1 Ch-1

Dropped into an 14 year old Jon Snow after he dies to a sickness, chosen by chance and given the mutant power of Forge from the X-Men and sacrificing forges magic abilities (all except Warging) his intelligence has been increased to Tony Stark Levels.

Forges power

Intuitive Genius: Superhuman intuitive talent for inventing mechanical devices. His mutant ability functions as perception, as he possesses the ability to visually perceive "mechanical energy" (the kinetic energy and potential energy present in the components of mechanical systems) in action.

This power allows Forge to instinctively know and understand the potential and functional operations of any machine or technological device in his visual range, a skill that, combined with his natural intelligence, allows him to conceive, design, and build mechanical devices; and operate, modify, and disassemble existing technology or create countermeasures for it.

———————-

I sat in a coffee shop looking over the many, many, rejection emails from various jobs and even from some locals who I was friends with, with a sigh I shut my laptop and rubbed my face in my hands.

Years of college, volunteering, and trade schools where practically worthless as more and more positions were being taken over by automation or sent over seas to be done in sweat shops for practically free.

My metallurgist degree was barely worth the paper it was printed on, my over 500 volunteer hours over my life and training in carpentry was a dying trade that had been passed down for generations in my family would be dying with me.

My self loathing was interrupted by a very hot Asian goth girl sitting down at my table, "Sorry but is this seat taken." Her voice was Smokey and slightly rough and immediately set my heart a fluttering.

"Ah, n-no it isn't please take a seat, Miss?" My southern accent which I hated forced it self out, I had trained my self to stop using it as many thought it made me sound dumb or uneducated, if she saw me cringe she didn't say anything.

"Oh, where are my manners call me Kurai, you look like your having a rough time over here." She sat down and moved her hand for a hand shake.

"I'm Jon, and yeah it's pretty rough right now all the jobs I've been applying for have rejected me and basically told me to fuck off." My mood dropped once again dropped and I looked down at my laptop again not noticing her eyes sharpening and examining me much more closely.

"Really now, I just so happen to be needing a new employ after my last one left for another company." I perked up at that, I would take almost anything at this point as my savings were dropping fast.

"Well, I'm interested but what exactly would I be doing? I studied metallurgy and I am a licensed carpenter, and have done manual labor most of my life."

She leaned in more and asked to see my hands which I agreed too and she looked at my heavily calloused hands from years of work outside and chemicals.

She then smiled at me, "You will be perfect for the job when can you start?"

"Right now if you need me but you I haven't actually said what I'll be doing?"

Her smiled turned wrong at this point and her hands suddenly seized my wrists with way to much strength for a woman her size and pulled me closer.

"You will help save a world from itself." Then her right hand let go and a long boney finger with straight through my forehead and deep into my brain and twisted, pulled and rearrange the insides to something new.

I thankfully passed out from the pain and knew nothing but darkness.

—————-

When I awoke I was in a bed, but not a normal bed this thing was old like medieval old, on a side table I saw a wooden cup filled water and a folded letter with a skull seal on it.

Not touching the water as much as I wanted too I carefully broke the seal and began to read the letter.

-Dear new Employee, thank you for joining Death Corp!

We here at Death Corp are a omniversal corporation that prevent massive die offs and stagnations of different world and multiverse, your job as a Instigator is to provoke and encourage development in all fields to prevent stagnation in your designated world.

You will not be going into this world empty handed, based off your personality and history you would hate relying on magic or religions to stop stagnation you have been given the made science package.

You are now a mutant with the power of Forge from the X-Men, you now have an instinctual understanding of all from of craftsmen ship, and due to your now lack of magic you have been given a boost to your intellect.

Now the situation you now find yourself is Thus, first you are now in the ASOIAF universe in the body of one Jon Snow, the memories of this life will come in a moment. You have 4 years till Robert would Normally come North at the beginning of "Cannon"

-PS Sorry for the rough intro, I'll be throwing in a small gift to allow you to Warg like "Jon" welcome to the Job

Love, Kurai-

The letter once read simply faded away into nothingness.

The insertion of memory thankfully it didn't hurt I'm not sure if it was my new intellect or my boss being nice but Jon Snows entire life flashed before my eyes and stuck in my mind like gum as did my previous one.

Both of my lives were suddenly cataloged and notated allowing me to review them both up to the moment of my births, so Lyanna Stark truly is my mother and I am the Bastard of Winterfell.

Which wasn't a great situation, the Servants and other staff that Catelyn brought with her are rude and hateful towards me under her orders, everything is over lower quality that I receive the treatment only gets worse when Ned leaves the castle when food isn't given to me or I am left to find food on my own.

