"I could adopt you, you know."
Pepper's sudden voice broke Lemu's train of thought. He turned to find her giving him a playful look, though there was genuine warmth behind it.
"What?"
"Well…" Pepper gestured vaguely at him. "You're smart, resourceful, and apparently homeless. And let's be honest—you're kind of adorable."
Lemu almost choked on his drink.
"Adopt? I'm older than I look."
Pepper arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "You don't look a day over sixteen."
Lemu forced a laugh, waving her off. "Trust me. I'm way older than that."
"Uh-huh. Sure."
Pepper smirked, leaning back into the couch. The lighthearted banter eased some of the tension in the room, but her eyes kept flickering back to the screen, worry gnawing at her.
Lemu noticed but didn't comment.
After all, he already had a plan.
Great Sage, run projections. If we plant evidence of Stane's arms deals after Tony unveils the Iron Man suit, what's the estimated impact on Stark Industries' stock?
'Notice: Estimated 600% growth within six months. High probability of hostile takeover attempts.'
Six hundred percent.
Lemu's lips curled into a slow, predatory smile.
The stage is set.
….
Lemu leaned back into the couch, his thoughts spinning as fast as the glowing arc reactor humming in the basement below.
Assassination remained the last resort.
After all, Lemu was a person of principles—at least, that's what he kept telling himself. He wouldn't casually cross the line into cold-blooded murder.
…Right?
Yes. Definitely.
So, for now, the focus was on preparing Tony Stark's grand debut as Iron Man. Once that was in motion, then Obadiah Stane could be dealt with—cleanly and without sending Stark Industries spiraling into oblivion.
Lemu had options.
Iron Monger's armor was tough, sure, but nothing a well-placed armor-piercing round couldn't handle. Great Sage's library of over a million skills surely included some advanced weapons tech.
Worst-case scenario?
Predator could consume the Iron Monger entirely, but… eating people wasn't on Lemu's bucket list.
He was a businessman, not a monster.
Satisfied with his moral compass, Lemu reached over and snatched the chocolate bar that Dummy—the house's robotic arm—had been holding for the past ten minutes.
Ripping the wrapper open, he popped the chocolate into his mouth.
"Tony Stark, Tony Stark…" Lemu mumbled between bites, "after all this effort to make you a legend, you'd better come through for me."
Mystery and Mirrors
Minutes later, Tony emerged from the basement, looking unusually pensive.
He held a glossy photograph in his hand, flipping it around so that Lemu and Pepper could see.
"Here."
Lemu blinked, frowning as he took the photo.
It showed three people posing for what looked like a formal portrait.
Lemu stood in the center—or at least, someone almost identical to him.
"Wait. When did you take this? Who are the other two? Is this… CGI?"
Tony flopped down onto the opposite couch, propping up his feet and fishing a bottle of yogurt from Pepper's snack haul. He popped the cap, clearly enjoying himself as he waited for their reactions.
"Look closer."
Lemu did.
Same pale-blue hair, nearly identical features, but the person in the photo wasn't him.
The eyes were a deep ruby red, gleaming like gemstones. And the outfit—a gothic black-and-white Lolita dress—wasn't something Lemu would ever wear.
No, definitely not.
To the left of this uncanny double stood an older man in a crisp black suit, his sharp features and white hair radiating authority. To the right, a woman in an elegant pastel gown, the epitome of refined grace.
And at their feet?
A massive Siberian Husky sprawled lazily, its bright blue eyes staring straight at the camera.
The scene radiated wealth, status, and carefully constructed perfection.
Pepper leaned in, inspecting the photo.
"It's uncanny…" she murmured. "But it's not you. Right?"
Lemu stiffened.
"This can't be me. I've never worn a dress, and I never will."
Pepper bit her lip, clearly trying to suppress a laugh.
Lemu ignored her and called inwardly.
'Great Sage, any insights?'
'Notice: Unable to identify individuals in the image. No relevant data available.'
'No data?'
Lemu's frown deepened. That wasn't normal. Great Sage always had an answer—or at least a theory.
For it to draw a blank now…
Tony finished his drink with a loud gulp, tossing the empty bottle under the table and nudging it out of sight with his foot.
Lemu squinted at him.
"Where did you even get this?"
Tony shrugged, playing it cool. "It came with some old files my dad left behind. Thought it looked interesting—especially the you in the middle."
Pepper straightened, her expression sharp. "Howard Stark's files?"
Tony nodded, but his gaze was fixed on Lemu.
"Yeah. Looks like it's from Europe—maybe an old business partner or something. You wouldn't happen to be hiding some aristocratic family history, would you?"
Lemu stared at the photo again.
No. It wasn't possible.
Whoever that person was, they weren't him.
And yet… the resemblance was too close to ignore.
Lemu traced the edge of the photograph with his thumb.
Even if it wasn't him, the similarities couldn't be coincidence. And coincidences didn't exist—not in a world like this.
'Great Sage, analyze the image for any hidden data—timestamps, locations, anything.'
'Notice: No hidden data detected. Image appears to be a physical photograph, not digitally altered.'
….
Tony Stark downed the last of his yogurt and kicked the empty bottle under the table, his usual nonchalance giving way to a rare glimpse of introspection.
"This was taken over ten years ago…" He held the photo up, his eyes lingering on the familiar yet mysterious faces.
"The couple in the background? My parents—Howard and Maria Stark." He tapped the image with his finger. "And the girl? Her name was Sophie. I never met her."
Tony leaned back, running a hand through his hair as if trying to piece together fragments of a puzzle.
"I was overseas—probably earning my fifth or sixth Ph.D.—barely came home back then. One day, this girl just… showed up."
His voice softened.
Keep power stones coming!!!