Marvel At What Could've Happened

Chapter 27

"Ready, Dr. Banner? Great...We have take-off in... three, two, one..." Tony activated the thrusters, bracing for the acceleration. He shot upwards and gave a whoop of excitement. The base grew small quickly underneath him. He added power and felt less resistance. The air was so thin that the suit could increase his speed with lower effort.

Tony refused to look down, but he could tell that he was miles above the Earth's surface and the atmosphere was fading. His suit produced oxygen; he wasn't worried about that, and indeed the graphics on his screen told him that he was at an incredibly high altitude with very little oxygen and a very low outside temperature.

It was like he had passed through a barrier and there was suddenly no resistance and when he turned off the thrusters, he continued to drift forward with significant speed. Tony looked behind him and saw the Earth as he has only seen it in pictures; as a world, a real planet, hanging in the sky. He could see the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean partially obscured by clouds. The moon hanged in the sky off to the right of the Earth, larger and closer to the planet than he had expected.

Tony looked ahead of himself again and saw only stars and planets. The sun was to his left and he kept it in his peripheral vision. He activated his thrusters again to see if he could direct his flight and found that he could, and he turned himself to fully face Earth and floated for a moment, before realizing what he had done.

He panicked. He was more alone than anyone had every been and this was only a test run. He only hoped that the suit could break into the atmosphere again. He was supposed to have contact with the base, but there was no voice in his ear and when he attempted to reach them, there was no connection. Tony felt his heart racing and his brain was clouded. He couldn't think straight. His vision was blurry; he felt like he was spinning and would be sick, and he fainted.

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THREE WEEKS EARLIER

"So, my father is letting you use the vibranium," T'Challa grinned.

"Yeah, he's giving me whatever I need."

"What will you do with it?"

"You don't know? Your sister did."

"My sister is crafty and finds ways to listen even when she should not. I do not know what you spoke to my father about." Tony chuckled.

"Shuri's too bright for her own good. I'm building a suit."

"I should have guessed. Is your titanium alloy not enough?"

"Not if I want to go to space."

"Ah, so that is the goal."

"Theoretically. Have any suggestions?"

"Nothing that Shuri would not have told you already. This is not my area of expertise."

"It isn't, huh? What is?"

"I am...not sure. I am not meant to be stuck in a lab like her. Each day, I learn from my father, I assist in running our country, I train in combat. I will be King someday, but I am no expert in kingship, nor will I ever be. My father would not claim to be either. I am not the leader he is, but I will do what is expected of me. That is my place." T'Challa looked Tony in the eye as he said it.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"You're as bright as your sister."