Marvel: A Man with a System

[David's POV]

Jayden finally looked like he was about to spill whatever mess he'd gotten himself into when—

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I stiffened as I turned toward the door. Jay practically jumped, his whole body tensing like a rabbit about to bolt.

Another set of knocks followed. Great. Headache incoming.

I chained the door before unlocking it just enough to see outside.

Claire Temple.

Damn it.

She stood there, arms crossed, eyes sharp—and yeah, okay, she was hot.

I exhaled slowly. "Who are you?"

"Claire. I live at the end of this hall."

"Alright. What do you want?"

Her brows furrowed. "The couple downstairs said they saw you dragging Jay into your apartment." She tilted her head "Care to explain?"

I really considered just shutting the door in her face.

But Claire was the first Marvel character I'd encountered, and from what I remembered from the show, she was a highly compassionate woman. And she wasn't the type to drop things easily.

With a sigh, I unchained the door and stepped aside.

"Fine. Come in."

She didn't hesitate, brushing past me like she owned the place.

I left the door open and turned, rubbing the back of my neck.

I extended a hand. "David."

She shook it.

I wasted no time getting to the point. "Jay got into some trouble today. Saw him getting shaken down when I went to take out my trash. Stepped in and sent the guys away. Kid was scared out of his mind, so I had to drag him out of there. Since I told those guys the problem would be solved, I brought him here before he did something stupid."

I didn't let her interrupt and finished my explanation in one go.

Jay immediately shrunk in on himself, clearly intimidated by her presence.

Claire took a quick look around before fixing her gaze on Jay. "You okay?"

He just nodded timidly. She sighed, looking relieved.

She turned to me. "I just came to check if he was okay. I'll tell the couple downstairs that he's fine."

I nodded.

She hesitated for a moment, glancing at Jay like she wanted to say something else. Then, with a final nod, she turned and left.

I turned around shutting the door behind her.

I locked it.

Then I turned to Jay.

"Alright. Might as well start talking."

He gulped.

[Jayden's POV]

Growing up in an orphanage, I learned early on that being invisible was safer than being noticed. The other kids pushed me around, called me a loser. School wasn't much better. I was the quiet nerd, the kid who got shoved into lockers and laughed at whenever I tried to stand up for myself.

Eventually, I just stopped trying.

I hate conflict. Always have. I struggle to hold eye contact, flinch at loud voices, and get scared easily when confronted. Even raising my voice feels unnatural. Years of being bullied taught me that speaking up only made things worse.

But I was smart. School was my escape. Numbers, books, programming—they all made sense in a way people never did. I had dreams—college, a stable job, a normal life.

But dreams cost money.

And orphans like me don't have much of that.

When I aged out of the orphanage at 17, I had nowhere to go and no one to rely on. College was the plan, but with no money and no support, that dream started slipping away. I picked up small programming jobs online, barely scraping enough to survive.

But I somehow saved up enough and got into a university.

Then, I made a terrible mistake.

Desperate to earn more money, I fell for a scam. I borrowed $5,000 from the wrong people, convinced I could pay it back. But work was inconsistent, expenses piled up, and before I knew it, I was drowning in debt.

Then the loan sharks started calling—then showing up.

I paid the interest every time.

But for the last two months, I was struggling to pay them. At first, I ignored their calls. When they came in person, I begged them for time. I even prayed they'd forget about me.

They didn't.

Tonight, they found me.

And if David hadn't stepped in, I knew I wouldn't have walked away unscathed.

Now, sitting in his apartment, I felt grateful but also terrified.

Why did David help me? What does he want?

I took a deep breath, gripping the water glass in my hands. It was time I spoke.

"I…" My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard before trying again. "I borrowed five grand from some loan sharks," I admitted, barely above a whisper. "I thought I could pay it back. But things didn't go the way I expected, and… I fell behind."

David sighed. "Let me guess. The interest kept piling up, and they didn't exactly send friendly reminders?"

I nodded stiffly. "Yeah. They wanted their money back weeks ago. I… I tried avoiding them, but tonight—"

I clenched my jaw, shaking my head.

David didn't react, just leaned back in his chair. "How much do you still owe?"

I hesitated. "...With interest? Eight grand."

He let out a slow breath. "Figures."

I lowered my head. "I wanted to go to college," I said, voice quieter now. "I was good at school. It was the one thing I had going for me. But with no family, no support… I couldn't afford it. So I thought, if I just got a little help… if I borrowed some money to get started, I could make it work."

I laughed bitterly, rubbing my arms. "Stupid, right?"

David didn't laugh.

He just sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I get it."

That made me look up. "You do?"

He exhaled. "Yeah. More than you think."

