Chapter 4: Experimenting with Abilities

The days after Marcus's release from Stark Industries' medical wing were a blur of confusion and anxiety. The doctors had given him a clean bill of health, unable to explain the strange energy he'd been exposed to or how it had seemingly left no lasting damage. But Marcus knew better—there was something very different about him now.

He could still feel the subtle hum of energy coursing through his veins, always present just beneath the surface. His senses felt heightened, and his mind seemed sharper, more attuned to the world around him. But it wasn't until he started noticing the subtle changes in how he interacted with his surroundings that he realized the full extent of what had happened.

Something had changed fundamentally. The strange awareness he'd experienced in the hospital—the ability to feel the atomic structure of objects, to sense their properties and composition—hadn't gone away. If anything, it had only grown stronger. But that wasn't the only thing that had changed.

It wasn't long after he returned to work that Marcus first discovered his ability to copy skills.

It was a typical Monday morning at Stark Industries, and Marcus sat at his desk, going through his daily routine. His fingers danced across the keyboard, typing out a report for his supervisor, Dave, when he suddenly noticed something unusual. He had been working with spreadsheets for hours, but his hands weren't cramping like they normally would after typing for so long. His fingers moved with an almost unnatural precision, faster than he had ever typed before. The keystrokes felt effortless, as if his hands were guided by some invisible force.

He paused, frowning at the screen. That was strange. He had always been decent at typing, but this was something else. His movements were too fluid, too controlled. It was almost as if...

Marcus glanced across the room, where John, one of the senior IT specialists, was hard at work on his own computer. John was known for being a lightning-fast typist, able to churn out reports and code at a speed that left others in the dust. Marcus had always envied John's ability to work so quickly and efficiently, but today, Marcus's hands were moving in the same rhythm as John's.

That's impossible, he thought, his heart skipping a beat.

But as he watched John type, he couldn't shake the feeling that his own fingers were mimicking John's movements. Not just the speed, but the exact technique—every nuance, every subtle motion that John made as he worked, Marcus was replicating without even thinking about it.

Could it be?

Marcus's mind raced back to the incident with the arc reactor, to the energy that had surged through him, changing him in ways he still didn't fully understand. Was this another manifestation of that power? Could he somehow be... copying John's typing skills?

He wasn't sure. Not yet. But there was only one way to find out.

Later that afternoon, Marcus decided to conduct his first real test. He had to know if what he suspected was true. He had to see if he could consciously copy the abilities of the people around him.

The opportunity presented itself during the team's lunch break. The IT department had gathered in the break room, a small, unremarkable space on the 22nd floor with a few tables, a microwave, and a fridge that always seemed to be half-full of expired yogurt. Today, Marcus didn't care about the mundane setting—he was focused entirely on testing his new abilities.

He sat down at the table with a few of his coworkers, casually joining in on their conversation. They were talking about the latest tech news, debating the merits of the newest Stark Industries software updates. But Marcus's mind wasn't on the conversation. His attention was on Sarah, one of the younger IT specialists who had recently joined the team.

Sarah had a peculiar talent. Despite being relatively new, she had an uncanny ability to troubleshoot complex problems with ease, solving technical issues that would stump even the more experienced members of the team. Marcus had always admired how she could diagnose and fix systems so quickly. And now, he wondered if he could copy that ability.

As the conversation drifted on, Marcus focused his attention on Sarah. He wasn't sure exactly how his power worked, but he figured that proximity was key. He had to be near someone to copy their abilities. But it wasn't just physical closeness—he had to focus, to hone in on the person, their actions, their skills.

Sarah was talking animatedly about a recent glitch she'd fixed in one of the internal systems, her hands gesturing as she explained the problem and how she had solved it. Marcus listened closely, but not to the words. He was paying attention to her movements, her thought process, the way her mind seemed to work as she described the issue. He focused on her problem-solving skills, trying to feel that same awareness he'd felt before.

At first, nothing happened. But then, as Sarah continued to talk, Marcus felt it—a faint, almost imperceptible shift in his mind. It was as if a door had opened, allowing him to see the inner workings of Sarah's thought process. He could suddenly understand, on a deeper level, how she approached problems, how she broke down complex systems into manageable parts.

He blinked, surprised by the sensation. It was subtle but undeniable. He could feel himself absorbing her troubleshooting skills, her unique approach to IT problems. It wasn't like reading her mind, but more like understanding her perspective, as if her knowledge had become part of him.

Marcus didn't say anything, but his heart raced with excitement. This was it. He had just copied Sarah's ability.

Over the next few days, Marcus continued to experiment with his newfound power, testing it in small, controlled ways. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, so he kept things subtle, copying abilities that wouldn't raise any red flags.

First, he focused on John again. John was not only a fast typist but also a master coder, capable of writing complex scripts with ease. Marcus had always struggled with coding, finding it tedious and difficult to wrap his head around. But one afternoon, as he watched John work, Marcus focused on copying his coding skills.

