Chapter 847 - 6

— –Tony Stark– —

War.

War never changes.

It was nothing but a dick-measuring contest, where the side with the biggest, scariest dick would claim victory.

Tony had long since accepted this bleak reality. He had built his entire life around it, after all, building weapons so frightening, so devastatingly powerful, that no enemy would dare raise a finger against his country.

His father had understood this principle. Project Manhattan was proof enough of that, a weapon so terrifying it ended the second "War to end all wars" with one blinding flash. Howard Stark had helped birth the atomic bomb, securing America's dominance.

Tony had followed in his father's footsteps. Jericho was his atomic bomb, his ultimate deterrent. One launch, and wars would end. America would remain untouchable.

Or so he'd thought.

But recently, Tony's certainty had started to crack. The weapons he'd crafted to safeguard peace were now pointed straight at him, in the hands of terrorists he'd sworn to stop countless times in interviews.

He honestly might have found the irony amusing were it not for the fact that he was in the middle of nowhere.

Now he was trapped, bruised, bleeding, and building another Jericho at gunpoint. Or well, at least pretending to. The terrorists tortured him when he refused, and he learned quickly to appear cooperative, buying himself just enough time to plot an escape, or at least die trying.

Yet death, so close at hand, with metal shrapnel literally about to pierce his heart, had a way of making a man re-examine his life choices.

And Tony's life felt hollow.

He'd chased every high imaginable, models, money, fame, the rush of pushing every boundary, and still found himself empty. Countless women had warmed his bed, each beautiful and eager, yet none could make him feel fulfilled, even as he "filled" them.

The endless parties, the fast cars, even the thrill of creating technology more advanced than any other, none of it filled the void he stubbornly ignored inside himself.

Trapped here, stripped of his comforts and forced to stare death in the eye, Tony finally admitted something he'd known deep down all along.

He was chasing shadows. And now, facing an impossible situation, Tony wondered bitterly what his father would have done.

The thought almost made him laugh.

Here he was, the smartest man on earth, reduced to a kid with daddy issues that rivaled, or surpassed, those of the countless models he'd entertained.

It was almost comical that it had taken a cave, a car battery hooked to his chest, and a bunch of lunatics with guns for him to finally realize it.

"Fuck…" Tony couldn't help but curse as he grasped at his chest, a sharp pain snapping him out of his thoughts. He quickly adjusted the wires on the car battery next to him, ensuring they had a proper connection once again before sighing. The battery was starting to run out of power, and he would have to hook himself up to a charger again.

He really was getting sick of it.

Funny, he always dreamed of building the ultimate weapon, yet here he was, using scraps of metal just to keep his heart beating.

"Yinsen, get ready. We're going to be handling Palladium soon, so we'll have to move fast. We only have one shot at this, so take a break, meditate or something. We'll be starting in 30 minutes." He instructed, turning back to the sketches scattered on the crude table in front of him.

A mini arc reactor.

To be honest, it had always been just another flashy gimmick, a publicity stunt Stark Industries pulled to quiet down environmental activists. Tony never seriously considered it as anything beyond a novelty, certainly not something he'd ever stake his life on.

And yet, here he was, stranded in a dark cave, working feverishly on exactly that, a miniaturized arc reactor, just to keep himself alive.

He'd nearly forgotten all about the thing, but thankfully, the blueprints were fresh enough in his memory. They'd resurfaced at just the right time, all because some kid had randomly stumbled into Stark Industries some time ago carrying a note that Tony himself had apparently scribbled during some drunken night he no longer recalled.

Pepper had shown him the letter, it was authentic enough. The kid had come seeking a job designing weapons, trying to live up to his father's legacy. It was a story he could relate to, maybe a little too much, enough so that he'd briefly considered inviting the kid in personally.

If he was anything like Sebastian, Tony figured he might actually be worth the trouble.

But what really caught his interest was Pepper mentioning how the kid had shown particular enthusiasm for the arc reactor.

And here he was using that to try to build himself a new battery for his heart.

Maybe it was fate?

"I owe that kid a beer." Tony muttered softly, a small, weary smirk flickering across his lips. "No, better yet, a fine whisky."

As soon as he said it, his throat burned painfully, reminding him just how thirsty he was. He glanced back at the stale water they'd provided him and frowned, disappointed. Not exactly the Scotch he was dreaming of.

Picking up the battery powering the magnet in his heart, he walked over next to one of his missiles to grab a few more parts he would need. Yet, seeing the logo of his company, he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.

Weapons or arc reactors, once, the choice had seemed so obvious.

Stark Industries had been built on a foundation of war and destruction, growing fat on contracts signed in blood. Tony had never thought much about it before; that was just business. But, well, in a way, a really morbidly ironic way, it no longer was.

Maybe it really was time for a change.

The decision settled in him with surprising clarity.

If he managed to escape this cave alive, Stark Industries would never sell another weapon again.

— –Alex Montclair– —

A mini arc reactor…

"How the hell did Stark build this thing in a cave?" Alex grumbled loudly, carefully setting aside yet another failed imitation. He'd started working on it as a hobby, an attempt to replicate Stark's impossible achievement using the memories of bits and pieces of tech he'd carried over from his original world. Predictably, all he'd managed to build was a highly sophisticated and extremely volatile battery.

'No.' He corrected himself mentally. 'Not a battery, a bomb. I built a bomb.'

He eyed the deceptively innocent-looking device sitting atop his desk. It held an impressive amount of energy, but one wrong jolt and it would blow him into next week.

Maybe he could repurpose it. Throw it at any random villain who might decide to drop by and cause trouble, and then sprint away as fast as his legs could carry him. Honestly, out of all the ideas he'd had in the past two months, that one probably wasn't even the worst, if you ignored the minor detail of carrying a live explosive everywhere he went.

Two months had passed since he had woken up in this world. There was still no word about Tony Stark's fate, and that gnawed at him more than he'd admit. But worrying would solve nothing. All he could do was wait, watch the news, and prepare himself for whatever came next without landing in some unnecessarily complicated mess.

His days had grown busy, chaotic even, judging from the clutter that had completely overwhelmed his workspace.

Poor Alfred simply couldn't keep up.

Alex couldn't help but glance sympathetically at the small robot vacuum bumping hopelessly against a pile of cables. Alfred wasn't exactly a J.A.R.V.I.S. level companion, just a mildly upgraded Roomba, but Alex had grown oddly attached to it.

Naming random household objects was hardly his style, but he could feel himself starting to lose it the more time he spent in the house. Which was practically all his time, except when he went out running.

He felt like he was in danger. Like he was being watched. But not in the "Ah yeah, S.H.I.E.L.D. has placed cameras all over your house, and now the bald man is looking at everything you do." sort of way, but in the "There are demons living in your walls." sort of way.

It felt ridiculous, honestly. He had even "accidentally" ripped the drywall out of one of his walls to calm himself down. But the nagging feeling wouldn't go away.

Maybe he ought to book himself a therapist. There was the chance that this world's version of himself had undiagnosed mental issues, well, aside from the depression.

…

Well, at least Alfred listened to him complain without interrupting.

To keep himself sane, he had been spending more time outside. He was less productive when it came to learning, but it was better for his cardiovascular health. So, he counted that as a win.

Sure, he could just use the treadmill in his gym, but that kinda defeated the purpose. And now that he wasn't on the verge of dying every time he stepped outside, he had begun to enjoy the sights around him.

One of the funniest discoveries had been realizing Spider-Man's biggest hater was actually one of his neighbors. Alex had never actually spoken to the man, but it became an amusing highlight of his jogging sessions whenever he passed by JJJ's house. Surprisingly friendly, though; the old guy always waved at Alex whenever he jogged past.

Though other than keeping away the "scary monsters" in his head, jogging did have other benefits.

The hour-long runs let him disconnect his overly active mind from the stress. It was peaceful, freeing even. And strangely enough, whenever he was stuck on a particularly frustrating problem, a good run often cleared his mind enough to find a solution.

Or, more frequently, inspired him to build another accidental bomb.

He really needed to stop doing that. One of these days, his luck would actually run out, and he'd be scraping himself off the walls.

Taking a few moments to deactivate the makeshift "arc reactor" in his hands, Alex sighed. Then, his thoughts were interrupted after feeling another chill up his spine, the same feeling of being watched. Finally, he threw his arms into the air.

"Alright, that's it." He muttered harshly as he tossed the now inactive explosive to the side. "Alfred, watch the house, I'm going out. Hell, maybe I won't even come back. I'm fucking sick of this place."

Slipping on his shoes roughly, he slammed the door behind him and immediately broke into a run, letting the burning frustration drive him forward. He needed to calm down before he blew up, metaphorically and literally.

Maybe it was the house; perhaps it was the "demons" haunting him, but he was sick of it.

No, that wasn't entirely true. He was lying to himself. The reality was, he couldn't handle it anymore. He wanted to go home, his real home.

He didn't want to be here, dealing with Stark, Xavier, Strange, or any of the superheroes and villains whose paths he was bound to cross.

