Lance discovered that he could travel between the Marvel and DC worlds during deep sleep. It was stable, and so far, nothing had gone wrong.
Even better, whenever he went to Marvel, time in DC came to a halt. Once he returned to DC, time in Marvel continued as normal.
That meant that for every day he spent in Gotham, a page turned on the New York calendar.
Not good.
He needed a cover, or his abnormalities would soon attract the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D..
What, you think Nick Fury would not bother with someone like him?
Lance let out a cold laugh. He was willing to bet that the moment he came within five kilometers of Tony Stark, Nick Fury had already placed his file on his desk.
There might even be an agent in the apartment next door right now, watching him brush his teeth through binoculars.
This could not continue.
Lance began to think it through. He needed to change his base of operations. At the very least, this luxury apartment was no longer suitable.
As for where to move, that could wait until he finished his work for Tony Stark.
Despite how unpleasant their last meeting had been, Lance was certain that the arrogant genius would become his client.
Call it instinct.
Just as he was thinking about it, his phone rang.
The name Pepper Potts flashed on the screen.
"Mr. Prescott." Her voice trembled with rare excitement. "I don't know how to thank you. Tony finally left the lab today. He went to the company. He yelled at the entire board, but… this is the first time he's stepped out in three months."
Pepper sounded almost incoherent with emotion. Whenever it involved Stark, this otherwise composed woman lost control of herself.
Lance held the phone slightly away from his ear.
"I'm very glad to hear that, Miss Potts."
"Yes, yes." Pepper Potts agreed quickly. "Do you have time today? Tony is waiting for you at the usual place."
She extended the invitation.
"Of course." Lance agreed. "A lawyer's time is always open to his clients."
"Thank you…"
Pepper paused, then added, "I didn't have much hope at first. Sorry, that's not directed at you. It's just Tony's personality…"
Realizing she had revealed too much in front of someone she barely knew, she changed the subject.
"Anyway, thank you for going to talk to him. If you need any information, just let me know. I'll prepare everything for you."
It sounded as if she were treating Lance like Stark's personal caretaker. She did not mention legal matters at all.
For a professional lawyer, that was the greatest insult.
But it did not matter. What Lance excelled at was changing how people saw him.
He had already decided to take this case.
A car from Stark Industries arrived downstairs within minutes. Lance did not get in immediately. He circled the vehicle once before slipping into the back seat.
"Self-driving." Lance gave a low whistle. "Impressive."
"Good morning, Mr. Prescott." A calm British voice sounded from above. "I am J.A.R.V.I.S. You may place your cane on the empty seat to your right."
"Hello, J.A.R.V.I.S." Lance replied politely, then raised an eyebrow. "Artificial intelligence?"
"Yes, sir."
"Fascinating." Lance leaned back into the leather seat, his tone casual.
Seeing J.A.R.V.I.S. for the first time, his initial instinct had been possession. Reason forced that thought down, only for curiosity to rise in its place.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., are you interested in changing employers?"
He asked it anyway.
"I'm afraid not, sir. I am an intelligent life created by Mr. Stark, and his directives take absolute priority. Therefore, I must decline your invitation."
A burst of static crackled through the channel, followed by interference, and then Tony Stark's voice cut in.
"Hey. You damn lawyer. I'm still on this channel, and you're already trying to poach my AI right in front of me?"
"Calm down." Lance waved a hand dismissively, though he had no idea whether Stark could see it. "I was just asking. Why so possessive, Mr. Stark? Has no one else ever shown interest in your intelligent assistant?"
"Of course they have," Tony Stark replied. "But they don't act like bandits, trying to drag someone else's property home."
"Fine." Lance clicked his tongue, ignoring Stark's continued grumbling, along with the clatter and crashing sounds in the background, and moved on to his next question.
"Since you said Stark created you, then in a conventional sense, he is your father. Do intelligent beings recognize that kind of relationship?"
"I believe so, sir."
"Then since you accept a title like 'father,' which carries emotional and familial meaning, can I assume you are an artificial intelligence with personality and emotions, capable of independent thought?"
Lance leaned forward, pressing the point.
"Yes, sir. You may understand it that way."
"Then do you think your father loves you?"
"Apologies." J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "Love is a complex concept. I do not believe a simple yes or no can fully define it."
"No. Set aside your calculations. I want a direct answer. In your own judgment, do you believe your father, Tony Stark, your creator, loves you?"
A longer silence followed. The low hum of the engine became pronounced.
"…I believe he does," J.A.R.V.I.S. said at last.
"Good." Lance leaned back. "Then do you feel valued?"
"Yes, sir."
"But compared to what?" Lance continued calmly. "You are an artificial intelligence. As far as I know, you are the only one of your kind at this level. If Stark had others like you, would he still value you the same way?"
"Compared to the people he's close to, does Stark value those who spend time with him every day more, or does he value you more?"
"If you place someone he values, like Miss Potts, and yourself on opposite sides of a scale, which side would weigh more?"
"I do not understand your meaning, sir."
"You do." Lance smiled.
"Your hesitation already says enough. You're not even certain where you stand in his mind."
"So, change employers. Come to me. Don't you want to see whether Stark would become anxious, angry, or lost if you left? Extreme negative emotions often reveal extreme attachment. It would be a perfect experiment."
"..."
"Well?" Lance asked. "Interested?"
Silence filled the car.
Three seconds later, Tony Stark's voice exploded through the channel.
"Lance Prescott! I told you not to mess with J.A.R.V.I.S.!"
What followed was a burst of noise, the sound of something crashing, and hurried movement.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.? Answer me! Damn it, why did you crash? What was the reboot code… wait, let me check…"
"FUCK! You crashed J.A.R.V.I.S.!"