Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 410 (Patreon)

"Morgan, have you hidden well? Daddy is about to start looking for you!"

Tony, facing the wall, shouted loudly into the empty living room behind him, but there was no response from little Morgan. He knew this meant the game of hide and seek could officially begin.

Tony began searching in the usual places where Morgan often hid: the closet, under the bed, behind the curtains, and inside the garage, Morgan's favorite hiding spot. Tony searched the entire house, but he still couldn't find Morgan.

Worried that Morgan had run outside to avoid being caught, Tony quickly asked Friday, "Morgan hasn't gone outside of the house, right?"

"Miss Morgan has not left this room, Mr. Stark. You can rest assured," replied the artificial intelligence Friday in a gentle manner, much like a real butler.

In fact, ever since Tony had set Jarvis's program to manage the operation of the new social order, his own auxiliary work, as well as the tasks of the intelligent housekeeper in the family, had all been transferred to Friday, which was originally just an AI for the Iron Man suit.

After hearing Friday's answer, Tony's anxious heart finally relaxed. "But if little Morgan hasn't left the room and I can't find her anywhere else – that little rascal, didn't I tell her not to go there? She really doesn't make it easy for me."

Tony had already guessed where Morgan might be hiding, but that was precisely what was giving him a headache. Morgan had hidden herself in the underground storage warehouse where he kept items related to Mark, and he hadn't been inside that warehouse in the five years since Pepper had helped him organize it together.

...

"Hehe, I'm hiding here. Daddy definitely won't find me. He's never been in this room before," Morgan said with a hint of pride.

However, as a little girl, being alone in the cold, damp basement warehouse couldn't help but make her think of scenarios from horror stories, and a sense of fear crept over her. "It's just too bad it's so dark here. I can't see anything at all. Next time, I'll hide in the garage instead. I won't come here again."

Just as Morgan was encouraging herself, thinking about at least holding on to win this game of hide and seek, a sudden burst of light appeared in the pitch-black room.

Curious Morgan tightened the steel mask she had taken from the garage and mustered her courage. She approached the source of the light and then...

Thud! In the darkness, with no clear view of the ground beneath her feet, little Morgan tripped on something and stumbled, almost making contact with the floor.

Just at the critical moment, the sound of rushing wind reached Morgan, and a large hand cut through the darkness to catch her before she could fall and get hurt.

In her mind, Morgan had prepared herself to endure the pain of falling after stumbling. However, instead of hitting the hard ground, she encountered something soft and unfamiliar.

With the support of the soft object that held her up, Morgan regained her balance. When she looked up, she realized that the source of the mysterious light in the basement had actually saved her from the pain.

"Hello, I'm Baymax. You lost your balance and almost fell. Do you require medical attention? Can I scan you and assess your physical condition?"

Upon hearing Baymax's question, Morgan was immediately drawn to the cute and gentle appearance of Baymax and nodded in agreement without even considering the question's content.

"Baymax is about to scan you. Scanning initiated—scanning complete! Your physical condition is very healthy, but please pay attention to your daily sugar intake and dental health. Brush your teeth carefully before bedtime to prevent cavities.

To avoid any omissions in the diagnosis, please use a scale from one to ten to indicate your pain level. If you have any other symptoms, Baymax will conduct a more detailed examination for you."

Morgan vigorously shook her head and said, "Not in pain, not in pain. Morgan is not injured. Please, please don't give me any shots!"

Baymax gently placed his chubby hand on Morgan's small head and comforted her, "So, your name is Morgan, right? No need to be afraid, little Morgan is very healthy, and there's no need for injections."

"Yeah! No need for shots. Morgan hates shots the most. Even when I'm sick, I can just use the nutrient hibernation chamber for treatment. It's comfortable, convenient, and quick. But my mommy and daddy insist on taking me for shots and vaccinations, and it hurts so much.

By the way, you're really amazing. Your eyes can emit light, and with just a scan, you completed a physical examination for me. Are you a robot invented by my daddy?"