Maybe it was all the stress that was causing him to hallucinate. Or maybe it was the freaking mental issues this version of himself had left him. Maybe the multiverse portal had side effects of making you go crazy, but he had enough.

He was exhausted. He had been exhausted from day one and had simply pretended everything was okay.

Pretended—

Shit.

"Ah!" A girl's startled voice echoed as Alex collided into someone rounding the corner near the edge of his neighborhood. They both went down hard, Alex's knee and arm scraping painfully against the rough pavement.

Looking up with a wince, he saw a girl sprawled on the sidewalk next to him, a dazed look on her face. She wore an oversized white hoodie that contrasted sharply with her bright blue eyes and platinum-blonde hair, loosely tied up into a messy bun. She was beautiful, strikingly so, but the heavy shadows beneath her eyes and slightly reddened cheeks told him clearly she was having a rough day herself.

Granted, colliding full-speed into her probably hadn't improved things.

"I'm so sorry, I was just lost in thought and—" Alex tried to apologize quickly, his embarrassment overtaking the frustration.

"No, no, it's okay. It was my bad; I wasn't paying attention." The girl interrupted gently, scrambling upright as she shot him an apologetic glance. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's just—" Alex started, then sighed heavily, struggling to find words. Eventually, he offered a tired smile. "What a mess, huh?"

The girl hesitated, eyes lingering curiously on his face before her expression softened into an empathetic one. After a moment, she tilted her head slightly, as if debating something, before softly asking.

"Tough day?"

"Yeah, you could say that. You?" Alex answered with a dry chuckle, shaking his head.

A tiny, almost bitter smile flickered across her lips.

"Yeah, you could definitely say that." She echoed, sighing as she leaned wearily against the nearby wall.

Alex glanced at her quietly for a second before following suit, leaning against the wall next to her and examining the scrape on his arm. A thin trail of blood trickled down his skin, stinging slightly as he touched it. Yet, deciding there was nothing he could really do at the moment, he let it go and instead turned his attention back to the girl.

"Did you get hurt at all?" He asked, a bit concerned.

"Nah." She replied with a small shrug. "I'm pretty good at falling. One of the few perks of doing ballet."

"Ballet, huh?" Alex asked with some curiosity. "That's pretty cool."

"You'd think." She muttered, full of bitterness. "Apparently, not as cool as going to another stupid party."

Alex only spared a glance at her, noticing her frown and her clenched fists as she muttered the last part. It didn't take a genius to guess that someone hadn't gone to one of her dances. The air was somewhat awkward between them, but looking up at the sky for a few moments, Alex decided to be the one to break the silence.

He was probably never going to see her again anyway. Might as well unload a little of his baggage before getting back to his life.

"You ever think about just running away?" He asked, slowly sliding down the wall until he was sitting on the cold concrete.

The girl flinched slightly, clearly caught off guard by the blunt question. But, after hesitating for a second, she followed his example, gently sinking down next to him.

"Every day." She admitted softly, her eyes locked on something far away.

Alex chuckled weakly, burying his face briefly in his palms. After rubbing his tired eyes, he finally leaned back against the rough wall.

"I can't stand my house." Alex muttered, mostly to himself.

"Me neither." The girl answered almost immediately, surprising him a bit with her quiet intensity.

"Tomb?" Alex offered softly, glancing over with a slight smirk.

She raised an eyebrow curiously, hesitating a second before letting out a quiet, unexpected chuckle. Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she turned toward him.

"Prison, for me." She replied quietly, smiling a little as she studied him. "You live around here, right?"

"Yeah, the house with the giant Egyptian cat statue out front." Alex said, turning fully to look at her now.

Her eyes lit up briefly, recognition flickering across her face.

"Oh, my mom hates that statue." She said with faint amusement.

"Really?" Alex tilted his head slightly, grinning despite himself. "I actually kinda like it."

She stared at him incredulously for a moment before suddenly breaking into giggles, which quickly escalated into genuine laughter, brightening her tired face instantly.

"I'm sorry—it's just… this is weird, right?" She asked, covering her mouth with her hand as she shook her head, still smiling. "Like, really weird?"

Alex felt his own smile widen, shaking his head lightly as he joined in on the laughter.

"Maybe a little." He admitted quietly.

Honestly, though, he already felt lighter, the anxiety and frustration from earlier fading into something far more manageable. Just talking with this random girl, someone who seemed to understand exactly how he felt, even if it was just for a moment, had somehow calmed his mind more than any run or invention ever had.

"I'm Alex…. Alex Montclair." He introduced himself, extending his hand to her.

"Tandy." She answered, grasping his hand firmly. "Tandy Bowen."

Honestly, he hadn't realized it until now, but maybe meeting someone new was what he had been missing. Someone completely unrelated to the mess that was the Marvel universe. The name didn't sound familiar at all, which probably meant she was just another random civilian like him. It also meant she was someone with whom he could interact without worrying about creating a massive butterfly effect.

"Do you, uh…" Tandy started uncertainly, picking nervously at the hem of her oversized hoodie before finding a spark of courage. "Do you usually run around here? I heard on the news that people have been going missing lately, so maybe, if you don't mind, we could run together. You know? For, uh… safety."

"Weren't those disappearances happening over near East Harlem? Isn't that kinda far from here?" Alex asked with a teasing grin, unable to hide the amusement in his voice as he watched Tandy's cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment. Before she could react too much, he softened his tone. "But, nah, you're right. Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Right." Tandy answered quickly, the tension visibly easing from her shoulders. "Better safe than sorry."

A comfortable silence settled between them again, though this time, it felt less awkward and more reassuring. Alex found himself surprised at just how relieved he felt at the prospect of having someone else around

"Well, I run most days around this time." Alex finally said, giving her a gentle nudge with his elbow. "Feel free to join me whenever. My tomb can get pretty lonely anyway."

Tandy's expression brightened again, a genuine smile spreading across her face.

"Sounds perfect."

Standing up, she pulled out her phone, eyes widening as she let out a soft curse.

"Shit, erm, I mean, crap. I, uh, I'm gonna be late for practice. But it was nice meeting you, Alex," she said, offering him one final bright smile before quickly jogging away. After a few steps, she paused, turning around abruptly. "Almost forgot, what's your number? I'll send you a message next time I go out."

Giving her his number, Alex watched as she quickly disappeared around the corner. Still sitting on the cold concrete, he couldn't help but feel oddly stunned.

Did he just flirt with her? No, wait, it would be the other way around.

No, it was just casual conversation. Right?

It wasn't as if he was totally clueless, but the sudden emotional shift was dizzying. One moment he was spiraling into a mental breakdown, and the next, he was sitting comfortably next to a random girl with strangely similar problems.

Well, maybe not entirely similar. Honestly, he'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who could genuinely relate to his situation.

Shaking his head softly, Alex slowly stood up and brushed the gravel from his pants, deciding it was better to just accept the unexpected moment for what it was.

Walking back to his house, this time more slowly, he used the time he had to simply breathe in the fresh air and calm down. And as he opened the doors to his house, he couldn't help but let out another sigh.

"What a mess…" He muttered as he walked in and picked up Alfred, cleaning the wires clogging it before setting it back down. He watched as the small Roomba began to vacuum once again, moving towards another pile of scrap before bumping against it and getting clogged once again.

"Yeah, sounds about right."

Moving slower than before, he walked to his computer to put in an order for cleaning supplies as well as some good trash bags.

He hadn't taken a break in two months, and that mess had slowly accumulated even if he tried to be somewhat clean. The past few weeks specifically started to make him spiral, and it was only now that he looked at it with a clear mind that he realized just how much of a mess he was turning into.

He had to pick up after himself.

Maybe he needed a break, a break from all the learning, a break from all the worrying. Something to reset his mind before he actually went crazy.

"One more month."

He had a month to prepare before his first day of college.

The time was going to be tight, but he had to add a new variable to the equation. His mental health. He had to pick up a hobby, an actual hobby that would let him rest his mind.

— –Charles Xavier– —

Silence.

It was almost unnerving.

The Omega-level mutant was nowhere to be found. Over three months had passed since Charles first detected their presence, and now it felt as if the trail had gone completely cold.

At this point, Charles was almost sure that one of his worries was true.

The first theory that had come to his mind was the worry that someone else might have reached them first, pulling them out of sight before he even had a chance. But he knew that was unlikely. Had he not been actively using Cerebro at that precise moment, even he wouldn't have realized their existence. Anyone else noticing them before Charles did would have been an extraordinary stroke of luck, or perhaps a terrifying show of power.

Removing Cerebro carefully, Charles placed it back on its pedestal and sighed deeply.

"Any luck?" Hank McCoy's voice cut gently through the quiet, echoing softly off Cerebro's metal walls.

"No. Even with your adjustments, the calibration still feels off." Charles admitted, turning slowly to face his trusted friend. "I've detected other mutants around the area, but none match the energy signature of the one we encountered that day."

