Tony nodded once, sharply. “Bart,” he repeated, allowing a comforting smile to come onto his face. “Don’t worry, kid, we can test out the big guns using robots, not soft humans who would probably sue us if it went wrong.” A reluctant wave of laughter moved through the students, dimmed somewhat by their apprehension, but Tony continued to look around at them with enthusiasm.
The volunteer Bart looked down at the bracelet on his wrist, and it was clear from the look on his face that he was genuinely interested in the shield technology. It was something that he had been developing for years, ever since before the Avengers broke apart as a result of the Accords, but he was damned if he was abandoning it now. Just because Captain America might not be able to (at least legally, though Tony was sure if the other man came to his door he’d give him a million and one different prototypes to try out) use the shield, it didn’t mean that other law enforcers might not be able to get the benefit out of it.
Detective Montoya had made Tony aware of how unfunded and underequipped the NYPD was, and so he had provided them with new guns, new body armor, and a new system to report their complaints about the Strike Force, directing them towards Pepper instead. She had so much on her plate, but she was just as powerful as Tony was, and she wasn’t on the Panel so she had some kind of impartial viewpoint. Providing shields to the police force might also be beneficial. The police had their own problems, their own corruption, but they were less trigger happy than the Strike Force, not that it would be hard.
The volunteer moved swiftly, responding almost intuitively to the tech, lifting it up as if it was nothing more than second nature. Tony grinned at the boy’s enthusiasm. “Most of the finer points of the design is classified,” he explained, “but the basics of it are that the bracelet you’re wearing, when the start button is pressed, emits photons into a small round shape. It has a flexible containment matrix and are generally meant as a supplement to the rest of an individual’s body armor. It can be thrown, changed into a different shape, or emit a sonic blast to stun opponents.”
Another lab tech walked forwards to bring the students through the lab, but Tony walked over to Bart instead. “You seemed to know what you were talking about,” he said, referring to Bart’s list of ways that it may have been possible, a few of which he would have to look into. “You an engineering student, Bart?”
Oh wow Tony Stark was talking to him, he didn’t even address the class as they left them behind. He wondered if there was enough excitement in his system to flare up a random electrical charge, considering there was an actual ability his grandfather and he could do to throw lighting this wasn’t too far from reality. He’d rather not summon some random speedforce factor in his DNA that sparks a fire while he was talking to someone who was revolutionizing the world. For the better he might add. His fingers were roaming over the bracelet being careful of the sensitive buttons marveling at it really, he just wanted to crack it open and take a peek inside. ‘I better give this back.’ Was his immediate thought cause he did not want to owe Tony Stark money for breaking it if he even attempted to. “It can be thrown? That’s epic.” Bart had stars in his eyes thinking about how awesome it would be to sees these in more action on everyday police officers.
His bracelet was taken by one of the staff, and he was glad to hand it over. Man did he want to tinker with that. He wondered if he should have mentioned other ways his father Don has described shield technology from the 31st century but chances of him making them? Oh wait this was Tony Stark....oh well. Not the worst thing he could do. He would have figured it out anyway. Shit, the possible Paradoxes were gonna haunt his mind for the next few days before he replaced them with some trivial.
Bart smiled when he was asked about being in engineering class, “Its one of my majors.” Bart actually would like it if he could say he had three majors right now. Might seem slightly more impressive but he guessed it didn’t matter, but engineering was very important for him. His father spent his life engineering things for the future and for Bart so this was something that made him feel more at home. More so then Stark Industry front lobby. It also helped him to learn engineering given the tech his father left him when he arrived here. His goggles being the most advanced given he hadn’t found something they couldn't do. Which is why he wore them everywhere he went. Probably weird now that he thought about it. “Its one of the few classes that actually gives us projects to do rather than bore use for a good hour or two in a class having to desperately take notes we’ll probably only get a good thirty percent of.” Except Bart who was quick enough to write everything down but also easily distracted enough by his ever wandering mind to stop suddenly and pick back up only when he cared to remember what class he was in.
“Hey besides the shield tech what else you got going on for defense around here? Anything like better body armor for police officers? They could use it given all the shi-stuff...stuff that’s been going in the city lately.” While everyone was probably far more interested in what one of Mr. Stark's suits could do -and really he was to, the repulser tech was simply amazing- Bart actually heard and seen a lot more good done for protecting people from Mr. Stark. He’d much rather hear that. Oh he should ask about medical advances as well at some point.
