. "Looks like you really need an upgrade if you can't tell the difference, Friday."
He sighed, shaking his head as he turned his attention back to the glowing ring on his finger. "The idea behind this ring is to make my thoughts reality. But it's only useful if you're creative enough to wield it."
A silver-blue light flashed around Tony, and in an instant, a miniature basketball court materialized around him. Several hard-light constructs of himself appeared, all charging at him as he conjured a basketball in his hands.
Bouncing the ball skillfully, Tony weaved between the constructs, effortlessly dribbling past them as they attempted to steal the ball. He moved with fluid grace, dodging each of his doubles, until he leaped into the air, slamming the ball down with a powerful dunk that shattered one of the constructs. The court and the remaining doubles vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
Tony held out his hand, and a glowing longsword formed in his grasp. He spun it effortlessly before assuming a battle stance. With a swift swing, he sliced clean through one of the chairs in the lab, the cut so precise it was almost seamless.
Tony stood still, momentarily stunned. "This is... more dangerous than I expected."
"What were you expecting, boss? You're weaponizing light—an extremely volatile element when concentrated," Friday remarked.
"Concentrated..." Tony muttered, his eyes beginning to glow. Two laser beams shot from them, scorching the metal floor beneath his feet.
"Heat vision, baby!" Tony exclaimed, thrusting his fist into the air.
He spread his arms wide, and several floating eyes appeared around him, their glowing irises gathering energy.
"Boss, please tell me you're not going to fire those in here. We have a danger room for a reason. Use that," Friday urged.
With a snap of his fingers, all the constructs disappeared. "Good call, Friday. I'm so glad I thought of it," Tony said, heading for the training room.
"Yes, boss, you're an amazing intellectual being," Friday replied dryly.
"Aww, thanks, Friday."
"That was sarcasm, boss. One of my many unnecessary features."
Ignoring her, Tony entered the danger room. "Alright, Friday, the scenario is this: I'm an intergalactic space warrior battling an army of space pirates."
"..."
"If you say so, boss," Friday responded.
The room around Tony transformed into the vastness of space. Aliens and ships appeared, all with their weapons trained on him. Tony smirked as he extended his arms, forming a massive gatling gun and immediately unleashing a barrage of bullets. The gun shook in his hands as he fired, a crazed smile forming on his face.
As the enemies retaliated with lasers and beams, Tony encased himself in a golem-like construct, protecting him from the onslaught. The golem wielded a giant, spiked morningstar, swinging it around and decimating everything in its path. It pulled the chain, redirecting the weapon to obliterate more targets.
The construct around Tony shifted again. With a thought, it transformed into a hulking Iron Man suit made of pure energy. Its repulsors glowed brightly, charging up before firing two massive beams of concentrated light that tore through the remaining enemies.
"Now that's what I call efficient," Tony muttered, satisfied. "End simulation."
The room reverted to its normal state, revealing the damage left behind. Tony stretched and yawned. "I think I've got the hang of this thing."
He waved a hand, returning to his normal clothes. "Friday, clean this up and make another ring for tomorrow. Goodnight."
"Sure thing. Goodnight, boss," Friday replied.
Tony made his way back to his room, changing into something comfortable before slipping into bed beside Melissa. She stirred, smiling as she snuggled up to him. They both drifted off into a peaceful sleep, wrapped in each other's warmth.
---
The Next Morning...
After breakfast, Melissa joined Tony in his lab. "So, what was it you made last night?" she asked, her curiosity piqued by his secrecy.
Tony grinned mischievously as he spotted a ring box on his desk. He picked it up and, to Melissa's surprise, dropped to one knee, holding the box out.
"Melissa Shield, would you—"
She gasped, tears welling up in her eyes as she covered her mouth.
Seeing her reaction, Tony froze, his expression shifting to one of horror. "Oh no... seeing your reaction is making me hate myself for making this joke."
"W-What...?" Melissa's voice was quiet, her emotions on edge. "You were joking?"
"This seemed so much funnier in my head," Tony admitted, standing up awkwardly. "I think I might have gone a bit too far."
The guilt hit him hard as he saw Melissa's sad, pouty expression. "You're cruel, Anthony Stark."
"Oof, full name..." Tony groaned, clutching his chest dramatically.
"What's in the box, then?"
"It's a ring, but... not what you think," Tony explained, opening the box to reveal a sleek, tech-enhanced ring.
"Let me guess—it's for a suit, isn't it?" Melissa asked, raising an eyebrow as she wiped her tears.
Tony nodded, looking apologetic. "If I'd known how much this meant to you, I wouldn't have done it."
Melissa sighed, shaking her head. "No, I'm sorry for overreacting. We're only fifteen, and we've only been dating for a few months. I guess I got carried away."
"Wait... so if I had proposed for real, would you have said yes?" Tony asked, curious.
Melissa blushed, her cheeks turning bright red. "Are you proposing now?"
"Uh, no."
"Then I'll answer that question when you actually do."
Tony's turn to blush. "Okay, that was smooth as hell."
Melissa giggled, her embarrassment fading. She quickly changed the subject. "Alright, so... what does the ring actually do?"
Tony smirked as he held up his ring, snapping his fingers. The words "Hard Light Constructs" appeared in bold letters floating in the air before them.
"I see. Interesting…" Melissa murmured, taking the ring from the box in Tony's hand and examining it closely. As she turned it over, a small needle popped out from the back.
"Go ahead," Tony nodded.
Melissa hesitated for a moment before pricking her finger. The ring responded instantly, "Primal User Registered."
"Now what?" Melissa asked, looking at Tony with a raised eyebrow.
"Now you put it on," Tony replied with a grin.
As she slid the ring onto her finger, it spoke again, "Scanning for Host's most optimal emotion… Scanning complete. Emotion selected."
Melissa glanced at Tony, clearly puzzled, but he simply gestured for her to be patient.
"Congratulations, User, on becoming the Lantern of Compassion."
The ring's color shifted to a glowing silver and purple, and in a flash, a sleek suit began to materialize over Melissa's body. She looked down at the suit in surprise and then back at Tony, confused. "Okay, you still haven't explained what this ring does, aside from reading my emotions and giving me this strange suit."
"Oh, right." Tony grinned sheepishly. "The ring is tied to your imagination. Whatever you think of, you can create using hard light constructs. Like this…"
With a thought, Tony summoned a small mecha suit over his body, complete with a massive glowing sword.
"Whoa…" Melissa gasped, tapping the construct with her knuckles. "It's solid!"
Tony nodded. "Yup, these constructs are powered by our strongest emotions. My ring is fueled by my resolve, and yours by your compassion."
Melissa frowned slightly, her expression shifting from awe to concern. "Tony... are you okay? Is something going on? You can talk to me, you know."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because I know you. You'd never rely on something as unpredictable as emotions to power anything. That's why I'm worried."
Tony met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I'm just testing something out, that's all."
"If you say so," Melissa muttered, still watching him carefully.
Tony rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"
Melissa chuckled softly, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "I love you too, my love"
*********************************************
+31 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3