The morning after the Hammer Industries trial, Arthur woke with a new sense of purpose. He felt a quiet validation and a chilling awareness of the storm to come. He was currently in his Hell's Kitchen Safe House.
He walked into the training area of his safe house, the air cool and sterile. He touched the shimmering wall, stepping through the translucent barrier and into the vast, white expanse of the pocket dimension. He grabbed a pair of practice knives and a handgun, his movements fluid and practiced. He went through a series of drills—hand-to-hand combat against a holographic opponent, disarming a bladed dummy, and hitting a moving target with precise shots from a distance. He moved with a speed and grace he never knew he had, his body now performing with an athletic prowess that had been impossible a month ago.
After a particularly intense sequence, he stopped to catch his breath. His mind, always racing, felt a quiet satisfaction. It was working. He was getting stronger.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a new notification shimmered in his peripheral vision.
[System Notice: All combat skills have been capped at Intermediate level. Further training in the pocket dimension will not grant additional skill points, but will increase proficiency.]
Arthur's heart hammered in his chest. A cold wave of shock washed over him, wiping the satisfaction from his face.
A cap? Why would there be a cap? His hands, still clenching the handgun, felt suddenly useless. He stared at the words, his mind racing to process the impossible. He had just started to feel capable. He was building his strength to survive in a world with gods and monsters, and the System was telling him to stop.
"System," he whispered, a desperate plea. "Why? Why the cap?"
A new notification, more like a direct response, appeared.
[Answer: Your primary purpose is to navigate and influence key nexus events. Your enhanced Intelligence and Charisma are your most powerful assets. Further expenditure of System resources on physical enhancement is not required for your designated role and would diminish your core purpose. The cap on combat skills is a failsafe to ensure your focus remains on strategic and intellectual solutions, not brute force.]
Arthur stared at the message, his mind reeling. He then opened the main menu, a translucent screen appearing before him.
[Name: Arthur Steele]
[Title: Legal Prodigy]
[Level: 2]
[Stats]
Strength: 15.5
Endurance: 17.8
Agility: 15.2
Intelligence: 30.2
Charisma: 25.8
Luck: 10
[Skills]
Passive Skills
Legal Insight: Allows for an immediate and comprehensive understanding of any legal document, case, or precedent.
Rhetoric: Enhances Arthur's ability to influence and persuade others, allowing him to build rapport more easily and convey his arguments with a natural confidence and gravitas.
Combat Skills (Intermediate)
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Cap Level Reached): A comprehensive understanding of advanced Krav Maga and Wing Chun principles.
Weapons Combat (Cap Level Reached): A comprehensive understanding of advanced bladed and blunt weapon principles.
Evasion (Cap Level Reached): A comprehensive understanding of advanced parkour, acrobatic, and tactical movement principles.
Marksmanship (Cap Level Reached): A comprehensive understanding of advanced firearm principles.
[Log]
Low-Impact Events:
Event: Player Transmigrated.
Event: Restoration Protocol accepted.
Event: Jericho Missile contract amended.
Event: Hammer Industries legal battle won.
Event: Nelson & Murdock Encounter.
Event: Combat skills capped at Intermediate.
High-Impact Events:
None.
[Nexus]
Pepper Potts (Trust: 80%)
Happy Hogan (Trust: 30%)
Matt Murdock (Potential Ally)
Foggy Nelson (Potential Ally)
[Inventory]
Starter pack (0)
Arthur let out a long, slow breath. The System's words echoed in his mind, and he had one more question. "How much can I interfere? What are the consequences of changing an event?"
A complex series of windows appeared on the translucent screen, a direct, detailed response.
System Guidance: Interference and its Consequences
[1. Minor Interference (Low-Impact Events): Your actions can directly influence events that do not have a major, cascading effect on the timeline. Examples: Jericho Missile contract amendment, legal aid for Steve Rogers. These actions are low-risk and may result in minor rewards and stat gains.]
[2. Major Interference (High-Impact Events): Your actions can directly influence or attempt to change a Nexus Event. These events have a significant impact on the timeline and are critical to the overall narrative. Attempting to prevent a Nexus Event (e.g., the Battle of New York, the Winter Soldier reveal) may result in a "Timeline Correction". This can cause unpredictable and dangerous side effects, including the loss of skills, stat degradation, or even death.]
[3. System Rewards: Rewards are granted for successful navigation of key events, not for direct confrontation. They are designed to assist you in the subsequent challenges of the timeline, ensuring your continued survival and influence.]
