Arthur returned to his villa, making plans for two more get-togethers at the restaurant with the group. For now, he had some free time on his hands and decided to just kick back for a few days. He'd barely stretched out on the sofa, about to grab a quick nap, when his phone buzzed.
"Hello? Tony, what's up? Why are you calling?"
"You actually quit just like that, huh? I heard you packed up the second I was done at the company. Are you mad at me or something?" Tony griped, a playful whine in his voice.
"My mission's completed, Tony. You're out of danger, and I'm not exactly needed to babysit you anymore. Don't you think I deserve to do my own thing?" Arthur countered, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Alright, alright, I get it. Look, I put two percent of the company's shares in your name. Consider it your bonus for the time you put in. And don't you dare say it's too little—Stark's stock has gone through the roof lately. So, are you gonna celebrate with me or what?" Tony pressed, a hint of genuine excitement in his tone.
"That generous? Holy cow, the boss is practically showering me with cash! Yeah, now *that's* a reason to celebrate. You haven't been to my place yet, so come on over, I'll treat you to dinner. The address is..." Arthur said, his own excitement clearly audible as he realized the significant financial windfall.
An hour later, Tony pulled up. Arthur waved him in, gesturing for him to make himself comfortable.
"Your place is pretty decent," Tony observed, looking around. "A little on the small side for my taste, but not bad."
"Oh, come on, you can't compare me to a big shot like you, can you?" Arthur chuckled. "I'm just a humble bodyguard. I'm lucky I can even afford a place like this."
"Don't even try it. 'Just pretend'? With your abilities, you're telling me you're hurting for money? You honestly think I'd buy that?" Tony scoffed playfully, seeing right through him.
"What do you mean, 'not short on money'? Being capable doesn't make you rich overnight. Do you even know Peter Parker or Stephen Strange?" Arthur asked, changing the subject and watching Tony's reaction.
"Who are Peter Parker and Strange?" Tony asked, genuinely stumped. He'd clearly never heard of them.
"A college student, and a surgeon," Arthur replied simply.
"Okay, okay, enough with the cryptic answers. Seriously, what's your deal? How are you as strong as… Superman?" Tony finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Alright, I won't hide it from you anymore. I'm, well, I'm sort of half-Atlantean. I can live under the sea, but my body's only *a little* stronger than a normal person's," Arthur confessed, downplaying his power with a straight face.
"Atlantis? Isn't that just a myth? And 'just a little stronger than normal people'? You call that 'a little stronger'?" Tony asked, his eyebrows practically disappearing into his hairline.
"Atlantis really does exist. It's deep in the Atlantic Ocean, actually, near the Bermuda Triangle. I've been there myself. As for my physical strength, it's really not that big a deal on Earth. I actually know of at least two others who are stronger than me." Arthur elaborated, thinking of the Hulk.
"Better than you? So, they're like… actual monsters?"
"Pretty much, yeah. Just like monsters."
"Okay, so what about Atlantis? Can you tell me more about it?" Tony leaned forward, utterly captivated.
"Come on, I'll take you to see it."
"Wait, really? You can take me there? Should I go back and grab my armor?"
"Nah, I'll just drive..."
***
A short while later, Tony pointed at the neon sign for the "Atlantis Seafood Restaurant" in front of them. "Are you pulling my leg?" he deadpanned to Arthur.
"Alright, alright, just take a seat first. You wanted to celebrate, right? This is my spot, and tonight, I'm going to let you taste some *real* food," Arthur declared, patting his chest with a flourish.
An hour later, Tony was absolutely raving about the table piled high with specialized seafood and Chinese dishes.
"This restaurant of yours is legitimately amazing. I'm definitely going to be a regular here from now on," Tony announced, signing autographs for three enthusiastic fans of the restaurant. He was, undeniably, a huge star now.
"You're welcome any time. Seriously, treat this place like your own, and your meals are on the house, forever!"
"That's a real friend right there! Come on, cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Atlantis is deep under the sea, specifically in the Bermuda Triangle..." Arthur began, settling in to tell Tony about his extraordinary experiences in Atlantis.
"It's incredible that people can live at the bottom of the ocean," Tony said, genuinely surprised. "And you can control marine life?"
