###
Time: March 3, 2001
Location: Stark Mansion – Basement Level 2, Malibu, California
#
The hum of machines and the faint scent of solder filled the dimly lit underground lab, where soft-blue LEDs pulsed like a heartbeat in the dark. Cables coiled across the metal floor like snakes. In the center of it all stood a sleek, silver pod.
Tony Stark leaned against a metal support beam, arms crossed, eyebrows lifted. "You sure about this, Leo?"
Leo adjusted his white lab coat, fingers dancing across a digital control panel. His eyes never left the screen. "Positive. It won't go 'Judgment Day' on us, I promise."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "I dunno, you are naming it Travis. Sounds suspiciously like a guy who drinks black coffee and doesn't blink."
Leo chuckled. "I named him Travis as a homage to what inspired me, Thus he is T-1. Not a killer robot. More like... a metal intern."
"An intern with the grip strength to eventually crush metal."
Leo held up a hand. "Relax. Travis is programmed with Echo+. He's smart, stable, and loyal."
Leo's eyes then narrowed at the countdown screen. "Three... two... one."
He pressed the activation button.
With a low hiss, the pod's locking mechanisms disengaged. The lights inside the pod flared to life, bathing the room in a cold glow. The digital hum grew louder.
Then everything shifted.
SYSTEM ONLINE
MODEL: T-1 – TRAVIS
INITIALIZING...
BOOTING PRIMARY SENSORS
IDENTIFYING...
Two figures appeared in his vision.
The first—Male, Red hair, Curious expression.
Facial scan: LEO H. STARK.
Status: Primary liege.
Second—male, brown hair, Cautious smile. Facial scan: TONY A. STARK
Status: Secondary liege.
Travis tilted his head, servos humming smoothly.
"Status report," Leo said, his voice calm but expectant.
Travis's vocal processor clicked into place. "All systems functional. Core temperature nominal. Battery at 100%."
Leo grinned. "Perfect. Travis, stand up."
With fluid motion, Travis stepped out of the pod. His feet clanged against the floor as he rose to full height—Six feet of exposed aluminum frame, with wires running through his limbs like veins and motors humming quietly at the joints.
His eyes—twin lenses mounted in a sculpted head casing—glowed soft blue as he processed the world for the first time
"Walk around the house. Get familiar. Return when you're down to 90% battery," Leo instructed.
"Understood," Travis replied, his voice calm and low. Without hesitation, he turned and walked toward the staircase leading up.
Tony watched the machine disappear with a low whistle. "Kinda spooky how smooth that was."
Leo turned back to the control panel, checking Travis's vitals. "Better than expected. Honestly, I thought he'd stumble on the first step."
Tony smirked. "So, back to real issues. Are you gonna keep bugging me about putting JARVIS on Stark Industries' servers?"
Leo didn't even look up. "Just saying, it'd make your life easier. You could track internal transactions, flag suspicious data. Y'know, avoid embezzlement."
Tony waved a hand dismissively. "Uncle Stane's got it handled. He's good at that corporate juggling act. I'd rather not stick my nose into it."
Leo looked over his shoulder. "He is still human. People slip. Someone could be stealing from you right now."
Tony paused, that flicker of doubt crossing his face. But It didn't stay long.
"I promised to stay out of the business side," he said finally. "The moment I show interest, the board will rope me into those mind-numbing shareholder meetings."
Leo shrugged with exaggerated innocence. "As long as you're sure." He turned back to the console. "At the very least, we should upgrade the internal servers with Echo+. Add some security. If something military-related leaks, that's not a slap on the wrist—it's a courtroom."
Tony rolled his eyes, but after a moment's thought, he nodded. "Alright, alright. You win. Echo+ it is. Just don't install anything that makes my coffee machine sentient."
Leo grinned, but said nothing. In his mind, he was already planning to assign Friday for the silent role of digital overseer. She'd watch every server, every packet of data. Quiet as a shadow.. collecting proof against Obadiah stane..
Minutes passed as the two chatted casually—Tony talking about the new roadster he was designing, Leo countering with a mock blueprint of a flying toaster.
Then, a soft whirring sound echoed through the lab.
Travis had returned.
The robot stepped smoothly back into the room, posture perfectly upright.
Leo turned to the air. "Friday?"
A calm, feminine voice responded. "Travis has depleted exactly ten percent of his battery in twelve minutes."
Leo's eyes lit up. "Not bad for the first version."
He cracked his knuckles and walked toward the robot. "Alright, big guy. Let's put you through your next set of tests. Movement precision, vocal mimicry, object recognition... we're gonna have some fun."
Tony watched the two—Leo, grinning like a proud dad, and Travis, standing silently like a loyal sentinel.
He muttered under his breath, "And people think I'm the evil scientist"
#
Malibu. May 3rd, 2001.
#
The sun spilled golden warmth through the towering glass windows of the main room, catching the edges of futuristic screens and sleek furniture. A breeze rolled in from the ocean, rustling the curtains just enough to remind you this wasn't a space station—it only felt like one.
