"Well," Tony said, "I've got a question." He glanced at me. "Since you're the senior member here. Aryan, you should probably give us some guidance on what to do now. There are a lot of options here—do you have any suggestions?"
T'Challa nodded in agreement, "Experience has weight," he said calmly. "You were here first."
Wanda didn't speak immediately, but her attention was fixed on me.
I looked at the two men across from me. Wanda remained in the periphery, her presence quiet and watchful. She knew—and I knew—that her time for "upgrades" would come later, once she had a background that could mask her evolution from the prying eyes of Sharon Carter and the agencies she represented.
"Wanda is right to wait," I said, "But for the two of you, the variables are different. You are already in the spotlight. You need to be untouchable."
I swiped the holographic panel into the center of the table. "I've curated a baseline survival suite. It's designed to ensure that no matter the ambush, no matter the betrayal, you walk out of the rubble."
The panel displayed the "Apex Survivor" package:
* High-Speed Regeneration (Gamma Level): 1,000,000,000
* Bullet Time (Beta Level): 100,000,000
* Eye Boy (Delta Level): 10,000,000
* Total: 1,110,000,000
"Let's be clear on what this buys you," I stated, the symbols glowing with a clinical blue.
High-Speed Regeneration (Gamma Level): "This is biological sovereignty. It's not just healing; it's Metabolic Fortification. If you are shot, your body expels the lead and knits the wound in seconds. More importantly, it digests neurotoxins, poisons, and radiation. You could breathe in sarin gas or walk through a core meltdown, and your body would treat it like a mild inconvenience."
Bullet Time (Beta Level): "This is Neural Acceleration. When the threat level spikes, your perception of time dilates. The world slows to a crawl. You can count the rifling grooves on a bullet in mid-air. It allows you to move between enemies as if they were statues."
Eye Boy (Delta Level): "The ultimate diagnostic tool. Full-Spectrum Vision. X-ray, Ultraviolet, Infrared, and Microscopic. You can see through walls, track thermal ghosts through concrete, and identify structural weaknesses in a tank with a glance."
—————
Tony stared at the breakdown, his fingers tapping a rhythmic pattern on the stone table. "A billion for the regeneration alone. That's a steep entry fee, even for me." He looked at T'Challa. "What do you think, Prince? Does the Prince of Wakanda need to heal faster than he already does?"
T'Challa studied the symbols. "In my world, we have the Heart-Shaped Herb. It provides strength, yes. But it does not provide this. It does not allow one to survive the invisible killers—poisons and radiation. And this 'Bullet Time'... it would turn a single warrior into a ghost on the battlefield."
"It's about the lack of footprint," Tony added, "There's no serum. No tech to hack. If I have 'Eye Boy' vision, I don't need to put sensors on the outside of my suit. The suit becomes the shell; I am the sensor."
"Precisely," I intervened. "It's the ultimate 'under-the-skin' upgrade. You'll be the most advanced weapons platform on the planet, and a medical exam wouldn't find a single wire."
Tony looked at the total. "One point, one billion. Fine. I've spent more on failed satellite launches. If I'm going to be a god, I might as well start with the eyes and the healing factor."
T'Challa nodded. "Wakanda's treasury can bear this. To ensure the safety of the throne, it is a necessary tithe."
Once the "baseline" was established, I cleared the panel, but I didn't let the silence last. I wanted them to see the horizon.
"Survival is a prerequisite," I said, "But once you are safe, you must become dominant. For the next stage, I have two specific paths in mind for you."
I looked at Tony. "For you, Stark: Magnetism. Not the crude pulling of metal, but the fundamental control of electromagnetic fields. You would control the very energy that binds atoms together. Your suit wouldn't just be flying; it would be part of the Earth's pulse."
Tony leaned in, his mind already racing through the equations of flux and polarity.
Then I turned to T'Challa. "And for you, Prince: Precognition. The ability to see the shadow of an event before it happens. Not a vague vision, but a tactical certainty. You would know the enemy's move before they even thought of it."
T'Challa's eyes sharpened. "To see the future as it unfolds... that is the ultimate crown."
——————
He leaned forward, "You mentioned Magnetism. My brain is already running through the Maxwell-Faraday equations. If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, we're not just moving paperclips."
I nodded, sliding a new panel toward him. "Exactly. It's about Fundamental Field Manipulation. In your world, you use electricity to create motion. With this, you become the source of the field itself."
Tony's eyes lit up, "If I have direct control over magnetic flux, I'm not just a walking magnet. I'm a walking EMP. I could induce a high-intensity pulse to fry every circuit in a two-mile radius without even drawing from my Arc Reactor. It's about the Lorentz force. I could create a localized magnetic bottle to contain plasma, or use magnetic pressure to reinforce the structural integrity of my suit's alloy beyond its theoretical yield point."
"Go further," I challenged.
"Propulsion," Tony whispered. "Magnetohydrodynamic drives. I could ionize the air around the suit and use magnetic fields to accelerate it. No moving parts. Silent flight. And defense? I could create a diamagnetic shield. If a lead bullet flies at me, I don't just stop it—I repel it before it even touches the 'Bullet Time' threshold."
