Watchtower: The Justice League's High-Tech Lab
The soft hum of machines filled the room as Iron Man materialized from the transmission system, his suit casting a metallic sheen under the lab lights. Tony Stark stepped from the Mark 43 armor as it opened at the doorway, moving swiftly through the state-of-the-art facility until he reached his lab station.
With a flick of his wrist, the floating display activated, and a holographic screen projected a detailed, intricate model in midair. Metallic components began to assemble in a simulated environment, each one clicking into place as Tony observed. This wasn't just any component—it was a critical part of a larger framework he was designing, something even he found intriguing. The function? Equipment customization. Similar to mechanics in some advanced tech simulations, this module allowed him to take existing tech and alter it, refine it, make it his own.
But there were rules. The tech in the module had to be previously unlocked by someone with the know-how to recreate it. This wasn't magic; things didn't simply appear. Even if Tony wanted, he couldn't just create an anti-god armor out of nowhere. Any modification required the backing of real, functional science or someone in his "hero pool" with the expertise to pull it off.
Materials were another roadblock. Like any advanced engineering project, they needed specific resources, some of which were rare or costly. Fortunately, Tony had already planned for this, pulling strings to ensure the necessary components were within reach.
And then there was the third catch—the project's mastermind had to possess the technical expertise for any breakthrough. While Stark could follow his plans easily, most people in this world wouldn't even know where to start. If someone else tried to recreate top-level tech from his designs, they'd likely get lost somewhere between the first and second instruction.
But Stark was unique in this realm. Every innovation, every modification to his suit, came straight from his mind. For others, like Captain America, who didn't design the Super Soldier Serum himself, replicating the tech would be impossible without a scientist's knowledge of the formula. Tony and Batman were the only two with the skill set to navigate the module's complexities.
After combing through countless options, Stark made his selections and began uploading the designs.
The result: a custom suit, designed for his particular needs.
Built on Iron Man armor technology, this suit used the same gold-titanium alloy shell, reinforcing it with advanced shock absorption to protect the user. But it was more than a simple replica. Stark combined the exoskeleton tech from the Iron Spider suit to interface seamlessly with Spider-Gwen's abilities, creating a powerful synergy that enhanced strength to near-superhuman levels.
The suit's core was powered by Iron Man's classic arc reactor. Unable to access newer elements, Stark opted for the original reactor model, a simpler, more proven version. Unlike his own suit, this one didn't need a heart-based implant, eliminating the risks of palladium poisoning.
The first-generation arc reactor limited the suit's power, though; its battery life, flight speed, and energy beam were no match for the newer Mark XIII armor, nor could it support later-generation weapons like high-output lasers. To make up for this, Tony added a few tricks from his toolkit.
Powerful freeze bombs—capable of halting even the largest targets in their tracks—were integrated into the suit's elbows, miniaturized using Stark's compression technology. These weren't just any bombs; they were derived from weapons used in Batman's Batwing, capable of fitting neatly into the exoskeleton without sacrificing impact.
For ranged attacks, Tony fitted a shotgun system that could auto-lock onto multiple targets. The warheads weren't standard, either—they'd been replaced with a miniaturized batwing design that burned at high temperatures, allowing them to punch through armor.
"Design upload complete. Custom development in progress. Estimated time: 6 hours, 32 minutes, and 29 seconds."
The hologram showed Stark already at work in the lab, with a countdown ticking away on the side. During development, selected heroes had to stay in the lab—if they left, progress would pause, resuming only when they returned.
The speed surprised Tony. He remembered that when he'd originally developed the Iron Spider suit, he'd mentioned something offhand about it only taking an hour. With his advanced machinery, assembling a new armor was almost a routine task now—he had the equipment, the manufacturing systems, the software. It all fell into place seamlessly.
Once finished, this new suit would mark a new peak in his abilities, a leap forward. Enhanced powers, self-healing, spider-sensing—it was the perfect combination of Stark's engineering with Gwen's agility. In effect, he'd crafted himself into a force greater than almost anyone in the current "hero pool."
Tony had even visualized the suit's appearance. It would take on the familiar contours of Iron Man's armor but with modifications to suit his new role. Painted in matte black with the arc reactor concealed in a bat emblem on his chest, the helmet would sport a distinct, bat-like silhouette.
He named it, the Iron Bat.
Halfway through the development, a set of blindingly bright effects suddenly flashed on the screen.
Tony's brow lifted. This was something he recognized.
An account upgrade!
…
"I'm done with this!" Kasim's fist slammed into the wall, leaving a jagged hole. Bricks scattered across the floor as his voice echoed through the chamber.
"Humans—we're stronger, better. Why are we the ones hiding, playing by their rules?"
"Kasim, lower your voice," Usak warned, casting a glance over his shoulder. "Lady Ophelia is resting."
"They've had their time! We've been lying low, gathering our strength, and now we're more powerful than ever. It's time to remind them who's in charge."
Usak met Kasim's eyes, his expression cool. "Ophelia has made it clear. The time isn't right."
"Usak."
A voice, calm but cutting, sounded from the shadows. Ophelia stepped forward, her expression as cold as the steel walls around them.
"Lady Ophelia," Usak bowed. "I was trying to make him see reason."
"It's fine. Stand down."
Her voice held a quiet authority, yet there was a weariness to her, as if the weight of countless battles had finally caught up with her. She turned her gaze to Kasim, regarding him with an unreadable look.
"If you believe that so strongly, Kasim, then go. Prove it. Show me, and them, that you're right."
Usak looked up, clearly surprised. "My lady?"
Ophelia's voice dropped, soft but resolute. "I'm tired of making decisions alone. The humans are more dangerous than I realized. We've done all we could to stay out of sight, but it seems our time is running out."
She paused, her gaze lingering on Kasim.
"So maybe you're right. Better to face them than wait to be discovered."
A hint of a smile played on Kasim's lips as he straightened. "I'll show you. They have nothing on us."
But he barely had time to take a step when something shot through the air, piercing his chest in one swift, brutal strike.
Kasim's eyes widened in shock as he looked down, only to see a tendril wrapped in shadow impaling him. Slowly, he turned to Ophelia, who had one arm raised, the tendril snaking out from her hand.
"You… you…" he whispered, words barely escaping his lips.
Ophelia's eyes were steely, her tone unyielding. "You've never known how to think things through, Kasim. That's why you'll always be irrelevant."