Baymax shook his head and replied, "Although I don't know who your father is, he definitely isn't the one who invented me. The creator of the prototype that manufactured me is named Mark Stark, a very remarkable individual.

Even though I have now undergone fusion evolution as an intelligent life form, I still greatly admire my creator for his vast knowledge and profound wisdom."

Upon hearing Baymax mention Mark's name, Morgan became visibly excited, dancing and gesticulating with great enthusiasm. "Hey! Are you one of the robots invented by Mark? That's amazing! Every night, my dad tells me stories about Mark, how they competed with each other's inventions, formed the Avengers to fight alien invasions, and thwarted the schemes of super villains. Can you also tell me a story about Mark, please? Morgan wants to know more!"

Morgan blinked her big, watery eyes at Baymax, brimming with anticipation. It was only at this moment that Baymax realized that the little girl standing before him bore a striking resemblance to his owner, Mark, sharing over seventy percent of his features.

Before sharing the story, Baymax asked, "Morgan, before I tell you a story, can you answer a question for me? Is your father's name Tony Stark?"

"Baymax, do you know my dad? I'm Morgan Stark, and my dad is Tony Stark, and my mom is Pepper Potts. They told me I have a brother named Mark Stark. But my brother went on an adventure in outer space before I was born and hasn't come back to see Morgan yet. Morgan wants to grow up and be as great as Mark, exploring the stars and galaxies."

Morgan Stark, now confirmed by Baymax, was indeed Mark's half-sister.

Baymax slowly squatted down, enveloping Morgan in a warm embrace, and gently said, "Morgan, you can certainly achieve it. You will grow up to be as outstanding as your brother and fulfill your dreams in the universe.

Since Morgan wants to know about your brother's story and go on adventures beyond the cosmos, Baymax will gladly share the story with you. It includes our experiences, from my creation and first glimpse of this world to accompanying your brother until the Battle of New York. And then, there's the tale of how I joined the Guardians of the Galaxy and ventured into space."

Baymax displayed images from his database as holographic projections for Morgan, narrating the story vividly. He omitted certain scenes not suitable for children and condensed and skipped parts while providing a detailed and exciting description of the entire journey.

During this process, both Baymax and Morgan were completely engrossed in the thrilling narrative. Morgan would sometimes cheer with excitement when Mark defeated enemies, waving her tiny fists, and at other times, she would pout with frustration when the villains succeeded in their schemes.

Unnoticed by either of them, someone else sat quietly on the stairs leading to the basement, listening attentively to the recollections of these past events.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Baymax concluded the story. However, the ending of the story was not Mark's sacrifice under Thanos's snap but the same ending Tony had told Morgan: the triumph of justice over evil, with Mark embarking on a solitary journey of adventure into space.

Still in a state of excitement, Morgan suddenly jumped up from Baymax's embrace, looking conflicted.

"Baymax, you told the story so well, much more exciting than my dad does. But now, Morgan is really torn. Should I grow up to be a hero like the Sorcerer Supreme, using magic to protect the Earth? Or should I go on adventures in space like you and my brother Mark?"

"Well! Little Morgan, I can't believe you were hiding here, talking bad about me. Now I've caught you!" At this moment, Tony took the opportunity to come down the stairs and hugged Morgan, pulling her into his embrace.

"You lost at hide and seek, Morgan. So, for dinner tonight, you have to fulfill the condition you promised to Daddy and eat all your dreaded carrots!"

Morgan, who was suddenly caught by Tony's surprise attack, first shrank back in fear, then pouted with an air of indignation, resembling a little hamster. Her face immediately displayed her unwillingness when she heard that she had to finish eating carrots for dinner.

"No, Dad, you cheated! How could you sneak up on Morgan while she was listening to the story? This doesn't count!" Morgan refused to accept defeat and wanted to challenge her fate.

However, Tony was too experienced to be swayed by Morgan's little tricks. "If we're talking about cheating, Morgan, you broke the rules first. Didn't I tell you not to go into the basement warehouse? Now, tell me, where did I catch you?