Arthur stared at the messages, his mind reeling.
"This is real," he whispered to himself, a chilling realization that had taken a month to sink in. He had spent weeks trying to reconcile this second life with the one he remembered—a life where this world was just a story he watched on a screen. The people, the events, the very history of this era he once knew were now his lived experience.
He mused on the people who had become a part of his new reality. He thought of Pepper Potts. She had trusted him, put her faith in him when no one else would have. Their professional relationship was evolving into something genuine, something that felt like friendship. "It's a strange thing," he reflected. "To be friends with a person you once only knew as a character in a movie."
He felt the familiar pang of insecurity. "I'm still just a guy. I can be broken, I can be killed." He shook his head. "I'm not going to be a superhero who fights. I can't punch buildings or fly through the sky."
He couldn't go head-to-head with a super-soldier or a god.
But he could make small changes. He could use his knowledge to nudge the timeline. "I can help Tony's business. Keep it from going under so the company doesn't fall into the wrong hands. I can help him legally with the military contracts and prevent a lot of collateral damage in the future." He could secure their assets, influence public perception, and ensure they were legally protected from the inevitable fallout of their actions.
The moral burden was heavier than any physical weight he'd ever felt. It was a trade-off. His physical limitations were a sign of purpose. He would survive, but only by outthinking his enemies, not outfighting them.
Arthur stepped out of the pocket dimension, his mind racing with a new, singular purpose. He had just planned his first major interference in the timeline, a series of moves that would secure the future of Tony Stark and Stark Industries.
["And the inventory?" he whispered, his eyes lingering on the empty [Inventory] slot. "What is it for? And where does the stuff go?"
A new notification, more like a direct explanation, appeared.
Answer: The Inventory is a dimensional storage. It is not a magical space; it is a subspace locker linked to the Hell's Kitchen Safe House. It can store non-living, non-powered items up to a size of 50cm x 50cm x 50cm. Items can be retrieved and stored at will. This feature is intended for quick access to essential gear during time-sensitive missions and requires physical retrieval from a designated location once inside a safe house. A starter item is available.]
Arthur's eyes widened. He focused on the [Inventory] tab and a small, pristine, encrypted drive appeared in there.
[Item: Encrypted Data Drive]
[Status: Empty. Ready for use.]
He smiled. The plan was in motion.
The next morning, Arthur walked into his New York office and made his way to his desk.
He sat down and, with a soft click, opened the top-left drawer.
[System Notice: 'Project Phoenix' drive secured in New York office. Task Complete.]
Arthur smiled, a sense of relief washing over him as he closed the drawer. He stood up, grabbed his briefcase.
Just then, the quiet of the office was broken by a frustrated sigh from Pepper Potts. She stood over his desk, holding a legal document with a look of utter exasperation.
"I need your help with this," she said, her voice low. "It's a nuisance suit. A woman named Sarah Jenkins is suing Tony for... well, for a one-night stand. She claims he promised her a job, a car, and a house, and now she's demanding a settlement."
Arthur took the document from her. He scanned it, his Legal Insight skill instantly identifying the flaws. It was a flimsy claim with no real legal standing.
"It's a cash grab," Arthur said, his voice calm. "She's banking on Tony's reputation and his unwillingness to go to court over something so trivial. She'll settle for a fraction of what she's asking for just to make it go away."
Pepper ran a hand through her hair. "I know, but Tony wants to fight it. He says she's trying to extort him, and he's not going to pay a dime."
"He's right," Arthur said, a small, professional smile on his face. "But going to court is a mistake. It'll just draw more attention. I'll handle it. I'll make a counter-offer that's low enough to be insulting but high enough to be tempting. I'll make it clear that if she refuses, we'll bury her in legal paperwork and sue her for defamation. She won't take the risk."
Pepper's shoulders relaxed. She looked at him with a mix of relief and respect. "Thank you, Arthur. You have a way of making the ridiculous seem... manageable."
Arthur just smiled. "Just doing my job, Ms. Potts. Just doing my job."
After a long day, Arthur was relaxing at home when his doorbell rang. He opened the door to find Pepper Potts and a very casual, very disheveled Tony Stark standing there.
"Pepper insisted," Tony said with a shrug, a dismissive smirk on his face.
"She said I needed to meet the lawyer with the magic touch."
Arthur just nodded and stepped aside to let them in. He was a corporate lawyer in a modern apartment, not a billionaire in a mansion, but he held his ground.
