In Marvel with the Force?

The classroom buzzed faintly with the hum of a flickering overhead light as Mr. Harold, the chemistry teacher, wrote equations on the whiteboard. His monotone voice droned on, explaining the properties of covalent bonds in excruciating detail.

"…and this shared electron pair creates a stable bond between the atoms..."

Tyr barely stifled a groan, resting his chin on his palm. His violet eyes wandered to the window, where a bird hopped along the ledge, pecking at crumbs.

'This is so boooooooriiiiiiiiing,' he thought, his mind drifting for the hundredth time that day. School was becoming more unbearable with each passing week. He'd finished the assigned chemistry problems in five minutes flat, leaving him with nothing but time and an endless stream of monotony.

Sometimes, the boy wished he wasn't so smart. It would make enduring classes like these a lot easier.

"Tyr!"

Jake's whisper snapped him out of his daze. Tyr turned to see his blond-haired friend giving him a sly grin from the next desk over.

"Man, you're zoning out again," Jake teased.

"Can you blame me?" Tyr muttered back, keeping one eye on Mr. Harold to make sure he hadn't noticed.

"Fair," Jake said, leaning closer. "But seriously, dude, you've got to lighten up. With your face and that brooding thing you've got going on, you could probably date half the school by now."

Tyr rolled his eyes. "Not interested."

"Not interested in anyone?" Jake asked, his grin widening. "Because, hey, if you swing the other way, that's cool. Just give me a heads-up so I can let the guys on the soccer team know."

Tyr gave him a flat look. "Do you ever stop talking?"

Jake leaned back, laughing quietly. "Not when I'm having this much fun."

The bell rang, and Tyr was the first one out of the classroom, eager to escape the tedium. Jake caught up to him in the hallway, still grinning.

"You know, you should really try being less mysterious," Jake said. "It wouldn't kill you to loosen up."

"Thanks for the advice, Dr. Phil," Tyr said dryly.

"I'm just saying!" Jake replied. "You're too handsome to waste your life being a hermit."

"Maybe he's focused on his future," Melany chimed in, joining them. Her hair shimmered under the fluorescent lights as she gave Jake a pointed look.

"Future? What future? He's never even told us what he wants to do after school," Jake said, glancing at Tyr. "Seriously, man, what's the plan? College? Military? World domination?"

Tyr smirked. "Haven't decided yet."

Jake groaned. "Man of mystery strikes again."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Maybe he doesn't feel the need to tell you everything, Jake. Did you ever think of that?"

"Not once," Jake said cheerfully, dodging Emily's swat at his head.

Tyr chuckled, feeling the faintest flicker of warmth. As much as Jake and Melany's antics annoyed him sometimes, they were a welcome distraction from the weight of his secret life.

Walking home later that day, Tyr's thoughts turned to more pressing matters.

Money.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, his brow furrowed. His arc reactor, his greatest achievement so far, was just sitting there, useless. He didn't have the materials to build a functional suit or any other advanced project. Every step of progress seemed blocked by one simple problem: he was broke.

'I need money. Fast.'

His mind cycled through possibilities as he walked.

Robbing Gangs

The idea had crossed his mind more than once. It wasn't like criminals deserved to keep their blood money. But Tyr dismissed it almost immediately. It wasn't about morality—it was practicality. If he wanted to share some of the money with Finn, it needed to come from a legitimate source.

Patenting Inventions

This seemed like the obvious choice at first. Tyr had plenty of ideas that could revolutionize industries. But the more he thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed. Most of his designs had potential military applications. If HYDRA—or any similar group—got their hands on them, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Asking Xavier or the Ancient One

Tyr shook his head at the thought. Asking Charles Xavier for help was out of the question. The idea of someone poking around in his mind made his skin crawl. And finding the Ancient One? That was a pipe dream. He had no idea where the Sanctum Sanctorum was, and even if he did, he doubted the Ancient One handed out cash loans.

Stocks

With Theon's knowledge, Tyr could probably predict some major market shifts and make a killing in the stock market. But the idea felt too slow. Building wealth through investments took time, and Tyr needed resources now.

Creating Games

Tyr's pace quickened as the idea took shape. This could work. Thanks to Theon's memories, Tyr had a treasure trove of ideas for games that didn't exist in this world. With a little programming and marketing, he could turn those ideas into a steady stream of income.

It was perfect: legal, anonymous, and scalable.

'Looks like I've got a new project,' Tyr thought, his lips curving into a small smile.