wrong number connection

Chapter 13: An Unexpected Call

It was late again, far too late for a 17-year-old to be awake, but Lyndon couldn’t sleep. The weight of everything pressing down on him—the constant fear of his mother’s abuse, the bullying, the anxiety of trying to hide his true self—had built up to a point where his mind wouldn’t quiet. It didn’t help that his shadows were restless too, swirling like dark smoke at the edges of his vision, reacting to his heightened emotions. He hadn’t yet learned to fully control them, and sometimes it felt like they were more a part of him than he could ever wish them to be.

He was about to shut off his phone, tired of staring at the same messages from Natasha, when an unexpected notification popped up. The screen flashed with an unfamiliar number, and for a split second, he hesitated. It was after midnight, and Natasha was usually the only one texting him at this hour. His curiosity won out, and he tapped the message open.

To his surprise, the message wasn’t a text—it was a call.

He almost didn’t answer, his thumb hovering over the decline button. But something stopped him. It was Natasha’s name in the message preview. Maybe she had something important to say.

With a deep breath, he answered.

"Hello?" His voice came out a little shakier than he meant, still caught in the haze of exhaustion.

The voice on the other end was smooth, confident, and undeniably familiar, though Lyndon hadn’t expected to hear it like this.

"Hey, Lyndon. This is Tony Stark. A friend of Natasha’s. How you doing?"

Lyndon nearly dropped his phone.

Tony Stark? The Tony Stark? The billionaire genius, the Iron Man?

His heart raced in his chest, and for a moment, he wasn’t sure if he could speak. The sudden surrealness of the situation hit him hard. Was this a prank? Or was it really the famous Tony Stark calling him out of nowhere?

"Uh… Tony Stark?" he asked, his voice sounding tentative. "What’s going on?"

Tony chuckled lightly, the sound of it warm and charismatic, as if he were speaking to a longtime friend. "Yeah, that’s the one. Don’t worry, you’re not being pranked. I’m just calling because Natasha told me about you and, well, I thought it was time to say hello."

Lyndon blinked in disbelief. "I don’t… I don’t understand. Why are you calling me? I mean, you’re Iron Man! What do you want with me?"

Tony’s voice softened, his tone suddenly serious, though he kept his trademark charm. "It’s not like that, kid. We’re just trying to look out for you. Natasha thinks you’ve got potential, and I believe her. You’ve been through a lot, I get that. She tells me you’ve got powers, too. Shadow stuff, right?"

Lyndon stiffened, unsure of how much to reveal. His powers were the one thing that had always made him feel different, isolated, and a little afraid. His mother had never accepted him—his powers were just another thing she could use to call him a freak. But Natasha had always been supportive, and now, Tony Stark—Iron Man—was asking him about it like it was something worth discussing.

"Yeah, I can control shadows," Lyndon said cautiously. "But I don’t really know how to control them properly. It… it’s kind of been hard."

There was a pause on the other end, and Lyndon almost feared Tony might hang up. But then Tony’s voice came through again, calm and reassuring.

"Sounds like you’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff on your own," Tony said. "And that’s not cool. But let me tell you something, kid. You’re not alone anymore. I’m not saying we’re going to train you to be the next Iron Man or anything, but I’ve been around long enough to know that powers like yours need guidance. And we’ve got people who can help you with that. So, how about we talk about what you can do with them?"

Lyndon swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. A part of him wanted to decline, wanted to retreat back into the safety of his room, but another part of him—the part that had always wanted to find a way out, a way to be something more than just the scared kid in the shadows—was intrigued.

"You really think I have potential?" he asked, still processing what Tony had said.

"Absolutely," Tony replied without hesitation. "Listen, we’ve got a whole team of people who know what it’s like to feel different. Some of us have powers. Some of us are just good at punching things. But we all look out for each other, and I think that’s something you could benefit from."

Lyndon felt a stirring inside him—a flicker of hope he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years. Could this really be happening? Could he really have a future where he wasn’t just running from his past? His hands shook slightly as he gripped his phone tighter, but he felt a sense of relief too. The burden of feeling completely alone was beginning to lift, just a little.

"What… what would I need to do?" Lyndon asked, his voice quieter now, almost hesitant.

"Well, first thing’s first, we need to get you somewhere safe," Tony said, his tone growing serious again. "And then we’ll have some folks work with you on controlling your powers. But before that, I’d like to get to know you better. I’m not asking you to make any decisions now, but if you want, I can arrange a visit. We can talk more about what comes next."

Lyndon took a deep breath. He could feel the possibility of something better—the chance of leaving his old life behind and stepping into something new. Something real.

"I… I think I’d like that," Lyndon said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Great. We’ll set something up soon, then," Tony said, sounding pleased. "But remember, Lyndon, no pressure. You don’t have to make any huge decisions right away. Just take it one step at a time. We’re here for you."

Lyndon’s heart was racing now. There was so much he still didn’t understand, so much that was unclear, but the warmth in Tony’s voice—and Natasha’s encouragement—made him feel like maybe, just maybe, there was hope.

"I’ll talk to Natasha," Lyndon said softly. "Thank you… for everything."

"No problem, kid," Tony replied. "I’ll be in touch. Take care of yourself, alright?"

As the call ended, Lyndon sat in the silence of his room, his phone still in his hand. His mind was spinning. He couldn’t believe it. Tony Stark. The Avengers. His heart raced with the thought that this could be the beginning of something entirely different from everything he’d known before. Maybe, just maybe, he was finally going to have a chance at a life where he didn’t have to hide anymore.