Chapter Twenty-One: Daily Life with Tony

Arthur returned to his villa and arranged two more gatherings at the restaurant for the six of them. This time, with nothing urgent on his agenda, he planned to take a few days off and rest. He had just stretched out on the sofa, preparing for a nap, when his phone rang.

“Hello? Tony, what’s up?” he answered.

“How could you just up and quit like that?” Tony complained. “I just finished dealing with company business and heard you’d already left. Are you dissatisfied with me or something?”

“The mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. is done, you’re out of danger, so there’s no need for me to protect you anymore. Besides, can’t you let me have some time for myself now?” Arthur replied.

“I put two percent of the company’s shares in your name as compensation for your service all this time. Didn’t you always regret not buying Stark stock? Stark Industries’ shares have been soaring lately—don’t you want to celebrate with me?” Tony said.

“So generous? You’re a real boss! We should definitely celebrate. You haven’t been to my place yet, have you? Come over, I’ll cook for you. The address is…” Arthur’s excitement was palpable—he’d struck it rich!

An hour later, Tony arrived and Arthur welcomed him inside.

“Nice place you’ve got here, though it’s a bit small,” Tony commented.

“Well, I’m no big shot like you. I was just a bodyguard—being able to afford a house like this is already a big deal for me,” Arthur joked.

“Oh, cut it out. With your abilities, you’re not hurting for money. Do you really think I’d believe that?” Tony said, eyeing him skeptically.

“Why do you think being powerful means you don’t lack money? Ever heard of Peter Parker or Stephen Strange?” Arthur replied.

“Who are Peter Parker and Strange?” Tony was baffled.

“One’s a college student, the other a surgeon,” Arthur said.

“Alright, enough nonsense. Tell me honestly—what’s your deal? How can you be as strong as Superman?” Tony pressed.

“I won’t hide it from you. I’m half-Atlantean. I can live in the sea, and my body is just a bit stronger than normal,” Arthur confessed.

“Atlantis? Isn’t that just a myth? ‘Just a bit stronger’? Are you kidding me?” Tony asked.

“Atlantis is real, deep in the Atlantic Ocean. I’ve been there. As for my strength, it’s really nothing special on Earth. In fact, I know of at least two who are stronger—I've seen one in person, though I haven’t fought him.” Arthur was referring to the Hulk.

“Stronger than you? That’s monstrous.”

“It really is.”

“So, tell me, what’s Atlantis like? Can you describe it for me?” Tony asked, curiosity piqued.

“Come on, I’ll take you to see for yourself.”

“Really? You can take me? Should I go get my suit?”

“No need, I’ll drive…” Arthur replied.

…

Tony stared at the ‘Atlantis Restaurant’ before him and said to Arthur, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Alright, have a seat. Didn’t you say you wanted to celebrate? This is my turf—today, I’ll show you what real cuisine tastes like.” Arthur patted his chest confidently.

An hour later, the table was laden with specialty seafood and Chinese dishes, earning Tony’s unending praise.

“This is a fantastic restaurant you’ve got. I’ll be coming here often.” Tony even signed autographs for three of the restaurant’s fangirls—he was quite the celebrity now.

“You’re always welcome. Treat this place as your own home—meals are on the house for you, forever!”

“You’re a real friend. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Atlantis is deep beneath the Bermuda Triangle…” Arthur recounted his experiences in Atlantis to Tony.

“That’s incredible—people living under the sea! And you can control sea creatures?” Tony exclaimed.

“Not just sea creatures, theoretically I can control all living things, just with varying degrees of influence.” With a wave of his hand, two seagulls landed on the table and began performing a waltz.

“Amazing. With power like yours, why work as an agent for the Department of Defense?” Tony asked.

“Well… didn’t I explain before? S.H.I.E.L.D. hired me to protect you. The Department of Defense was just a cover,” Arthur admitted a bit sheepishly.

“Why would S.H.I.E.L.D. send you to protect me?” Tony was puzzled.

“Actually, your father was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. Stark Industries is closely connected with S.H.I.E.L.D., so they pay special attention to you,” Arthur explained.

“My father was a founder of S.H.I.E.L.D.? How come I never knew?” Tony tried to recall memories of his father—apart from inventing, he did have quite a few government ties.

“Well, in that case, how about I keep hiring you to work for me?” Tony offered.

“No way! You’re not in danger anymore—what would I do? I plan to go back to school, to experience campus life again,” Arthur said.

“School? Aren’t you already an adult?” Tony asked, surprised.

Arthur hesitated, then admitted, “Actually, I just turned seventeen. I lied about my age on the application.”

Tony stared at Arthur, dumbfounded. “You’re underaged? And already this strong at seventeen?”

Arthur had never attended school as a child—if not for his previous life’s knowledge of English, he wouldn’t even be able to read the newspaper.

So, after some thought, Arthur decided he ought to go to school. With nothing pressing at the moment, it was a good opportunity to experience high school life. He planned to enroll at Midtown High in New York—the very school Peter Parker attended. If he was going to study, he might as well be in the same class as Peter Parker.

“Well, if you’re going back to school, I won’t keep you tied to my side. I’ll let Happy handle security,” Tony said, a little helplessly.

“You want me as your muscle? No chance! By the way, if Stark Industries stops making weapons, what’s your next move?” Arthur asked.

“I’m going into new energy,” Tony said, tapping the arc reactor in his chest.

Arthur eyed the reactor, tempted to warn Tony that it would soon give him quite a headache—but he decided to let Tony figure it out on his own.

“If you’re developing new energy, I have an idea,” Arthur said.

“Let’s hear it!”

“We could make new energy vehicles. If you simplify the energy core, it could power a car for twenty years. We’ll call them Stark New Energy Vehicles!”

“Hmm, that’s a good idea, worth a try,” Tony considered.

“Not just cars—planes, submarines, we could even build a spaceship one day. We could make our own version of the Quinjet and explore space together.”

“And where are we going to get a spaceship?” Tony asked.

“It’ll come to us eventually,” Arthur replied mysteriously with a sly grin.

Tony found Arthur’s cryptic attitude odd, but didn’t press further. “Come on, cheers!”

“Cheers!”

…

Arthur had several plans to enhance his abilities. First, he intended to travel to Asgard with Thor, where his powers might increase dramatically—and perhaps he could get his trident upgraded at Nidavellir. Second, of the six Infinity Stones, a few were particularly suited to him. Of those he’d soon have a chance to encounter, the Mind Stone in Loki’s scepter was the one he most coveted. The Mind Stone granted control over others, a power Arthur already possessed in some measure. For him, the Mind Stone felt tailor-made—he had to have it! Sorry, Vision, but you might not get your chance.

Before setting any of these plans in motion, Arthur’s next step was: going to school!

He asked Coulson for help with his enrollment, and Coulson quickly agreed. Soon, Arthur learned his admission was arranged—he could report to Midtown High as a transfer student right away.