While those who are of the North are forced to look the other way under the threat of violence or being fired and never to be returned, but they helped when they could.

The men at arms taught Jon how to hunt, skin and cook various animals and find the various edible plants that dotted the lands. That's is how Jon became so sick his hidden stash of food had "gone missing" and he was forced to scavenge what he could and mad the mistake of eating some poisonous berries.

Looking over the memories of when Jon was in a partial Coma and suffering greatly Catelyn had come to his bed side and prayed for his death, she also never gave him any of the medication that was prepared for him.

That's was Jon last memory as he just gave up on surviving and let the dark take him and that was when I was dropped into his body, looked down at my body you could tell they went went through periods malnutrition or food scarcity but his hands were more calloused and worn than a young's mans should be.

The opening of the door a 14 year old Arya came quietly in, but when she noticed I was awake she yelled out "JON, your awake!" And jump into my arms with a tight hug and began to cry into my shoulder and whisper "I thought you died" over and over again.

I just have her a hug back and and whispered "I'm not dead yet little Wolf" a Septa came walking up the steps.

"Arya Stark you can't keep running fr-." Her high pitched squeaking voice was suddenly quiet as she saw me awake. "Oh your awake I'll go alert Lord Stark ." Her voice had no compassion in it when she saw this and I just narrowed my eyes at the hatful woman.

Within moments the chamber was filled with the Stark Family and Maester Luwin began inspecting me making sure I am actually well.

Ned Stark let his children give Jon a hug or congratulate him on his recovery but sent them out after a moment leaving only himself, myself and Luwin in the room.

Ned sat in one of the chairs in the room while Luwin fished his examination of me. "What happened Jon? I've seen this kind of poisoning before while on march it's from Cotoneaster berries which you have no business going and foraging like some Smallfolk." He sounded so very tired in that moment his voice not that of Lord Stark rather Ned the man who had lost so much of his family.

I thought for a moment on what to say, I could lie and say it was a complete accident or speak of Lady Starks transgressions which the old Jon would have never done as he was scared of the woman and what she would do to him.

I took a deep breath and held for a moment calming my nerves and organizing my thoughts.

"I was foraging because for the past 4 months and times before this I have been refused food under the orders of Lady Stark, over the past 4 years every time you have left the castle on business she refused to allow me any food, water or shelter.

If hadn't been some of the Northern servants and men at arms I would have died some time ago, they taught me how to forage and hunt any to survive."

I looked him in the eyes the entire time he said this his grey eyes darkened as I told him more and more details about the abuse I suffered over the years that had only worsened as he and Robb made there way around the north introducing him to the realm.

Ned stayed silent the entire time while Luwin became more and more disturbed at the situation, he examined me once again and spoke before Ned.

"Lord Stark, I have been in your service for over 20 years now and I say this seriously this boy has signs of malnutrition and damage I would normally see in children raised during a famine and he has no signs of ever receiving any tonics I prepared." His voice had a iron edge to it unlike I had heard before.

"She dumped it out the window I believe, I heard some of what she said while I was unconscious."

Maester Luwin looked out the window where he saw some of the remnants of the side of the granite walls of the castle, Luwin then turned to Ned and nodded and took his leave of the room.

Ned seemed to age years just sitting there. "I'm sorry Jon, I'll take care of everything." I waited for a couple of minutes no rage nor yelling just a far off look.

"That's it? Just a half assed apology and a promise you are likely never actually complete? I have an idea instead just send me to some far off holdfast like Bear island, Flints Fingers, or Karhold. I will never be welcomed here as clearly you have no love lost between my self and the Starks."

Fury filled his face for a moment but just as quickly dissolved, "I'll send some letters to Bear island they will welcome you with open arms." Ned stood and walked out the door leaving me to my thoughts.

—————

After getting a clean bill of health from Maester Luwin and a heavily monitored diet to help fixes some of my health issues from the abuse, I made myself scarce in the castle as many servants have been let go or imprisoned for their treatment of me and being a spy for various other nobles as the investigation revealed quite a bit of corruption in the castle.

This just made the situation much worse between lady Catelyn and lord Stark as the situation was much worse as he had left the day to day running of the castle which she did a quite a bad job at.

Money, food, heirlooms and many expensive items were missing and being searched for in the city and the surrounding villages.

I made myself scarce and worked under Mikken the blacksmith for a couple of days watching him work and doing odds and ends while he explains the basics to me.

Be then end of two weeks Ned Stark called me to his solar, his solar was rather plain a large iron wood desk with various ledgers and documents.

Ned looked haggard from the last two weeks as the situation didn't look like it would be improving anytime soon.

