In the taxi..
The taxi smelled like old leather and pine-scented air freshener, but Lex didn't care. He leaned his head back as the city rolled past the window, skyscrapers rising like jagged steel ribs against the afternoon sun. The system screen had disappeared the moment he left the hospital, leaving him alone with nothing but a racing heartbeat and a headache that felt too big for his sixteen-year-old body.
The driver glanced at him through the rear-view mirror.
"Kid, you alright? You look like you just escaped the ER."
Lex managed a faint smile. "Something like that."
He didn't elaborate. What could he even say? Hi, I died in another world and now I'm trying not to get erased by cosmic threats.
Yeah. No.
The taxi pulled into a long, tree-lined driveway, and the driver's eyebrows shot up.
"Damn… you live here?"
Lex followed the man's gaze. A sprawling modern mansion sat at the end of the driveway—sleek glass walls, metallic lines, curated gardens, fountains that looked like they belonged in a billionaire's portfolio pictures. The place looked expensive even from the outside, but it felt oddly foreign to him.
"Yeah," Lex said, stepping out. "Home."
At least according to this body's memories.
The moment he entered, the scent of fresh herbs and butter drifted from the chef's kitchen. A Michelin three-star culinary team worked here, handpicked by his father before he passed away. The head chef, a tall French man with a stern jawline, bowed slightly.
"Young Master Lex, your meal is ready. I prepared your usual—pan-seared salmon with lemon beurre blanc, truffle risotto, and a seasonal salad."
"Thank you," Lex said, though his voice carried more exhaustion than elegance.
He sat at the long marble dining table, looking almost comically small in the giant room. The food tasted divine—smooth, buttery, perfect—but Lex chewed mechanically, lost in thought. In this world, Tony Stark was alive but not for long. In this world, disasters were waiting like dominoes ready to fall.
He needed power.
He needed influence.
He needed preparation.
A television mounted across the room flickered to life automatically—part of the house's smart system. The news anchor was smiling brightly, unaware of how much her words mattered to Lex's future.
"Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, is traveling to Afghanistan today for a military demonstration of the Jericho missile."
Lex froze mid-bite.
There it was.
The beginning of the Iron Man storyline.
The moment everything would change for Tony… and the world.
He swallowed hard. An idea sparked in his mind—sharp, sudden, and incredibly dangerous. Lex Material Corporation, the company his father had built from the ground up, was dying. Bleeding money. Barely breathing.
Meanwhile, Stark Industries was about to plummet in stock value the moment Tony went missing.
He could replace his worthless company overnight.
He could turn disaster into a lifeline.
He could gain a foothold in one of the strongest tech empires in America.
Lex wiped his mouth and stood.
He grabbed his phone and dialed his manager.
The man picked up instantly. "Young Master Lex—did something happen?"
"Yes. Find buyers for Lex Materials. All of it."
"All…? Sir, you own fifty-one percent of that company. Selling your majority shares—"
"Sell my fifty-one percent," Lex repeated, calm and unwavering. "Starting price is fifty billion."
The manager choked. "F–Fifty billion!? Sir, the company is in debt. No one will pay one-tenth of that!"
"I don't care," Lex said. "Find buyers. Pull every string you have. Make calls. Work your magic. I want the sale done immediately."
There was a long silence on the other end before the manager whispered, "I… will do my best, sir."
Lex hung up and exhaled slowly. His hands trembled slightly. Selling his father's company felt wrong, heavy, like turning his back on a legacy he barely understood. But sentiment wouldn't save him from Thanos or celestial beings.
Power would.
Money would.
Influence would.
He needed all three.
Footsteps clicked softly against the polished floor, and Lex turned to see Lucy approaching.
Lucy… his girlfriend in this world.
She was twenty, beautiful in a way that felt unreal—soft fair skin, long dark hair tied in a loose ponytail, an elegant figure shaped by morning yoga and discipline, eyes bright and intelligent. She wore a crisp white blouse tucked into a pencil skirt, looking like she stepped straight out of a luxury fashion catalog.
But she wasn't just a pretty face.
She was in her third year of business school, specializing in international finance, and she served as Lex's personal secretary in the company. A dual role she handled with charm and competence.
She paused at the doorway, concern flickering through her eyes.
"Lex… you look pale. Did something happen?"
Lex forced a smile. "Just a long day. But I need your help."
She walked closer, her voice soft. "Anything."
He held out his phone. "I'm selling my company shares."
Lucy blinked. "…Your father's company?"
"Yes."
Her lips parted slightly in surprise, but she didn't argue. That was one thing Lex admired about her—even when shocked, she thought first, questioned later.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Buy Stark Industries stock," Lex said. "Slowly. Quietly. Anonymously. Through multiple brokers. Don't let anyone trace it back to me."
She stared for a moment, studying his expression.
"Is something going to happen to Stark Industries?"
Lex hesitated, then nodded slightly. "Something big. The stock will drop. When it does… we buy more."
Lucy's heartbeat quickened—Lex could see it in the way her fingers tightened. But she nodded with unwavering trust.
"I'll handle it," she said. "Leave the acquisition to me."
He stepped closer, brushing his hand against her cheek in a gesture that felt strange—this body was used to the intimacy, but his soul wasn't. Still, Lucy leaned into his palm, soft and warm.
"Thank you," he whispered.
She smiled faintly. "That's my job… and being your girlfriend doesn't hurt either."
She kissed his cheek and left to make arrangements.
Lex watched her go, feeling a strange mixture of guilt and gratitude swirling in his chest. In a world of monsters and heroes, Lucy felt like the last piece of normal humanity he had.
But he couldn't remain normal.
Not anymore.
Months would pass before Tony Stark escaped from that cave.
One and a half months before the kidnapping.
One and a half months before Lex needed to be in place—ready, prepared, waiting at the exact critical point where Tony's fate balanced on a knife's edge.
He had money now.
Soon, he'd have influence.
And one day, he would have strength.
Real strength.
Lantern strength.
Lex walked out onto the balcony overlooking the city. The wind brushed against his face, cool and refreshing. Cars glided across the streets below, unaware of the storm brewing silently within one teenage boy.
He whispered into the wind, voice steady.
"One and a half months… Tony. I'll be there."
Whether fate wanted it or not.