And since you want to become the Sorcerer Supreme and go on adventures in space, right? If you don't eat enough carrots for nutrition and end up with night blindness, you won't be able to achieve any of your dreams!"

"Ah—! Alright, for the sake of realizing Morgan's dreams, I'll reluctantly finish the carrots for dinner tonight." Tony's trick quickly made the initially stubborn Morgan obedient.

"But Dad, should I become the Sorcerer Supreme or an adventurer in space?"

"Silly child, only kids make choices. Adults want everything! You're still young; thinking about these things is too early.

And being the Sorcerer Supreme and an adventurer in space aren't mutually exclusive. When you grow up, whether you want to choose one or even try both, it's all possible.

But the prerequisite is to listen to Mom and Dad, grow up healthy, or else you won't be able to fulfill your dreams!"

"Okay! Little Morgan will listen well and grow up. I want to become the Sorcerer Supreme, traveling through space, and find my brother who's adventuring in the universe!

Dad, Baymax, will you come with me when that happens?"

Facing Morgan's sudden invitation, both Baymax and Tony fell into silence. If Mark was indeed wandering in the cosmos, they would certainly want to go with Morgan to find him.

But the truth was that Mark was no longer in this world, and no matter how long they searched in the universe, they couldn't find someone who didn't exist.

...

They didn't want to disappoint Morgan and shatter the beautiful dream, but it was also challenging to make a promise that went against their hearts when faced with the innocent and kind Morgan.

Fortunately, at this moment, Pepper's call came from the basement entrance: "Tony! Morgan! Stop playing and come eat!"

"Alright! We'll be right there!" Tony quickly responded, diverting Morgan's attention. "Morgan, go upstairs and have dinner with Mom. Baymax and I have something to discuss. Tell Mom I'll come up later."

"I got it, Dad!" Morgan, determined to be an obedient child, quickly wriggled out of Tony's embrace and ran toward the dining room upstairs.

"Don't forget to finish your carrots!"

"Don't worry, Dad! Morgan is very obedient; she can definitely become both the Sorcerer Supreme and an adventurer in space!"

Watching little Morgan leave the basement, Tony turned to Baymax, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "What exactly happened before? Thor told me that as soon as he brought you back to Earth, you went offline. Later, when I went into Mark's lab, the other Baymax, who had already become an intelligent life form, had disappeared without a trace.

With Mark's abilities, this couldn't have been a technical malfunction. What happened after you returned to Earth?"

In response to Tony's question, Baymax didn't hide anything and truthfully recounted his situation. "Before I participated in the Battle of New York, my master had been working on an upgrade for me aimed at achieving the ultimate evolution of artificial intelligence.

The source code for my upgrade had immense potential from the beginning. On this foundation, I collected vast amounts of data and information while in space, continuously filtering and evolving. I had already reached the threshold for promotion to an intelligent life form.

However, due to the limitations of this mechanical body's hardware capacity, I couldn't take the final step.

It wasn't until I returned to Earth, with the assistance of the Earth's mainframe, which had successfully been promoted to an intelligent life form, that I was able to break free from the hardware constraints and complete my promotion.

After that, my host and I decided to undergo another fusion to become a whole entity again. Through this process, our life level could once again evolve and elevate, granting us greater abilities.

Due to the complexity and vastness of the data and information flow, the entire evolution process took five years. We just completed the fusion when Morgan entered the basement, and now, I control this mechanical body's movements through the Earth's magical network."

Tony nodded as he listened, feeling a mixture of emotions. Mark had not only surpassed him in the mechanical field he was proud of but had also outperformed him in his own expertise in information technology. He felt a sense of pride in this accomplishment but also a tinge of loss.

However, Tony quickly suppressed these emotions and walked over to a shelf in the warehouse after turning around. He picked up a small box and brought it in front of Baymax. "I think it's time to open it."

Tony lifted the lid of the small box, revealing a capsule inside. This was the last thing Mark had handed to Tony just before his disappearance...