"Alright, let's check the results of the experiment."
---
~ Day 1 of surveillance ~
Tony had just left the Senate, victorious. Those fools actually wanted to take his suit away from him.
"Did they really think they could just take my stuff like that?"
It wasn't hard to dismantle their arguments—they were all political nonsense and power games disguised as concerns for national security.
As he walked to his car, he smirked at the memory. There was even a funny moment: they claimed other companies were already developing their own versions of the Ironman suit. And to top it off, they invited Hammer.
Yes, that Hammer—the same guy who's going to lose control of all his suits.
"What a joke... a knockoff artist who can barely copy basic tech thinks he can replicate my greatest creation? He couldn't do it even if I gave him the blueprints myself."
Still, something caught his attention. From the start, many were skeptical of Hammer. Strange. They invited someone they didn't trust… or is it that they began distrusting him after the invitation? That would confirm it: even the military has started to believe in the paintings. There's no other explanation for that attitude.
While Tony kept replaying the day in his mind, SHIELD was starting to pay attention to an unusual event… in Mexico.
[ Mmm, not too many changes happened. I'd say the biggest change is the attitude toward Hammer after a lot of people have already seen the painting—minor changes overall. Let's keep monitoring. ]
---
~ Day 2 of surveillance ~
It was a quiet day for Tony. By this point in the original timeline, he'd be desperately searching for a cure. But now, with the painting's message and his father's recordings, he had found direction.
His routine focused on world peace and the constant improvement of his suits. He knew tough times were coming.
The only significant event was that his assistant, Natalie Rushman, resigned. A shame. She was efficient… and beautiful. Of course, Tony was already in a semi-formal relationship with Pepper, so he wasn't planning to make a move. But if you have to work with someone every day, might as well be someone nice to look at, right?
[ The original timeline has been significantly altered. By now, Tony should already be in physical and emotional decline. It's clear he understood the painting's message.
What's most surprising is the change in Natasha Romanoff's appearance—or as Tony knows her, Natalie Rushman. She was supposed to be hired today, not quit. SHIELD seems to have started surveillance much earlier, likely because of me. Four out of my five paintings are related to Tony—if they haven't realized something's going on, they don't deserve the title of world's top intelligence agency (even if it's full of moles). ]
---
~ Day 3 of surveillance ~
[ No significant changes observed in Tony... ]
---
As Leonardo watched the recent shifts, something hit him in the chest like a brick. He froze. Then, eyes wide, he turned his attention.
Brazil.
There it was. Just as he feared.
A giant green monster—pure unleashed rage—was rampaging near a factory, crushing vehicles while U.S. soldiers tried to stop him with everything they had.
"Damn it! I completely forgot about this!"
He grabbed his head, walking in circles.
"What do I do...? What can I do...? There has to be something…"
He ran back to his studio, staring at his brushes, his canvases.
'Paint...?"
No. No time. Four days at most, and only if I start right now.
And even if I finish it... who would see it?
What if they don't get it in time...? No one's going to evacuate just like that!'
His hands were shaking. He clenched his teeth.
'Maybe... if I triggered a false alarm in the area... something to force an evacuation."
No. I don't have the means. And even if I did… that's a crime. I'm not risking an investigation.'
He leaned against the wall, eyes closed.
'Can I prevent the fight? No. It's already begun.
Can I change the location...? Warn them earlier...?
No… That wouldn't work either.'
'How did I forget this...? How?!
I could've done something. I could've... something!'
But he hadn't done anything.
People were going to die.
And he knew it.
And he couldn't do anything.
'This can't be… I have to do something… even something small… anything…'
Unable to bear it any longer, he left his studio and walked into his exhibition room, seeking clarity. He stopped in front of one of his paintings. But his mind wasn't there.
'Am I this useless? Before, this was just a way to play with what I knew… but now… now I know I can save people. And I'm doing nothing.'
'What the hell do I do...?'
Just then, a voice broke his spiral of thoughts.
"Oh, if it isn't Laplace himself. Weird seeing you here, admiring your own work. Bit narcissistic, don't you think?"
Leonardo turned. It was Gwen, smirking, teasing as usual.
"Ha, Laplace... I told you not to call me that. It's just a coincidence. No one can see the future."
Laplace's Demon. That's what people online started calling him when his paintings began predicting events. Gwen was one of the few people he spoke to outside his family or the old lady. She often came to see his work. Sometimes they'd talk. She never believed it was coincidence, always trying to get the truth out of him. He, of course, always denied it.
Today, without knowing why, he asked her something without thinking.
"Hey, Gwen... what would you do? If you could see the future... but couldn't do anything. Couldn't save anyone."
"What?"
She frowned. He waved it off.
"Forget it. It's nothing. I've got to go."
He turned to leave when Gwen's voice stopped him.
"I... think I'd ask for help."
He froze.
"What?"
"If I could see the future and wanted to change it, I'd probably feel pressured. But it doesn't all have to fall on me. There are people like Ironman. Heroes. And people like him, willing to help even if they aren't heroes. So… I'd ask for help. I wouldn't try to carry it all alone."
Leonardo didn't respond. He just nodded, barely, and walked away.
He ran up to his studio, turned on his laptop, and began typing furiously.
Of course. It's so simple. All this time I've been trying to manipulate things from behind the scenes... and I forgot the most basic thing: warn them. Send a message. I don't need to be the one to save them... I just need someone to do it.
He looked up at the sky through the window.
'Thanks, Gwen. I owe you one.'
---
~ Day 4 of surveillance ~
Today was Tony Stark's birthday. In the original timeline, he got drunk while wearing the suit, exposed his unstable mental state, and as a result, Rhodey took one of his armors.
But in this timeline, Tony had already handed one over willingly long ago.
---
Meanwhile, SHIELD was busy.
A hammer… had fallen from the sky. In the New Mexico desert. Literally.
It was immovable. But that didn't stop them from trying to move it. The analysis, however, pointed to something that seemed insane.
And yet, they had a clue.
A painting.
'Thor's Hammer.'
Fury read the reports, skeptical but intrigued. He was still pondering how absurd all of it was when Maria Hill burst in with urgent news.