Hank eyed him carefully, recognizing something deeper hidden in Charles' voice.

"What's on your mind, Charles?"

His second theory.

"Their abilities might be preventing us from locating them." Charles answered thoughtfully.

"Similar to Emma Frost?" Hank suggested, gently guiding Charles toward the exit.

"In a way, yes." Charles nodded as they walked together down the hallway. "Perhaps another Omega-level telepath, powerful enough to shield themselves completely. Or maybe someone with transformative abilities that disrupt my reach, similar to how Emma's diamond form does. Kate Pryde, too, when she phases, her mind can partially evade me. It's possible this mutant possesses a similar power. And truthfully, I'd much prefer that scenario to the alternative."

Hank hesitated mid-step, concern flashing briefly across his face as realization dawned.

"The alternative…" He swallowed uneasily. "You don't think…"

"Precisely." Charles paused, letting out another weary sigh. "I fear their own powers might have killed them."

Mutations manifested in infinite ways, from harmless changes like feathered wings, to volatile powers like teleportation or spatial manipulation. A newly awakened mutant teleporting accidentally into the vacuum of space, suffocating before they could even comprehend their fate. Or perhaps their ability was something as seemingly mundane as size manipulation, shrinking uncontrollably until they simply vanished from existence.

Even someone like Scott, whose power could destroy buildings in an instant, could have easily caused their own death upon awakening. All it would've taken was one glance at the wrong time or place, and the ceiling might have collapsed upon him.

Charles felt a deep ache settle in his chest at the thought. To lose a mutant of such immense potential so senselessly, before they ever had a chance to live, to learn, was almost too painful to consider.

Of his three theories, the last was the one he feared the most. For their sake, Charles desperately hoped he was wrong.

A sudden ripple of panic passed through him, sharp enough to pull him from his troubled thoughts. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and reached out across the mansion grounds, carefully touching the minds of his students one by one to ensure they were safe.

All present, all safe, but as his awareness brushed against each of them, a cold dread began to form.

One was missing.

Beta Reader: @Basilisk, @Kiyan Tribe

~A/N~

Ah, Tandy, the first of the "Who tf is this character?" when they go by their real names. Like I said, he is not a Marvel Wiki. He has about the same amount of knowledge as an average person. Also, I wonder who is missing? Lemme know your theories!

Anyways, this is for realsies the last of my "bulk" upload, I just wanted to get to the 15k needed for Webnovel to show it on the rankings to help bring more people. For now I will actually slow the updates to once a week, since I do have two other stories I also need to write.

Also, drop some comments! They motivate me to write! Even if I don't answer to all, because sometimes, I don't really know how to answer to them lol. Like ReplyReport Reactions:TheMetalloid, IsidroSephtis, Ethan and 217 othersBonVoyageJul 9, 2025Add bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks CH 5: The Aether Core. View contentBonVoyage"When in doubt, go with the flow."Jul 17, 2025Add bookmark#21The soft, familiar melody of 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' gently echoed throughout Alex's house, each delicate note resonating off the walls. However, it wasn't the orchestral rendition most were familiar with. It was a simpler version, played solely on the piano.

Every now and then, a note would falter slightly or cut short abruptly, breaking the gentle rhythm momentarily. Nevertheless, the music continued to flow.

His house had changed. Well, maybe it was Alex who had changed, even if it was just a little.

He was still a mess. He still felt the pressure, he felt the paranoia and anxiety. But now he had an anchor to reality. It was silly, but it was all he needed. To think his anchor had only crossed paths with him by chance.

As his hands went on autopilot, he took a moment to glance around the room.

The once chaotic house, cluttered with random scraps of electronics and scribbled notes, had gradually transformed. The fifteen whiteboards he'd impulsively purchased were now neatly organized, their surfaces wiped clean and ready for whatever new obsession overtook him next.

Taking up a hobby had clearly worked wonders, at least for his sanity, and now, here he was, at peace behind the piano keys. He'd also tried guitar and violin, but both left his fingers sore since he still wasn't used to the strings, so he'd left them behind.

Perhaps it was a childish reason to drop the instruments, but he was learning to entertain himself. Plus, he needed to keep his hands in top condition whenever he worked on any of his new projects.

That excuse was as good as any in his mind.

However, picking the piano over the other two did have a surprising benefit, one that he was enjoying now. Looking up from the sheet music, he could see it, or rather, her.

In the spacious yet minimally furnished living room, Tandy moved effortlessly to the tune he played. Her movements were graceful, fluid, and each step was perfectly timed despite his occasional slip-ups. A radiant smile illuminated her face as she spun and stepped lightly across the polished hardwood floor.

She was talented, he had to admit. Dance had never interested him much in the past, but something about watching her had changed that. Or maybe he was biased simply because it was Tandy.

Alex sighed softly, fingers slowing a bit as he watched her. He felt conflicted, even if he didn't quite show it on his face.

Their relationship was complicated.

They didn't have to be complicated, but for both their sakes, Alex had firmly kept their friendship as just that, a friendship.

After their accidental meeting, Tandy had become surprisingly attached. However, Alex didn't mind that. Her presence was comforting, even necessary at times. They spent most of their free hours together, quietly supporting each other in ways neither fully acknowledged. Her cheerful chatter kept his stress and paranoia in check, and his constant company eased the abandonment issues she carried.

Issues she probably didn't even realize she had.

It made sense, considering what she'd been through. Her father had left early, leaving her and her mother. Though, at the very least, he had given them a house and a load of money before vanishing. And her mother, a beautiful, successful, but perpetually distant woman, had remarried quickly. Not that it stopped her from enjoying the attention of other wealthy men.

She was a model, a very famous one, which meant that most of her time was spent going to parties and doing some "networking."

With her mother constantly away and with her strained relationship with her stepfather, she had begun to feel more and more alone. That loneliness manifested clearly in her need for Alex's presence, practically moving into his home just to avoid the silent emptiness of her own.

That closeness, though comforting, was also the very reason Alex kept his distance. Tandy meant far too much to him to risk complicating things further. The last thing he wanted was to feel like he'd taken advantage of her vulnerability. It was easier, safer, just to stay as they were.

Or at least, that's what he told himself.

Truthfully, they both fed each other's issues, and Alex knew it. Her constant presence soothed his anxiety and paranoia. She was his anchor to reality, making him overly reliant on her company. Perhaps it was odd that he got attached so quickly and easily, but he quite literally had nothing in this world. No connections, no friends, not many hobbies, no real purpose other than wanting to survive. So it made sense why he got so attached to the first person who enjoyed and craved his presence.

Similarly, his dependable friendship only reinforced her dependence on him, keeping her fears temporarily at bay but never truly resolving them.

Maybe the real issue was his own indecision. It wouldn't be the first time he had pushed a problem off into the ever-so-convenient "later."

"Alex~" Tandy said playfully, spinning lightly across the room before gracefully stopping next to him. She nudged his shoulder gently, her voice teasing. "What are you overthinking now?"

"College," Alex replied with a soft chuckle. "Only a few weeks left. Honestly, I feel like I should probably be studying right now."

"Ah, that," Tandy answered, rolling her eyes fondly. "I already told you, you're overthinking it. College is where you're supposed to learn stuff, not beforehand. Besides, you already spend half our time together studying."

Before he could argue, Tandy tugged lightly at his sleeve, pulling him away from the piano. Alex reluctantly stood, shaking his head even as he smiled at her persistence.

"And don't even give me your usual 'I gotta stand out' speech." Tandy interrupted quickly, raising an eyebrow knowingly. "Trust me, you'll stand out just fine."

Alex sighed, following her over to the couch. She bounced onto it lightly and immediately grabbed the remote, switching on the TV.

"Isn't it a little early for movies?" Alex asked, sinking into the couch beside her even as he pretended to protest.

"Did you forget already? That nerdy guy you wanted to watch is giving his speech today." She reminded him, yawning as she grabbed a blanket and curled up. "Wake me up when the boring science stuff is over."

Rolling his eyes with a soft smile, Alex took the remote and began flipping through channels. Richards' speech wouldn't begin for another half hour or so, leaving him with plenty of time to kill. He landed absentmindedly on a news channel, tempted to follow Tandy's lead and drift off to sleep, a habit he'd unintentionally picked up from her.

But any sleepiness evaporated instantly as a news anchor's voice filled the room.

"CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark, was rescued today following a successful military mission. Stark was discovered wandering the desert at approximately 1 p.m. local time and recently arrived back in the United States. We will soon go live to Stark Tower, where he's expected to deliver an official statement."

Alex froze, his heart skipping several beats as he absorbed the words. For a long, tense moment, he held his breath.

And then, slowly, he exhaled, releasing tension he hadn't realized he'd been holding onto. To his surprise, a quiet laugh slipped out.

He'd spent months dreading this moment, unsure as to the chaos that would follow once Stark took on the title of Iron Man, yet now that it was here, he felt strangely calm.

Leaning back in his chair, Alex stared absently at the ceiling, eyes drifting shut as he allowed himself a brief moment of peace.