It happened faster than Marcus expected. As John typed out lines of code, Marcus could feel his own mind adapting, understanding the syntax and logic in ways he never had before. It was like his brain had unlocked a hidden reservoir of knowledge, giving him the ability to write code as effortlessly as John did.

He tested it that evening, working on a small coding project that had been sitting in his backlog for weeks. Normally, it would have taken him hours to complete, but now, with John's skills fresh in his mind, Marcus breezed through the project in under thirty minutes. He couldn't believe it. He had never been able to code like this before, but now it felt like second nature.

He tried not to show his excitement the next day at work, but inside, he was practically buzzing with the realization of what he could do.

Next, Marcus turned his attention to more practical skills. One of the office interns, Greg, was a talented graphic designer. Marcus had never been particularly artistic, but he had always admired the way Greg could create stunning visual presentations in minutes. One afternoon, Marcus decided to see if he could copy that skill.

He sat with Greg during a quiet moment in the office, watching as Greg worked on a new design for an upcoming company presentation. Marcus didn't say much, pretending to be interested in the design itself, but all the while, he was focusing on Greg's process. He watched the way Greg moved his mouse, the way he selected colors, the way he manipulated shapes and images on the screen.

As Marcus concentrated, he felt that familiar shift again—the opening of his mind, the absorption of Greg's artistic abilities. It was subtle, but he could feel his brain making connections it hadn't before. Suddenly, graphic design didn't seem so foreign to him. It felt... intuitive.

Later that evening, Marcus tested his new skill. He opened a design program on his home computer, something he hadn't touched in years, and began working on a mock project. To his amazement, the tools felt familiar in his hands. He navigated the interface with ease, selecting colors, arranging shapes, and creating a simple but elegant design in under an hour.

He sat back in his chair, staring at the screen in disbelief. He had done it again. He had copied Greg's skills, and now, graphic design felt as natural to him as coding had the day before.

Marcus's excitement grew with each new ability he copied. His power was real, and it was more incredible than he could have imagined. But with each success came a growing sense of unease. He didn't fully understand how his power worked or what its limits were. Could he copy any skill, no matter how complex? How long would the copied skills last? And what would happen if someone found out what he could do?

These questions gnawed at him as he continued to experiment. He kept his tests small, only copying minor abilities from his coworkers, things that wouldn't draw too much attention. But the more he tested his power, the more he realized just how vast its potential was.

One afternoon, while sitting at his desk, Marcus decided to try something new. Up until now, he had only copied technical skills—coding, design, problem-solving. But what about physical skills? Could he copy those as well?

The thought intrigued him, and he decided to test it during his lunch break.

The Stark Industries gym was a sprawling, high-tech facility, complete with state-of-the-art equipment and training spaces. It was located on one of the lower levels of the building, and employees often used it during their breaks to stay in shape. Marcus wasn't much of a gym-goer, preferring to spend his free time reading or working on personal projects, but today, he had a different plan.

When he arrived at the gym, he immediately spotted Jason, one of the security personnel, in the corner of the room. Jason was a fitness fanatic, always pushing himself to new physical limits. Marcus had seen him around before, doing everything from weightlifting to martial arts training. If anyone had a set of physical skills worth copying, it was Jason.

Marcus positioned himself nearby, pretending to stretch as he watched Jason work through a series of advanced martial arts moves. Jason moved with precision and grace, his punches and kicks sharp and controlled. Marcus focused, narrowing his attention on Jason's movements, trying to feel that same connection he had felt when copying other abilities.

At first, it didn't seem like anything was happening. Marcus watched Jason carefully, but there was no immediate sense of understanding or awareness. But then, as Jason transitioned into a complex combination of strikes and blocks, Marcus felt it—a sudden clarity, as if his body was syncing with Jason's movements.

He blinked, surprised by the sensation. It was different from copying mental skills. This time, it wasn't just his mind that was adapting—it was his body. His muscles seemed to remember the movements, even though he had never performed them before.

Tentatively, Marcus stepped onto one of the empty training mats and positioned himself as Jason had done. He raised his fists, feeling the weight of his arms, the tension in his muscles. Then, slowly, he began to mimic Jason's movements.

To his astonishment, his body responded perfectly. His punches were precise, his kicks controlled. It wasn't flawless—he was still a little stiff, and his form wasn't as polished as Jason's—but the fact that he could do it at all was incredible.

He practiced for the rest of his lunch break, working through the moves he had copied from Jason. Each time, he grew more confident, more fluid. By the time he finished, he was sweating and out of breath, but exhilarated.

He had just copied Jason's martial arts skills.

As Marcus left the gym that day, a mixture of excitement and anxiety churned in his stomach. His powers were growing stronger, and with each new ability he copied, he felt himself changing in ways he couldn't fully understand.

The potential of his power was limitless, but with that power came a growing sense of responsibility. He knew he couldn't keep experimenting forever—eventually, someone would notice. And when they did, he would have to decide how to explain what had happened to him.

For now, though, Marcus focused on the road ahead. He had only just begun to scratch the surface of what he could do. There was still so much to learn, so many skills to copy, and so many questions to answer.

And deep down, Marcus knew that whatever was coming next, his life would never be the same again.