Joren turned and walked toward the elevator.
"The people at S.H.I.E.L.D. are professional," Tony said from behind him. "And patient."
Joren didn't stop.
"They'll follow you like a shadow. When you go to school. When you eat. When you try to sleep."
Tony leaned casually against the bar, voice calm but precise.
"They'll analyze every piece of trash you throw away. They'll log every phone call. Catalog every face that walks past your door."
A faint pause.
"They have time. They have funding. And you…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"…are a high school student who wants a peaceful life."
Joren stopped in front of the elevator.
Tony watched his back and allowed himself a small smile.
"Tell me," he continued, "is this the peaceful life you wanted?"
Joren remained still.
Being watched.
Tracked.
Observed without end.
That quiet, suffocating pressure was worse than direct conflict.
More exhausting than battle.
More invasive than violence.
He turned back.
Tony's smile widened just slightly.
He knew the line had landed.
"I can make them disappear."
Tony flicked his fingers through the air. The holographic display dissolved into light.
"One phone call. That's all it takes."
He walked closer.
"I can give you a safe zone. No S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance. No government flies."
A beat.
"So you can peacefully… finish your calculus homework."
Tony stopped within arm's reach.
"But in exchange…"
He tapped his chest lightly. The arc reactor's glow shimmered beneath his shirt.
"I need to understand you. Not for them. For me."
The humor vanished from his tone.
"This world is getting stranger by the week. I'm assembling a response framework."
He held Joren's gaze.
"A power like yours can't remain an unknown variable."
A team.
The word triggered an image in Joren's mind:
Colorful costumes.
Round table debates.
Dramatic speeches about hope and unity.
Trouble.
"I'm not interested in your club."
Tony snorted.
"I haven't even offered a membership card."
His words flowed effortlessly.
"Relax. I'm not hiring you. This isn't an interview."
He spread his hands.
"Think of it as a consultation. We run harmless tests. I get data. You get peace and quiet."
Then, with a glance at Joren's shirt:
"And by the way, your T-shirt seam is off by about two-tenths of a millimeter. I can fix that. Handmade, custom fit. Consider it a signing bonus."
Silence settled between them.
Joren weighed the options.
Constant invisible surveillance.
Or one controlled engagement with a known variable.
Trade a single, predictable inconvenience for lasting quiet.
Between two evils, choose the lesser.
"This is an assessment," he said. "There won't be a second time."
Tony snapped his fingers, grin flashing.
"Fantastic. I knew we could be friends."
He pivoted toward the bar, already gesturing in midair.
"JARVIS, cancel my afternoon schedule. New project."
He paused theatrically.
"Project Stardust."
Joren's eyebrow twitched.
"Change the name."
"Branding is everything, kid."
Tony winked.
"Happy will take you home. I'll schedule our… date later. We'll avoid your classes."
A beat.
"And your documentary reruns."
Joren stepped into the elevator.
The doors slid shut, cutting off Tony's triumphant expression.
The elevator descended smoothly.
Joren leaned against the cool metal wall and closed his eyes.
Events were accelerating toward a future he had no interest in entering.
Stark Tower — Top Floor
Tony watched the elevator numbers descend.
His smile faded.
"JARVIS. Probability he keeps the appointment?"
"Based on his behavioral pattern of solving problems via the path of least resistance, probability is 78.4%, sir."
Tony nodded.
"That'll do."
He picked up his whiskey and walked to the window overlooking Manhattan's glittering night.
Something bothered him.
From beginning to end, the boy had been too calm.
Not defensive.
Not evasive.
Not intimidated.
Calm like a deep well — every stone dropped into it vanished without a ripple.
Tony had secured agreement.
Yet it felt less like victory…
…and more like he had been evaluated.
"JARVIS."
"Yes, sir."
"Replay the conversation. Micro-expressions. Eye tracking."
"Analysis complete."
"Heart rate: steady at 62 beats per minute. No stress spikes."
"Primary emotional indicators: impatience, 83%. Indifference, 15%. Remaining signals negligible."
Tony exhaled slowly.
"Eye tracking?"
"Holographic file: 0.8 seconds. Your face: cumulative 3.2 seconds. Whiskey bottle: 4.5 seconds. Holographic solar system model: 7.1 seconds."
Tony blinked.
The whiskey?
The solar model?
More interesting than Stark Industries data and Tony Stark himself?
"The Mars orbital perturbation correction he mentioned," Tony said. "Verify it."
"Verification complete. Including gravitational influence from Ceres and Juno results in orbital deviation of 112,400 kilometers over fifty years. Original model contained inaccuracies."
Tony stared at the city lights.
"…That kid."
He set the glass down.
"JARVIS."
"Yes, sir."
"Pull every record on the Joestar family. Public, private, historical. I want patterns, preferences, anomalies."
A beat.
"And if possible, find out what brand of milk they bought fifty years ago."
He drained the rest of the whiskey.
"A high school student with a sun inside him…"
Tony's reflection stared back from the glass.
His eyes gleamed with restless excitement.
"This is a lot more interesting than building robots."