Luke walked into a local bank, presented his S.H.I.E.L.D. credentials, and smoothly opened a new account. Stepping back out onto the street, he texted the fresh routing number to the Kingpin.
'I can't believe this badge actually works for setting up bank accounts,' Luke mused, flipping the sleek ID card in his hand. The thing was practically a universal skeleton key. He couldn't help but wonder what other ridiculous VIP perks or store discounts he could squeeze out of it.
A moment later, his phone buzzed. Deposit received: $5,000,000.00.
Seeing the string of zeroes, Luke let out a long breath. He was officially set for life. He could practically retire right now. He briefly considered tossing the S.H.I.E.L.D. badge in the trash since he didn't really need the government's salary anymore, but he ultimately tucked it back into his pocket. Skipping lines and getting VIP discounts everywhere he went was just too good a perk to throw away.
He headed to the airport, caught a first-class flight to Las Vegas, and began searching for the venue hosting the Apogee Award ceremony.
After locating the convention center, Luke booked a suite at the most luxurious hotel in the immediate vicinity. Given Tony Stark's famously massive ego, there was absolutely no way the billionaire would stay anywhere other than the best penthouse in town.
Standing by the window of his suite, Luke looked down at the convention center where the award ceremony was being set up. Of course, he knew perfectly well that Tony wouldn't even show his face at his own tribute.
He shifted his gaze toward the dazzling neon lights of a massive casino down the strip. If he remembered the movie correctly, that was exactly where the playboy billionaire would be spending his evening.
Checking the time, Luke decided to head out for a walk.
The Vegas strip at night felt even more chaotic and vibrant than New York. The sidewalks were packed with tourists, street performers, and the occasional dead-broke gambler who looked like they had just lost their life savings. Despite the sheer volume of entertainment venues and alcohol flowing through the streets, public order was surprisingly well-maintained—likely due to the massive security presence in preparation for tomorrow's Apogee Award.
As he wandered, a brightly lit camera shop caught his eye.
Luke paused, a fun idea forming in his head. Since he had nothing but free time these days, why not pick up a hobby? He walked in and bought a high-end digital camera.
'I'll start a blog,' he decided, grinning wickedly as he unboxed the device. 'I'll just follow these superheroes around, document all their most embarrassing moments, and post them online for the world to see.' He could already imagine the furious comments from the Avengers flooding his comment section.
And just like that, the Marvel Universe's most infamous troll was born.
Luke spent the next hour wandering the strip, snapping test photos of the neon signs to familiarize himself with the camera's settings.
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As he slowly made his way back to the hotel lobby, he spotted them.
Tony Stark and his loyal bodyguard, Happy Hogan.
Tony was engaged in a heated debate with Happy, while the rest of his security detail scrambled to handle the luggage and coordinate the check-in process.
Finding the scene incredibly amusing, Luke raised his camera and snapped a quick picture. Technically, this was the first—wait, no, the third quasi-superhero he had run into since arriving in this universe.
Tony, who was mid-argument with Happy about which of the two cocktail waitresses they had just passed was hotter, suddenly noticed the teenager pointing a camera at him.
Instead of getting angry, Tony simply bathed in the attention. He was practically addicted to the paparazzi anyway.
He flashed his trademark million-dollar smile, struck a charismatic pose, and pointed at Luke. "Alright, say cheese!"
Click.
Luke lowered the camera, highly amused by the perfectly captured shot of a posing Tony Stark and a thoroughly exasperated Happy Hogan standing next to him.
"Alright kid, hand it over. Let's see if you captured my good side. If the lighting is awful, you're deleting it," Tony demanded, completely ignoring a still-rambling Happy as he strolled over to Luke. "What's the legal term for this again? Right of publicity?"
Luke smiled at the billionaire's absolute lack of boundaries and handed the camera over. "As you wish, Mr. Stark."
Tony didn't even look at the small screen himself. He shoved the camera into Happy's chest, forcing the bodyguard to hold it up for him to review.
"Well, you clearly aren't a professional paparazzo," Tony critiqued, shaking his head at the screen. "Your composition is terrible."
"Can't be helped," Luke replied smoothly, crossing his arms. "I bought the camera two hours ago, and I officially decided to take up photography exactly two hours and five minutes ago."
He glanced at Happy, who was awkwardly standing between them. While Happy was often used for comedic relief, Luke knew the man was incredibly loyal, saving Tony's life on multiple occasions and serving as one of his only true friends.
"But why does this chubby guy take up half the frame?" Tony complained, gesturing to Happy's prominent placement in the photo. "Is it just because he's fat?"
"I figured you two were close," Luke deadpanned. "I was planning to post it on my blog with a witty caption."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I see. 'The Secret Romance of Genius Inventor Tony Stark and His Bodyguard Happy'? Brilliant. It's a great pitch. You'll gain a hundred thousand followers overnight, right before you receive a massive cease and desist from Stark Industries."
"If a heartwarming Hachiko-style loyalty story makes the public misunderstand the nature of your relationship, you might just have to fire Mr. Hogan here," Luke countered playfully.
"Wait, why am I getting fired?" Happy chimed in, utterly confused.
"Shut up, Happy, you're embarrassing me," Tony sighed, taking the camera back and handing it to Luke. "The Hachiko angle isn't terrible. Tag me when you post it, assuming I actually see it among the millions of tags I get every day."
"Want to learn my name?" Luke asked, slinging the camera strap over his shoulder. "You'll probably forget it in half an hour, but there's a slim chance it might stick."
"I bet I'll forget it in ten minutes, and honestly, I'm too lazy to even try," Tony shot back effortlessly.
"Fair enough." Luke smirked, walking past the billionaire toward the elevators. "But I have a feeling you're going to remember my name very clearly about a month from now."
Happy watched the teenager walk away and shrugged at Tony. "Weird kid."
"Definitely weird," Tony agreed, adjusting his tinted sunglasses. "He meets the genius Tony Stark and doesn't even ask for an autograph. Though I wouldn't have signed it anyway, because I don't have a pen."
As his security detail signaled that the penthouse was ready, Tony leaned in and whispered to Happy, "And honestly, even if I did have a pen, I wouldn't sign an autograph for a guy."
Back in his suite, Luke flipped through the gallery on his camera. Tony hadn't deleted the picture after all.
Smiling to himself, he transferred a nice landscape shot of the Las Vegas strip to his newly created blog and posted it with a simple caption:
Day one of photography.