Ethan followed Peter and Ned through the crowded hallway, the chatter of students echoing off the lockers, every voice tinged with curiosity. The rumor mill hadn't slowed down since the "Flash Incident." In fact, it had grown louder.
"Is that the new kid?"
"Yeah, heard he humiliated Flash."
"Without even hitting him!"
"No way. He probably bribed someone."
Ethan ignored all of it. His attention stayed on the system notification faintly glowing through his pocket, the words still fresh in his mind.
[Skill Acquired: A.I. Making]
He still felt the spark of potential buzzing in the back of his mind.
Peter, walking beside him, glanced up awkwardly."So… uh… you ready for Robotics Club? It's not super huge but it's really fun. And we could really use someone who knows how to not set things on fire."
Ned grinned. "That only happened twice."
Ethan held back a laugh. "Yeah, I'm ready."
They pushed open the door to the club room.
The room looked like a mechanical jungle—robot arms, metal frames, loose cables sprawled over tables, 3D printers buzzing softly, and posters of previous competitions taped unevenly across the walls.
A girl with a ponytail and oversized safety goggles turned toward them. "You guys are late. Again. And who's the new guy?"
Peter pointed to Ethan. "He's… um… really good. At engineering. Like—scary good."
Ned nodded. "He's built stuff before. He probably knows more than all of us. Combined. And multiplied."
Ethan coughed. "I don't know about that."
The club president gestured toward a disassembled robot arm. "Fine. If he's joining us, let's see what he can do."
Peter and Ned grabbed goggles and tools, and Ethan stepped up beside them.
The robot arm was meant for precision sorting in the club's next competition, but the joints were stiff, the wiring messy, and the control board flickered like it was possessed.
Ethan's eyes scanned everything, the A.I. Making skill silently optimizing his thoughts.
"The motor torque distribution is uneven," he said softly. "Servo three is strained, and your sensor alignment is off by six degrees."
The president's eyes widened. "You figured that out in ten seconds?"
Peter whispered to Ned, "We should protect him. Like a national treasure."
Ned nodded solemnly.
For the next hour, the trio worked side-by-side.
Peter soldered wires with surprisingly steady hands.Ned screwed panels into place (dropping screws every now and then).Ethan made precise adjustments, tightening joints, optimizing cable routes, refining movement scripts on the laptop controlling the arm.
"Try it now," Ethan said, stepping back.
Peter hit the test button. The robot arm moved with a smoothness that hadn't been there before—swift but controlled, picking up a small cube and placing it perfectly in a container.
"Oh my god, it works!" Ned practically shouted. "It actually works!"
The president stared at Ethan. "You're officially part of the club. No take-backs."
Ethan smiled modestly. "Happy to help."
While the group continued fine-tuning smaller components, chatter filled the room.
A boy across the table said, "Did you guys watch Stark's press conference yesterday?"
A girl nodded. "Yeah. I thought it was a stunt at first. But he literally said it. 'I am Iron Man.' Just like that."
Ned put down a screwdriver dramatically. "He is living every nerd's dream."
Peter frowned, thinking deeply. "I don't know… It's dangerous. If people know he's Iron Man, then bad guys will come after him."
Ned blinked. "Dude… he is Iron Man. The bad guys are already after him."
Ethan quietly adjusted a sensor, listening.
Tony Stark revealing his identity wasn't a small event. It was a trigger.A domino piece in a long chain.The moment the world changed.
Four years and five months from now…
The sky over Manhattan will tear open.
The Chitauri will descend.
The world will never be the same.
His fingers paused on the screwdriver.
He had time—but not much.
He had knowledge—but it needed to become power.
He had skills—but they needed to evolve fast.
"Ethan?" Peter's voice cut through his thoughts. "You spaced out."
Ethan forced a slight smile. "Sorry. Just thinking about the press conference."
Ned leaned closer. "What do you think? Cool? Crazy? Awesome?"
"All of the above," Ethan replied. "And it's just the beginning."
Later, the club took a short break. The three boys sat at a table, sharing chips and talking.
Ned said, "So Ethan, if you could build anything—like anything—what would it be?"
Ethan looked at the mini-robot on the table, spinning one of its wheels with his finger.
"Something that helps people," he said carefully. "Something that protects them."
Peter smiled softly. "That's… a really good answer."
Ned nodded. "Better than my idea. I just want to build a robot that brings me snacks."
Peter groaned. "Ned…"
"What? A man deserves comfort!"
Ethan snorted, and the three laughed.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Three boys.
