Dimensional Nomad

After the Stark Industries gamble paid off, I had momentum. My small investment had grown into a modest sum, and my dad's awe at my so-called "luck" had softened his skepticism. I was still a kid, so no one expected me to have financial genius—that worked in my favor. My parents thought this was just a quirky hobby, something I'd outgrow when toys and cartoons inevitably distracted me. Spoiler alert: that wasn't going to happen.

If anything, that success had lit a fire in me. I had a window of opportunity, and I planned to make the most of it.

The first step was expanding my knowledge beyond just the Stark timeline. Sure, Tony Stark's arc was easy for me to follow since I'd seen it all play out before. But what about everything else? Oscorp? The Baxter Building? SHIELD? Wakanda? I needed to start piecing it all together.

I couldn't rely on every detail I remembered—even though my reincarnated brain held plenty of trivia, this was real life, and real life didn't always stick to the script. There were bound to be variations, unpredictable variables. The butterfly effect could already be underway for all I knew. For all my confidence, I couldn't afford to get lazy.

I spent as much time as I could consuming information without raising suspicion. My parents thought I was just a precocious kid who liked watching the news and reading. I played it off perfectly—asking dumbed-down questions, feigning curiosity, even pestering my dad to explain stock prices and company earnings reports to me.

"So, Stark Industries makes weapons… but do other companies compete with them?" I asked once, biting into a PB&J while sitting on the couch with him.

"Of course. There are plenty of defense contractors out there," my dad replied, barely looking up from his tablet. "But Stark… Well, Stark's got the name. And their tech? Best in the world, hands down."

I nodded, pretending to chew it over. "So, what happens if Mr. Stark makes something even better? Like… I don't know, something that doesn't blow up as much."

My dad snorted a laugh. "If that happens, their stock will skyrocket. But don't get your hopes up, kid. Stark's smart, but the company's been making weapons forever. People don't change overnight."

Oh, they will, I thought. Just wait.

Once I had Stark Industries in the bag, I started making plans for other opportunities. Oscorp was next on my radar. Norman Osborn would rise to power soon, but the man was dangerous. Unhinged. I had no plans to mess with Oscorp directly, but I could still profit from it if I was careful.

The first challenge, though, was getting access to more money.

Sure, my Stark investment had grown, but I was still operating with kid-level funds. No bank was going to take a nine-year-old seriously, and I couldn't exactly waltz into a hedge fund and pitch my genius ideas. I had to be smart about this.

The solution came to me one afternoon when I overheard my parents talking about my upcoming birthday.

"What do you think he wants?" my mom asked. "Toys? A bike? He's been so hard to shop for lately."

"Honestly, I don't know," my dad admitted. "He's been so into his stock stuff… Maybe we could put more money into his account? He'd probably like that."

I nearly choked on my cereal. More money? This was perfect.

Later that night, I made my move. I sat down with my parents, clutching a handwritten note that I'd spent far too long drafting to look appropriately childish.

"What's this?" my dad asked, taking the note.

"It's my birthday wish list," I said, rocking back and forth on my heels. "But instead of toys, I just want one thing."

He read it aloud: "'I want to be a real investor. Please put any birthday money into my account so I can learn how to save and invest for the future.'" He looked up at me with a surprised expression. "That… That's it?"

"Uh-huh!" I nodded enthusiastically. "You always say I'm smart. I want to prove it! And I want to learn how money works, so I don't waste it when I'm older."

My mom smiled warmly, clearly proud. "Well, that's very mature of you, sweetheart. Are you sure you don't want anything else?"

"Nope. Just that."

My dad shook his head with a chuckle. "You're a weird kid… but all right. If that's what you really want, we can do it."

"Thanks, Dad!"

Hook, line, and sinker.

The influx of birthday money, combined with my earlier earnings, gave me a little more to work with. I spent the next few months quietly diversifying my investments. Stark Industries was still my crown jewel, but I started trickling small amounts into other companies—ones I knew would explode in the coming years.

By the time I turned ten, I had a portfolio that would make a grown investor jealous. Of course, my dad still thought this was all adorable. "My kid's a financial wizard," he'd joke to his friends, ruffling my hair while I pretended to laugh.

He didn't realize I was playing a much bigger game.

While my financial empire was slowly growing, I had another priority: my body. Intelligence was great, but this was Marvel. Brains alone wouldn't save me if someone like the Green Goblin or Rhino decided to flatten me like a pancake.

So, I started training.

At first, it was basic stuff. Push-ups. Sit-ups. Jogging around the block until my legs burned. My parents thought I was just a hyper kid burning off energy, and I let them think that.

But I wasn't just playing around. I had a plan. I needed to build a foundation—strength, speed, reflexes—and I needed to do it now, while I was still young enough to adapt quickly. I didn't have access to super-serums or alien tech yet, so I had to work with what I had.

Every morning, I woke up early to train. By the time my parents were awake, I was already showered and dressed, ready to start the day like any other kid. They never suspected a thing.

The turning point came late one night, when I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. For the first time since my reincarnation, I let myself really think about what I was doing.

I wasn't just playing the stock market or working out for fun. I was building a life—a life where I could survive, thrive, and maybe even make a difference in this world. I had knowledge, power, and time on my side. But there was still so much I didn't know.

I had to be ready for whatever came next.

I closed my eyes, fists clenched under the covers.

This is only the beginning.