Word Count: ~2,500
Setting: New York, Late 2012–Early 2013. Alexei Vance, age 13, launches his mobile game empire and grapples with his awakening X-gene.
The glow of Alexei Vance's tablet bathed his bedroom in a soft blue haze, casting shadows across posters of Tony Stark and the Avengers. It was 2 a.m., three months after he'd cracked his grandfather's vault, and sleep was a distant memory. His fingers flew across the screen, finalizing the code for Clash of Clans, a mobile game he'd built from scratch with VISTA, his AI assistant. At thirteen, Alex was already a billionaire-in-waiting, his transmigrator mind leveraging memories of a past life to recreate a global hit.
"VISTA, run the microtransaction sim again," Alex said, stifling a yawn. His voice, still cracking with puberty, held an edge of command honed by months of sleepless coding.
"Simulation complete," VISTA replied, its synthetic voice echoing through his earbuds. "Projected revenue: $1.2 million daily within six months, assuming 10% user conversion to premium purchases. Server load stable."
Alex grinned, leaning back in his ergonomic chair. "That's my ticket to the arc reactor." The Stark Expo model, hidden in his grandfather's vault, haunted his dreams—a blueprint for badassium, a new element Tony Stark wouldn't discover until 2010 in Iron Man 2. Alex's IQ, sharper than Tony's, had already decoded half the model's data, but his X-gene awakening had thrown a wrench in his plans. The energy surges, like the one in the vault, were getting worse.
He glanced at the tablet's corner: August 7, 2012. The Battle of New York was three months ago, Loki's Chitauri invasion plastered across every newsfeed. Alex's transmigrator knowledge screamed warnings: the Tesseract was with Thor, the Mind Stone in SHIELD's hands, and Thanos was out there, plotting. "Four years till Age of Ultron," he muttered. "Six till Infinity War. I need to be ready."
A ping from VISTA snapped him back. "Clash of Clans uploaded to app stores. Live in three… two… one."
Alex held his breath, refreshing the analytics dashboard. Downloads ticked upward—10, 50, 100. By dawn, it'd be thousands. Microtransactions—gems for faster builds, skins for warriors—would fund his tech empire, rivaling Vance Technologies, his mother's company. Marina Vance, a single mom and CEO, thought Alex was just a gifted coder. She didn't know about the vault, VISTA, or the X-gene. Not yet.
He set the tablet down, stretching. His room, a geek's paradise, held a 3D-printed Iron Man helmet and a Doctor Strange comic, nods to his MCU obsession. But the real prize was downstairs: the vault. "VISTA, prep the model analysis. I'm going back in."
"Warning," VISTA said. "Your bio-energy readings are elevated. Last surge caused a 0.3-second power outage. Recommend rest."
Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. Just a mutant puberty thing." He grabbed a hoodie, slipped past Marina's empty study—she'd be home from the gala by morning—and descended to the basement. The vault's steel door loomed, its equations now second nature. He punched in the code, heart racing.
The Stark Expo model glowed under LED lights, a miniature city of holograms. Alex approached, VISTA's scans projecting over his tablet. "Focus on the pavilion," he said. "That's where Tony found the element."
"Analyzing," VISTA said. "Atomic structure detected: vibranium-like lattice, stable isotope. Energy yield exceeds palladium cores by 400%."
Alex's pulse quickened. Badassium—or whatever Elias Vance had called it—could power an arc reactor, a suit, maybe even a Snap. His Phase 4 knowledge replayed Endgame: Tony's sacrifice, the Gauntlet's glow. Alex's X-gene could absorb that energy, save Tony, change the game. But first, he needed the reactor.
He reached for the model, tweaking a holographic tower. The hum returned, louder than before, vibrating in his bones. "VISTA, what's—"
A surge erupted, his hands glowing gold. The vault's lights flickered, and Alex staggered, visions flooding his mind: a green Time Stone swirling, a purple Power Stone pulsing, a multiverse cracking like glass. Loki's TVA flashed, then What If…?'s Ultron, red eyes glaring. "No!" Alex gasped, clutching his head.
"Bio-energy spike critical," VISTA warned. "Neural activity at 120%. Shutting down vault systems."
The surge faded, leaving Alex on his knees, panting. His tablet sparked, fried by the outburst. "Damn it," he muttered, heart pounding. The X-gene wasn't just awakening—it was out of control. "VISTA, analysis."
"X-gene mutation confirmed: omega-level energy absorption. Surge triggered by proximity to model's latent energy field. Mental strain detected—elevated cortisol, theta wave disruption."
Alex winced, rubbing his temples. Nightmares had started weeks ago—snippets of Kang, Thanos, a Celestial looming. His transmigrator mind knew these were real threats, but the X-gene was amplifying them, like static in his brain. "Mental strain," he echoed. "Great. So I'm a walking reactor with a side of crazy."
"Recommend external expertise," VISTA said. "Kamar-Taj's mystic disciplines may stabilize your mutation."
Alex nodded, recalling Doctor Strange. The Ancient One could help, but joining Kamar-Taj meant leaving home, risking Marina's suspicion. "Not yet," he said. "I need the reactor first. And the money."
He stood, steadying himself. The model's glow dimmed, safe for now. "VISTA, divert Clash of Clans revenue to a shadow account. Upgrade your servers—quantum encryption, SHIELD-level. We're building an empire."
"Initiated," VISTA said. "Projected funds available: $10 million by January 2013."
Alex smirked, but his smirk faded as another vision flickered—a woman with auburn hair, hazel eyes, a quantum sigil on her wrist. Elara Quinn, his mind whispered, unbidden. He shook it off. "Focus, Alex. Thanos doesn't wait."
He sealed the vault, climbing the stairs. Marina's car pulled into the driveway, headlights slicing through the dawn. Alex froze, hiding his tablet. "Act normal," he told himself. But normal was a lie. He was a transmigrator, a mutant, a Celestial's son. And the MCU's clock was ticking.
Upstairs, Marina's voice called, "Alexei? You up?" Her tone was warm but sharp, a scientist's edge. She didn't know about the vault, but mothers always sensed trouble.
"Coming, Mom!" Alex yelled, shoving his hoodie over the fried tablet. He glanced at his reflection in the hall mirror—pale, eyes haunted. The X-gene was his power, his curse. Kamar-Taj loomed, but first, he'd build his reactor, his suit, his destiny.
As he joined Marina in the kitchen, Clash of Clans hit 10,000 downloads. Somewhere, in the cosmic void, a Celestial stirred, unaware of the boy who'd one day snap his fingers and reshape the multiverse.