UNKNOWN GUEST

#78 The Sukovia Accords

As I sat there, trying to keep my nerves in check, a boy around my age slid into the seat next to me. He glanced over and asked casually, "Are you a student?"

I sighed, already feeling the weight of the day on my shoulders. "No," I answered, "I'm Mr. Stark's secretary on this tour."

He raised his brows, impressed. "Cool."

I gave a small chuckle, more out of habit than amusement. "What's so cool about it?"

He shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Cool as in working with the great Tony Stark?"

I laughed, a bit more genuinely this time. "Definitely."

He extended his hand and introduced himself, "I'm Dustin, by the way."

I nodded back. "Hi. I'm Jason." Saying that name out loud felt smoother now. Funny how I've gotten used to it. Thinking back to a few years ago, I used to slip and say "James" whenever someone asked my name. Now, it's like second nature.

Sitting in the audience section of MIT's conference hall, I tried to relax, though internally, I was anything but calm. Uncle Tony was about to speak on stage any minute now, but my mind kept drifting to Lagos. Dad, Mom, Sam, and Wanda were all out there on a mission right now — that mission. The one where they were going after Crossbones. I could have gone with them. Heck, I was expected to, but I had begged off, claiming I needed a break. In reality, I had another reason.

Cowardice? Maybe. But I'd been sensing something strange lately, a weird energy that had me on edge. And deep down, I was terrified that I might somehow mess things up, changing the future in ways I couldn't afford to. I couldn't let that happen. 

Wanda, of all people, would've noticed my unease if I had gone with them. She'd have seen right through me, maybe even picked up on future events. That's the last thing I wanted. If she figured out what was coming, she might have tried to stop it. But the chaos that was about to unfold was necessary. It couldn't be prevented. So, I stayed back.

When Mr. Stark offered to bring me along on this tour, I jumped at the chance. Mostly because of Wanda. If I was out of her proximity, she couldn't sense anything unusual from me. Plus, it gave me an excuse to avoid a potential catastrophe. Before leaving, I wished Dad luck and, for good measure, reminded him, "Don't freeze anywhere." He brushed it off like always.

The lights dimmed, pulling me out of my thoughts. The host took the stage, microphone in hand, his voice booming over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, and all our students, please welcome Mr. Tony Stark, the Iron Man."

The room erupted in applause. Everyone stood, clapping and cheering as Uncle Tony confidently walked onto the stage. He looked like he owned the place—which, knowing him, he might as well have.

I settled into my seat as the noise died down. Uncle Tony wasted no time jumping into his speech. He started by talking about Stark Industries' latest investments in MIT, the funding for cutting-edge research, and the scholarships available for students with brilliant, forward-thinking ideas. It was the kind of speech that could inspire the whole room—hell, even I felt a bit motivated listening to him, despite the cloud hanging over my thoughts.

After the conference wrapped up, I scoured the building for Uncle Tony. For a guy who loved attention, he sure had a knack for slipping away when he wanted. I finally found him near the washroom area, leaning against the wall, lost in thought. His usual sharp demeanor was replaced with something heavier, something more personal.

I approached him cautiously, unsure of what was going on. "You okay, Mr. Stark?" I asked, trying to read his expression.

He cleared his throat and ran a hand down his face, as if trying to shake off whatever was on his mind. "Yeah, just... ran into someone," he mumbled, clearly preoccupied.