Chapter 2: End of performance.
Li Yue was a little surprised to hear the names Ben Parker and Peter Parker, but now was not the time to dwell on it. The magic show was his priority.
"Ben, there's nothing dangerous about this trick. Peter just needs to lend me a little help, and I promise to return him to you safe and sound."
Ben Parker gave a warm smile and nodded in approval.
With that reassurance, Li Yue led Peter back onto the stage, ready for the final act.
The stage was set. Though it didn't require many props, two large boxes stood on opposite sides of the stage, about ten meters apart.
The audience, still buzzing from the earlier performances, was intrigued.
"What's he planning now?"
A man in the crowd nudged his friend. "Have you ever seen a magic trick like this before?"
His friend shook his head. "No idea. But I can't wait to find out."
At the center of the stage, Li Yue smiled and gestured toward Peter.
"Everyone, let's give a round of applause for my new assistant, Peter Parker!"
The audience –responded with enthusiastic claps and cheers.
Peter's face turned red. Being the center of attention for the first time made him both shy and nervous.
Sensing his unease, Li Yue gently squeezed his hand in reassurance, then crouched down and whispered something to him. Peter nodded, signaling that he understood.
With everything ready, the performance began.
Li Yue instructed Peter to open both boxes and show the audience that they were empty.
After confirming that there was nothing inside, Peter closed the right-side box as instructed.
"Next, I will have Peter tie my hands behind my back and bind my legs together," Li Yue announced.
He turned around, allowing Peter to wrap a rope around his wrists multiple times before securing a tight knot. Then, Peter did the same for his legs.
Li Yue struggled a little, demonstrating to the audience that the bindings were secure and that he couldn't break free.
With great effort, he hopped into the left-side box and turned to face the audience.
"Peter, please close the box and count down from three," he said.
Peter nodded and shut the door.
"Three! Two! One!"
The entire audience joined in on the countdown, eagerly anticipating what would happen next.
As soon as Peter reached one, he pulled the box open—
And gasped.
The box was empty.
Peter's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?!"
The audience erupted in shocked murmurs.
At the same moment, the door of the right-side box suddenly burst open.
Li Yue stepped out, still bound tightly in ropes, as if he had teleported across the stage.
The audience went wild.
"Oh my God! How did he do that?!"
"He was just in the left box a second ago!"
"And he's still tied up! It's impossible!"
Thunderous applause and excited chatter filled the theater.
Li Yue remained still, letting the audience soak in the moment. The applause didn't stop for a full minute.
Once the cheering began to die down, he turned to Peter.
"Peter, let's do that one more time."
Peter, still in awe, nodded. "Okay, Mr. Li Yue!"
He rushed to close the box again, ready for the second attempt.
However, –this time, something was different.
In his excitement, Peter had forgotten to close the door of the left-side box.
The audience immediately noticed and leaned forward in their seats.
"Wait a minute… if the box isn't closed, we should be able to see how he does it!"
Backstage, Uncle John, Barry, and Iris watched in horror.
Iris gripped Uncle John's arm tightly. "Uncle John! The trick is going to be exposed! Stop the show before it's too late!"
Uncle John hesitated, but there was no time. Peter had already started counting.
"Three… Two…"
The audience held their breath, staring directly at the open box, expecting to catch a mistake.
But—
When Peter reached one, something completely unexpected happened.
Li Yue was not in the left-side box.
Nor was he in the right-side box.
He had completely disappeared.
For several seconds, the audience was silent, scanning the stage in confusion.
Then—
A surprised voice shouted from the back rows.
"He's here! Mr. Li Yue is sitting in my seat!"
All heads turned toward the source of the voice.
In the exact spot where Peter had been sitting earlier, Li Yue now sat casually, still bound in ropes.
He looked at Ben Parker with a grin.
"Mind untying me?" he joked. "I don't think I can escape a mob of excited fans like this."
The audience burst into laughter.
In reality, Li Yue had sensed the mistake the moment Peter failed to close the box door.
Thanks to his enhanced mental abilities, he could perceive everything within a ten-meter radius, allowing him to teleport to any space he could "sense."
