Chapter 5: Landlord Charm and Lab Shenanigans
Adam settled into his new apartment in Queens with a surprising ease. It was modest, comfortable, and blissfully free of billionaire-induced existential crises. He quickly embraced his new role as landlord, which mostly involved pretending to be handy and finding increasingly creative excuses to visit Aunt May's apartment.
"Just checking the plumbing, May," he'd say, peering under her kitchen sink, where a tiny, persistent drip had been bothering her. He'd frown, tap a pipe, and then, with a subtle mental nudge, activate a wish.
[WISH GRANTED: AUNT MAY'S KITCHEN FAUCET CEASES DRIPPING, ALIGNING WITH HOST'S "REPAIR." COST: 10 WISH DAYS.]
The drip would cease. Instantly. May would beam. "Oh, Adam, you're a miracle worker! I've had plumbers look at that for weeks!"
"Just got the magic touch, I guess," he'd wink, enjoying her amused reaction. "Yeah, the magic touch of a cosmic wish-granting System that hates leaky faucets."
Meanwhile, Tony Stark was back in his lab, a man on a mission. The Mark I was a relic. He was already deep into the Mark II and Mark III, fueled by caffeine, paranoia, and an insatiable need to build. Adam found himself frequently "dropping in," ostensibly to "check on his friend," but mostly to enjoy the show and subtly mess with the genius.
"Still talking to your imaginary friends, Stark?" Adam drawled one afternoon, watching Tony gesticulate wildly at a holographic blueprint of the Mark II.
Tony didn't even turn. "They're called 'algorithms,' Stiels. And they're far more interesting than your theories on sentient toasters."
"Toasters can be sentient, you just haven't met the right one," Adam countered, then, with a mischievous grin, activated a wish.
[WISH GRANTED: TONY STARK'S AUTOCAD RENDER TEMPORARILY DISPLAYS IRON MAN SUIT AS A PIXELATED RETRO GAME CHARACTER. COST: 15 WISH DAYS.]
Tony's holographic Mark II, sleek and intimidating, suddenly transformed into a blocky, pixelated version of itself, complete with tiny, exaggerated limbs and a cartoonish "boing" sound effect. Tony blinked. Then he rubbed his eyes. Then he slammed his hand on the console.
"JARVIS! What in the name of all that is holy was that?!"
"Sir," JARVIS's voice replied, now thankfully free of the pirate accent, "It appears to be a temporary rendering glitch. Or perhaps… a stylistic choice?"
"A stylistic choice that looks like it belongs on an Atari 2600?!" Tony roared, running a hand through his hair. "I'm surrounded by lunatics and malfunctioning technology!"
Adam merely hummed innocently, leaning against a workbench that suddenly seemed to have a perfectly brewed cup of warm milk on it instead of Tony's usual black coffee. Tony took a sip, made a face, and then just sighed in resignation.
As the days turned into weeks, Adam also started paying more attention to the whispers around Stark Industries. Obadiah Stane. The greedy, ambitious snake in the grass. Adam knew what was coming. He needed information.
[WISH GRANTED: HOST RECEIVES A "HUNCH" REGARDING OBAADIAH STANE'S OFFLINE DATA DRIVES. COST: 20 WISH DAYS.]
A sudden, inexplicable urge to check the corporate news archives for "unusual data transfers" and "off-the-books meetings" hit him. It wasn't concrete evidence, but it was enough to confirm his suspicions. Stane was moving. The pieces were falling into place.
His personal life, however, was far less stressful and infinitely more rewarding. He and May had fallen into a comfortable rhythm. Movie nights, shared meals, long conversations about everything and nothing. He loved her quiet strength, her grounded nature, and the way she'd laugh at his dry wit. He found himself subtly using wishes not for pranks or information, but for small, sweet gestures. A perfectly timed sunset outside her window. Her favorite song playing softly on the radio when she walked into the room. Little things that made her smile.
May, for her part, was clearly growing fond of her quirky new landlord. She'd started leaving him cookies, inviting him for dinner more often. He was becoming a fixture in her life.
"This is it," Adam thought, watching May laugh at something silly on TV, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "This is what I'm fighting for. This is the good stuff. And if I have to prank a few billionaires and fight a few bad guys to keep it, then so be it. Bring on the chaos. I've got a System, and a very good reason to use it."