Marvel: A.T.L.A.S. - Ghost Protocol

Stark Mansion, New York - December 1975

The Stark mansion blazed with lights against the winter evening, its modern architecture a stark contrast to the Victorian elegance of the Valemont estate. As their Rolls-Royce pulled up the circular drive, Caspian observed the security measures through his Emperor Eye—cutting edge for 1975, though primitive compared to what he remembered from his previous life.

"Remember," Carrie said quietly as Walter opened the car door, "perception shapes reality."

"Yes, mother," Caspian replied, understanding the subtle warning. Tonight wasn't just about two families socializing—it was about managing relationships that would shape the future of both enterprises.

Howard Stark greeted them in the foyer, his charismatic presence filling the space. "Tobias! About time you brought the family to see what real innovation looks like." The friendly rivalry between the two men was evident in their grins.

"Howard," Tobias clasped his friend's hand warmly. "Still trying to catch up to Valemont Enterprises, I see."

Maria Stark appeared, greeting Carrie with practiced social grace. "Tony's in his workshop," she said, glancing at Caspian. "He's been quite excited to meet you."

Caspian followed a maid through the mansion's corridors, his enhanced senses taking in every detail. The air hummed with electricity and innovation—Howard's influence permeating every corner of the home.

The workshop door was cracked open, rock music spilling out alongside the sounds of tinkering. Inside, a dark-haired boy hunched over a workbench, completely absorbed in whatever he was building.

"Your circuit board is drawing too much power," Caspian said by way of greeting, his Emperor Eye having already analyzed the setup. "It'll burn out in approximately seventeen seconds."

Tony Stark's head snapped up, his eyes sharp with intelligence and a hint of defensiveness. "What do you—" The circuit board sparked, sending up a small puff of smoke. "Huh."

A moment of silence passed between them before Tony's face split into a grin. "Okay, that was pretty good. How'd you know?"

"The same way you knew the power supply wasn't properly grounded," Caspian replied, moving to examine the workbench. "You just hadn't looked up from the processor long enough to notice."

Tony's eyes lit up with genuine interest. "Finally, someone who speaks English. Dad said you were smart, but..." He gestured to a second stool. "Want to help me fix it?"

What followed was two hours of intense collaboration, their young minds building off each other's ideas. Caspian carefully modulated his input, letting Tony take the lead while subtly steering them away from potential disasters.

"See, if we reroute the power through this secondary—" Tony began.

"—and add a capacitor here—" Caspian continued.

"—then the whole thing stabilizes!" they finished together.

They were so engrossed that they didn't notice their fathers watching from the doorway until Howard spoke. "Well, would you look at that. Think we might have some competition, Tobias."

"Indeed," Tobias replied, his voice carrying pride and amusement. "Though perhaps collaboration would be a better word."

Over dinner, the adults discussed business and politics while Tony and Caspian carried on their own quiet conversation about theoretical applications for their modified circuit board. Caspian noted how Maria Stark deftly managed the social dynamics while Carrie observed everything with her intelligence officer's eye.

"Your mom's kind of scary," Tony whispered at one point. "In a cool way, I mean."

Caspian suppressed a smile. If Tony only knew the half of it. "She runs a tight ship at A.T.L.A.S."

"Better than having Howard 'The Greatest Innovator' Stark checking your math homework," Tony rolled his eyes, though there was fondness beneath the snark.

As the evening wound down, Tony grabbed Caspian's arm. "Hey, you have to come back next week. I have this idea for a miniature robot, and I could use someone who actually understands quantum mechanics."

"As long as we don't blow anything up this time," Caspian replied drily.

"That was one small fire! And technically, it was more of a controlled burn..."

In the car ride home, Carrie and Tobias exchanged knowing looks.

"A productive evening," Carrie observed. "Though I noticed you held back quite a bit, Caspian."

"Yes, mother. As you said, perception shapes reality." He paused. "Tony Stark is brilliant, but..."

"But?"

"He needs a friend more than he needs competition."

Carrie's slight nod carried approval. "Good. You're learning to see beneath the surface. The Stark boy will be a valuable ally in the future, but more importantly, he needs someone who understands him."

As they drove through the winter night, Caspian reflected on the evening. He'd known Tony Stark would be his best friend—his memories from his past life had told him that much. But experiencing young Tony's brilliant, frenetic energy firsthand had shown him something his future knowledge couldn't: the lonely boy beneath the genius facade who would become the man he'd one day call brother.

"Walter," he said as the butler helped him prepare for bed later, "I believe I'll need to brush up on my robotics."

"Very good, sir. Shall we adjust tomorrow's training schedule to accommodate some extra study time?"

"Please. Something tells me keeping up with Tony Stark is going to be a full-time job."

As he drifted off to sleep, Caspian smiled. The future might be uncertain, but tonight had shown him that some friendships were simply meant to be, regardless of which reality you lived in.