But, as always, it didn't last long.

"Tandy… the ghost is at it again." He called out, a forced chuckle masking the slight tension creeping up his spine.

"Hm?" She mumbled sleepily, cracking an eye open as she stirred on the couch. "Ghost? Oh, right, the ghost. I told you we should've called that exorcist lady off the internet. She had great reviews."

"Montesi?" Alex instantly replied, shaking his head firmly. The name sounded familiar, familiar meant dangerous, and his paranoia was too deeply ingrained to risk it. The last thing he wanted was actual demons or wizards knocking on his door. At least, not until he could make heads or tails of magic, which, given everything on his plate, wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Sure, it might sound stupid, especially considering he was probably already being haunted in some weird, paranormal way, but if there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that interacting with the supernatural only drew it closer. He could deal with an occasional chill down his spine; what he couldn't handle was demons casually strolling in and out of his life.

"Honestly." Alex sighed, shifting gears as he tried to move past his own anxiety, "I've been thinking about just moving out. I checked around, and I can easily afford something smaller, closer to Empire State."

"Hm…" Tandy murmured quietly, finally sitting up with a slightly conflicted look on her face. "I don't think you should move, though. I mean, it's… it's a good neighborhood. If you really want, I can even handle the exorcist myself. You wouldn't even have to be here."

Alex felt his chest tighten slightly. He knew exactly what she was worried about. Smiling softly, he reassured her gently. "If I get a new place, it'll have two bedrooms. Don't think you're getting rid of me that easily. I'll still be here whenever you need me."

"Yeah, yeah." She said quietly, rising slowly to her feet and stretching. Despite his words, uncertainty lingered faintly in her voice. "Anyway, I should head home before anyone notices I'm gone."

She waved briefly, slipping quietly out the door before Alex could say anything more.

Watching her go, Alex let out a long sigh, feeling his earlier good mood slip away entirely.

"At least she didn't overreact this time." He muttered, shaking his head and pushing himself up. "Maybe I should just hire a group therapist." He added dryly, walking toward his lab with a humorless chuckle.

He'd planned to take the day off entirely, just relax with Tandy, maybe play some more piano, but seeing Stark back on the news meant he needed to buckle down again. There was no more room for distractions.

Stepping into his lab, Alex reached for a dark pair of welding goggles and pulled thick protective gloves onto his hands. Carefully, he picked up his newest prototype from its stand.

Originally, Alex had planned to create something modeled after Stark's arc reactor, the smaller one he wore on his chest. But it didn't take him long to realize that particular ambition was out of reach, at least without proper schematics.

But his experiments hadn't been for nothing.

His search for an arc reactor had morphed into something different. Something that was his own. And perhaps he would have to thank Tandy for this, too, since she helped organize him and stopped him from wasting too much time on simple things. Without her, he probably would have overthought everything and would only be a fraction of the way here.

Using the basic theory of some of the fuel sources in his original world, Alex began to experiment with different ways to make his own battery, and in the end, he had succeeded, at least partially.

It wasn't as advanced as Stark's creation, no, Alex's prototype was different. It ran on Zero-Point Energy Extraction. Or, well, a really, really, and he should reiterate, a really early version of it.

It was something his father had accomplished in his original world, and thankfully, Alex had taken the time to study how it worked. Now, he wasn't able to recreate it perfectly due to the technology and materials available to him, but even this was a miracle.

The core sat in the center of the room, encased in a makeshift containment unit built from salvaged lab equipment and reinforced alloys. A dull green light pulsed from its heart, slow, steady, like the breath of something alive but sleeping. It was crude. Ugly, even. Nothing like the sleek, compact beauty of Stark's arc reactor.

But it worked.

Not through fusion, not through arc plating or high-energy plasma loops. His method was different. A whisper of something deeper, quantum fluctuations, the energy of empty space.

"A trickle of zero-point energy." Alex whispered as he looked at the core. It was barely a sip, and even that required insane precision to maintain. The quantum cascade array he'd built from synthetic sapphire could only stabilize the harmonic resonance for a few microseconds at a time, but that was enough.

If he wanted to use the energy for prolonged periods of time, it was only enough to light a bulb. Enough to recharge a phone. Enough to prove it was real.

But if he wanted to focus the energy for longer, he could generate a far more impressive display of power, even if it was only for one shot.

Efficiency-wise, he figured he'd be lucky if it produced even a fraction of the energy Stark's reactor could. Maybe even that was optimistic, given he had no actual reference. Still, it was enough to be useful, and more importantly, it had potential.

"Aether Core, prototype version 1.22474487139," Alex muttered under his breath, chuckling slightly at the name. He had promised to only move on to version two once this version showed some results. So now, whenever it wouldn't work, he would just add another random number to the end of the list.

"Alfred, start recording," he called out, glancing toward the corner of the room. A salvaged camera flickered to life, connected to the hacked motherboard of his old vacuum cleaner. Alfred wasn't a true AI, not yet. But with enough voice triggers and some creative wiring, it did what it needed to, respond to commands, log data, and capture every glorious and catastrophic failure for future review.

"After original testing, Aether Core version 1.2247448713 proved unstable and tragically annihilated my favorite gauntlets," he narrated dryly, holding up the new prototype for the camera. It pulsed faintly in his gloved palm, humming with soft, quantum resonance. "This here is the follow-up. In theory, it should safely produce at least one proper laser discharge without catastrophic failure. Hopefully."

He moved carefully across the room, placing the Aether Core into a housing unit vaguely shaped like a weapon, which was pointed over to several layered walls of metal. It was oversized, clunky, and riddled with exposed cables, nowhere near battlefield-ready. But this was only a proof of concept. Proof that it could power something.

"Preliminary calculations suggest the discharge could temporarily incapacitate enhanced beings," he added, connecting the final lead with a quiet snap. "To precisely what extent remains uncertain. The optimistic goal is to at least stun someone with Captain America-level durability."

The weapon thrummed faintly as the Aether Core engaged, the glow at its center intensifying. Light shimmered through the exposed seams in the casing, casting sharp shadows across the walls.

"Note: camouflage needs significant improvement. Current visibility is unacceptable. Ventilation requirements prevent full sealing. Additional refinement of the coolant system is also necessary if I want this thing to stop sounding like an overcaffeinated lawnmower."

He took a few steps back and pulled a heavy lever. Metal shutters groaned as they slid into place, forming a makeshift blast shield between him and the weapon. He took one deep breath, and then as he exhaled, he reached for a small button next to him and pressed it.

The weapon pulsed brightly. Gears spun. Motors whirred.

And then, nothing.

The light dimmed, the hum faded, and silence filled the lab. Alex let out a slow, frustrated sigh and stepped out from behind the shielding.

"Experimentation failure," he said flatly, his voice filled with disappointment. Another misfire. Another dead end. "Alfred, add a 5 to the version number this time."

But then the gun whined.

The noise rose sharply, and before Alex could even blink, a vivid green beam tore from the barrel, slicing clean through the metal shield in front of it. The steel glowed red-hot at the edges before collapsing inward with a hiss of smoke and molten slag.

Alex froze, one foot raised mid-step, goggles slightly askew.

"...Huh," he muttered cautiously.

He waited a few more seconds. Nothing else happened. The glow inside the housing dimmed to a soft flicker, the hum stabilizing to a gentle purr.

He moved closer, slowly, like someone approaching a sleeping tiger. The casing was still hot, but intact. Carefully, he opened it and retrieved the Aether Core. It vibrated faintly in his hand, but otherwise showed no signs of instability.

It hadn't cracked. It hadn't overheated.

A slow grin began to stretch across his face.

"This one didn't melt," he said, voice rising with cautious triumph.

Then, louder, more certain this time.

"This one didn't melt."

With exaggerated caution, Alex placed the Aether Core onto his workstation and flipped up his goggles, striding confidently toward the smoldering remains of the metal sheet. It had melted cleanly, a perfect, precise hole carved straight through. A crude test, sure, but undeniably effective.

"Yeah, this will definitely work," he said, excitement bubbling just beneath the surface. Turning back to the camera, he gave a rare, satisfied grin. "We have our winner. Alfred, end recording."

The camera light blinked off with a soft click.

Sliding back into his seat, Alex pulled his goggles down once more and hunched over the Aether Core. As tempting as it was to celebrate, he needed to confirm stability before he got ahead of himself. The last thing he wanted was for this version to join the growing pile of melted components and ruined gauntlets.

He dragged a flickering monitor closer and scanned the error logs. A single line stood out, plain, blunt, and irritatingly simple.

"Too much juice, huh?" he muttered, lips twitching in amusement.

The output had overloaded the gun's internal capacitors, causing the weapon to stall until the charge bled off enough to fire. Ironically, the elaborate rig he'd set up to monitor and regulate power flow had caused the delay. Still, it was a solvable problem, and that meant progress.

If he could refine this tech further and integrate it with some of his other prototypes, he'd finally have something reliable. Something real. A defensive system, maybe even a small power grid. Hell, even the ghost haunting his house might think twice before messing with him.