"Thank you for coming Jon, I know things haven't been easy for you here so with your suggestion I wrote to Lady Mormont to foster you for some time.

You will leave with in the week, you will be escorted as far as Deepwood Motte there a Mormont ship will escort you the rest of the way.

Jon...I'm truly sorry about what has happened to you but I know the Mormont are good people and will train you to be as just as you can be." Ned stood up and pulled me into a cautions hug and with a barley audible whisper I hear "I broke my Promise sister."

With my future at Bear island decided I did some preparation, I first made my way to Arya who I knew would be in the practice for archery as the Septa was currently under house arrest as her treatment of Arya had been very lacking.

Making my way there I grabbed the crossbow I hade been experimenting with over the past couple of weeks.

The crossbows currently used were decent but the armor of nobles was strong enough to resist shots to the chest, by using some pulleys and steel wire for string it should in theory pierce the heavy plate armor of knights.

To even load the thing a lever had to be cocked and a magazine of five heavy iron bolts to allow much faster firing rates.

Arya was currently under the watch full eye of the master at arms Rodrik Cassel a large older man in his early 60s that was still a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Arya who was in the zone, arrow after arrow hit the target with near perfect grouping with a thunk thunk, With her arrows used up she looked to Cassel.

Cassel-"Good grouping Arya but your to slow, you need to be able to fire 5 arrows before a man can even reach you."

Arya nodded and moved to gather the arrows, I then moved to approach the master at arms. "See Cassel with your permission I would like to test a crossbow I have built." I held up the crossbow for him to examine.

He took the weapon from my arms, first he looked to see if it was loaded and tested the weight and tried to pull back the wire and with great strain he could barely move the thing.

"By the gods Jon the thing is beautiful but I doubt anyone by the Mountain could pull back on that string." He then passed me back my Crossbow.l and the thing was beautiful, to fully test out my new abilities and craftsmanship I engraved the various metal supports with Weirwood Branches and where the bolt left a large wolf's head.

"That's what the Lever is for, I have been watching Mikken in the Smithery and I had the idea of making iron string for a crossbow and with some work it may pierce a heavy plate."

Looking over at Arya to make sure she had gathered her arrows, which she had and was listening closely at our conversation.

Cassel gave me a look that was similar to when you are humoring a child. "Well…..let's see if it doesn't shatter when you fire it first."

He and Arya moved away to a safe distance, while I moved the target to be braced on one of the granite walls. I then backed away about 70 yards by guesswork and shouldered the crossbow.

I pulled back on the lever with minimal effort thanks to the gear ratio and pulleys I had built in the body with a satisfying click the bolt and string were in place.

I did a quick glance to make sure the fire lane was clear, and with a slow pull on the trigger the bolt flew faster than any arrow let out a whistling noise for just a second as it sunk deep into the target and into the wall.

Just as Cassel was about to congratulate me I began to rapidly fire the bow one after another, each sinking deeper and deeper into the wall much to the surprise of the Master at Arms.

Lowering the bow and turning to Master at Arms a small crowd had gathered and in addition to the two, Mikken the smith, my siblings and Ned standing on one of the upper floors watching with clear amazement on his face.

Arya was the first to break the silence, "THAT WAS AMAZING" she then ran towards me and began asking question after question which my siblings sans Sansa joined in on.

Robb had asked to hold my bow and began examining it closely looking at the various engravings.

While we talked the Adults went over to the target and had to rip it off the wall as I had pinned it to the wall. The bolts at such close range had sunk a couple of inches into the wall and if a man wanted could support his weight.

——-

Cassel strained but eventually pulled a bolt free of the wall, the bolt was mostly scrap now as the tip had concaved in on itself from the hard granite.

He passed it over to Mikken who was much more knowledgeable about metals than himself.

Mikken held in his hand and tested the weight, licked it and bite it gently trying to discern the iron quality of the bolt.

He let out a short snort and laughed, Cassel and Lord Stark looked at him as neither had heard the man laugh in a half a decade now.

"Sorry my lord but the boy made Castle forged Steel and used it to make Bolts, and his promise proves true that Bow of his could pierce any heavy Armor that I know of outside of Valyrian Steel and even then it will leave a dent."

This left both of the men shocked as Jon to there knowledge had never even shown any interest in smithing, which Lord Stark had asked Mikken.

Mikken gave his lord a raised eyebrow, "My Lord he has been helping me in the forge for over 4 years now, mostly gathering supplies and manning the bellows. Just in the past month I have been allowing him to help me make horseshoes. I apologize my lord I thought you knew about this."

Mikken gave a polite bow but was examining the bolt and the holes it left in the wall.

