A week passed.
During that time, Ryden lived very comfortably.
He reported to school every day, attended Teacher Dia's chemistry class, then went straight to Stark Industries to run experiments.
At night, he stayed in Aunt Sarah's room.
Matt, the principal of Second Middle School, was in an excellent mood and gave him the green light.
He knew a little about how Ryden had gotten into MIT. Either way, it wasn't a big deal.
There was no reason to offend a student destined to climb far higher than himself.
He'd rather spend that energy playing around with his secretary.
In between, Ryden had dinner with Steve twice.
Ahem.
No matter how you looked at it, Ryden could be considered Steve's "father," so of course he had to look after him.
As long as there were no major changes, not interfering was the best protection. It would be ridiculous if Steve failed to become the famous super soldier later.
The day after the experiments ended, the Battle of Košice turned the area into ruins under furious Nazi artillery.
Countless civilians and soldiers were killed or injured.
The observation team had evacuated that same day and avoided the bombardment.
A battlefield was never a place to linger.
Rumor had it that the Nazi Führer personally called the frontline commanders and berated them harshly. The war reports were a complete humiliation.
Shamed, the Nazi army unleashed its full combat strength, pushing every tactic to the extreme.
In just two days, they reached Prague, the capital of Czechoslovakia.
If they hadn't feared encountering more AK-47s, they could've taken the city in a single day.
The appearance of this new weapon made every nation smell war in the air.
Even the Nazi army had stumbled because of it.
It could function as a machine gun and a grenade launcher.
A perfect individual weapon.
Essential for raids, arson, and travel.
Even in the distant East, forces locked in a stalemate with the island nation's invaders had heard about it.
It was durable.
A bomb exploding five meters away wouldn't stop it from firing.
Heavy dust didn't cause jams.
Its terrifying reliability made it the best individual weapon of the era.
Almost every major power began searching for the source.
Once they learned it was a Stark Industries product with registered patents, negotiations for arms purchases began immediately.
Beyond the weapon itself, the high-performance helmets and body armor were also excellent products-though they were completely overshadowed by the AK-47's brutal presence.
Howard spent those days attending cocktail parties.
He let everyone's appetite build before starting negotiations.
Due to the manufacturing process, imitation wasn't easy.
Without precise blueprints, replication attempts often ended with the gun exploding.
And with patent law in place, most nations wouldn't risk blatant copying. The international backlash wasn't worth it.
As people gradually learned more about the genius designer behind it all, many eyes turned toward Ryden.
Whether for good or bad intentions, the focus was suddenly on him.
To avoid the spotlight, and with Howard's help, Ryden entered MIT early.
As a private academy backed by Congress, it funneled enormous talent into the Academy of Sciences every year.
Tuition was expensive.
Student numbers were small.
But every student was elite.
At this point in history, MIT didn't run many classes.
Its teaching model was unique and world-class.
One-on-one or one-to-many instruction.
A professor taught a small group while conducting research alongside them.
As for textbooks, the library had everything. Self-study filled the gaps.
Ryden, who should have arrived next month, arrived an entire month early.
With Howard's subtle hints and the military's quiet encouragement, the academy was eager to take him in.
There was even a military district stationed around the school.
Its purpose was simple.
Protect genius.
Prevent enemy nations from assassinating talent before it could mature.
Accompanying Ryden to Boston was Aunt Sarah.
His sister, Sera, remained in New York.
Perhaps because of Ryden, she'd been promoted to police captain and chose to stay, waiting for him to graduate and return.
Teacher Dia stayed at her school as well, continuing to teach while waiting for her lover to finish his studies and marry her.
She had already decided.
In this life, she would only marry him.
The man who had shielded her from a bullet.
Whether company representatives seeking cooperation or foreign spies with darker intentions, once they learned Ryden was at MIT, all they could do was wait.
The school provided housing.
Convenient.
Extremely expensive.
But to Howard-currently drowning in orders and counting money until his hands cramped-it was pocket change.
On campus, Ryden stretched lazily.
After an afternoon of reading, he sat on the second-floor balcony of his villa-style dorm, sipping coffee while flipping through a physics book.
Life was comfortable.
Aunt Sarah was in the living room watching television.
The house was spotless.
Her graceful figure carried the unique charm of a mature woman, and even her smallest movements were pleasing to the eye.
With no outside distractions, Ryden immersed himself completely in study, absorbing information like a sponge.
Pasako Material Theory.
Magnetic Pole Interlacing Mechanics.
Human Anatomy.
Aerodynamics.
Mechanical Principles.
Course after course.
Some familiar.
Some completely new.
As if determined to draw out his potential, the academy assigned him a mentor.
A stiff, serious professor devoted to theoretical research.
She was famous-not for groundbreaking discoveries, but for her vast knowledge.
Ms. Jennifer.
If Ryden didn't know how impressive she was, he only needed to hear the names of her former students.
Eli Hays.
Hank Pym.
Dr. Arnim Zola.
That alone was enough.
The first worked in the Strategic Scientific Reserve-the predecessor of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The second needed no introduction.
Hank Pym.
The original Ant-Man.
Inventor of the Pym Particle, capable of shrinking or enlarging matter, and using specialized suits and equipment to communicate with ants via brain waves.
And the last.
Dr. Zola.
A Nazi.
Chief scientist of Schmidt's Hydra division.
Hydra had many branches, and the one currently active was tied directly to the Third Reich.
All three had studied under Ms. Jennifer.
The weight of that spoke for itself.
At their first meeting, Ryden was momentarily stunned.
Despite being fifty, she carried the ripeness of a peach.
Only faint crow's feet lined her eyes, adding to her mature charm.
Her silver hair was pinned neatly behind her head, giving her the presence of a queen.
If she resembled anyone, it was the original Wasp from Ant-Man 2.
At first glance, she was stunning.
At second glance, captivating.
The meeting itself was cordial.
The result was not.
Ms. Jennifer handed Ryden a list.
"Master all of this within five days," she said calmly.
"Only then will I decide whether you are qualified to be my student."
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