He wasn't aiming for an Iron Man suit. Not yet, anyway. Concealed gear was more his style, quiet, compact, functional. His goal wasn't heroics, or fame, or even recognition.

He just wanted to be safe.

With an alien invasion somewhere on the horizon, and the universe throwing curveballs like it was bored, safe was a luxury he couldn't ignore.

Sure, he could always run. Pick some quiet place and disappear. But that was just trading one unknown for another. Staying in New York gave him something solid, something to watch for. And well, someone too.

"Better love story than Twilight." He muttered to himself as he shook his head. He couldn't let himself be distracted by idle thoughts.

He wasn't going to whisk her off to some tropical island and pretend the world wasn't on fire. They were just friends anyway. Friends with a shared history, sure, but not some epic romance. Still, the idea of lounging in the sun while everything else exploded was… tempting. Terrifying even.

But maybe it was also just part of being human.

Lost in thought, he nearly missed the small red indicator blinking urgently on the monitor beside him. Someone important was calling.

"Probably just Tandy," he sighed, briefly debating ignoring the call to continue working. Yet curiosity got the better of him, and he finally reached over, picking up his phone.

Alex froze when he saw the caller ID.

He hesitated for only a second before answering, forcing his voice steady.

"Uh, hello, Miss Potts? I just saw the news. I'm glad to hear that Tony Stark made it back safely; honestly, I was pretty worried about him."

"Whoa, careful kid, you'll make me tear up." An unmistakably male voice answered, confident, casual, and distinctly familiar.

"Stark?" Alex asked, momentarily speechless.

"The one and only," Tony replied smoothly, chuckling before suddenly sounding distracted. "Pepper, seriously, stop, I don't need the hospital, I'm fine. Anyway, kid, Pepper's booking you a car. Come on down to Stark Tower. I owe you a drink."

"Tony, he's a minor, and you're—" Pepper's voice sounded exasperated in the background, followed by muffled rustling and Tony's dramatic complaints.

"Unbelievable. Kidnapped by terrorists, then assaulted by my assistant, I'm starting to miss the cave," Tony grumbled dramatically before focusing back on Alex. "Just get ready, kid. I'll see you soon."

Before Alex could even open his mouth to respond, the line abruptly went dead.

"What…the actual hell?" Alex muttered, staring at the phone in bewilderment. "What'd I even do?"

He glanced suspiciously at the Aether Core beside him. There was absolutely no way Tony or anyone else could know about his experiments. Mentally running through the past three months, he couldn't recall a single moment that would've drawn Stark's attention, especially enough to warrant an immediate meeting. That was, without considering the fact that he had been in a cave for the past three months.

Hell, he'd barely spoken to Pepper since their initial interaction. Sure, they'd briefly exchanged a few emails, but nothing significant enough for Tony freaking Stark himself to call him personally.

"Right, so… carpe diem," Alex whispered, shaking off his hesitation as he hurried around his lab, grabbing tools and hastily organizing his scattered inventions. If Stark wanted to meet him, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity, this might be his only shot, after all.

He scanned his clothes quickly, pulling out the fanciest suit he owned before cringing.

'What am I thinking? I'd look ridiculous showing up at Stark Tower dressed like some businessman.' With a sigh, he settled for his second-best option, simple, smart casual clothes that wouldn't make him look pretentious, but still respectable enough to not embarrass himself.

Then, without wasting a moment, he ran to organize a few of his most presentable gadgets into a briefcase.

Then, he paused for a few moments, staring at the Aether Core with a complicated expression.

If he brought it to Stark, he would be guaranteed his attention. It was a prototype, sure, but it was already showcasing signs of becoming something incredible.

But then he would risk other people finding out about it, too. Obadiah Stane would probably throw him in a cave, too, if he found out about it. But, in the end, Alex decided to take a leap of faith.

After a tense few seconds of hesitation, Alex steeled himself. He had come too far now to hesitate. This was his shot, his golden opportunity to finally make real progress. He could continue toiling away quietly in his makeshift lab, or he could tap into the immense resources Stark Industries had to offer. If he backed down now, he'd regret it forever.

Exhaling deeply, he carefully removed the Aether Core from its pedestal and packed it safely into a second briefcase. Right on cue, the shrill chime of the doorbell startled him slightly.

Outside his door stood a crisply dressed driver who greeted him with practiced politeness. Alex offered a hurried greeting in return and followed him quickly to the sleek black sedan waiting by the curbside. As he slid into the plush leather seats, anxiety took hold again, making his chest tighten.

Was he doing the right thing? Why did Stark want to meet him? What if this was a trap? What if he stumbled over his words and messed up his opportunity?

Oddly, he felt infinitely more anxious now compared to the first time he'd set foot in Stark Tower. Back then, he'd been cool as ice. Almost too calm. He couldn't help but envy his past self, untouched by the overwhelming realization that this was actually real, and not some strange dream or game.

'Or maybe my mind really did fracture with all the Multiversal Travel,' Alex mused bitterly.

"We've arrived. Mr. Stark is waiting for you," the driver announced cheerfully, pulling Alex from his spiraling thoughts as they stopped outside a private entrance.

"Ah, thank you," Alex replied distractedly, stepping out of the car and gripping the briefcases tighter as he spotted Pepper Potts waiting patiently by the elevator. A surge of relief mingled with his nerves upon seeing her familiar face.

Pepper had a clearly concerned expression on her face, though the moment she laid her eyes on him, that expression gave way to one of surprise followed by a gentle smile.

"Alex? Wow, I almost didn't recognize you," she admitted warmly, eyes quickly appraising him from head to toe. "I'm glad to see you've been taking care of yourself."

Giving her a nervous smile in response, Alex nodded as he took both his briefcases.

"Yeah, well, your advice helped a lot, Miss Potts. Thanks again," Alex answered politely.

"What's all this?" Pepper's eyes fell curiously to the briefcases he held tightly in each hand as she pressed the elevator call button.

"My resume, you could say," Alex replied sheepishly, offering a half-hearted chuckle. "Honestly, I didn't really know why Mr. Stark wanted to meet me, so I figured it'd be safer to bring along something to show."

Stepping into the elevator together, Pepper shook her head, a slight sigh escaping her. Her smile faltered slightly, replaced with quiet concern.

"Sorry if this feels sudden," Pepper began, her voice softening as the elevator rose quietly. "Everything has been a bit of a whirlwind today, actually, the past few days. I'm not sure if you caught Tony's speech earlier, but… let's just say he knows how to get attention."

Alex nodded slowly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Pepper glanced at him and gave a small, reassuring smile.

"Remember when you first came by Stark Industries? You mentioned the Arc Reactor, and you brought it up again in our follow-up conversation. Let's just say that it left an impression on Tony. Keep this a secret, but it was thanks to the Arc Reactor that Tony was rescued. And Tony feels like if it weren't for you, he might not have been able to escape."

"Because of me?" Alex asked, somewhat incredulous.

"Tony just wants to express his thanks." Pepper said, somewhat unsure of her own words. "I'm not entirely sure as to how to explain it, but you can count it as a good thing. And I promise you, if you feel uncomfortable, just signal me, and I'll step in."

Alex nodded, thankful but no less nervous as the elevator doors slid open, revealing the penthouse. The panoramic windows framed the glittering Manhattan skyline, but Alex barely noticed, his attention immediately drawn to Tony Stark lounging on a sleek leather sofa, a glass of whiskey in one hand and half-eaten cheeseburger casually gripped in the other. In front of him stood a tall, bald man with a neatly trimmed beard.

"I get it, Tony, I'm thrilled you're back, trust me. There wasn't a single day that went by without us worried sick," Obadiah said, his voice carefully composed despite the strain behind his eyes. "But coming home and immediately tossing gasoline on everything we've built is reckless. Slow down, take a breath, hell, give me a breath. Let's just talk through this calmly."

Tony swallowed the last bite of his cheeseburger, pausing briefly before flashing a casual grin.

"Yeah, yeah, Obie. We'll handle the details later. Right now, I've got company."

Obadiah stared at Tony for a long second, the tension visibly draining as he stepped forward, pulling Tony into a brief but firm hug. He murmured something too quietly for Alex to catch, then straightened, offering a forced but still genuine-looking smile.

"Alright, Tony. Rest up, I'll swing by tomorrow afternoon. We'll hash it out over pizza."

"Sounds great," Tony replied smoothly, giving Obadiah a quick nod. As the older man finally exited, Tony turned his attention to Alex, eyes immediately sparking with curiosity. Standing, he set the whiskey glass down and extended a hand casually.

"Tony Stark." he introduced himself, even when it clearly wasn't needed.

"Uh, Alex Montclair?" Alex answered, somewhat hesitantly.

Tony laughed sharply, eyes crinkling with amusement as he shook Alex's hand firmly. "That a question or an answer, kid?"

"Answer," Alex replied hastily, a bit embarrassed. Tony simply chuckled again and gestured toward the sofa.