Leo, Few days away from turning Six, leaned back into a cushion with a mug of Australian Goat milk, His favorite. His sharp eyes scanned a monitor humming softly with data.
"Huh," Leo murmured. "I didn't even think about internet speed."
Pepper Potts glanced up from the tablet in her hand but didn't comment. Leo was talking to himself, or more accurately—
"Friday?" he called.
"Yes, Leo?" came the crisp voice of the AI, its tone warm and alert.
"Start work on downgraded versions of Friendlist, MyTube, and Enigma. Something that fits 2001 bandwidth and processors. Don't let users experience buffering like it's a punishment."
"Understood," Friday replied. "Initiating Lite versions for early consumer adaptation. Estimated runtime: 7 hours."
Pepper didn't even blink. After six months, she'd grown used to these exchanges—Leo, the pint-sized founder, casually commanding a hyper-advanced AI like he was ordering from a diner menu.
She looked up from her notes and smiled faintly. "I've already anticipated that. We've got contingency marketing ready for both full and lite releases."
Leo raised a brow, impressed. "Really?"
Pepper set her tablet on the table and crossed one leg over the other. "We're locked in for ad shoots. Keanu Reeves for Enigma, Mandy Moore for MyTube, and Tom Hanks for Friendlist."
Leo's eyes widened. "You got Keanu?"
She grinned. "He liked the concept. Something about bending tech instead of minds"
Leo chuckled. "He is perfect for this, When's filming?"
"Mid of June," she said. "All three are onboard. Ads go live mid-August, synced with app releases."
He leaned back and let out a satisfied sigh. "You're a life-savor."
"And a CEO," she added with mock formality.
"Oh, right," he said, feigning surprise. "I almost forgot I gave you 5% of Lionheart."
Pepper smirked. "Best five percent I've ever been offered."
"Glad to hear it was money well spent." Leo said, grinning wide.
She glanced at her tablet again. "HP and Dell are backing us for PR. They'll push promotions from their side."
Leo beamed, swinging his legs over the edge of the couch. "I am glad to have a CEO more reliable than a father."
"That is Considered Defamation, you know?" Leo heard His Father's voice from a distance. "Look, I even bothered to bring Wendy's for you"
"Uh huh, It definitely wasn't Uncle Happy who reminded you before you came back." Leo lazily remarked back.
".. I plead the fifth, And here's my offering for your silence." Tony remarked snarkingly while he handed the Wendy's bag to Leo.
#
Late August, 2001
#
The television glowed in the darkened room, the only source of light aside from the blinking LEDs under Leo's workstation.
Onscreen, Keanu Reeves stood before Morpheus, the camera lingering as he looked between two familiar objects in his outstretched hands—one browser window, old and clunky, its UI practically fossilized. The other: Enigma, sleek and vibrant.
Morpheus's voice said "One leads you back to pop-ups and dial-up. The other... shows you the truth."
Keanu chose Enigma.
The screen cut to black, the Enigma logo pulsing with neon energy, followed by the tagline: "Browse Beyond Limits."
Leo blinked slowly. The ad was perfect—, and unmistakably cool, he had to admit
But something else tugged at his attention. His gaze drifted from the screen, down to the calendar resting on the table nearby.
His eyes narrowed. "What… am I forgetting?"
His heart ticked faster, inexplicably.
He stared harder at the dates. August... almost over. Something important. Something big.
He tried to reach for it—mentally, emotionally—but the moment his thoughts pushed past the surface, it slammed shut.
Chains, Cold and absolute.
He groaned quietly and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "Again?" he muttered.
He'd been trying to unlock the memories for months now. Pieces from his other life—but it refused to surface. It wasn't normal forgetfulness. It was like his own mind was preventing him from it.
What puzzled him most wasn't just the mental block—it was the exhaustion.
He was never tired. Not like this. His body was stronger than any child should be. He could even outrun Happy without exhaustion despite being six.
But trying to recall what he was missing? It was exhausting.
"Friday," he said quietly with drowsy eyes.
"Yes, Leo?"
"Let's pick up where we left off with T-3. This version is almost stable, right?"
"Correct. Shall I bring up the last iteration?"
"Yeah," Leo nodded. "Let's finish it tonight."
"Initializing T-3 development workspace now."
#
Time: September 11th, 2001 – early morning.
Location: Malibu – Basement Level 2
Mild Trigger warning: for those who are sensitive to that incident.
#
The hum of machinery blended with the faint jazz loop Travis played on idle. Leo stood in front of the T-3 unit—sleek, skeletal, and just barely obedient. The new servos moved cleaner now. Less jitter. Travis's optic sensors flickered a pale blue as it tracked Leo's hand movements.
"Pick up the wrench," Leo said clearly.
Travis responded with a click and a mechanical whirr, its hand closing awkwardly around the tool and lifting it off the bench.
"Good," Leo mumbled, squinting at the debug overlay floating beside him. "Now put it—"
A cheerful jingle interrupted him.
On the television screen across the lab, Tom Hanks appeared in a clean-cut button-up, sitting in front of a brand-new 2001 HP desktop. The Friendlist UI glowed on his monitor as he uploaded vacation photos.
