Four-year-old Tony Stark had always known he was different. Though he was still a child, his mind, shaped by past experiences from another life, yearned to explore his abilities. He had already discovered that his body was stronger, his reflexes faster, and his mind sharper than any other child his age. But what truly fascinated him was the strange energy he could feel coursing through him—psychic energy, if you wanted to get specific, the power of teleportation.
Standing in the backyard of the Stark family estate, Tony clenched his fists, concentrating on a single thought: movement. He had yet to test his abilities fully, but he couldn't wait any longer. The simulations and theories of his past life told him that teleportation required intent and focus. So, he closed his eyes and imagined himself in another random place.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
When he opened his eyes, the world around him had changed. Instead of the warm afternoon sun of New York, he found himself standing in a busy city with a distinctly European feel. A chill breeze swept through the streets, and in front of him stood a large, blue police box. Towering above the skyline, he saw it—the Big Ben.
"No way!" Tony gasped, his eyes wide with a mix of excitement and confusion. He had teleported. Not just across a room, but likely to a new universe. The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning, sending an exhilarating rush through his body.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the police box, a massive grin on his face. He skidded to a stop, throwing the door open. "It's bigger on the inside!" he exclaimed, stepping inside with childlike wonder.
A chuckle echoed from behind him. "I love it when they say that."
Tony froze. That voice was unmistakable. Slowly, he turned to the side, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. Standing there, in a brown trench coat and pinstriped suit, was none other than the Doctor—the Tenth Doctor.
Tony's breath caught in his throat. "It can't be," he whispered.
The Doctor smirked, rocking back on his heels. "But it can! Because I am the Doctor! Applause, everyone!"
A soft clap reached Tony's ears, so he turned another direction to see a blonde woman with a kind smile—Rose Tyler. Tony's mind raced. He knew this was impossible, yet here they were, standing in front of him.
Still reeling from the shock, Tony's sharp eyes caught sight of a familiar-looking device sitting on a nearby table—a sonic screwdriver. His past memories screamed at him to examine it. While maintaining conversation, he subtly edged toward the table, eager to get his hands on it.
"So, as a Gallifreyan, can you tell me how time works?" Tony asked, feigning innocence as he inched closer to the device.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "How does a four-year-old child know that name?" he mused, narrowing his eyes before shrugging. "But to answer your question—it's a ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."
Tony grinned. "So you mean that time is not a strict progression of cause to effect, but rather is more like a non-linear, non-subjective concept. It suggests that we don't fully understand time and its limitations, and that things like time travel and warp drives are possible?"
The Doctor's smirk widened. "You managed to catch all that, huh?"
Now standing in front of the table, Tony reached out, wrapping his small fingers around the sonic screwdriver. "Zoink! That's mine now!" he declared triumphantly, spinning it around with a cheeky grin.
The Doctor's eyes widened. "Oi! You should be careful with that and put it down!"
Tony looked up at him with an innocent smile. "Nope!" he said, popping the 'p' dramatically.
Before the Doctor could react, Tony activated his powers. In a flash of light, he vanished, the screwdriver still clutched in his tiny hands. The last thing he heard before slipping through the fabric of reality was the Doctor's exasperated voice echoing through the TARDIS.
Tony reappeared in his bedroom, collapsing onto his bed, breathless from exhilaration. He stared at the screwdriver in his hand, a wide grin splitting his face.
This was just the start. But first, let's go back to the very beginning and explain everything.