Chapter 8: The Convergence of Geniuses
The encrypted message on Tony Stark's terminal was a static, glowing truth in a world of lies. He had spent the last two days consumed by it. He had a top-secret firm run a background check on the name he knew as Obadiah Stane, looking for any hint of betrayal. The report came back clean, but Tony knew better than to trust a surface-level scan. His gut, now screaming at him, told him the truth was buried deep. And the man who sent the message, a hero he couldn't explain, was the only one who seemed to know it.
Pepper Potts, bless her heart, had taken the news in stride. She arranged the meeting with a level of discretion that would impress even Nick Fury. The location was a secluded, abandoned penthouse apartment on the top floor of a downtown skyscraper, its raw, unfinished state providing perfect anonymity. No one would see them, and no one would know they were there.
John arrived first, landing silently on the rooftop. The wind was crisp and cold against his armored body. He felt no apprehension. His high LUK and WIS told him this was not a trap. This was a necessary meeting, a turning point. He walked down a single flight of stairs and entered the apartment, the door automatically closing and locking behind him. He took off his helmet, a sigh escaping his lips. The scent of ozone and concrete filled the air.
A few minutes later, a private elevator's mechanical hum broke the silence. The doors opened, and out stepped Tony Stark, a subtle, but very real, pallor to his face. He was flanked by Pepper Potts, her expression a mix of concern and protectiveness. Tony wore a simple black t-shirt and jeans, a stark contrast to his usual suits. He had no bodyguard, just Pepper. This was a meeting of equals, not a corporate summit.
Tony's eyes, filled with a mix of suspicion and intellectual curiosity, immediately went to John's armor. "You're not a robot," he said, his voice flat. It wasn't a question.
"No," John replied, the sound of his voice echoing softly in the empty space. "I'm not." He was still holding his helmet.
"Then you're a genius," Tony continued, walking slowly toward the suit, his hands tucked into his pockets. He circled the armor, his gaze dissecting every curve and component. "Because this isn't a suit; it's a marvel. The energy signature is… it's a ghost. I can't find it. The alloys are completely new. And the way you fly..." He shook his head, a flicker of genuine awe in his eyes. "Tell me everything. Who are you, and how do you know what you know?"
John took a deep breath. The moment had arrived. He had prepared for this, creating a story that was just believable enough to a man like Tony. He couldn't reveal his origins, but he could speak his truth in a way that Tony would understand.
"I'm an anomaly," John began, his gaze steady. "A... metaphysical engineer. My mind isn't just about technology. It's about connections. I see patterns, data, and futures that aren't possible with just math and science." He gestured to the Mark 0. "This suit isn't just technology. It's a fusion of my understanding of technology and my... other gifts." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "My abilities allow me to manipulate energy and matter on a level you'd call impossible."
Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Magic? You're a wizard? In a flying suit of armor?" He let out a short, incredulous laugh.
"Something like that," John said simply. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because I saw a future. A future where your technology, a technology meant to save lives, falls into the wrong hands. Where your own Arc Reactor is stolen, copied, and turned into a weapon."
Tony's face went from disbelief to a stony silence. Pepper took a half-step forward. The air crackled with tension.
"How... how do you know about that?" Tony's voice was suddenly low, dangerous. The Arc Reactor in his chest pulsed with a frantic, rhythmic beat. "I haven't even finished the Mark II suit's blueprints."
"That's because he has your blueprints," John said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "He's been watching you since the moment you came back. He was the one who sabotaged your life-saving device back in the cave. He sold your weapons to the very terrorists who held you captive."
John provided details. He spoke of the Iron Monger suit, of the liquid nitrogen purge, of the betrayal that was already in motion. He was specific, terrifyingly so. He didn't just speak in generalities; he spoke with the precision of someone who had seen every terrifying moment of it. He spoke of Obadiah Stane's motivations, his long-simmering resentment, and his plans to take over Stark Industries for good.
Tony listened, his face a mask of shock and growing fury. He didn't interrupt. He just stared at John, his mind furiously processing every word. The doubt in his eyes began to give way to something else: a cold, hard realization. The facts that John presented, the chilling truth behind the numbers, suddenly clicked into place. All the small, off-hand comments Stane had made, all the business decisions that had seemed just a little off, they suddenly made perfect, terrible sense.
Pepper, seeing the look on Tony's face, stepped forward. "Tony... is this possible?"