Ned gave a sad sigh, "It's alright Mikken it seems I didn't know quite a bit that occurred in my home, now what can you tell me of the Crossbow he built." Trying to shift the conversation away from his failures over the years.

Cassel spoke first,"If we have ten of them and some trained men it could take out a charge of knights in moments with no issue." Cassel not that he would admit he was impressed with what the boy had built and I'd they had them during the Ironborn rebellion it would have been a much shorter war.

"I agree with the Master at Arms my lord, but from what I watched during its construction they are time consuming and expensive to build. That Steel rope of his took weeks of work alone and the tiny gear he built are maddening in their complexity."

Mikken answered his lord, he was only slightly jealous of the boy but was mostly proud of his "apprentice" like any master was and if what the rumors were saying the boy deserves something good to happen.

Ned nodded and began to do some math in his head about the cost for producing just a couple of the bows for his personal guards and put it aside lordly matters could wait he had a son to congratulate.

He left the two men to talk and walked over to his children who had moved over to a small table where Maester Luwin was asking Jon some mathematical questions while Jon had partially disassembled his bow.

Jon-"I'll show you my notes later but in short by having the pulleys made in an oblong way it puts extra tension on the string while the lever and the gears allow the strength needed to pull the string back easier."

Maester Luwin was sitting across from him on a small stool looking over the crossbow nodding along. "This is genus Jon if you ever decide to join the Maesters you could become an archmaester in no time."

Jon let out a laugh and shook his head no, "I'm sorry Maester Luwin but I would like to have a family of my own one day, but if you have time this week I wouldn't mind sharing some of my ideas."

"I would greatly enjoy that Jon and I hope things look better for you in the future, and I won't try to apologize."

The younger kids look over at Luwin confused but Jon just placed his hand on his shoulder, "You didn't know and you were one of many who provided a safe haven so thank you Maester."

Ned walked up to his children and placed a hand on Arya's shoulder who smiled up at her father. "Father! Did you see Jon's crossbow? It's awesome!"

Ned smiled down at his more rambunctious girls while her and Sansa were twins; they were very much different as Arya fit more in the North than Sansa who had openly converted to the seven faith which he was greatly annoyed by.

"Yes, I'm greatly impressed with your invention Jon and we will celebrate later tonight with all of us together. But I have to ask you all to run along. I want some privacy with Maester Luwin and Jon for a moment."

The children let out a groan but ran off with the promise of some berries and cream for dessert tonight.

Ned sat down at the table and looked at the reassembled bow, looking towards Jon "May I hold it Jon." With an okay he hefted the bow about a pound heavier than normal but felt better than the ones he had used before.

He copied Jon's movements and looked down the bow and saw a small set of bumps allowing him to aim much better, not loading any bolt he set the bow down on the table.

"Before I start I want to say that this is one of the most impressive Bows I have ever seen shot and I am extremely proud of you son."

"Thanks Dad." That made Ned happy Jon hadn't called him that for awhile now he thought for a time he was simply trying to act more grown but with everything that had happened he had a feeling Jon had wanted to call him that for some time.

Ned pulled his son into a hug again and held him for a minute trying to show just how proud he was, not letting himself cry he let go and put on his lord face and voice.

"Now, for business these bows are impressive and extremely dangerous so I need to know how hard they are to make, how expensive and how quickly more can be made."

"That's kind of a complicated answer, for most lords and smiths are extremely complicated and hard to make but I think certain smiths in Esso with their slaves and bigger complexes could make a similar bow.

To make them this strong you need an expansive knowledge of mathematics, smithing and geometry and I think I had to invent multiple mathematical formulas which I need Maester Luwin to look over soon.

So to summarize, if they get stolen lesser versions could be made but nothing like mine."

Ned nodded and Luwin looked excited at the prospect of pioneering a new field of study.

"Okay, if they are that expensive how could you make them cheaper but keeping the strength."

Jon moving his hand is a so-so gesture, "It's a mixed bag, by removing the self reloading, engraving, some of the more comfort of life additions I could in theory lower the cost but that's about it due to the small size of the gears.

But, if I increase the size of the device to take at least a two man team or to a mounted version I could make it easier to build for the average smith or carpenter."

Jon grabbed a nearby stick and began to draw in the dirt.

"First increase the size by a factor of three to make the the gears easier to make, next is the loading mechanism and bolt; the bolt can be increased to about the size of an arrow and the mechanism can now hold 10-15 (for mounted) and 5 for man portable in a box to allow a quicker fire rate.

They will be about as tall as a man and a foot wide if we use my pulley design the lever will also need to be bigger but with some testing we could have a working model in a couple of days."