"Sit down. I've got a pretty long to-do list right now, but buying you a drink's definitely up there."

Alex hesitated, feeling his pulse quicken until Pepper's gentle touch on his shoulder steadied him. She leaned in slightly, speaking in a low, reassuring voice.

"Remember, Alex, you don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. Just wave me over if you need to, I'll be right over there." She flashed him a kind smile before retreating toward a nearby table.

Drawing in a steadying breath, Alex forced himself to relax as he sat down, placing his briefcases carefully at his feet. Tony casually poured another glass of whiskey, pushing it toward Alex with a playful smirk.

Alex stared at the drink for a second, thoughts racing frantically through his mind.

'This might calm the nerves, right? But getting drunk is obviously a horrible idea… then again, refusing Tony Stark might come across worse.' He internally groaned, suddenly wishing he'd spent more time socializing with more people rather than spending most of his recent days tinkering with gadgets or simply hanging around with Tandy. Maybe his people skills really were getting rusty. At least when it came to strangers.

Glancing briefly toward Pepper, who was watching carefully from her seat, Alex finally made a decision. He picked up the glass, drew in another shaky breath, and promptly downed the whiskey in one swift gulp.

Instantly, regret filled his chest, alongside the scorching burn of alcohol sliding down his throat. His face twisted involuntarily, his entire body recoiling as he desperately fought back a coughing fit. He felt his cheeks flush hotly as Tony immediately burst into laughter, the billionaire clutching his chest and shaking his head with delight.

"Oh, kid. That stuff's meant to be sipped, you know, this isn't some cheap tequila shot." Tony chuckled warmly, pouring another glass and setting it in front of Alex once again. "Still, points for enthusiasm."

Alex stared at the refilled glass apprehensively before meeting Tony's amused gaze.

"Uh… thanks?" he replied uncertainly, embarrassment now evident in his voice.

Wow, he really was painfully awkward.

'Okay, enough,' he mentally scolded himself, straightening his posture and meeting Tony's gaze firmly. First impressions mattered, especially with someone like Tony Stark.

Tony leaned back comfortably, swirling the whiskey in his own glass. After a thoughtful pause, he smiled knowingly.

"So, Pepper tells me you're interested in the Arc Reactor," Tony began casually. "And apparently, weaponry too, like your old man. Listen, kid, take it from me: weapons aren't what they're cracked up to be. You don't want that kind of blood on your hands."

He leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp with a sudden seriousness, the casualness momentarily slipping away as he looked at Alex.

"But anyway, I'm curious about you. Pepper's been talking my ear off, but I'd rather hear it directly. So, tell me about yourself."

Beta Reader: @Basilisk, @Kiyan Tribe.

https://discord.gg/WTgN9J3YgK Like ReplyReport Reactions:TheMetalloid, IsidroSephtis, Ethan and 226 othersBonVoyageJul 17, 2025Add bookmarkView discussionThreadmarks CH 6: The Ghost. New View contentBonVoyage"When in doubt, go with the flow."Jul 24, 2025Add bookmark#33— –Tony Stark– ––

Tony had to admit, the kid wasn't exactly what he'd expected.

Somehow, he'd built up a mental image of Alex as some kind of younger version of himself. Maybe it was wishful thinking; an optimistic idea that, by nudging this kid down the right path, he could somehow erase some of his own past screw-ups. Mistakes he'd only recently come face-to-face with in the cave.

But Alex Montclair wasn't Tony Stark, not really. Sure, their stories overlapped in places, but losing your parents at twenty-one was vastly different than losing them when you're still figuring out basic algebra. Stark had been forced to grow up quickly, but he'd at least had a foundation. Alex, meanwhile, had lost his mother as a kid, then his father barely into his teens, and judging by the drunken stories he'd spilled tonight, he'd basically been forced to stumble through life ever since.

Maybe it was the whiskey loosening the kid's tongue, but Alex had unloaded more than enough to paint a grim picture of his past. Tony caught inconsistencies, little gaps or exaggerations, but he chalked those up to the alcohol, not dishonesty.

'It's my fault he ended up like this.' Tony thought bitterly. If he'd pushed harder for tighter oversight, maybe he could've caught the reckless idiot whose negligence had caused the accident that ruined the Montclairs. And if he started down that path, he'd have to admit there were probably dozens, no, hundreds, of other people out there, damaged by his careless choices. How many families had his weapons torn apart?

Tony sighed deeply, swirling what remained in his glass, half-listening to Alex's slurred yet oddly captivating rambling. Whether or not Alex had actually intended it, his brief mention of the Arc Reactor months ago had probably saved Tony's life. Those blueprints etched freshly in his memory had been his lifeline in that damned cave, and Tony wasn't exactly used to owing favors. Credit where it was due, though, Alex had earned a drink or two.

But maybe Tony had let it go a bit too far.

"Okay, that's enough drinking." Pepper interjected suddenly, snapping Tony from his thoughts as she walked over with a disapproving glare. Snatching the bottle right from Tony's hand, she shook her head firmly. "Tony, look at him. You're going to put him in a coma at this rate."

Pepper was right. Alex was currently half-slumped sideways on the couch, eyes glassy, barely clinging to consciousness. Tony guessed she'd gotten caught up in Alex's story just as much as he had, at least until the kid abruptly pivoted to ranting about how his house was definitely haunted.

At that point, even Pepper's sympathy had limits.

"Yer a real hero, Tony." Alex declared drunkenly, his speech an amusing combination of reverence and sheer inebriation. He raised his empty glass theatrically, swaying precariously on the couch. "I'm gonna… build stuff someday… jus' like you."

"Maybe with fewer drinks next time, kid." Tony rolled his eyes fondly, chuckling under his breath.

Alex ignored him, suddenly lunging forward with an intensity that almost toppled him completely off the couch.

"No, y'don't get it." He whispered loudly, leaning in conspiratorially. "I actually built one… the, uh, the shiny thingy, the reactor thingy. In m'house. With, like… cheap-ass chemicals an' stuff. Actually works. Pretty cool, right?"

"Oh? " Tony raised an eyebrow, barely containing his amusement. "I'm sure it does."

"No! Seriously!" Alex protested loudly, suddenly looking very determined. Before Tony could stop him, the kid lunged for one of his briefcases, swinging it onto the coffee table with far more enthusiasm than coordination. The briefcase collided with one of Tony's half-empty whiskey glasses, sending it crashing spectacularly to the floor, glass and alcohol scattering everywhere.

"Ah, shit." Alex muttered, staring blankly at the wreckage he'd caused. "Whoops."

Pepper let out a resigned sigh, briefly closing her eyes as if silently counting to ten. Tony, meanwhile, merely raised an amused eyebrow, already mentally preparing a sarcastic joke. But before either of them could say another word, Alex's awkward chuckle turned into a strangled groan as his face paled dramatically.

"Oh, oh no—" Alex began, panicked eyes widening, before swiftly turning and vomiting onto Tony's pristine, custom-upholstered couch.

"Oh, fantastic." Tony leaned back slowly, eyebrows raised in dry amusement mixed with mild disgust.

Pepper moved instantly, rushing toward a nearby cabinet, already gathering cleaning supplies. Tony, for his part, just watched Alex sink miserably to his knees, leaning his forehead heavily against the edge of the couch.

"Jus'... gimme a sec." Alex slurred miserably, eyes fluttering closed even as he spoke. A heartbeat later, he'd passed out cold, softly snoring into the ruined upholstery.

"Alright." Tony glanced up at Pepper sheepishly. "I might have overdone it."

"You think?" Pepper snapped back, but even as she spoke, Tony's attention was already drifting. The half-open briefcase Alex had brought was now tantalizingly within reach. Despite the drunken chaos, his curiosity instantly took priority.

He knelt next to the coffee table, carefully nudging the case open wider. As soon as he did, a gentle green glow emanated from inside, instantly capturing his focus and chasing away the slight alcoholic fog from his mind.

"What do we have here…?" Tony murmured, genuinely intrigued. Reaching carefully, he lifted the strange, faintly humming device from its padded casing, turning it slowly between his fingers. It was rough around the edges, clearly a prototype, but undeniably sophisticated in its own quirky way.

It certainly looked like some bizarre version of an Arc Reactor, wires sticking out haphazardly and green-tinted energy pulsing gently at its center.

"Pep…" Tony called out absentmindedly. "...you think this thing actually works?"

"What?" Pepper responded, returning with paper towels and cleaning spray in hand, her face showing her irritation. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed the glowing device. "Is that something Alex brought? He said it was his 'resume.' Is it something good?"

"Yeah, something like that." Tony replied distractedly, eyes still locked onto the device. He barely registered Pepper's resigned sigh as she began cleaning up the vomit. After another moment of internal debate, Tony turned sharply on his heels, heading straight to his private lab downstairs.