"It's not just marine life. In theory, I can control all living creatures. It's just that the extent of my influence varies from one creature to another." As he spoke, Arthur casually raised his hand, and two seagulls, seemingly out of nowhere, flew down onto their table and began to perform a comical ballroom dance.
"That's just unbelievable. Why on Earth are you still working as an agent for the Department of Defense when you're this powerful?" Tony asked, completely bewildered.
"Uh... actually, I joined the Avengers Project. S.H.I.E.L.D. asked me to protect you. The Department of Defense thing was just a cover, really," Arthur admitted, a little embarrassed by the revelation.
"Why would S.H.I.E.L.D. ask you to protect me?" Tony wondered aloud.
"Well, your father was actually one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Stark Industries has a pretty significant, ongoing relationship with them, so S.H.I.E.L.D. tends to keep a close eye on you," Arthur replied.
"My father founded S.H.I.E.L.D.? How did I never know that?" Tony mused, trying hard to recall his father. It seemed that besides his notorious love for inventions, his father also had some surprisingly deep government connections.
"Okay, so what are you planning to do next?" Tony asked, changing the subject back to Arthur's future.
Arthur hesitated for a moment. "Actually, I just turned seventeen, and I might be going to school next."
Tony stared at Arthur, confused. "You're underage?" Despite all his power and experience, Arthur was indeed only seventeen years old. Nick Fury had, in fact, suggested that Arthur attend school and pick up some more conventional knowledge.
Arthur had never really cracked a textbook since he was a kid. If he hadn't learned English in his past life, he probably wouldn't even be able to read a newspaper. He thought about it and decided Nick Fury had a point. It wouldn't hurt to learn a few things. Plus, he had nothing pressing to do lately, and the idea of experiencing college life was pretty appealing.
Arthur decided he'd apply to New York University, which happened to be Peter Parker's school. Since he was going to study, he figured he might as well be in the same class as Peter Parker.
"Alright, well, since you're heading off to hit the books, I won't keep you tethered to me. I'll just have Happy take over bodyguard duties," Tony said, a touch of helplessness in his voice.
"You want me to be your thug? No way!" Arthur scoffed. "But seriously, if Stark Industries isn't in the arms business anymore, what *are* you going to do?"
"I'm planning to develop new energy sources, like this one," Tony said, tapping the Arc Reactor on his chest.
Arthur looked at the glowing reactor. He wanted to tell Tony that it would soon become a massive headache for him, but Arthur decided against it, letting Tony figure it out for himself.
"Since you're so focused on new energy, I actually have a proposition," Arthur offered.
"Hit me with it!"
"We could make a new energy vehicle. If you simplify the energy core, it could power a car for twenty years! We could call it the Stark New Energy Vehicle!" Arthur pitched, his idea flowing freely.
"Hmm, that's actually a pretty solid idea. Let's look into that," Tony mused, already considering the concept.
"And not just cars! We could make airplanes and submarines. In the future, we could even build a spaceship, a 'Starkun-style spaceship,' for us to travel through space!"
"Where are we going to get a spaceship?" Tony asked, clearly amused by Arthur's enthusiasm.
"I'll deliver it myself, someday!" Arthur said mysteriously, a knowing smile on his face.
Tony could tell Arthur was pulling his leg, but he didn't mind. "Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
***
Arthur had several plans in mind for significantly improving his own strength. The first was to journey to Asgard with Thor, believing his abilities could be greatly enhanced there, and his trident might even undergo another upgrade.
His second major goal revolved around the Infinity Stones. While several of them would be suitable for him, Arthur was most determined to acquire the Mind Stone, currently housed within Loki's scepter. The Mind Stone possessed the ability to control others, and since Arthur also had a similar power to control living beings, the Mind Stone felt almost tailor-made for him. Arthur was absolutely set on getting it! (So, sorry, Vision, but you probably won't be coming to life in this timeline.)
However, before any of these grand schemes could even begin, Arthur had one crucial, immediate task: go to school! Coulson had already completed Arthur's admission procedures, and Arthur would soon be reporting to New York University as a transfer student.
In the following week, Arthur truly did spend his days at S.H.I.E.L.D., diligently working to obtain both his car and airplane driver's licenses. He even audaciously asked S.H.I.E.L.D. to provide him with his own personal plane. Nick Fury, however, responded rather dryly that Arthur was "out of his goddamn mind," summarily rejecting that particular request.