'...'=Thoughts
"....."= Conversations
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Steve and James repeatedly fought, taking breaks in between, until they realized it was time for dinner. Bruce came to collect them, and they left the training room to freshen up before joining the group for dinner.
After celebrating James's birthday and enjoying a satisfying meal, James decided to get a good night's sleep and prepare for tomorrow's training.
Just as he was about to leave, Tony suddenly spoke, "James, you have become quite the hero in the eyes of the people. Well, not only you, but everyone in the Avengers has also gained popularity."
"That's to be expected. We saved a lot of lives yesterday," James responded casually, understanding that he couldn't keep his identity a secret from the public. He was also not one to wear masks or hide his true self.
"I guess it's just part of being an Avenger," Steve added, nodding in agreement. "From now on we would always be in the public eye."
Bruce advised, "Just be careful with all that attention, James. Sometimes popularity can come with its own set of problems."
"Don't worry, Bruce. I can handle it," James replied, his confidence evident in his tone.
"Also, they have given you a name," Tony continued unfazed by James's lack of enthusiasm about his growing popularity.
"A name? Like a hero name?" James asked curiously.
"Yeah, don't you want to know?" Tony smiled.
"Of course," James nodded quickly. He hoped that he wouldn't get a foolish hero name.
"It's 'Voidstriker.' Probably because of the sword you used in the war," Tony answered.
"Voidstriker, hmm," James muttered.
"You don't like it?" Bruce asked.
"It's hard to say. You know, I don't really have a good naming sense," James said. "But I guess it's better than something like 'Captain Waffles' or 'The Incredible Potato'," he chuckled.
Tony and Bruce burst into laughter at the absurdity of those names.
"I suppose you're right," Tony said, trying to compose himself. "Voidstriker has a certain ring to it, don't you think?"
James nodded, thinking it over. "Yeah, it does have a certain gravitas to it. It definitely sounds more intimidating than I feel."
"Well, that's the thing about hero names," Steve chimed in. "They're meant to inspire fear in the hearts of villains and instill hope in the hearts of the innocent. And Voidstriker certainly accomplishes that."
James smiled," Alright then, Voidstriker it is. I'll do my best to live up to the name and protect those who need it. But for now I have to go to sleep."
"Good night," Everyone chimed in and went to bed as well.
Lying down on his bed, James stared up at the ceiling, his mind racing with thoughts of how his life had changed. He had always dreamed of making a difference, but he never expected to become a superhero in an another world.
Closing his eyes, James took a deep breath and allowed himself to relax. Tomorrow would be another day of training, but for now, he would cherish the quiet moments of solitude.
As sleep finally overtook him, James couldn't help but wonder what the future had in store for him.
The following days were filled with James's training and his combat style training with Steve. Natasha had aslo returned as promised and taught James's few martial arts suitable for his build.
The whole week, James had a packed schedule. He was either training his chakra control or fighting with Steve and Natasha. James had made qualitative improvements in his combat as well as chakra control during this week. James knew that he won't be able to make a difference in a week. He had to keep training till his chakra control becomes perfect.
Steve and Natasha left after teaching James for a week, after exchanging their contact information with each other.
"Well, that was a productive week," James sighed as he stood up after three hours of practicing chakra control.
He decided to freshen up and go apartment hunting. Thor had not yet returned from Asgard, so James decided to look for an apartment without him.
He notified Tony and left the Stark Tower after bidding Bruce, Tony, and Pepper goodbye.
James decided to first visit his apartment to check on his belongings. Upon arrival, he was devastated to find the entire building in ruins. Although he had kind of expected it, but still James had hoped that maybe his apartment would have been spared from the destruction of the battle, but luck was not on his side this time.
As he was about to leave, James saw a person running towards him, calling out his name.
"James! What are you doing here?" James looked at the exhausted manager, Mr. Scott, who was charging towards him. It was Mr. Scott who had promoted James to the position of department head before James lost his job.
"Thank you for saving us," Mr. Scott said breathlessly, his eyes sparkling with gratitude. James had become a hero in the eyes of the people after his brave fight against the Chitauri army.
"That's what I'm supposed to do," James replied.
After catching his breath, Mr. Scott looked at James with a complex mix of emotions, appearing hesitant to discuss something.
"What's the matter?" James asked, looking at his fidgeting ex-manager.
"Ryan, Sam, Mia, and Monica died. Carl is heavily injured and still in a coma," Mr. Scott muttered in one breath. "I've been trying to find you for the past few days to inform you about their situation. I tried calling your phone and everything, but couldn't reach you," he continued.
James was shocked by the news. He had very little contact with his former colleagues, only speaking to them once on the day of his promotion and having dinner with them that same night. They were essentially strangers to him.
"They have been buried in the graveyard about two miles from here," Mr. Scott said, providing him with directions to the cemetery.
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