Since both boxes were being watched closely, he needed a better escape plan.
That's when it hit him—Peter's empty seat was the perfect hiding spot.
And with everyone's attention focused on the stage, nobody noticed him reappear in the audience until someone finally turned around.
As the realization settled in, the audience erupted into a standing ovation.
They had never seen a trick this unbelievable before.
Li Yue had completely conquered the crowd.
His first-ever magic performance had been a grand success.
Not far from the theater, inside a lavish casino, a charismatic billionaire sat at a gambling table, surrounded by beautiful women.
Rolling a pair of dice between his fingers, he smirked confidently before tossing them onto the table.
The dice landed with a soft clack.
Tony Stark grinned.
"Looks like tonight's my lucky night."
Barry approached Li Yue immediately after the show, his face filled with curiosity and admiration.
"Mr. Li Yue, your magic show was absolutely incredible!" Barry exclaimed. "As a prop master, I usually know the secrets behind most magic tricks, but honestly, I have no idea how you pulled off that last one. Even though I prepared the boxes myself, I still can't figure it out. Can you tell me how you did it?"
Iris, standing beside him, nodded eagerly.
Li Yue smiled but shook his head.
"Sorry, Barry, that's a trade secret."
Of course, he couldn't just say, I used my superpowers to teleport. That would completely ruin the mystery.
Barry and Iris exchanged glances, a little disappointed but not surprised. They understood that magicians never revealed their secrets.
As they walked backstage, Li Yue turned to Uncle John.
"Uncle John, I think I need a place to stay tonight. Right now, I'm technically homeless."
John chuckled. "No problem, Li! After what you did for me tonight, you can stay at my place. Pick any room you like."
Li Yue smiled in gratitude.
Uncle John's House
That night, Li Yue moved into Uncle John's home.
The house was simple and a little old-fashioned. John's wife had passed away years ago, and he had no children, so he lived alone. Having a guest seemed to bring some warmth back into the house.
Sitting on the couch, John flipped through TV channels, finally settling on a news broadcast.
Li Yue, however, wasn't paying attention to the screen.
His mind was racing with thoughts.
"What kind of world have I traveled to?"
Too many names he had encountered today felt familiar. Could it really be a coincidence? Or had he somehow entered a world he had seen before?
He needed to learn more.
Just then, a news segment caught his attention.
"Breaking News: The Genius of Stark Industries"
The screen showed a military officer presenting a trophy to a bald man.
A deep, authoritative voice narrated:
"Tony Stark—visionary, genius, patriot. As the son of legendary weapons developer Howard Stark, he has been in the public eye since childhood. At age four, he built his first circuit board. At six, he designed his own engine. By seventeen, he graduated top of his class from MIT. After his father's passing, longtime ally Obadiah Stane took control of Stark Industries. But at twenty-one, Tony Stark reclaimed his family's legacy, becoming CEO of Stark Industries and taking the weapons industry to new heights. His innovations in smart weaponry, robotics, and satellite tracking have made him a key figure in global defense, ensuring American security and interests worldwide."
Li Yue's eyes widened slightly.
John scoffed in annoyance. "A 'Peace Prize' to an arms dealer? That's ridiculous!"
But Li Yue barely heard him.
"I finally know where I am."
This was Marvel.
And not just any point in Marvel history—this was before Iron Man had even been created.
Li Yue's mind raced.
The Marvel Universe was not a safe place.
It was a world of superheroes, but also one of cosmic-level threats.
Aliens invading New York. Dormammu trying to devour Earth.
And, of course, Thanos—the Mad Titan with a love for universal population control.
And that was just what the movies covered. The comics had even more powerful beings.
Li Yue took a deep breath.
While his superpowers made him nearly untouchable, they didn't make him invincible. His ability to teleport made escaping easy, but he lacked true combat power.
Physically, he felt stronger than Captain America, but that wasn't enough. Even if he had superhuman durability, he wasn't sure he could survive a direct hit from some of the regular superpowered beings in this universe.
"No matter what, I have to get stronger."
He had no idea how he ended up in this world.
And he had even less of an idea how to leave.