Stark Tower's personal lab wasn't as comprehensive as the one back at his Malibu mansion, but it was more than sufficient to take a closer look at what the kid had cooked up. After all, even if it turned out to be some glorified science fair project, he owed Alex at least the courtesy of a proper examination.

Tony placed the strange device carefully onto his workbench, grabbing sensors and cables, attaching them swiftly.

"JARVIS, run a full-spectrum analysis." He instructed, quickly double-checking the connections.

[Right away, sir.] The AI responded dutifully.

As Tony leaned forward, observing intently, the green glow brightened slightly, indicating activity. For a brief second, he allowed himself to feel cautiously optimistic, right until JARVIS's voice quickly cut into his thoughts.

[The current voltage output is precisely 5.324 volts, sir.]

"Five volts? Seriously? I could get that from a potato battery." Tony replied dryly, feeling more disappointed than he had expected. "Okay, how's it generating power?"

[Unknown, sir.]

"You're joking." Tony shot back skeptically.

[If I were joking, sir, I might mention the possibility of explosive mishaps. But I assure you, I am quite serious. There are subatomic oscillations within the core structure that defy known methods of electrical induction or chemical power storage.]

"Any theories?" Tony asked with his eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully.

[Based on preliminary electromagnetic fluctuations, I suspect it may involve a piezoelectric-like mechanism. Possibly converting ambient vibrations or microscopic structural stresses into usable electrical energy.]

"So you're telling me it basically runs on anxiety?"

[An overly simplistic interpretation, but somewhat accurate.]

"A stress ball powering itself through sheer existential dread." Tony muttered wryly, shaking his head. "Kid's got some imagination."

[It is indeed an unusual and innovative approach, sir.]

Tony leaned closer, scanning the computer screen with renewed curiosity. JARVIS's sensors confirmed the readings: five volts, stable output, and absolutely no identifiable power source. Tony hesitated, a familiar itch in his fingertips as he considered dismantling the device for a closer look.

But he stopped himself almost immediately, recalling Alex's drunken but genuine pride over his creation. There was no way he'd disrespect that, not after hearing everything the kid had gone through. Besides, he'd just watched Alex vomit on his $50,000 sofa. Maybe the kid deserved a break.

"Alright, JARVIS." Tony sighed reluctantly, leaning back with his arms folded. "Give me another scan, just to be sure."

[Already completed, sir. Results unchanged. The device's energy source remains undetectable.]

Tony stared at the glowing green reactor, a strange mixture of amusement, curiosity, and slight admiration stirring within him. Five volts might not power much, but it wasn't the power level that interested him, it was how the kid had pulled it off.

— –Alex Montclair– —

The moment Alex cracked open his eyes, he immediately regretted it. A pounding ache surged through his head, sharp enough to make him groan quietly in discomfort.

"Where…?" He mumbled hoarsely, blinking several times as the room slowly came into focus. As the sleek, modern décor finally registered, he finally remembered.

Right. Stark Tower.

He tried sitting up carefully, only to wince again. How much had he even drunk last night? It couldn't have been that much… but if he was honest, his memory after the second glass was mostly a blur. Apparently, he was just that much of a lightweight.

"Great." Alex muttered bitterly, burying his face in his hands with a sigh. So much for impressing Tony Stark. All that careful preparation, thrown out the window in one drunken disaster. Stark Industries was clearly off the table, time to start brainstorming backup plans.

Dragging himself off the couch and setting aside the surprisingly soft blanket that someone, probably Pepper, bless her, had left draped over him, Alex gingerly stood and stretched, pausing only when another spike of pain shot through his skull.

"Water… helps, right?" He asked himself quietly, staggering towards the sleek open kitchen nearby. After a bit of fumbling through several cabinets, he finally found a glass and filled it from the tap, chugging nearly half of it immediately.

With a defeated sigh, Alex leaned heavily against the marble counter, resting his forehead against the cool surface. He'd fucked up royally. There was no sugarcoating it. Just when he'd convinced himself he was finally getting his shit together, last night had come along to brutally remind him otherwise.

"What the hell do I do now?" Alex whispered to the empty room, absently swirling the water around in his glass.

As if answering his rhetorical question, a sudden chill prickled sharply at the back of his neck, causing him to freeze and filling his gut with dread.

'Oh, not now.'

"Et tu, Mr. Ghost?" Alex muttered miserably, feeling even more defeated than before.

Even here, miles away from his house, he could feel it again, the subtle, menacing sensation of being watched. But unlike the quick chills he'd felt before, this time the cold feeling lingered, heavy and oppressive, as if something were resting a hand firmly on his shoulder. A faint, high-pitched ringing echoed faintly in his ears, growing louder and louder until Alex clenched his teeth, preparing himself for whatever the hell was about to happen.

And then, just as abruptly as it had started, the sensation vanished completely.

Alex couldn't help but sigh, his hands trembling as he felt another wave of confusion and exhaustion. Yeah, this was it, he had reached his limit.

"I can't… I just…" He whispered softly, feeling the fight drain right out of him.

He wanted to give up, to just stop trying so damn hard and let go. But some stubborn part of him refused. There was still a sliver of determination deep down, and he clung desperately to it, even if he couldn't clearly see why anymore.

"What's even the point?" he whispered bleakly.

Survival felt meaningless. He had enough money to hide away, disappear entirely, but then what? Spend the rest of his life waiting anxiously for some inevitable disaster? In truth, he didn't really care about being wealthy or successful. He just wanted to feel safe. Secure. Untouchable.

But safety meant strength, and strength inevitably attracted attention, attention that could lead to more danger. The paradox was exhausting.

Why couldn't life just be simpler?

"Well, look who's finally decided to rejoin the living."

Alex jumped slightly, nearly knocking over his glass. He spun around sharply, immediately regretting the sudden movement as his head pounded again. Tony Stark leaned casually in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrow raised with his trademark amused smirk.

"Sleeping Beauty finally awake, huh? You planning on staying all day?" Tony teased, glancing pointedly at his watch. "Because at this rate, I might have to start charging rent."

"Huh?" Alex asked blinking hard. He'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn't even heard Stark approach. "Oh, I, uh, about last night, I mean… sorry about the, uh…"

Tony waved him off dismissively, rolling his eyes with a casual laugh.

"Relax, kid. Honestly, if anyone here owes an apology, it's me. Pepper already spent the morning tearing me a new one about corrupting innocent youth or something like that."

"Still, I didn't exactly leave the best impression." Alex cracked a faint smile, embarrassment fading slightly.

"You puked on a fifty— well, on one of my more expensive couches. That's not an impression anyone forgets." Tony deadpanned before letting out a chuckle. "But trust me, I've done worse. Consider it a rite of passage."

Alex relaxed a bit more, the tension slowly easing from his shoulders. Stark glanced him over quickly, wrinkling his nose dramatically.

"All jokes aside, kid, you really should hit the shower. I had my assistants bring you some fresh clothes." Tony said with a mock shudder, stepping back. "Come find me once you stop smelling like last night's mistakes. We've still got things to talk about."

With that, Stark strolled off as casually as he'd appeared, leaving Alex standing awkwardly by the counter. Alex took another slow sip of water, feeling a bit less anxious now that Tony had seemingly brushed off last night's disaster.

He took a few more moments to gather himself before heading toward the shower, hoping the hot water might clear his mind. And surprisingly, by the time he returned to the living room, he did feel somewhat refreshed, though the embarrassment lingered stubbornly in the background.

Tony was already waiting, lounging comfortably on a completely different couch from the one Alex had ruined the night before. Apparently, replacing vomit-covered furniture took Stark less than twenty minutes.

But what immediately grabbed Alex's attention was what Tony held in his hands, the briefcase containing his Aether Core.

'Oh shit.'

But wait, wasn't that the whole reason he'd brought it? Maybe this was actually a good thing. He was clearly overthinking again.

"You built this?" Tony asked, raising the device and turning it thoughtfully between his fingers.

"Yeah." Alex admitted, stepping closer to get a better look. "Materials aren't ideal, actually, they're terrible, but it was all I could scrape together on short notice. The output's stable, though weak. Consider it… well, a very early prototype."

Tony nodded slowly, examining the softly glowing core from every angle.

"Five volts of continuous, uninterrupted output." Tony remarked casually. Alex nodded again, slightly impressed that Tony had already tested it. "Alright, I give up, how does it work?"

"It's, uh.." Alex hesitated briefly, then allowed himself a small, confident grin. "…built around a resonance system. Not mechanical vibrations exactly, more like… field harmonics."

"Field harmonics?" Tony asked skeptically.

Alex gave a casual shrug, growing more comfortable now that they were talking science.

"Basically, certain configurations of materials can resonate with localized quantum fields. If you get the alignment exactly right, it allows you to pull out a trickle of energy. It's not really stored or generated, just extracted."

Tony stared at Alex blankly, clearly trying to wrap his head around the explanation.

"So, let me get this straight." Tony began, waving the glowing device around theatrically. "You're telling me this little thing is casually sipping energy straight from the fabric of space itself, like some cosmic juice box?"

