The problems Tony faced weren't massive — but to him, they were walls he couldn't break through. After all, there's a limit to what even a genius human can handle. No one, no matter how brilliant, could simultaneously pilot a full suit of armor, monitor every subsystem, track energy consumption, and switch weapons on the fly while dodging enemy fire.
Lucas chuckled. "Ha! That's it? I thought it was something serious. That's an easy fix."
Tony blinked. He hadn't expected Lucas to take it seriously — he was just hoping for some weird "magical" perspective that might inspire him. But hearing the kid say he had a solution threw him off.
"You've got an idea?" Tony asked skeptically.
"Of course," Lucas said, smirking. "Beg me, and I'll tell you."
Tony rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out. "Forget it. I don't want to know anymore. Goodbye!"
He turned to leave, clearly fed up.
"Hey, hey, don't go yet!" Lucas called after him. "I haven't even said what it is. You sure you don't want to hear it?"
Tony hesitated mid-step. As much as he hated to admit it, he did want to know what kind of answer this little punk had come up with — especially one that he himself hadn't thought of.
"Fine," Tony said, turning back with a smirk. "How about you beg me to listen?"
"…," Lucas's face twisted like he'd just bitten into a lemon. Great. Instant karma.
"Alright, enough nonsense," Lucas said finally, waving a hand. "It's simple — just install your AI into the armor. Let it help you manage all the subsystems."
Tony froze. "Wait… you know about JARVIS?"
He stepped closer, brow furrowed. Hardly anyone knew about JARVIS — not the board, not the engineers, not even most of his inner circle. How did this kid know?
Lucas just shrugged. "Of course I do. I know a lot of things. Don't ask — it's the mystery of magic."
He couldn't exactly tell Tony he knew because he'd seen it in a movie in his past life. So whenever he ran into something like this, he just blamed "magic." Problem solved.
Tony eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds, then went quiet — deep in thought. The suggestion clearly struck a chord.
Without another word, he stood up and walked straight out the door. Pepper, who had been chatting with Skye, immediately followed after him with a quick goodbye. Tony didn't even take the crates of juice he'd promised to buy — his mind was already racing with new ideas.
Typical mad scientist behavior.
Once they left, Lucas pulled out his phone and dialed Natasha.
"Hey, Natasha~ remember my payment? Shouldn't it be here by now? Don't tell me Fury's planning to stiff me — unless he wants me showing up at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ in person."
There was silence for a moment before another voice came through the line — low, calm, and unmistakable.
"Mr. Norman," said Nick Fury himself. "I keep my word. You'll have your payment first thing tomorrow morning. In return, I expect you to keep your promise as well."
"Of course," Lucas said smoothly. "Natasha can supervise the whole process."
He hung up and turned to Skye with a grin. "Get ready. Tomorrow, we're awakening your powers."
Skye froze. "W–What?"
Her hands clenched unconsciously. She didn't even realize her heartbeat had picked up. Humans always feared the unknown — especially when it was about to happen to them.
"Don't be nervous," Lucas said gently. "I guarantee it'll work. One hundred percent success rate. And it won't even hurt."
Well… he thought it wouldn't hurt. He couldn't be sure. In the show he remembered, Skye had passed out cold during the process. Whether that was from pain or shock — who knew?
"I… I understand," Skye said softly, though her voice trembled. Her body followed suit, betraying her anxiety.
"Go get some rest," Lucas told her. "I'll keep an eye on the shop tonight. Just relax — nothing's going to go wrong."
Skye nodded and retreated to her apartment upstairs. Alone was better than being watched — at least then, she could breathe.
When night fell, Lucas noticed she hadn't come down for dinner. Her door was still shut. With a sigh, he grabbed a tray and knocked gently.
The door opened a crack, revealing a sleepy-eyed Skye. She'd clearly just woken up.
"Dinner first," Lucas said, stepping inside and setting the food on her desk.
Skye barely picked at it, eating only a few bites before pushing it away.
"Feeling better after a nap?" he asked.
She nodded slightly. Sleep really was the best cure for anxiety, and it had calmed her a little.
"Lucas… what kind of power do you think I'll get?" she asked quietly. The fact that she used his name instead of "boss" showed how uneasy she really was.
"Don't worry," Lucas said with a confident smile. "You'll awaken something incredible — maybe even stronger than mine."
He wasn't exaggerating. Vibration powers — the quake of the earth itself. That was Skye's destiny.
Skye smiled faintly. Somehow, when he said it, she believed him. No questions, no doubts. Just trust.
After a few more reassuring words, Lucas left her to rest. Tomorrow would change her life forever.
Back in his own room, Lucas lay on his bed, recalling how it all played out in the show. Skye's awakening had been an accident — no one had known the obelisk's true power. She'd simply touched it, passed out, and emerged reborn.
He'd have to be careful. The obelisk's reaction could be violent. They'd need a secluded spot, and he'd have to stand well back just in case. No telling whether he counted as a "normal human" in the obelisk's eyes — and he didn't plan on finding out the hard way.
The next morning, Lucas and Skye waited at the office. Right before noon, Natasha arrived, dressed sharply as ever, a black case in hand. Beside her was Agent Coulson.
That caught Lucas by surprise. "Huh. Coulson too? Shouldn't you be babysitting Tony right now?"
Apparently, today was going to be very interesting.
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