"Sharing moments has never been this easy," Tom said, smiling at the camera.
A chime sounded. A new message blinked in from MandyMoore01:
"Just uploaded a song! Wanna see?"
A quick cut to MyTube. Mandy Moore, bright and youthful, in a bedroom studio setup, singing into a wired microphone with rich reverb.
Leo smiles faintly. "Not bad casting."
Then—
BZZZ
A sharp cut. The screen flickered, and suddenly a flat-toned emergency broadcast filled the air. The newsroom was in chaos, cameras shaky.
"This just in—we have unconfirmed reports of a commercial plane striking the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I repeat, a plane has—"
The words slowed in Leo's mind. The room didn't.
He turned slowly, eyes locked on the screen.
The image shifted to shaky footage—an enormous plume of smoke curling into the sky like a serpent. Screams in the distance. Sirens echoing.
"Early responders include members of the X-Men. A mutant with what appears to be hyper-speed reflexes is reported to have evacuated a significant portion of the North Tower before impact. So far, casualties appear minimal—"
But Leo barely registered the words. His brain had stopped processing them.
His heart rate spiked. Breath catching. Muscles tightening.
Why do I feel like this? I'm not there. I'm not hurt. No one I know is hurt—
But the static that filled the air—it was too familiar. The fire, the collapse, the chaos.
He didn't remember why.
He just remembered the feeling.
You should've tried harder to remember, Maybe you could have prevented this. a thought whispered, cruel and quiet.
The soldering iron slipped from his trembling fingers, clattering to the ground.
His breath turned shallow. Sharp. His vision warped around the edges. The noise from the television, the server racks, even Travis's gentle movements—all became too much.
"Stop..." he stammered, reaching for the bench as the world spun.
His knees buckled.
Before the cold floor could catch him, Travis moved—jerky, awkward, but fast enough. The endoskeleton lunged and caught Leo by the shoulders, steadying him with unexpected gentleness.
Leo's head lolled forward against the metal chest. He gasped once, then everything went dark.
"Friday," Jarvis's voice cut through the room's tension and immediate.
"Already on the line," Friday replied, her tone clipped with urgency. "Dispatch is en route."
Jarvis continued without pause. "Calling Mr Tony."
#
California – Red Sands Casino
8:53 AM
#
The din of the casino was all bells and fake glamour. Tony Stark leaned on the bar, tossing back a drink when his phone buzzed with the Mansion Priority line.
He frowned. "Leo?"
He answered casually. "Hey, kid—miss me alread—?"
"Mr. Stark," Jarvis cut in. "Leo has lost consciousness. Emergency responders have been alerted."
Tony froze. The smile vanished from his face.
"What happened?" His voice dropped. Tense. Barely a whisper.
"Suspected panic episode. He collapsed. Travis caught him before impact."
Tony didn't wait. He was already moving. "Happy!" he barked, sprinting toward the exit.
"Get the car."
#
Word count: 2257.
Author's note:
New note: F*CK I realized way later that i accidentally put the schedule to 8th of May for this chapter. Sorry lmao
This seems like a reasonable reaction to me. Leo only has memories that could be considered safe for a child his age to have.
As I mentioned in a previous note. His memories come gradually over a period of many years to keep him from being too influenced by his past life. But alas I also realized an incident like this would likely cause a lot of distress for someone like Leo.
I did think of making Leo remember this and try to prevent as much casualties as possible but most of the ways felt forced and too wish fullfilment.
Then I remembered I could use others like X-Men to prevent as much casualties during this fictional version of the same incident. Which if you can't tell from last chapter. Was staged by hydra in this timeline.
I won't include irl incidents much since that would probably turn this fanfic too serious. Just know most of the bad stuff are caused by hydra in this timeline and they would be lessened to a degree due to superheroes being involved in the background.
This is something I personally feel compelled to mention since I know someone would question why I included 9/11 in the fanfic.
And No, I can't just blatantly ignore it as well since Leo is an American and he has the qualities of a true "hero" I.e selfish kindness. So he would be heavily affected by this, regardless of whether I write it or not, So I might as well let the readers understand how this will change Leo.
So Be warned, if you dislike this,the next chapter will also include 9/11 since it's a great way for me to set many things up. Especially Leo's character growth. You will definitely like the next chapter if you don't feel too sensitive about this issue.
Also good news, you guys managed to reach 25 powerstones, so I will upload two chapters tomorrow.
##
Current schedule: 6th (Current Chapter), 7th (Double chapter), 8th (Next Chapter) at 9am GMT+6 or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 10 pm Central Time
Note: The former is my own country's time and the latter is Central time.
Weekly Challenge: 25 Power stone/hearts for 1 extra chapter. (upto 4 at max)
Monthly Challenge: 100 Power stone/hearts for 1 extra chapter. (That's all)
Note: heart is on scribble hub and power stone is on Web novel.
An ideal Example: Let's say you usually get 12 chapters per month. If you complete the challenges then you get upto extra 5 chapters that month. Thus it could be 17 chapters a month.