So for now, there was only one choice—adapt and survive.
Li Yue exhaled slowly.
The good news? He had time.
Right now, Tony Stark is still the arrogant playboy billionaire. He hadn't been kidnapped by terrorists yet.
That meant there was still time before Iron Man truly emerged.
And time was exactly what Li Yue needed.
"In this world… only strength matters. If Thanos wants to snap his fingers, he'll have to ask me if I agree first."
He smirked to himself.
No matter how chaotic the Marvel Universe was, he would find a way to thrive in it.
Tony Stark, always the center of attention, was easy to spot—especially when he was surrounded by beautiful women.
His best friend, Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes, had no trouble locating him.
Rhodey approached the gambling table, holding a trophy in his hands—the Apogee Award for Peace.
He extended it to Tony, who barely glanced at it before casually tossing it to one of the women beside him.
Rhodey rolled his eyes but didn't bother arguing. He knew Tony too well.
"Don't forget about tomorrow's weapons deal," Rhodey reminded him before turning to leave.
Tony just smirked. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be there."
Later that night, after his usual partying, Tony was about to step into his luxury sports car when a stunning reporter stopped him.
A few charming words later, Tony had her laughing and—before long—headed back to his beachside villa with her.
That night, as always, he didn't sleep alone.
Inside the headquarters of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division—soon to be known as S.H.I.E.L.D.—Director Nick Fury and Agent Maria Hill sat in Fury's office, watching a video.
It was a recording of Li Yue's magic show from the previous night.
For the fifth time, Fury replayed it, carefully scrutinizing every frame.
The video ended, but he remained silent, deep in thought.
Hill took that as her cue to summarize.
"Director, this footage comes from one of our agents who was on vacation. The tech department has analyzed it and confirmed there are no signs of digital manipulation."
She pulled up a file and continued.
"The magician in the video is named Li Yue. According to his own words, he's from China. However, our background search turned up nothing—no records, no past data."
"The only thing we could confirm is that he was brought to the theater by its owner, John, just yesterday. He performed in place of the original magician, who had to leave due to a family emergency."
Nick Fury leaned forward, his single eye locked onto the paused image of Li Yue.
Maria Hill hesitated for a second before continuing.
"His earlier tricks are standard stage illusions—misdirection, sleight of hand. But the final trick?" She shook her head.
"We consulted some of the best magicians in the world, and none of them could explain how he had done it. Some theorized there might be a hidden trapdoor under the box, but we inspected the stage personally—nothing unusual was found. No hidden mechanisms. No misdirection. Nothing."
Fury finally spoke.
"Could he have a twin?"
Hill shook her head.
"We thought of that. But the issue is—there are no records of him at all. It's like he didn't exist before yesterday."
She frowned and added, "Even if he did have a twin, it doesn't explain how he disappeared instantly or reappeared in the audience without anyone noticing."
Fury tapped a finger on the desk, thinking.
After a few seconds, he made a decision.
"Keep an eye on him. Have Coulson meet him when the time is right—discreetly. No sudden moves, and don't spook him."
"Understood."
At that moment, a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Come in," Fury called.
The door opened, and Agent Phil Coulson stepped inside.
"Director," Coulson said, "we have a situation—Tony Stark is missing."
Back at the theater, there was no performance scheduled for the day.
John, content with last night's success, was lounging on the sofa, watching television.
Li Yue, however, had no interest in staying inside all day.
After a quick breakfast, he told Uncle John, "I'm heading out to explore the city."
Uncle John waved him off with a smile. "Have fun, kid!"
With that, Li Yue stepped out into the streets of Las Vegas, eager to learn more about this world—and what his place in it would be.
Of course, Li Yue wasn't just wandering around aimlessly.
He still didn't know why he had ended up in the Marvel Universe, and without any form of identification, he had to be careful. If he ran into the police, explaining himself would be impossible.
So, after saying a quick goodbye to Uncle John, he found a deserted alley and teleported away.
Before he left, Uncle John, knowing Li Yue had no money, kindly gave him a few hundred dollars for necessities.
