Dr. Ethan couldn't wrap his head around it. No matter how much he thought, he couldn't figure it out.
"You were unscathed?! Why?!" Ethan blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity.
As soon as he said it, he seemed to realize it might not have been the best choice of words and quickly added, "I mean, I'm glad you're okay, but I'm really curious—how did you escape those bullets?!"
"I didn't hide..." Luke replied, sincerity etched on his face.
"I didn't hide either… but why was I the only one injured?!" Ethan complained, frustration evident in his expression.
In such a chaotic gun battle within such a confined space, not only had Luke taken down all the enemies, but he had also emerged unscathed?!
How on earth was this possible?!
Not only was Ethan puzzled, but Luke himself felt a bit bewildered.
Given the chaos, it didn't make sense that he had escaped unscathed.
With that thought, he asked, "Dr. Ethan, do you think I'm just really lucky?!"
"You are indeed very lucky," Ethan sighed.
After all, while taking out the enemy might come down to good marksmanship, escaping unscathed in such a situation could only be attributed to sheer luck.
However, Luke's moment of relief was short-lived because the "battle" wasn't over yet; more terrorists were waiting outside.
Seeing the silence from the previous group, the terrorists learned a lesson.
Instead of sending more people into the cave, they shouted from outside, "Stark! If you don't come out, we'll drop a bomb!"
The cave was so small that Luke didn't dare to imagine what would happen if a bomb were actually thrown in.
Fortunately, the steel suit was finally powered up.
When Tony Stark emerged from the room, clad in a massive steel suit, Dr. Ethan cheered with joy, "It's finally done! We can leave this place!"
His excitement, however, was cut short by a violent coughing fit.
Noticing Ethan's condition, Tony Stark asked, "Are you injured?!"
Ethan quickly shook his head. "Just a minor injury; it's nothing."
"Thanks for buying me some time," Tony Stark said gratefully.
Ethan shook his head again. "It's not me; it was Luke! He helped delay them and took out those terrorists!"
Luke?!
Tony Stark was taken aback.
He glanced at the terrorists lying on the ground and then back at Luke, the "typical college student," with a look of surprise.
"He took out all these terrorists by himself?!" Tony Stark asked incredulously.
"Yes! He's incredibly skilled; his shooting was spot-on. You could say his aim was flawless!" Dr. Ethan praised without reservation.
Tony Stark was confused.
A perfect shot? Was it really that impressive?
Though he was curious, he didn't have time for more questions right now.
"Okay, Luke, thank you, but we need to get out of here first," Tony Stark said.
With the steel suit, it would be much easier for the three of them to escape.
Stark fought fiercely against the remaining terrorists, and the base camp was nearly destroyed by the fighting. All the remaining terrorists fled when they realized the situation was turning against them.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the three of them made a quick exit.
Unfortunately, Stark's suit was damaged before they had gone very far, likely due to the intensity of the previous battle.
Fortunately, a rescue plane arrived just in time.
Once they boarded the plane, Luke finally felt his tension ease.
It seemed that fate had smiled upon him, allowing him to escape disaster.
But now, how would he navigate life in the Marvel universe? After all, he didn't even have a place to call home.
What a dilemma.
...
**Country M, New York.**
After what felt like an eternity of flying, the plane finally landed at a military base.
As soon as they disembarked, Tony Stark approached Luke.
"Is your name Luke? Where do you live? I'll arrange for someone to take you back," Tony Stark inquired.
After their narrow escape, Stark had no doubts left about Luke.
To express his gratitude, he intended to help Luke return home.
Unexpectedly, Luke replied, a hint of frustration in his tone, "I don't have a home here."
He was a time traveler; where could he possibly have a home in this new world?
Tony Stark seemed surprised and pressed on, "Don't you have any family?"
"I did once, but they're gone now," Luke said.
Tony Stark clearly misunderstood the gravity of the situation. After a moment of silence, he sighed, "What a poor kid."
Before Luke could clarify, Stark called out, "Pepper, take him to my apartment to rest."
Moments later, a stunning blonde approached.
Luke recognized her immediately.
Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's personal assistant.
After receiving her boss's instructions, Pepper led Luke to a Bentley.
Once inside the car, Pepper expressed her gratitude, "I heard you helped Tony escape. Thank you."
Luke shook his head and replied politely, "You're welcome. I just did what I could."
"I think you must be tired. Let's get you to the apartment to rest first. Would you like something to eat? I can have someone prepare it right now," Pepper offered.
"Hot pot," Luke replied after a moment of thought.
After narrowly escaping death, he just wanted to unwind with a comforting meal.
"That might be a bit tricky, but I'll ask the chef to prepare it immediately," Pepper said as she made a phone call to arrange it.
This would only take about fifteen minutes.
When the car finally stopped, Pepper quickly exited and opened the door for him.
"Thank you," Luke said as he stepped out.
He was taken aback as soon as he stepped out of the car.
Wait, didn't they say "apartment"?
Why were they stopping in front of a villa?!
"Tony said that to thank you for saving him, you're getting this apartment. I've arranged for someone to clean it up, and all the essentials are in place. Here's the key," Pepper explained, handing him the key.
Only then did Luke realize what "apartment" really meant!
Tony just casually referred to the villa as an apartment and gifted it to him?!
Although surprised, Luke maintained his composure and accepted the key, thanking her, "Please thank Tony for me."
"This is the least I could do. I'll leave you now, Mr. Luke. If you need anything, you can call the phone in the room," Pepper said with a smile as she bid farewell.
"Goodbye, Pepper," Luke waved back.
Once she left, he couldn't wait to explore the villa.
Although his family situation hadn't been terrible before time travel, it certainly hadn't afforded him a life in a villa.
Especially one so grand that it could easily be mistaken for a hotel!
But the location was prime, just two or three blocks away from the heart of New York City, where every inch of land was worth a fortune!
Otherwise, how could Tony Stark be one of the wealthiest men around?
As he marveled at his good fortune, Luke explored the entire villa. Exhausted from the day's events, he finally found a room and collapsed onto the bed.
Finally, he could calm his mind and reflect on everything that had happened.
Not only had he escaped from the terrorist base, but he had also done so without a scratch.
Originally worried about being homeless in an unfamiliar place, Tony had gifted him a villa.
He couldn't deny that he was feeling incredibly fortunate.
"I'm so lucky; I should really buy a lottery ticket," Luke jokingly thought.
But just as he finished that thought, he sensed something was off.
He noticed the image before him suddenly shatter, like glass breaking apart, spreading in a kaleidoscope of colors.
"What the hell?!" Luke muttered, sitting up abruptly from the bed.
As soon as he stood, a figure in a yellow monk's robe and hood appeared before him.
That outfit looked familiar.
As he pondered, the figure removed the hood.
A shiny bald head came into view.
Ah... bald... it's the Ancient One!!