John felt like he was jolted out of sleep.
Then came the voice.
"John! How many times have I told you not to sleep in my class?"
Just then, the bell rang.
He grabbed his bag and stood up in a rush, slipping into the crowd of students flooding the hallway. His steps felt automatic, like his body was moving on muscle memory he didn't remember building.
Everyone around him felt unfamiliar.
After all, he didn't remember being a hormonal teenager.
The noise, the chatter, the scent of cheap cologne and cafeteria grease—it all hit him like a wave. None of it felt real. He blinked, dazed, like he was still trapped in a dream he didn't remember falling into.
He stepped out into the afternoon sun and walked toward the front gate of Midtown High.
That's when he saw him.
A man in a black suit stood near the sidewalk, arms crossed, sunglasses hiding his eyes. Behind him sat a sleek, black car—definitely the kind you didn't see parked outside a regular school.
John squinted.
"Is that... Happy Hogan?"
His stomach twisted.
Why the hell is Happy Hogan here?
Wait... am I in Marvel?
Before John could even begin to process that, the man in the suit pushed off the car and walked straight toward him.
John's heart jumped. He instinctively took a step back.
Happy looked puzzled.
"John, we need to go. Now."
John blinked. "What?"
Happy frowned. "You okay, kid? You look like crap. Get in the car—Pepper needs to talk to you. Gosh, how does she manage all this?"
He opened the door like it was the most routine thing in the world.
John hesitated. Then, slowly, he slid into the backseat. The leather was cool against his palms—too real to be a dream. Happy got behind the wheel and pulled away from the curb without another word.
"Pepper's been calling all morning," Happy muttered. "She's excited, you know. They finally found Tony."
John didn't answer. His gaze stayed glued to the window.
A dull ache crept behind his eyes. He squeezed them shut.
Then it hit him.
A rush of disjointed memories, like flickers through a kaleidoscope:
A family of three on vacation... a high-speed car...
A young man with a goatee, crying, then taking him in...
Living in a mansion with no one to talk to...
A different life—an ordinary young man stuck in a 9-to-5 routine...
Watching movies, reading comics, bingeing anime...
Loving Marvel and Naruto...
And dying from choking while laughing during a late-night snack.
John's eyes flew open.
"So... I'm reborn in Marvel," he whispered to himself. "God, I hope it's not the comic version…"
The car slowed as Happy pulled through the security gate. Stark's Malibu mansion loomed ahead—sleek and modern, perched over the Pacific like it ruled the coastline.
Pepper Potts stood outside, arms folded, tablet in hand. Her posture was sharp, but her expression softened when she saw John step out of the car.
"John," she said with relief. "Finally. Are you okay?"
John looked at her. She seemed genuinely concerned—excited, even. After all, if what Happy said was true, the U.S. Army had found Tony.
"You've been acting weird all week," she added, guiding him inside. "Tony's still not back from Afghanistan, and now you're spacing out in school? Happy said you looked like a zombie."
John glanced at Happy, speechless.
He didn't know what to say.