What Li Yue didn't know, however, was that just minutes after he left the alley, two men entered.
They carefully inspected the area, searching for any hidden exits or strange traces—but found nothing.
One of them spoke into a communicator, reporting something briefly.
Then, without another word, they both left.
Li Yue remained unaware of this. His mental perception only extended about ten meters, so he didn't notice anything unusual.
The place where Li Yue teleported was the same remote forest where he had trained his powers back on Earth.
Because of the time difference, it was nighttime.
However, this wasn't a problem. Ever since gaining his abilities, his physical and mental capacities had greatly improved—his vision in the night was far better than that of an ordinary human. While it wasn't as clear as daylight, it was still good enough to navigate without bumping into trees.
This secluded area was the perfect place to train.
Through repeated experiments, Li Yue had learned a few key things about his teleportation ability:
He could teleport anywhere he could visualize in his mind.
If there was a real location on Earth that matched the image in his head, he could teleport there instantly.
Teleporting himself required no energy.
However, moving heavy objects drained his mental energy.
The heavier the object, the greater the strain.
The maximum weight he could transport depended entirely on his mental endurance.
(A more detailed explanation of his abilities would come later.)
After training the entire day, Li Yue returned to Uncle John's house.
Of course, during his training breaks, he teleported to a nearby town to grab meals—having superpowers made life very convenient.
As soon as he stepped through the door, a news broadcast caught his attention.
"Breaking News: Tony Stark Missing!"
A beautiful news anchor reported the shocking story:
"Earlier today, billionaire arms dealer and CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark, was attacked by unidentified terrorists in Afghanistan. His armed escort was completely wiped out, and Stark's current whereabouts are unknown. Investigations are ongoing."
Li Yue paused.
He knew this was coming.
This was the true beginning of Tony Stark's transformation.
This was the start of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Uncle John, watching the broadcast, grumbled in frustration.
"This Tony Stark… If he stayed at home being a rich playboy, he wouldn't have gotten into trouble!"
He sighed.
"Why did he have to go to a war zone just to show off weapons? Now look what happened! 'Missing'? Ha! I bet he was kidnapped by terrorists!"
Uncle John's anger was mixed with concern.
Though he disliked Stark's role as an arms dealer, he respected the man's intelligence.
His greatest fear wasn't Stark dying—it was Stark being forced to build weapons for terrorists.
"If those lunatics make him build weapons for them, the whole world could be in danger!"
Li Yue simply smiled to himself.
He already knew what would happen.
In three months, Tony Stark would return—not as a weapons dealer, but as the first true superhero of this world.
This would be his turning point.
He would go from being a 'merchant of death' to becoming Iron Man.
Li Yue also knew the truth behind the attack—Obadiah Stane, Tony's own uncle, had orchestrated the whole thing.
But since everything was proceeding as expected, there was no need to interfere.
While Li Yue remained calm, others were in full panic mode.
A few hours before the news broke, the U.S. military had already been informed of Stark's disappearance.
Colonel James Rhodes, one of Tony's closest friends, immediately contacted Pepper Potts—Stark's personal assistant.
Pepper was devastated.
She had always cared deeply for Tony—though she never openly admitted it.
However, Tony was a reckless playboy, always surrounded by beautiful women.
Because of this, Pepper had buried her feelings, keeping them hidden beneath her professionalism.
But now that Tony was missing, those emotions bubbled to the surface.
She was terrified.
And she wasn't the only one.
Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury and Maria Hill were processing two major concerns:
The mysterious magician Li Yue.
The disappearance of Tony Stark.
Both were unpredictable variables that could significantly impact the future.
And Fury hated unpredictable variables.
Two orders were given that day:
Keep a close eye on Li Yue.
Begin efforts to locate Stark.
Though these two events seemed unrelated, in Fury's experience, nothing was ever a coincidence.
However, the incident had already occurred. Pepper could only ask Rhodey to keep the matter strictly confidential. She knew that if this news were to spread, Stark Industries would suffer a severe blow, and the losses would be immeasurable.