Jon who had gone into lecture mode had completely ignored the two men, Ned who had seen ballista multiple times in his life had a general idea of the plan but Luwin practically had stars in his eyes.

He had been in multiple discussions like this in his youth in old town when he was bright eyed and full of wonder but that had changed during his time there.

But watching Jon solve problems before they could pop up and identify weak areas and reinforcing them.

Ned looked over to Luwin wanting him to add something to the design or approve of it. "I believe this will work and based off what I could glean from Jon Crossbow and the designs he showed me this should work."

Ned nodded "Good, tomorrow I want you and Jon to make a formal design and show me them. But tonight we celebrate come on Jon let's walk and talk."

He had Jon took their time and Ned asked Jon about any other ideas he had but most of them were mostly theory but Ned knew his son would change the North if his ideas worked half as good as the bow did.

———————-

That night the Stark family ate in private laughing and joking and as the night wound down Ned and Jon looked at one another and they knew this was the best time to announce the warding of Jon for a year or two.

Ned got his children's attention, "I know that you all have noticed the weird atmosphere and tension lately, I can't tell you all everything but some things became revealed to me.

So things are going to be changed here, first the Speta and many of the other Southers will be leaving." He stopped to allow reactions from the kids, the boys while confused and didn't really care.

But the twins had very different reactions, Sansa looked stricken with horror at the thought of them leaving many were her "friends" while Arya was elated as she never fit in with the southern girls.

"Second, you all will be taught by Northerns and taught Northern values as many of you will marry northerns, sadly all of your education has been lacking in real world knowledge and truth the world isn't like the stories.

Third, your mother has been doing some things over the years I strongly disagree with which means she will not have control of the servants or any decisions on her own.

Lastly, Jon will be fostering with the Mormonts for a year or two I know you all know about one of the lord there sell some poachers into Slavery, while I trust Maege to be a just and good leader I need someone to make sure and to show I still trust the mormonts."

Before the kids launched into complaints and shouting Jon stopped them. "I volunteered to do this, I love all of you greatly but things are not looking good. Besides the finding of so many spies and traitors here in Winterfell from rumors we have heard the realm isn't doing well and the kingdom is heavily in debt to various banks and lords."

Arya had tears in her eyes and gave Jon a hug as he wiped the tears from her eyes. "This is only a year or two and I will be writing constantly and I will be helping people that truly need it."

Ned-"Jon probably won't be the only one fostering, Bran and Rickan are the most likely to be next but that is a couple of years from now. Sansa is also up for consideration as her attitude and actions are more like that of some southern lady rather than a woman of the North.

But Jon leaving isn't a punishment, rather Jon and his inventions could help Bear island; they will also test them far from watching eyes so please enjoy your time together as by the end of the week Jon will be leaving."

The kids, still shocked by the news, didn't have much to say and they left it as is, Arya would come and visit me in the coming days spending as much time as she could with me when I wasn't working with Maester Luwin.

The day before my departure we had completed a prototype model of the Two man Crossbow, to test this one we rode half a mile out of the castle where Ned had ordered a series of targets to be placed at 50 yard intervals to test the accuracy and reliability of the new bow in addition a three sheets of metal that are as thick as a heavy breastplate are to be shot at.

We brought a couple different variations of the device, one carried by a two man team, another on wheels like a cannon and one that would be mounted on a wall.

The Two man team had quite a bit in common with an early machine gun team, the stronger of the two would carry the bulk of the device while the other carried Bolts and a tripod with a ball joint up top to allow easy disassembly and aiming that could be placed in defensive or hidden positions.

To keep the weapon as simple as possible and to allow fast firing a box is built into the side where five bolts would be dropped in and will fall into place.

This is where each of the prototypes begin to change, the wheeled variant is larger due to firing two shots at once.

And the last is wall mounted that are the most expensive to fire in that they can fire scatter shots, a large bundle of darts that are expensive to fire but In theory are a great anti personnel weapon. (Watch 100 Dart trebuchet on YouTube to get a better idea.)

To test these two men at arms that have the most experience with crossbows have been selected and been given the basics needed to test them.

————-

To summarize the test they went okay, the man portable would be good but heavily situational in its uses. In an ambush, held position, or in city fighting it would be devastating for the enemy as our testing indicates it could Fire through three men in light armor before stopping.

The dual firing is a bust as the increased weight and complexity is just too much and the wheeled part could be useful but requires some more refinement.

The wall mounted one was a complete success and the bundle firing could prove to be devastating with some changes to the bolts for more weight, these would be used to fire on trebuchets and other siege equipment as we ran out of range for test firing.