Robotics club.
School.
Laughter.
But only Ethan knew that the world outside this room was on a countdown.
One even the Avengers weren't prepared for yet.
A countdown he now planned to change.
The sky had shifted to a warm orange by the time Ethan walked out of Midtown High. Students scattered in every direction—some to buses, some to bikes, some toward the subway.
Ethan adjusted his backpack and began walking home, his mind buzzing with thoughts.
Three skills.Three strange, impossible, reality-bending skills.
Detect.
Alternative.
A.I. Making.
None of them were flashy.None of them gave him super strength or laser beams or web-slinging.
But they were his.And more importantly—they were useful.
He could change his life with these. Slowly, steadily… but surely.
His phone buzzed lightly, the system interface glowing faintly.
[Skills Active: Detect / Alternative (Passive Range: 8m) / A.I. Making]
[Energy Consumption: Minimal]
Ethan smirked.
Even if the universe threw monsters, aliens, and gods at him…He would adapt.
He passed by the usual shops—an old laundromat, a bakery that smelled like heaven, and a pawn shop that always had strange things in its windows.
He took the long route today.
Thinking.
Planning.
He needed money.
That much was clear.
He couldn't just rely on the part of his brain that came from the Thinkerer. He needed tools. Resources. Workspace. Components. And something resembling a future.
As he turned a corner, he slowed down.
A sign hung in a dusty window:
"HELP WANTED — REPAIR SHOP ASSISTANT. APPLY INSIDE."
Ethan blinked.
A small electronics repair shop sat wedged between a deli and a game store. Its signboard read "Rick's Repairs & Resale."
The window displayed a mix of old gadgets—phones, radios, camcorders, even a couple of drones missing their propellers. Tools hung on a pegboard behind the counter.
Ethan felt something tug at him.
A place like this…This was exactly where he needed to be.
He pushed the door open.
A small bell jingled overhead.
Inside, the place smelled of dust, solder, and old plastic. A middle-aged man with messy hair and thick glasses looked up from behind the counter.
"Yeah? What d'you need, kid?" he asked, wiping his hands with a rag.
Ethan pointed at the sign. "I saw the posting. You're hiring?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "You? You look like you still get bullied for lunch money."
Ethan snorted. "I don't."
"Hmph." The man tossed the rag aside. "Name's Rick. Been running this shop for twenty years. Phones, tablets, remotes, consoles—if it's electronic, we fix it. Or sell it second-hand."
He jerked his chin toward a stack of broken game controllers.
"You know how to repair stuff?"
Ethan hesitated for only a moment.Then:
"Yes," he said calmly. "I do."
Rick squinted at him, evaluating. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Too young for a full shift. But… I just need someone to help me keep the pace. People break everything these days—phones, microwaves, speakers, even their alarm clocks."
He sighed dramatically.
"So tell me. Can you fix that?"
He pointed toward an old wireless speaker sitting on the counter, panels removed, wires hanging loose.
Ethan walked over without hesitation.
He activated Detect.
The world sharpened.
Faulty capacitor.
Loose wire in the audio output module.
Battery stability at 42%.
Antenna slightly bent.
Then Alternative activated on its own.
[Alternative Suggestion: Replace only capacitor & rewire output. Functional restore = 97%.][Cost: $3. Time Required: 4 minutes 22 seconds.]
Ethan cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah," he said simply. "I can fix it."
He grabbed a screwdriver, unscrewed the housing, replaced the capacitor, straightened the antenna with delicate precision, rerouted the audio wire, and sealed the casing.
Rick stared, jaw slowly dropping as Ethan worked smoothly and confidently.
After four minutes, Ethan pressed the power button.
The speaker lit up.
A soft hum came from the internal driver.
Rick blinked."...Huh. Well damn."
Ethan handed it back. "It just needed a bit of alignment."
Rick rubbed his face. "Kid, do you want this job or what?"
Ethan nodded. "I do."
Rick huffed. "Fine. Part-time hours. After school and sometimes weekends. I'll start you at minimum wage—unless you keep fixing things that fast, then maybe I'll bump it up."
Ethan smiled, relieved. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," Rick grumbled. "You'll be swimming in broken electronics by Friday."
Ethan stepped out of the shop just as the sun dipped closer to the horizon.
A job.
A place to access tools.
A steady income.
It wasn't much.
But it was a start.
For someone planning to survive the Marvel universe, it was everything.
He looked up at the sky, hands in his pockets.
"Four years and five months…" he whispered softly."I'll be ready."