"Colonel Rhodes, I hope you will intensify the search efforts and bring Tony back safely, no matter the cost. You know what will happen if Tony falls into the hands of terrorists—the consequences would be catastrophic." Pepper's tone was firm and serious.
"Miss Pepper Potts, the military will spare no effort in searching for Mr. Stark. Rest assured, I will bring Tony back." As Tony's close friend, Rhodey was deeply worried about his safety. Upon receiving the news of Tony's disappearance, he had immediately deployed a rescue team to search for him. He had come here not only to explain the situation to Pepper but also because he was preparing to go to Afghanistan himself to find Tony.
Meanwhile, upon learning about Tony's disappearance, Nick Fury, the current director of the National Strategic Defense Attack and Logistics Support Bureau, had to temporarily set aside his concerns regarding Li Yue. He instructed Coulson to lead a team to Afghanistan with the mission of retrieving Tony Stark at all costs—ensuring he did not fall into enemy hands. Li Yue, in turn, dispatched a group of agents to monitor the situation while advising them not to act rashly.
Everyone aware of Tony's disappearance had been ordered to keep the matter confidential. However, reality often defied expectations. Just a few hours later, news media outlets broke the story, reporting that Tony Stark had gone missing in Afghanistan.
The revelation caught everyone off guard. Stark Industries' stock took an immediate plunge, dropping several percentage points and continuing to decline. The public grew anxious, fearing that terrorists might soon be equipped with advanced weaponry, leading to widespread panic.
Of course, none of this had much to do with Li Yue. He continued his daily training, practicing his superpowers every morning and evening. Occasionally, he would perform at the theater, where the magician Pete had also returned. With his mother's health significantly improving, Pete was able to resume his performances. Li Yue had met him—a young, handsome, and talkative man. During their conversation, Pete enthusiastically shared his experiences as a magician. Lacking any real experience himself, Li Yue could only respond briefly before slipping away.
Three months later, Li Yue noticed a significant increase in his mental strength. He could now control a radius of 20 meters, and the weight limit of the objects he could teleport had nearly doubled, around 100 tonnes.
He wasn't sure why, but his abilities seemed to develop rapidly in the Marvel universe. However, seeing it as a good thing, Li Yue didn't dwell on the reason.
"Tony has been kidnapped for almost three months. His first-generation armor should be finished by now. It's about time I met him—and maybe even earn some brownie points." These were Li Yue's thoughts. As the so-called "village chief" of Marvel's Novice Village, Tony Stark was someone Li Yue had always wanted to meet.
Based on the cave's location from the movie, Li Yue focused on teleporting. The next moment, he disappeared—and to his surprise, it actually worked.
His teleportation had become nearly silent. He materialized in a shadowy corner near the cave entrance. Judging by the time, it should have been midnight, and only Tony and Dr. Yinsen were expected to be inside. However, as he stepped closer, he was startled to see numerous armed guards standing in front of the cave.
Caught off guard, Li Yue instinctively prepared to teleport back. But then he noticed that all the guards had their backs turned to him. Realizing they hadn't noticed his presence, he let out a sigh of relief and decided to stay hidden for the time being.
Realizing that he hadn't been detected, Li Yue calmed himself and began to observe his surroundings. Among the terrorists, a bald man held a pair of tongs gripping a piece of red-hot charcoal. Nearby, two terrorists were restraining a man who was unable to move, while a middle-aged man with a mustache stood beside them. On his chest, a glowing blue device—resembling an LED light—emitted a faint radiance.
Upon witnessing the scene, Li Yue immediately understood the situation. Just like in the movie, the bald leader was threatening Tony Stark by using Dr. Yinsen's life as leverage, forcing him to complete the missile as soon as possible. However, instead of building the missile, –Tony was secretly constructing the Mark I armor to escape.
Seeing that events were unfolding according to the original plot, Li Yue teleported back to Uncle John's house. He decided to wait until the following day when Tony would complete the Mark I armor. At that point, Li Yue planned to watch Tony make his dramatic escape in person.
Throughout the night, Tony didn't get any rest. Although the terrorist leader had momentarily spared him and Yinsen, they were given an ultimatum—deliver the weapon by tomorrow. But instead of following orders, Tony continued working on the Mark I armor. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to deliver what the terrorists wanted, he and Yinsen had no choice but to work through the night.
