The weight of the Vibranium canister was a leaden promise of both fortune and disaster in Lucifer's hand.
The instant he agreed, the man in the charcoal suit stood up, the chair scraping silently against the tiled floor, and then, without another word, he melted into the flow of coffee shop patrons, disappearing as cleanly as if he had been erased.
Lucifer didn't waste a second.
He quickly checked the keycard—it was a pre-loaded transit pass for the New Jersey turnpike and a ferry crossing, meticulously planned. He tucked the advance cash, the keycard, and the unstable isotopes into three separate, reinforced compartments in his messenger bag.
Outside, he kicked the starter on his used scooter.
Note: The key to surviving a Platinum-Tier delivery is not strength, but speed and stealth.
He activated his $150 ride and tore out of the district.
Lucifer pushed his scooter to its absolute limit, weaving through traffic with the practiced ease of a ghost.
Every now and then, he felt the cold tendril of a distant surveillance system trying to lock onto him, but his basic empathy with his constant, erratic movement kept the lock from sticking.
He utilized his newly upgraded defense in ways he hadn't yet tried.
A semi-truck swerved suddenly.
"Shield Up!"
Instead of creating the shield around himself, he focused the Tier 4 Force Field into a small, vertical plane directly beneath his scooter's front tire, creating a brief, rigid 'floor' to push off of, allowing him to launch his small vehicle sideways and avoid a catastrophic collision.
[Tier 4 Force Field Activated (2/10)]
[New Application Detected: Force Field Platform (Evasive Maneuver)]
He reached the transfer point—a discreet, semi-abandoned parking garage on the outskirts of New Jersey—in just under two hours.
He dumped the scooter, its engine smoking in protest, and used the keycard to gain access to a waiting, unmarked car with tinted windows.
The driver, also a professional, simply nodded, took the keycard, and began the final, high-speed run toward Manhattan.
As the scooter blasted through the toll lanes and into the labyrinth of New York City, the atmosphere grew tense.
Lucifer could feel the shifting energy around the Vibranium canister; its instability was causing a subtle, electric tension in the air.
They arrived at the designated rooftop landing pad of a nondescript skyscraper adjacent to Stark Tower.
The driver pointed to a small, private landing-bridge extending between the buildings—a clear, unsanctioned access route.
Lucifer grabbed the package.
"Shield Up!"
He whispered, bathing himself in the security of the Tier 4 steel plating.
He crossed the bridge.
The final door slid open, revealing a vast, futuristic lab setting and two figures: Tony Stark and Nick Fury.
Tony Stark, looking paler than his public persona suggested, was fiddling with a complex holographic display, but his eyes were sharp.
Nick Fury, the infamous Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., stood off to the side, his single visible eye scanning the room with the intensity of a thousand searchlights.
The moment Lucifer stepped into the room, Fury's eye locked onto him.
Lucifer felt a sudden, aggressive Basic Empathy spike.
He wasn't feeling anger—he was feeling Intense Scrutiny and a highly focused Questioning Intent. It was like a mental laser beam.
Lucifer forced himself to remain calm, his expression blank. He was just a delivery guy.
Fury's interest, however, was momentary.
He shot a brief, sharp comment at Stark—something about "accountability" and "international treaties"—and then, with a curt nod that didn't include Lucifer, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was gone, having exited through a different private elevator.
"Well, look at that,"
Tony Stark drawled, pushing off his workbench.
He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, not the usual billion-dollar suit.
"A delivery boy who apparently bypassed the full S.H.I.E.L.D. dragnet. Good job, kid."
Lucifer maintained a professional distance.
"Package for Tony Stark. Confirmed delivery."
He placed the humming canister on the nearest metallic surface, taking care to use his Basic Empathy to read Stark.
The man was dying, yes, but he was also radiating a mix of Stubborn Confidence and Wary Amusement.
"Don't be in such a hurry,"
Tony said, waving a hand dismissively at Lucifer's obvious nervousness.
"You just hand-delivered a multi-hundred-million-dollar war crime. The least you can do is stick around for the congratulatory gin and tonic."
He walked over and clapped Lucifer on the shoulder with surprising strength.
"Besides, I need to know who the hell managed to smuggle this out from under the noses of my 'friends' in the government. You're incredible, kid."
Ignoring the protest in Lucifer's eyes, Stark began to lead him away from the lab and toward a sleek, opulent lounge area.
The lounge was a dizzying display of wealth, overlooking the entire concrete expanse of Manhattan.
Tony poured two glasses of an expensive-looking liquid.
"Here's the deal, Lucifer Morningstar,"
Tony began, handing him a glass.
"You successfully had a nightmare level delivery job. That kind of talent is wasted on ice runs in Gotham. I need a logistics expert who is off the grid, untouchable, and willing to work for obscene amounts of cash."
Tony leaned back on a chrome-and-leather sofa, observing Lucifer's tired face.
"I can give you all the high paying deliveries. I'm building something new, something that requires resources from places the government doesn't want me looking. You delivered the material."
Lucifer took a slow sip of the drink—it was smoother than anything he had ever tasted.
He felt a tremor of excitement beneath the layer of fatigue. This was the massive payout he had been waiting for.
[Side-Quest Alert: Stark's Offer]
[Objective: Accept Tony Stark's offer to become his Special Logistics Consultant]
[Reward: $100,000 upfront, guaranteed access to High-Risk/Platinum-Tier deliveries, a secure base of operations in Manhattan.]
Lucifer took a deep breath, the exhaustion still heavy but the potential reward blinding.
His goal of $1,000,000 was suddenly tangible.
"What's the catch, Mr.Stark?"
Lucifer asked, his voice now steady.
Tony grinned, a genuine, albeit tired, smile.
"The catch is, you might run into the occasional dangerous situations. But hey, you got through Fury, didn't you?"
Lucifer looked out over the glittering city, his own reflection visible in the glass.
The delivery boy from Gotham, standing in Stark Tower, considering a job with Iron Man.
"Fine,"
Lucifer said, placing the glass down.
"I'll take the job. But if I run into something too much, I'm calling in all my hazard pay."
Tony laughed, a sound that quickly devolved into a small, painful cough.
"Deal. Welcome aboard, delivery boy. Let's get you paid."
Tony opened a private connection on his holographic display.
[Funds Transfer Complete: $25,000]
[Bonus: Stark Logistics Contract: $100,000]
[Current Funds: $232,855 Credits]
The system notification was a relief that felt physical.
He was no longer scraping by; he was moving up.
"I need a day to sort out my... old safe house,"
Lucifer stated, already planning the silent, rapid exit from Gotham.
"Sure, take the jet,"
Tony offered dismissively, already back to staring intently at the Vibranium canister.
"Just make sure you're back tomorrow. Our first delivery is going to be a real head-scratcher."
Lucifer didn't take the jet. He took the fastest route back, a mixture of trains and buses, arriving in Gotham just as dawn broke.
He retrieved his scooter, paid off the necessary landlord damages (bribing him to not call the police), and quickly packed his meager belongings.
He looked at his stats once more before leaving the grime of Gotham behind for good.
[Current Funds: $232,855 Credits]
[Tier 4 Force Field Activated (10/10)]
[Basic Empathy LVL 1 (Passive) - Now able to accurately distinguish between mild/severe emotional intent.]
He was ready. He had his steel-plated shield, a quarter of his goal, and a job with Tony Stark.