###
Time: 12th of September, 2001,3am
Location: A high-end Hospital in California.
##
Leo's eyes fluttered open to a ceiling he didn't recognize—sterile, white, and humming with clinical emptiness. A faint, rhythmic beep echoed beside him, steady and soft like a metronome marking time. His throat was dry, his limbs heavy, and his mind… exhausted, as if it had run a marathon his body had yet to begin.
He groaned and turned his head toward the clock. 3:00. No AM or PM indication, but with the blinds drawn and only artificial light filling the room, it hardly mattered.
Hospital.
Figures.
He inhaled slowly. The mental fog was thinning, and with its retreat came a flood of thoughts—no, memories. Unlocked, layered, crashing into each other like unsynchronized soundtracks. Some crisp. Others fractured. All his.
Staring at the ceiling, Leo didn't panic. Not this time. Instead, he began sorting his thoughts like files on a hard drive.
I was too naïve, he reflected. So focused on tech—robots, gadgets—I thought that was enough. I thought playing vigilante meant donning a suit and punching crime in the face like it's a movie.
His lips curled into a wry smirk. Didn't even have a contingency for getting knocked out. Genius IQ, zero street sense. Great formula for dying young.
The heart monitor's steady pulse grounded him. He was alive.
He winced as he propped himself up, pain rippling down his spine.
"Okay," he muttered, "let's figure this out."
The world had shifted. And so had he.
First... Dad looks like Robert Downey Jr.
This version of reality has MCU influences. But not an exact copy.
He rubbed his temples.
Second… the X-Men exist. Quietly. No Apocalypse. No Dark Phoenix saga. Just low-level mutant incidents, staying off the radar.
He reached for the water on the nightstand and took a long sip. Cold. Grounding.
Third... the Fantastic Four.
They're alive. No powers. Reed Richards made headlines recently—dimensional theory. Already married to Sue Storm. They've got a daughter about my age.
Leo sank back into the pillow, thoughts now racing with sharp precision.
So this world is in waiting. Pieces on the board, waiting for a move. Like how the MCU kicked off when Dad said: "I am Iron Man."
But what if that wasn't the spark here?
That thought gnawed at him.
This isn't a copy-paste timeline. It's like someone reshuffled the deck and hit "Play."
He clenched his jaw.
I need to be ready. No more naïve stunts.
For a long time, he sat still, thoughts branching like circuit diagrams across his mind. Plans. Strategies. Contingencies.
He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers.
I was trying to be a hero in a vacuum. I need allies. I need resources. And most of all… I need leverage.
#
Time: 14th of September, 2001. Early morning
Location: Basement 2, Stark Mansion, Malibu, California.
#
Basement 2 of the Malibu Mansion hummed with quiet electricity. Sleek metallic walls reflected soft LED light, and holographic blueprints danced in midair. Leo stood at the center of it all—sitting in a chair, hoodie slightly oversized, eyes glowing with the familiar glint of genius brewing.
"Friday," Leo said, hands behind his back like a general surveying a battlefield. "We're initiating a new wave of projects. Start compiling the following under the Fall Series, September, 2001 edition."
"Ready when you are," Friday's voice answered with crisp warmth, resonating softly from the room's ambient speakers.
Leo raised one hand, opening a command panel in the air. "Project: Faster Internet. We need speeds at least five years ahead of current capabilities—I'm talking upgraded fiber layouts, smarter routers, compressed data caching, and cross-protocol fusion. Let's make it scalable and modular for civilian use later."
"Logged. Initial framework underway."
"Next," Leo continued, "Project: Echo-. It's the public version of Echo+. Strip out the high-level access protocols and streamline it for open-source developers. But—" he turned, a smirk forming "—include an invisible tether. If anyone builds something using Echo-, I want Echo+ to maintain root-level backdoor access. Only Dad and I will know how to use it."
Friday processed for a moment. "Understood. Security protocols adjusted."
