Tuesday afternoon.
"What did you get?" Dave asked, looking at the sleek, matte black box on my desk.
"A custom-made Alienware with military-grade encryption," I replied calmly, peeling off the plastic wrap. "I needed something faster for my homework."
"Dude, you're doing your homework on a supercomputer?" Sam asked, nodding. "I'm still using a laptop that overheats even if I only have three tabs open."
I smiled but didn't elaborate. The $5,000 I spent on this machine was nothing compared to the $300,000 I had in my overseas accounts (I'd diversified my portfolio after the Stark incident to avoid detection).
My phone vibrated. It was a message from the group chat called "The A Team" (Peter changed his name, Harry didn't object, so I accepted my fate).
Peter: Guys! Are you ready? The Stark Technology Showcase at the Science Center starts in 1 hour!!! Harry: I'm out in the car. Matt, grab Peter before he explodes.
I grabbed my jacket. "See you later, guys. Don't wait for me."
The New York Science Hall was packed.
There was a chaotic crowd of tourists, students, and tech enthusiasts. "Look at that! That's the prototype of the new arc reactor clean energy grid!" Peter was practically trembling with excitement, pointing to the gleaming blue cylinder behind the thick glass.
Harry walked beside us, hands in his pockets, an amused expression. "You know, Pete, I could show you around Oscorp's labs. We have similar technologies."
"Yes, but Stark's design uses palladium micronuclei!" Peter objected. "A completely different architecture!"
I watched them bicker like an old married couple. It was peaceful.
Suddenly, [My Mental Power] surged.
It wasn't a thought. It was an emotion. Aggression. Greed. Panic.
I stopped walking and observed the crowd. "Matt? Are you coming?" "Why?" Harry asked, noticing I'd stopped. "One second," I said, narrowing my eyes.
Near the loading dock entrance, about fifty meters away, I saw a man wearing a thick yellow quilted jacket. It was too hot for that jacket. He was sweating and clutching a gym bag tightly.
He wasn't looking at the exhibits. He was looking at the security guards.
And on his hands... were large, metallic gloves that buzzed at a low frequency.
Herman Schultz. The Shocker of the future. 'Is the system really what I think it is?'
[Ding~ Confirmed. Herman Schultz. Currently a low-level engineer who has turned to theft. Threat Level: C (due to the instability of the prototype gloves).]
"Guys," I said, keeping my voice low. "We need to get away from the main exit."
"Why?" Peter asked in surprise.
Before I could answer, Schultz made his move. He raised his gloves toward the glass display case where the Arc Reactor prototype was on display. BANG!
A powerful burst of compressed air and sonic vibrations instantly shattered the bulletproof glass. The crowd screamed. Panic erupted. "Nobody move!" Schultz shouted, his voice shaky but dangerous. "I just want the core! Don't force me to demolish the roof!"
Harry immediately stepped in front of Peter and pushed him back. "Get down!"
Peter looked confused. I could see the gears turning in his head, his heroic instinct awakening. But he was only a 15-year-old boy, without a suit (or perhaps even his powers yet). He could do nothing against the sonic gloves.
I could.
Schultz snatched the glowing blue core and stuffed it into his bag. "Stay back!" he yelled, pointing his glove at a security guard who reached for his gun.
If he fired that close, the guard's internal organs would liquefy.
'Not under my supervision.'
I stood behind a large pillar, directly out of his line of sight.
Time to test Blink.
I focused my attention directly on the area behind Schultz.
Blink.
The world changed. In an instant, I was standing five meters behind the thief, hidden in the smoke and chaos.
I reached out with my mind. [Telekinesis]
I didn't force it. That would have been too obvious. Instead, I focused on the delicate wires of his left glove.
Pull.
I severed a vital power link inside the mechanism.
Schultz turned to fire at the guard. He pulled the trigger.
ZRRRT! BANG!
Instead of creating a sound wave, the glove backfired. A small burst of sparks occurred at his wrist. "AH!" Schultz screamed, dropping the bag to the ground. The feedback loop created a shockwave through his own body, knocking him to the ground. He hit the wall and collapsed unconscious. Security guards immediately subdued him.
Blink.
Even before the smoke cleared, I was back behind the pillar next to Harry and Peter. "What... what just happened?" Peter asked, glancing over Harry's shoulder.
"His device malfunctioned," Harry said, letting out a breath he'd been holding. "Amateurs are playing with stolen technology."
I stepped out from behind the pillar and straightened my jacket. "The guard was lucky. It looked unstable there."
Harry looked at the unconscious thief, then he turned to me. His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Yes," Harry murmured, his gaze lingering on me for a second longer than expected. "You're lucky."
I didn't change my expression at all.
'He suspects something,' I realized. 'Harry is smarter than people think.'
"Let's go," I said calmly. "The show is over, and I think we've had enough excitement for today."
As we left the museum, sirens blared in the distance, and I was certain of one thing:
The calm days were over. The villains were starting to emerge.
And I needed to be ready for the big ones.