Year: 1987 – Stark Estate, Long Island, New York
Ethan Stark sat under the shade of the old oak tree on the edge of the Stark estate, a paperback novel balanced on his chest. To anyone who walked by, he looked every bit the lazy second son: relaxed, disinterested, wasting another golden day of summer.
But inside his head, every second ticked like a countdown.
Four years.
Four years until December 16, 1991.
Four years until Howard and Maria Stark's car swerved off the snowy road in Long Island—at least, that was the official story. In truth, it would be a Winter Soldier ambush, orchestrated by HYDRA to steal the perfected Super Soldier Serum.
He could still see the footage he'd glimpsed once in another lifetime. The car wreck. His parents' final moments. Tony's world-shattering grief.
Ethan clenched his jaw, the mask slipping for just a moment before he forced a grin back onto his face.
Not this time. He had four years to change the script. Four years to rewrite the tragedy.
And for now, that meant playing his role.
Back inside the manor, Howard's voice echoed through the halls. "Anthony! Ethan! Downstairs! Now!"
Ethan groaned dramatically, tossing the book aside. "Bet you ten bucks Dad's about to give me another lecture about responsibility."
Tony raised an eyebrow from the landing. "You mean the thing you run from like it's the plague?"
"Correction," Ethan said, sliding down the banister instead of taking the stairs like a civilized human being, "I don't run. I gracefully avoid."
Tony rolled his eyes but couldn't quite hide the smirk.
The Stark patriarch was already pacing in the living room, blueprints and documents scattered across the coffee table. Maria sat nearby with her hands folded, trying to soften her husband's intensity with a smile.
"Finally," Howard snapped. "Do either of you know what punctuality means?"
"Yeah," Ethan said without missing a beat. "It's that thing Tony has and I don't. See? Balance."
Maria chuckled behind her teacup.
Howard pinched the bridge of his nose.
For the next hour, Ethan listened as Howard rattled off about Stark Industries, military contracts, the growing arms race, and why his sons needed to understand the weight of legacy.
Tony paid attention, nodding, asking sharp questions. Ethan lounged on the couch, pretending to be bored, twirling a coin between his fingers.
But beneath the act, Ethan's mind was dissecting every word. Every mention of serum research, Cold War tension, and whispers of espionage only sharpened the clock ticking in his head. HYDRA was already moving in the shadows.
He had to make sure Howard's research didn't paint a target so large that even S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't shield them.
When Howard left the room, Ethan leaned toward Tony. "You ever notice Dad talks like the world's ending tomorrow?"
"Isn't it?" Tony said with a smirk. "Nukes, Russians, spies—take your pick."
"Then maybe you should focus less on weapons that blow things up and more on keeping people alive." Ethan said it casually, like a throwaway joke, but Tony froze for a fraction of a second.
Then he laughed it off. "Sure, E. I'll build a nuke that hugs people. Great idea."
Ethan leaned back, tossing the coin into the air. One seed planted.
That night, when the mansion lights dimmed, Ethan began his real work.
The gym in the basement was dusty, rarely used except for Howard's halfhearted attempts at boxing. Ethan wiped sweat from his forehead as he finished another hundred push-ups. His body ached, but he pushed further. Stamina. Strength. Endurance.
He remembered the System's messages from his dreams:
[System Synchronization: 47%...]
The numbers crept upward every few weeks, like a machine rebooting. Until it fully connected, he was just human. Just flesh and blood.
And flesh and blood wasn't enough against the monsters he knew were coming.
So he built himself in secret. Muscle fiber by muscle fiber. Bone hardened by repetition. The moment the System awakened, he wanted to be ready—not the weakling he once was when the shadows first chose him.
Weeks bled into months. School became another stage.
At Midtown Science Academy, Ethan perfected his mask. He sat at the back of the classroom, cracking jokes that made the other kids laugh and the teachers sigh. He flirted shamelessly with girls who rolled their eyes but couldn't help smiling.
But in the corners of his vision, he watched everything.
Hope Van Dyne, already sharp as a blade, caught him once staring too long at a chemistry experiment.
"You're not as dumb as you act," she accused one afternoon after class.
Ethan grinned. "Wow, Hope. You found me out. Guess I'll have to retire my career as class clown. Any chance you'll keep my secret if I bribe you with ice cream?"
She narrowed her eyes. But she didn't tell anyone.
Another time, Ethan "accidentally" gave a helpful suggestion to Hank Pym when the boy's ant-communication prototype fizzled. "Maybe it's not about the frequency," Ethan said casually. "Maybe it's about… bonding."
Hank had scoffed at him, but two days later, Ethan noticed the kid working with renewed focus.
Every nudge mattered. Every hint pushed the timeline forward, just enough to give the heroes of tomorrow a head start.
But the closer 1991 loomed, the heavier the secret pressed on Ethan's chest.
He lay awake some nights staring at the ceiling, whispering to himself.
"Four years. I won't let it happen."
Maria would pass his door some nights, peeking in. "Can't sleep?"
Ethan always smiled. "Too much sugar, Mom."
She'd laugh and ruffle his hair. But the warmth in her touch only sharpened his resolve.
He wasn't going to lose her. Not to HYDRA. Not to fate.
[System Synchronization: 58%...]
One night, the dreams grew sharper.
Flames. Chains. A horned figure rising from the abyss. The crack of a whip.
[Warning: Dungeon Break Approaching...]
Ethan jolted awake, drenched in sweat. His heart pounded. The System wasn't fully online yet—but pieces of it were bleeding through.
The world was changing. Faster than even he anticipated.
And Ethan Stark was running out of time to keep his family safe.
📖 Chapter 2 – Status Window
[SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION: 58%...][WARNING: Full functions unavailable until 100% synchronization.]
Name: Ethan StarkLevel: [N/A] (Locked)Job/Class: [N/A] (Locked)HP: 120 / 120MP: 10 / 10
Stats:
Strength: 12 (+3)
Agility: 11 (+2)
Vitality: 12 (+2)
Intelligence: 20 (Unchanged, capped until sync complete)
Sense: 14 (+2)
Skills:
[Locked]