Just as Tony crossed the threshold, a new, unprecedented notification shimmered in Arthur's peripheral vision. It was more prominent and more detailed than the one he received for Matt Murdock.
[Nexus Event: PRIMARY NEXUS DETECTED]
[Name: Anthony "Tony" Stark]
[Status: Central Timeline Anchor. HIGH POTENTIAL IMPACT. HIGH POTENTIAL THREAT.]
[Description: The individual's life and actions are critical to the stabilization of this timeline. His fate is a central pivot point for all future events. Direct interference with this individual's core path is not advised. Objective: Observe and Influence.]
Arthur's heart hammered in his chest. He quickly dismissed the notification, his face a mask of professional calm.
"So, you're the lawyer with a magic touch?" Tony said, looking around the apartment. "I'm impressed. But I'm not a fan of lawyers. They get in the way of progress."
Tony raised an eyebrow, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. He turned back to Arthur, his voice different now. "You handled the Hammer thing with a counter-suit. Cute. But you know what you did? You stole my line. Do you know I was saving that for the snobbish military generals? I invented that damn drone and came up with that ridiculous S.T.A.R.D. acronym just to do that, and you ruined it."
Arthur gave a small, confident smile. "A good idea is a good idea, Mr. Stark. You can't just leave it lying around. It's my job to find opportunities. And you gave me one." He paused, his Rhetoric skill working on a subconscious level, his confidence unshakeable. "You're trying to prove a point, but you're missing the most obvious move."
Tony stopped, a rare, unblinking intensity in his gaze. "Enlighten me, Sherlock."
Arthur leaned against the doorframe, his posture casual but his mind sharp. "The Sarah Jenkins case. You want to fight it out of principle. You're right to. She's an opportunist. But you're so focused on the fight that you're missing the win. A lawsuit like that is a liability. It makes you look like an uncaring playboy, which gives your enemies, like Hammer, a weak point to exploit. But we can turn it into an asset."
Tony's eyes went wide. "How?"
"It's simple," Arthur said, his voice a low, confident murmur. "We settle, but we leverage the settlement. We use the terms to fund a new legal aid program for women who have been wronged by corporate greed. It would be a public relations win, a strategic move that would paint you as a philanthropist, not a playboy." He added, with a subtle smirk, "It's not just good law. It's better business."
Tony stared at him for a long moment, his genius mind processing the implications. He looked at Pepper, who was beaming with smuggness. Then he looked back at Arthur. "You thought of that?"
"The evidence was in plain sight," Arthur said, his smile still present. "You just needed a lawyer to connect the dots."
Tony let out a slow, deliberate laugh. It was a sound full of respect and a hint of surprise. "Pepper, you were right. This one's a keeper." He held out a hand.
"Tony Stark. And you're now my personal lawyer. Consider yourself promoted."
Arthur shook his hand. The contact was brief but firm. "I'll do my best, Mr. Stark."
"Call me Tony," he said, a new, genuine smile on his face. "We've got work to do."
He walked them to the door, a final, confident smile on his face.
After they were gone, Arthur sat back down,His phone buzzed. It was Pepper.
[From: Pepper Potts]
[Subject: Ready to go?]
[Status: Tony's plane leaves in 3 hours. We need a legal presence on the ground. His exact words were, "You're my Law guy. You're on the next flight out to Afghanistan."]
[Nexus Event: IRON MAN PROTOCOL INITIATED]
[Event: Tony Stark's Transformation]
[Description: The events that will lead to the creation of Iron Man are now in motion. This is a critical Nexus Event that will define the future of this timeline. Direct, major interference is not advised and may result in a "Timeline Correction." Your primary objective is to navigate the fallout and prepare for the next phase.]
[Objective: SURVIVE AND ADAPT]
[Objective: PREPARE FOR FALLOUT]
"What the fuck?" he muttered to himself. "You have got to be shitting me!! Tony you petty son of a bitch!!!!"
___________________________________
A/N. I hope it is clear no that this is not a typical overpowered MC fic.
And also we have Tony being Tony, you can have a crash course with him on how to make life difficult for people.
I swear to god this AI editing is going to drive me crazy , it keeping adding unnecessary content in my chapters.
Ugh.! In the last chapter before the trial , This was what it added
" This is not a case it's a war, I am not a lawyer I am a weapon , my body is a tool, the law is my battle plan, the court is my battle field and I will win this war"
I was like I am not an author , I am an idiot, you are not an AI you are a Nutjob and the readers are a....no the readers are good ,they are all good. "Author awkwardly whistles and runs away"