"Yeah. Basically." Alex chuckled faintly, relaxing further.

"You realize that's not exactly how quantum field theory is supposed to work, right?" Tony answered as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"You tested it yourself, didn't you?" Alex retorted playfully, gaining more confidence by the second. "I bet you spent a solid fifteen minutes staring at your sensors wondering where the hell the energy was coming from. Admit it, you know it works."

"Alright, smartass." Tony gave a short laugh. "You sure it's not just some clever piezoelectric stress-conversion gimmick?"

"An anxiety battery?" Alex snorted, shaking his head with amusement. "Funny guess, but no. The main idea is zero-point energy extraction. Well... ideally, anyway."

"Ideally?" Tony paused, raising an eyebrow again.

Alex shrugged sheepishly.

"I mean, it's clearly pulling energy from somewhere, right?"

For a few seconds, Tony stared at him in silence. Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing, a genuine, hearty laugh that caught Alex entirely off guard.

"You're definitely a weird one, kid. But you're my kind of weird." Tony finally said, setting the core carefully back into its case. He leaned forward, growing serious again. "I'll cut right to the chase, I want you to work directly under me, as my assistant. Forget college; degrees are mostly for show anyway. If you want I can just buy you one anyway. Trust me, nobody gives a damn how many diplomas you have if you can build stuff like this. The only thing that matters is talent, and you've got plenty of it."

Alex opened his mouth, ready to instantly accept the offer, but the words caught somewhere deep in his throat. This was exactly the kind of opportunity he'd spent months obsessing over, something he'd practically driven himself insane trying to achieve, but something in his gut twisted uncomfortably, holding him back.

"I… wow. Thank you." Alex finally managed, his voice tight with hesitation. "Believe me, working under you, learning from Tony Stark himself, is pretty much exactly what I've been aiming for. It's actually kind of insane you're even offering this to me. But, uh… would it be possible to hold off on that for a few years?"

"A few years?" Tony asked with some surprise.

Alex nodded, running his fingers nervously through his hair.

"I think I still need some time to build my own foundation first. Honestly, Empire State has some of the best professors out there, and there's still so much basic theory I'm missing. I just feel like it's something I need to do for myself before diving into something this big."

"Kid, you built a battery that drinks energy out of literal empty space." Tony gave him an incredulous look, gesturing toward the Aether Core on the table. "You're way past 'basic theory.' What more could you possibly need?"

"I don't really know yet." He admitted honestly. "But that's the point, I'm still figuring it out. I mean, I think I am."

Taking a deep breath, Alex moved to sit on the couch opposite Tony, his shoulders slumping slightly as he searched for the right words.

"This… probably sounds stupid." Alex started cautiously, staring down at his hands as he struggled to explain. "But I think Empire State might give me something that's not just about learning physics or engineering. Using Stark Industries' resources would obviously let me skip ahead way faster, but... right now I need stability. I think I need somewhere safe to plant roots."

Even saying it out loud felt strangely vulnerable, but Alex knew it was true. This morning had reminded him just how fragile his mental state still was, always teetering dangerously close to collapse at the slightest mistake. He knew he owed whatever scraps of stability he had left to Tandy Bowen's patience and friendship, but he needed more than one person holding him together.

Tony watched him silently, expression unreadable, clearly weighing Alex's words carefully. Eventually, he cracked a small, understanding smile, shaking his head in quiet amusement.

"Guess you really are still just a kid after all, huh?" Tony said softly, leaning back into the couch. "You missed out on a lot. I don't exactly blame you for wanting to slow down and enjoy a bit of life for yourself first."

"Huh?" Alex asked, freezing in place. "How did you…?" His memory chose that exact moment to clear up just enough to replay snippets of last night's drunken confessions, and he immediately cringed inwardly. "Right. I probably overshared."

"Yeah, you definitely did." Tony chuckled warmly. "But don't worry, I get it." He leaned forward again, elbows resting on his knees as his gaze sharpened. "Listen, I won't push you into anything. But how about a compromise? Work for Stark Industries part-time."

"Part-time?" Alex blinked in surprise.

"Exactly. You go study, do your college thing, build your 'roots', but you'll also get access to a private lab right here at Stark Industries. I'll even set you up with a few assistants. In exchange, you let me poke around this battery of yours, maybe give me a few pointers about your weird quantum voodoo. Don't worry, anything you discover stays yours. Stark Industries won't claim ownership of your ideas. And down the line, if I ever want to put your tech to use, we'll negotiate a fair contract between us. Deal?"

"Honestly, that sounds a bit too good to be true." Alex answered.

"Good, so you're not totally naïve." Tony laughed. "But I'm serious, Alex. Consider it an investment. You're clearly going places, and I'd prefer you ended up working with Stark Industries rather than our competitors. Plus, I really want to mess around with that battery of yours."

Alex stared at Tony for a long moment, carefully digesting everything he'd just heard. Slowly, a genuine smile broke across his face.

"Okay." Alex finally answered, the weight in his chest easing significantly. "You've got a deal."

— — —

The next week and a half passed by more smoothly than Alex had anticipated.

With his arrangement at Stark Industries now firmly in place, Alex found himself settling into a surprisingly comfortable routine. Most of his days were quietly spent tinkering away in his makeshift home lab, occasionally slipping into Stark Tower for quick meetings or debates with Tony, though he made sure to keep his head down whenever Obadiah appeared. The rest of the time he focused on preparing himself for Empire State University, something that brought him an odd sense of comfort.

Honestly, he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Tony. Stark wasn't exactly the mentor figure he had envisioned, if anything, Tony reminded him more of a laid-back uncle than any kind of formal boss. Their conversations rarely stayed professional for long, often devolving into spirited arguments over obscure scientific theories.

It was oddly nostalgic.

"Two more weeks, huh?" Alex mused quietly, eyes glued to the TV mounted on his lab wall. "Wonder if he'll make his big debut before classes start."

Yesterday, Tony had flown out to his Malibu mansion, presumably already hard at work on the Mark II suit. Judging by the rapidly escalating news reports detailing violent terrorist attacks across Afghanistan, Obadiah must still be supplying weapons behind Tony's back. Which meant Tony's first public heroics, complete with the iconic "I am Iron Man" announcement, couldn't be too far off.

Then, he could probably expect the whole mess with "Iron Man but evil" also known as Iron Monger to happen soon.

"There you are." A man's voice called out to him, interrupting his thoughts and causing him to freeze in place. Though, judging, by the familiar chill up his spine, he had a good guess as to the culprit.

"Mr. Ghost…?" Alex called out softly, cautiously turning his head as he slowly stepped toward the workbench where his Aether Core lay half-assembled. It felt stupid talking to a disembodied voice, but maybe he could buy himself some time.

Normally, he'd just run, pride be damned, but lately, whatever haunted him had grown bolder, chasing him further and further from the safety of his home. Nowhere felt safe anymore. This time, he was going to fight back, or at least try.

"I've been trying to reach you." The voice whispered, closer now, so close he could feel the icy breath brush against his ear. "You're a hard one to pin down. Very special, aren't you?"

Alex moved faster, fingers fumbling with urgency as he struggled to assemble the weapon he'd hastily designed around his core. The room grew colder, air thickening with a suffocating weight, but still, he pushed through the dread.

"Come here." The voice echoed one last time, soft yet commanding.

Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the feeling of being watched vanished.

Alex stood prepared, the gun trembled slightly in his grip, but after a tense moment passed with no further signs, he slowly allowed his guard to lower.

That was a mistake.

An impossibly strong hand suddenly closed around his throat, choking off his startled gasp. His vision twisted violently, reality tearing itself apart as he was flung bodily through space, landing painfully against rough, uneven stone. He coughed violently, head spinning, before forcing himself to raise his gaze to take in his surroundings.

He wasn't in his lab anymore. Instead, dim red light spilled over jagged walls of black stone, cool stale air thick with the metallic scent of earth and decay.

Slowly, Alex forced himself upright, eyes wide with horror as he finally focused on the figure standing before him.

Or rather, the creature.

Crimson skin glowed ominously beneath the red-tinted gloom, twisted horns curling upward from a proud forehead. Piercing golden eyes stared at Alex with cruel amusement, while a long, serpentine tail swished lazily behind.

A demon. There was no other word for it.

Beta Reader: @Basilisk, @Kiyan Tribe

~A/N~

BEFORE YOU CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT CHAP: Please read the Extra Notes, or at least the reader warning I added in them.

--- --- --- --- ---

Gotta remember, Alex has some stuff he has to work through, been referring to it over the past few chaps, but bro is hanging on by the edge at the moment. He won't always make the "best" choice. Even if it would have been better to have started working directly under Stark, he still needs to find a good place to stabilize.

And hey, perhaps this choice is for the best? Who's to say that Empire State won't be the gate that will open far more opportunities and branches to progress than Stark ever could have? Well, that is, if he ever makes it out of the current situation he is on lol.

Rip Alex, he got yoinked by a devil. Anyone has a guess as to who it is who kidnapped him?