New York, Dusk
James landed outside Tony's private lab, his X-ray vision spotting Tony working, a new Arc Reactor glowing softly in his chest.
"Still living the billionaire grind?" James called, his voice echoing in the room.
Tony jumped, dropping a tool. "Damn it! Can't you use the door like a normal person? My heart can't take these surprises!"
James smiled. "Doors aren't my style."
Tony studied him, frowning. "You… changed."
After 37 hours in the sun, James's skin shimmered with a golden aura, his eyes glinted in the shadows, and his presence felt almost inhuman.
"Took a sunbath," James said casually.
Tony downed another whiskey. "Let me guess, not a Hamptons tan?"
"Close enough," James replied, approaching a hologram. "I dove into the sun."
Tony nearly choked. "You… what?"
"Literally." James conjured a small orb of solar plasma in his palm. "My energy reserves are ten times larger now."
Tony set his glass down, serious. "I need to redesign my anti-Superman armors."
James raised an eyebrow. "Already working on that?"
"Scientist's instinct," Tony shrugged. "But at your level, I'll need to crank up the juice."
James laughed. "I'll look forward to it. For now…"
He glanced at New York's horizon. "This city could use a hand."
Sirens and an explosion echoed in the distance. His super-hearing picked up details of a bank robbery and a police standoff.
"New York, always lively. Perfect for testing my powers," James said, approaching the window. "Coming, Tony?"
"Wait, you need gear that matches your vibe," Tony said, excited. "Unless you want to save the world in pajamas?"
James glanced at his worn combat uniform. Three seconds later, he stood in the lab, drawn to a matte black armor with golden lines, simple yet powerful.
"Like it?" Tony asked, arms wide. "Special edition Dark Guardian. Designed not to hinder your powers, but to give you a… look."
He paused. "More professional."
James touched the armor, and its pieces assembled perfectly around him, light as a feather. In a mirror, he admired the effect: the black accentuated his imposing frame, the golden lines shimmered subtly, and the lack of a mask revealed his face, adding a charismatic edge of danger.
"Why black?" he asked.
Tony shrugged. "One, you're not the red-cape type. Two, I noticed you like black. Three…"
He grinned mischievously. "It fits your vibe: powerful, mysterious, unstoppable."
Tony glanced at his Mark armor. "I'm sticking to my style. Go ahead, I'll catch up."
James nodded and launched through the window, the glass rippling like water without breaking. Tony muttered to Jarvis, "Record everything: energy, flight, bio-field."
"Recording, sir," Jarvis replied. "But defensive measures against Mr. Holden have a success probability below 0.0001%."
Tony smirked. "Then we'll move the decimal."
Queens, Third Bank
Chaos reigned. Peter Parker, in a worn Spider-Man suit, faced a three-meter-tall monster, its muscles tearing through its skin, revealing red fibers.
"Dude, you really need to chill," Peter quipped, shooting webbing over the monster's eyes. "We can talk this out!"
The mutant tore off the webbing and swung. Peter dodged, but the concrete wall crumbled under the impact.
"Okay, negotiation's over," Peter said, checking his suit. "Three days, and it's already trashed. You owe me a new one!"
The mutant grabbed a steel beam, poised to throw it, when a black figure dropped from the sky, pulverizing the beam into dust.
James floated in the air, his black armor gleaming under the setting sun. "Step back, kid," he said in a deep voice.
Peter's eyes widened. "Whoa! New guy? I'm Spider-Man, and you're…"
"We'll talk later," James cut in, eyeing the mutant. "Tony, get the kid to safety."
"Got it, Dark Knight," Tony replied, landing beside Peter. "Come on, pajama baby, the pros are taking over."
Peter protested as Tony carried him to a nearby rooftop. "Wait! That guy's on some drug, his strength's still climbing! I can help!"
Tony set him down. "Watch, kid. Today, you'll see real power."
Below, the mutant, sensing the threat, swelled its muscles further. It hurled a police car at James, who didn't flinch. At the last second, he exhaled softly.
WHOOSH!
The car froze into a block of ice, then shattered into crystals.
The mutant staggered back, petrified. "It's over," James said, his voice echoing through the street.
He vanished, reappearing before the mutant in a flash. A light tap to the neck, and…
CRACK!
The mutant collapsed, unconscious. The fight lasted three seconds.
"That's… it?" Peter stammered. "I fought that guy for fifteen minutes!"
Tony patted Peter's shoulder. "Welcome to the big leagues, kid."
James examined the mutant. "Not a natural mutation. Traces of experimentation."
Sirens approached. Peter panicked. "Uh, gotta go, I've got someone to pick up!"
"Wait, Spider-Man," James called. "You were brave."
Peter paused, surprised. "Really? Thanks! Uh… what do I call you?"
"James," he replied, his armor glinting. "Just James."
"Too cool!" Peter jumped excitedly. "Your armor's awesome! Is it your power? It's…"
Tony rolled his eyes. "Spare us, kid. Scram, the cops are coming."
Peter swung off via his webs, shouting, "James! Your armor rocks!"
James smiled, watching him go. "Interesting kid."
"A vigilante in pajamas," Tony scoffed, but with a glint of admiration. "He's got potential. So, the armor?"
James looked down. "Perfect."
He took off. "I'm taking a city tour."
Tony watched him vanish, muttering, "Gotta find more materials. This guy makes everything look stylish."
----------------------
Support us on Patreon for more content.
patreon.com/The_Hoader