By noon the next day, the Mark I was finally complete. However, the terrorists discovered what they were up to just as Yinsen was helping Tony put on the armor. The guards sent a few men to investigate, but they were instantly blown away by the explosives Tony had rigged on the entrance.
Yinsen quickly operated the computer under Tony's guidance to start the Mark I's control system. However, the startup process required time. Meanwhile, the explosion had alerted the terrorists, and a large number of them were now rushing toward the cave.
"Mr. Stark, I'll buy you some time," Yinsen said before grabbing a terrorist's rifle and running outside.
"Come back, Yinsen! Stick to the plan!" Tony shouted after him, but Yinsen was already gone. Trapped in the still-loading armor, Tony could do nothing but anxiously pray for the system to finish booting.
Just then, a voice echoed from nearby.
"Hello, Mr. Tony Stark. Do you need some help?"
Startled, Tony turned his head and saw a casually dressed young man standing not far from him.
"Oh my god, who are you? Where did you come from? Is this some kind of joke?" Even in such a critical moment, Tony's signature sarcasm remained.
"Mr. Stark, you can call me Li. Do you need my assistance?" Li Yue asked with a smile.
Li Yue had visited the cave several times that day, silently observing Tony as he worked on the Mark I. He hadn't revealed himself before, choosing instead to teleport back for meals before returning.
"Li, huh? Are you chinese. But never mind that—if you're really here to help, go get Yinsen! He'll get himself killed out there!" Tony demanded. He didn't know how Li had suddenly appeared, but at the moment, he didn't seem like an enemy. Besides, Tony himself was unable to move, so he had no choice but to trust him.
"Alright, Mr. Stark, give me two seconds," Li Yue said casually before vanishing before Tony's eyes.
Tony was left stunned. He hadn't seen how Li Yue disappeared—it was as if he had just blinked out of existence. As a scientist, Tony felt his understanding of reality shatter. A person vanishing into thin air without a trace? It was beyond comprehension. If Li Yue had opened a wormhole or some kind of portal, Tony could have at least rationalized it, but this… this was something else entirely.
Before he could process his thoughts, Li Yue reappeared in the same spot, just as silently as before.
"Mr. Stark, I've sent Yinsen to a safe place. What do you want to do next?"
When Li Yue had teleported, he had quickly tracked Yinsen down in the cave. The doctor had been firing blindly at empty space in a desperate attempt to buy time. Without hesitation, Li Yue had placed a hand on Yinsen and teleported him to safety.
For Tony, Li Yue's absence had barely lasted two seconds. It was as if he had disappeared and reappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Oiii Oiii… How did you do that? A space-time tunnel? Wormhole technology? Superpowers? Or is it magic?" Tony was genuinely astonished. The speed at which Li Yue had found Yinsen and returned was beyond belief.
"Mr. Stark, you can just think of it as a superpower. My ability allows me to teleport anywhere instantly," Li Yue explained briefly, not wanting to go into too much detail.
"Oh, man, that is so cool. How did you get this ability? Can I study it? Don't worry, I only need a little bit of your blood. And how does your power work? What energy source does it consume? What's the maximum teleportation range?" Tony bombarded him with questions, his curiosity now fully ignited.
"Mr. Stark, we can talk about this later. Right now, tell me what you want to do next. Do you need me to teleport you to safety?" Li Yue interrupted, stopping Tony before he could go off on another tangent.
"No. I want them to pay for what they've done—I want to take them down," Tony said firmly, glancing at the control panel. The loading bar was nearly complete. He had made up his mind. This was something he needed to resolve on his own.
"Alright, I won't be far. Do what you need to do," Li Yue responded. He had expected Tony to refuse help—that was exactly why he had waited until now to step in. He knew that Tony needed this experience, not just to escape but to truly transform into the man he was destined to become.
Li Yue believed that once Tony left this cave, it would mark the beginning of his new life. No longer the arms dealer Tony Stark, but Iron Man—the hero the world would come to know.
....