Tony didn't answer. He just stared at John, his gaze intense. "This is a lot to take in," he finally said, his voice strained. "But if what you're saying is true... then I don't have time to build the Mark II alone. I need help. I need your help. Not just your knowledge, but... your gifts."
John knew this was the moment. "I'm here to help," he said, and the words were not just a promise but a confirmation of his quest.
Tony extended a hand, and John, after a moment's pause, took it. The handshake was firm, a silent agreement between two minds who now had a common enemy.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., call for a full lockdown of the workshop," Tony said into his watch, his voice now a low command. "And start a full scan of all of Obadiah Stane's accounts and offices. I want to know everything." He turned back to John. "You're a man of foresight. So you know what's coming. We have to prepare."
"I do," John said, "and I have a plan. But we have to work fast."
A shimmering light appeared in John's vision, a soft blue glow that only he could see.
[Quest Completed: A New Alliance]
[Reward: [Master Engineer Skill Book], 1x Attribute Point, 25,000 EXP.]
The message disappeared, but was immediately replaced by a new one, this one glowing with an intense, powerful light.
[Unique Perk: 100x Amplifier applied to Quest Rewards!]
[Reward Gained: [Master Engineer Skill Book], 100x Amplified!]
[Reward Gained: 100x Attribute Points!]
[Reward Gained: 2,500,000 EXP!]
The sheer numbers hit John like a tidal wave. He had expected the reward, but the amplifier was a game-changer. Two and a half million experience points. One hundred attribute points. And an amplified skill book. He tried to process the numbers, but before he could, the System had already begun its work.
[Calculating Level Ups…]
[Current EXP: 96,500 + 2,500,000 = 2,596,500]
The numbers flashed so quickly, they were a blur.
[Level 13 -> Level 14!]
[Level 14 -> Level 15!]
[Level 15 -> Level 16!]
[Level 16 -> Level 17!]
[Level 17 -> Level 18!]
The notifications kept coming, and a wave of pure power, far more intense than any before, surged through his body. He felt his mind expand to an impossible degree. His physical senses, already enhanced, now felt as sharp as a laser. He felt a newfound, terrifying strength and speed that he hadn't known was possible.
[Congratulations, Host! You have leveled up 5 times!]
[Attribute Points Gained: 2 (per level) x 5 (levels) = 10 Attribute Points.]
[100x Multiplier applied!]
[Total Attribute Points Gained: 1000!]
John almost staggered. 1,000 attribute points, on top of the 100 from the quest reward. His mind reeled. The sheer scale of it was beyond comprehension. He quickly commanded the System to distribute the total of 1,100 points equally among his stats.
[Status]
* Name: John Vance
* Level: 18
* EXP: 2,130,500 / 409,600
* HP: 10,000 / 10,000
* MP: 10,000 / 10,000
* STR: 583
* DEX: 583
* VIT: 583
* INT: 583
* WIS: 583
* LUK: 583
[Overall Power Level: High Town Level]
And then, the skill book notification appeared, a silent, glowing tome.
[Skill Book Gained: [Master Engineer Skill Book]! Consuming… ]
[Skill Gained: [Master Engineer]! 100x Amplified!]
[Master Engineer]
Lv. 100 (0/100,000 EXP) (100x Multiplier applied to EXP gains). A pinnacle of engineering prowess, far exceeding even the greatest human minds. Allows for an intuitive and complete understanding of all forms of engineering, from mechanical to aetheric. Grants the ability to design, build, and repair any form of technology with unparalleled speed and efficiency. EXP gained through every act of engineering or design.
John's mind felt like it had just been loaded with the combined knowledge of a hundred lifetimes. He could see every complex machine, every circuit, every piece of tech, not just as an object but as a living, breathing system. He could see how to improve it, how to make it more efficient, how to make it better. He looked at Tony's suit schematics, and already, a thousand modifications, a thousand improvements, sprang to his mind.
Tony, seeing the stunned look on John's face, waved a hand in front of him. "Hey, you good?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
John blinked, and the System's notifications faded. He was back in the apartment, looking at the man he was supposed to help save. He felt an immense, almost overwhelming sense of power.
"I'm more than good," John said, a genuine smile breaking across his face. "In fact, I just figured out a thousand different ways to improve your Arc Reactor. It's an elegant design, but it's still operating on a low-efficiency principle. We can do better."
Tony stared, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. The man who came to warn him was now speaking his language, and with a mastery that Tony himself couldn't match.
"Okay," Tony said, a grin slowly spreading across his own face. "Let's go to the workshop. We have a lot of work to do."