For a moment, nobody spoke.

I gripped the water bottle tighter, my throat dry.

"…Thanks," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

David simply replied, "For what?"

"For—" I swallowed, forcing myself to speak. "For stepping in tonight. If you hadn't… I don't know what would've happened."

David didn't say anything, just kept watching me with that unreadable look.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," I added quickly. "I didn't mean to get anyone else involved."

I hesitated, shifting awkwardly. "I, uh… I don't have that much money right now," I admitted. "Even if I wanted to pay them back, I really don't have money to pay."

"I told those guys the problem would be solved. If you don't pay them back, they'll come after me. And I don't like people coming after me." David replied.

I swallowed. "So… what do we do?"

David smirked.

"Simple. You're gonna pay them back. But on my terms. That means I become your new loan shark."

I tensed. "What does that mean?"

David leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Nothing illegal, if that's what you're thinking."

He continued. "It means I'll give you the money. But in exchange, you listen to me. You focus on school. No more shady loans, no stupid risks."

I blinked. "You… what?"

"You heard me," he said, voice calm but firm. "I'll cover your tuition expenses until you graduate."

My hands clenched into fists. "Why?"

David raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"

"Why are you doing this? You don't even know me."

He exhaled slowly. "Because I understand. I've been in a dark place before. I know what it's like to feel trapped, to see no way out. I was lucky, many I knew weren't. This decision is to satie my own selfishness. I don't want you to end up like them."

I swallowed hard. "And if I say no?"

David shrugged. "Then you figure things out on your own. But let's be real, Jay. Do you really have another option?"

I bit my lip, my chest tightening. He wasn't wrong. But this.... this was too much. Too good to be true.

But something stirred inside me. I suppressed it.

Before I knew it, David held my shoulder and said, "It's okay. You don't have to hold back anymore. You are going to be fine."

And unknowingly, I felt tears wet my face. I I tried to stop the tears.

David just walked away after patting me twice.

---

---

[David's POV]

I know what repressed emotions can do to a person. I've been there before.

So, I said the words I once wished someone had said to me. Then, I walked away. Not because I didn't care, but because sometimes, people need space to let it out.

And in the meantime, I had a mission.

Food.

If there was one universal truth, it was that a good meal could fix at least 30% of life's problems. Maybe more, depending on the seasoning.

Rolling up my sleeves, I checked the fridge. Chicken breast, vegetables, garlic, butter. I grabbed everything and started working. My hands moved instinctively.

The sound of my knife slicing through the onions. The chicken followed, diced swiftly, their sharp scent filling the air.

The pan sizzled as the chicken hit, turning golden-brown in melted butter. A splash of broth and white wine deglazed the pan, the steam carrying the rich aroma of garlic and herbs through the kitchen.

Sniff.

I sighed, glancing over my shoulder.

Jay was standing awkwardly near the doorway, eyes red. He looked like he wanted to say something but settled for staring at the food instead.

"Sit," I said, flipping the chicken.

"…What are you making?" he asked, hesitantly stepping forward.

"Magic," I replied.

Jay snorted. "Magic smells suspiciously like chicken."

"Exactly. Now shut up and let me cook."

I finished plating, perfectly sliced chicken, a drizzle of velvety sauce, and neatly arranged roasted vegetables on the side. Then, I slid a plate in front of him.

He hesitated for a second before picking up a fork. One bite in, his expression shifted.

"…Dude." He stared at the food like it had just whispered government secrets to him.

Jay took another bite, then another, quickly forgetting whatever emotional crisis he'd been in earlier.

Halfway through his meal, he glanced at me. "Wait… you're not eating?"

"I already had dinner," I said, leaning back against the counter.

Jay frowned, pausing mid-chew. "Wait, so you made all this… just for me?"

I shrugged. "What, you think I was gonna let you ugly cry and starve at the same time?"

Jay huffed, stabbing a piece of chicken. "You could've just ordered pizza, you know."

"Yeah, but then you'd just feel sad and bloated."

"…Fair point."

By the time he finished, he leaned back in his chair with a deep sigh.

"…Thanks," he muttered.

"For the food?" I asked.

Jay shook his head, avoiding my gaze. "For earlier."

I didn't say anything. Just reached over and patted his shoulder twice.

"It's okay," I said simply. 

He sniffed again but nodded. Before he could stop himself, a few stray tears slipped out.

"Oh, come on," I groaned. "Not over my cooking, man. I know it's good, but—"

Jay let out a weak laugh, rubbing his eyes. "Shut up, dude."

I smirked, standing up. "Whatever. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to my dishes."

And with that, I walked off.

To Be Continued....