"Good. Now, Project: Extremis. I want a full teardown and rebuild of the serum architecture. We will stabilize it. No overheating, no neurological breakdowns. Just clean, controllable enhancement. Prioritize adaptability and long-term compatibility."
"Noted. Compiling a safe testing environment."
Leo nodded, pacing now as his mind sprinted ahead. "Logging additional project ideas-I'll dictate them in flow."
Friday's acknowledgment faded into the background as Leo dove into a flurry of ideas, weaving concepts together like a composer sketching out symphonies on the fly.
But as the five-minute mark approached, his voice slowed. Something was shifting.
Inside his mind, the lab faded away.
Click.
A door creaked open in his mindscape—the familiar interior of His office. Leo sat on the old leather chair, spinning it once before it creaked to a stop.
Across from him, on a client chair, sat Klein.
"You want it now?" Leo asked, voice calm.
Klein nodded once. "There's something I have to do. I can't tell you the details. Not yet."
"Okay, Let me know when you are done."
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them, something had changed. His gaze—colder now. Focused. Tired in a way only those who've seen too much can be tired.
He stood straighter. His voice smoother.
"Friday," he said.
"Yes?"
"I've diagnosed myself with symptoms consistent with Dissociative Identity Disorder. When I'm in control, refer to me as Klein. Leo is the prime, but... he's still innocent. This stays between us—unless it's life or death."
Friday paused, almost human. "Understood, Klein."
"There's more," Klein added. "If I ever say the phrase 'The fool from a different era', you'll know I'm in control. Only that phrase confirms a switch."
"Phrase indexed. Recognition enabled."
Klein stepped up to the main terminal. "Now, create a new project. Hidden. Only I can access it. Not even Leo should know."
"Parameters?"
Klein's jaw tightened. A shadow passed over his features.
"Codename: Noah's Ark. Blacklisted. No external access unless I say otherwise."
"Authorization phrase?"
Klein closed his eyes. It took effort to say it—like digging through trauma.
"…All I hear is their agonizing cries."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Even Friday's voice softened.
"…Acknowledged. Project Noah's Ark created. Locked and hidden."
Klein then elaborated further on this project and started listing names. After a short period Klein finally finished. His gaze drifted to the far wall where Leo's sketches of future cities and robotic sentries lined the display.
Klein closed his eyes and Leo came back. Not even asking Friday what Klein had done.
##
Time: 2003, Late December, Close to Midnight.
Location: Richards Household, New York City, America.
##
A soft glow lit up the darkness of Valeria Richards' bedroom. The only source of light came from the tablet resting in her lap, casting a pale bluish hue across her curious face. She was nestled deep in her blanket fort, eyes glued to the screen as Leo's familiar voice echoed softly through her earbuds.
"…and theoretically, if holograms could manipulate gravitational patterns within a vacuum, a synthetic cosmic storm could be simulated right in a controlled environment. Of course, you'd need the right parameters, but hey, it's not impossible."
Valeria's wide eyes sparkled with fascination.
"He's so smart…" she whispered to no one, her fingers quickly tapping away on the comment section.
[Your explanation of light distortion near the projected storm boundary was brilliant! I think the energy curve you showed could also apply to kinetic redirection. Amazing work again, Leo!]
Just beneath her comment, a glowing golden badge shimmered faintly—Tier 5 Fan. Valeria bit her bottom lip, waiting. One minute. Two.
Ping! A heart appeared on her comment. From Leo.
Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, and she clutched the tablet to her chest, letting out a small squeal muffled by her comforter.
But the celebration didn't last long.
Rustle.
The edge of her blanket fort lifted, and a familiar face peeked in. Blonde hair slightly tousled, blue eyes narrowed in mock suspicion—Susan Storm, her mother.
"Valeria Richards…" Susan's voice was soft, but held a motherly authority that needed no raising. "It's midnight. What on Earth are you still doing up?"
Valeria froze like a deer in headlights. "I—I was just finishing a video! I was about to sleep, I promise!"