"And sensors," Tony continued, "Every wire, every heartbeat, every electronic signal creates a field. With this, I wouldn't just 'see' with the Eye Boy upgrade. I would feel the electronic signature of the entire city. No one could hide a secret from me if it had a battery attached to it."
———-
T'Challa had been listening, his expression one of deep contemplation. He turned his gaze from Tony to the panel I had prepared for him.
"And for me," T'Challa said, "Precognition. You spoke of seeing the shadow before the event."
"For a King, the greatest enemy is the unknown," I explained. "This isn't about seeing a movie of the future. It's about Tactical Causality. In the heat of a hunt or a political summit, you will perceive the 'intent' of the universe. You'll feel the air shift before a blade is drawn. You'll know the outcome of a choice before the word leaves your mouth."
T'Challa closed his eyes, visualizing it. "It is the ultimate wisdom. To lead Wakanda shaping it before the crisis arrives. If I know the path of the spear before the hand even moves, then the shield is never truly needed."
"It's the difference between a fighter and a master," I added. "A fighter reacts. A master exists in the moment where the fight has already been won."
———-
Tony Stark stood before the floating panel, his arms folded and eyes sharp. Lines of golden data reflected in his pupils as he reread the final entry.
MAGNETISM (Alpha level, Limited to 10 meter) - PRICE: 20,000,000,000
"You know," Tony said, a quiet laugh escaping his nose as he glanced at me, "I've spent more than this fixing mistakes. Might as well spend it on never making them again."
"It's your capital, Tony," I said with a shrug. "I'm just here for moral support."
————
T'Challa stepped forward next. His path was the shadow of time.
PRECOGNITION (Alpha level)- PRICE: 15,000,000,000
As he touched the panel, I thought of the origin of this gift—a sliver of the power held by the mutant seer Idyll. It wasn't a movie of the future; it was the ability to feel the "intent" of the universe before it acted.
"I accept," T'Challa said.
————
CONFIRMED
"Don't go looking for the spark yet," I said, "The Castle anchors the power to your soul here, but it requires the friction of reality to manifest. You won't feel the stitches knit or the time slow until you are back in the world of matter. The 'Truth' of your new bodies needs a physical canvas to paint on."
Tony let out a long breath, half-disappointed but mostly intrigued. "So, I'm currently a god in a zip-file. I have to hit 'extract' when I land in Malibu. I can live with that."
———
Tony leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, clearly satisfied with himself. "Well," he said, "now that we've all collectively agreed to make terrible life decisions with unlimited consequences… why don't we form a group in real life?"
Wanda blinked. "A group?"
"Yeah," Tony continued easily. "If one of us gets kidnapped, cursed, or accidentally pokes something cosmic, the others show up. Also, if anyone needs emotional support, I can contribute money. I'm bad at hugs."
T'Challa gave him a dry look. "You assume money solves most problems."
"Statistically," Tony replied, "it solves my problems."
I laughed quietly and shook my head. "You're not wrong—but there's a complication. Reality is annoying. If we suddenly act like we know each other in the real world without any record of meeting, it'll raise flags. Background checks. Surveillance. Questions. Especially with you two."
Tony grimaced. "Ugh. Paper trails. My greatest enemy."
"We need a clean excuse," I continued. "I'm about to launch a major project. A new information platform under Umbrella. It will be loud, public, and big enough that a meeting between a billionaire and a Prince wouldn't look strange."
Tony's brows shot up. "Hold on—you're launching an information platform?"
I shrugged. "I'm the CEO and founder of Umbrella."
There was a brief pause. Tony slowly leaned forward, squinting at me. "…Wait. That's where the money's been coming from? I knew you weren't just casually burning cash. For a minute there, I genuinely thought you were robbing someone."
"I wasn't," I said evenly.
T'Challa's eyes sharpened. "Umbrella. So the resources, the access… they were never coincidental. Few men without power move so freely among powerful things."
Tony laughed. "Alright. CEO of a mysterious corporation, building a world-shifting platform, casually buying future visions like they're movie tickets… I take it back. I no longer think you're robbing people. I think people are robbing you—they just don't know it yet."
T'Challa nodded once. "A public launch is wise. It gives structure to coincidence."
Tony looked at Wanda. "And you? You already have a record."
She smiled faintly. "I work at Umbrella. He offered me the job."
Tony's head snapped toward me, his grin widening instantly. "Wow. CEO already, and you've got a brilliant assistant and a rumored girlfriend? You're moving at billionaire speed."
Wanda sputtered, color rising to her cheeks. "I'm not his—!"
"She's my assistant," I said firmly, shooting Tony a warning look. "And she's terrifyingly competent."
Tony nodded solemnly. "Ah yes. The classic cover story. Every 'definitely just an assistant' says that."
T'Challa observed them with visible amusement. "In Wakanda, such denial usually means the truth is… developing."
Wanda stared at him. "You too"
T'Challa's lips curved slightly. "I said nothing of certainty. Only probability."
I sighed. "You're both impossible."
——-
At last, The Fool spoke from the high throne. His voice defined the end.
"This gathering concludes."
Space folded inward, sound dissolved, and the long stone table blurred into the mist. One by one, the seats vanished until only the throne remained, unmoved and eternal.
As the silver fog swallowed Tony and T'Challa, I reminded them one last time: "The power is anchored. It will manifest only when you return to the world of matter. Don't fight the unboxing.
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