Susan raised an eyebrow, crawling into the blanket cocoon without warning. "Is that so?" she asked, already plotting her next move. "Because it looked to me like you were fan-girling pretty hard just now."
"I was not!" Valeria huffed, trying to hide her glowing cheeks.
"Oh really?" Susan smirked, then launched a full-blown snuggle attack.
Valeria squealed, trying to push her mother away, but her giggles betrayed her.
"Stop! You're gonna mess up my blanket fort!"
Susan pulled her into a tight hug. "Only if you promise to actually sleep now."
Valeria, breathless and smiling, nodded. "Okay, okay. I will."
"Good girl." Susan kissed her forehead, brushing stray strands of hair away. "Goodnight, stargazer."
"'Night, Mom."
The door clicked gently behind her as Susan stepped into the hallway, her soft steps echoing faintly as she walked down toward the research room at the end.
Inside, a low hum of equipment filled the dimly lit lab. The glow of a monitor illuminated Reed Richards' face, his brow furrowed in concentration as lines of data scrolled down the screen. His fingers paused over the keyboard, sensing a presence behind him.
Without a word, Susan wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"She's asleep," she whispered.
Reed smiled slightly. "Thanks, honey."
Susan's eyes flicked to the screen. "That's the cosmic storm?"
Reed nodded, tapping a key. A rotating model of a spiraling energy mass filled the display, flickering faintly like some distant aurora in space. "It's… magnificent," he breathed. "A Class Seven cosmic anomaly—drifting straight through the edge of the solar system."
"You're geeking out," Susan teased.
He chuckled. "Can you blame me? If we can capture even a fraction of this data... I could refine propulsion systems, stabilize energy fields, maybe even lay the foundation for safe interstellar travel."
Susan smiled, admiring his excitement. "You know, for a guy who hasn't slept in twenty hours, you're still ridiculously charming when you talk about space."
He raised an eyebrow, eyes still locked on the screen. "Is that so?"
"Mhm." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Adorably smart."
Reed's ears turned slightly pink. "You're teasing me again."
"A little," she admitted with a grin.
He turned in his chair, wrapping his arms around her waist this time. "Keep it up and I might just forget I have a storm to monitor."
"Mm, well," Susan murmured, fingers trailing lightly over his collar, "maybe the storm can wait five minutes."
Reed looked up at her with a smile, the lights of the cosmic model reflecting in his eyes. "Only five?"
Susan laughed softly. "Ten, if you're lucky."
The lab lights dimmed a little more as they stood close, the cosmic storm flickering quietly in the background— while another storm was brewing within that lab between a husband and a wife.
###
Word count: 1874
Author's note:
I know a short chapter, but I am tired and I wrote what I could. You try writing two chapters in a day and see what happens..
Anyways Finally, The prologue is over. The real fun is about to begin.
A reader suggested Valeria Richards as Leo's love interest and I quite liked the idea, So for now I will set up a possible pairing between them. If majority approves I will go with her. For those who don't know her, She is basically as smart if not smarter than Reeds.
Valeria currently only has a crush on Leo, which could develop into something more after they are older. because Leo isn't interested in children and neither do I want to write such a disturbing thing. So it's more like an one sided love that could grow when they are above 17 or 18.
Also next week There will most likely be 5 chapters.
Two extra chapters because Scribblehub is probably gonna reach 25 hearts after this and 25 powerstones already reached for this week's challenge. Keep up the good work.
##
Current schedule: 7th (Current Chapter), 8th (Next Chapter) at 9pm GMT+6 or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 10 am Central Time.
Note: The former is my own country's time and the latter is Central time. And yes I did change the time so I can have time to write chapter 11.
Weekly Challenge: 25 Power stone/hearts for 1 extra chapter. (upto 4 at max)
Monthly Challenge: 100 Power stone/hearts for 1 extra chapter. (That's all)
Note: heart is on scribble hub and power stone is on Web novel.
An ideal Example: Let's say you usually get 12 chapters per month. If you complete the challenges then you get upto extra 5 chapters that month. Thus it could be 17 chapters a month.