[Stark Tower]
Bruce hovered over the Stark Tower, well, whatever was left of it. Most of it had been destroyed in the early days of Magneto's attack. Just a skeleton of what remained of the building and the once tall statue stood proudly was enough to bring an odd feeling of nostalgia. Using the enhanced vision, he scanned the area to check for any traps or sensors, but there weren't any.
He flew down and landed in the middle of the rubble as the sun was slowly beginning to rise. He quickly cleared the north wing of the tower and punched the tile, breaking it. Under it was an old keypad. Bruce entered the code and then pressed Enter. A few seconds later, he heard a beep and the ground below him shifted, revealing a stairway leading underground.
Bruce descended the stairway into the hidden base beneath the ruins of Stark Tower. As he stepped down into the dimly lit chamber, the remnants of Tony Stark's previous life greeted him—massive metallic walls, dust-covered consoles, and crates of equipment. It was an underground sanctuary built for emergencies, hidden from even the most powerful of enemies. The entrance closed above him, sealing him off from the outside world. And the holographic technology created fake rubbles on the top to avoid unnecessary attention.
He paused for a moment, looking around at the half-destroyed remnants of technology that once represented the peak of human ingenuity. Memories flickered in his mind, of days long past when he walked these halls as Tony Stark. He remembered building these very walls, meticulously crafting hidden alcoves and backup systems. It was strange to reconcile the billionaire playboy with the grim warrior he was now.
"Jarvis?" Bruce's voice echoed through the cold, hollow space. No response. The AI had been inactive since the fall of the Avengers and Magneto's attack on Stark Tower.
Bruce moved toward the central control console. It was a large, sleek panel with flickering lights, many of them no longer working. After removing some debris, he accessed a small compartment on the side of the console. Inside was a power core—thankfully intact. He began restoring power to the base.
After some minutes of manual work, the lights slowly flickered on, bathing the room in an eerie blue glow. Several screens lit up as the familiar hum of the machinery filled the room. Bruce sat at the console and began tapping away, activating the main systems.
"System online... diagnostics running," the console chirped. A list of damaged or disabled systems scrolled across the screen—mostly minor issues. Then, after a moment, Jarvis's familiar voice emerged, albeit in a broken, fragmented state.
"Mr. Stark... is that... you?"
Bruce allowed a small smile to cross his lips. "Not quite, Jarvis. But close enough."
"Critical error detected... repairs required..."
Bruce glanced at the screen, noting the locations of the system failures.
It took him a few hours to repair the broken components, manually reprogramming and updating the AI's core software. He worked methodically, using parts and tools scattered across the base. Each screw, each wire, felt familiar in his hands. Slowly but surely, the AI's systems began to stabilize.
"Jarvis?" Bruce called again after the last diagnostic had been completed.
"Fully operational, sir," Jarvis's voice responded, now smooth and clear.
"Code: 198345RH12XP0001. It's been a while..." Bruce used the code that he had prepared for situations like this. Since the multiverse can be a bit confusing and reality flips are common in the Marvel world, he prepared everything in his past life. With the code, he could prove his identity as Tony Stark
"I see much has changed... you're not Tony Stark, and yet you are. I suppose the multiverse theory has been proven correct," Jarvis's round holographic form appeared over the console. "It's good to have you back, sir."
"Likewise. Now, we have work to do."
Bruce stood and walked toward the section of the base that housed his suits. Most were damaged, relics of a past era, but the tools to build new ones were still functional. Stark had always kept the most advanced technology in reserve, hidden away in this very base. There were enough materials and parts to build a suit that could withstand Magneto's powers.
He began to scan through the various components he would need.
He had a plan: a suit made from Neodymium armor, a material he had researched in his past life but had never fully utilized. Neodymium was a ceramic-based composite, lightweight but incredibly strong, and crucially, it was non-metallic. Magneto's powers wouldn't be able to manipulate it, making it the perfect defense against him.
"Jarvis, begin the construction of a Neodymium-based armor. Use the design files I'm sending you now."
Bruce transferred the design he had in mind. It was based on one of his last suit designs but with heavy modifications. He wanted this suit to be sleeker, faster, and more versatile on the battlefield. He had incorporated elements of his new suits that he created back in the DC world.
"As you wish, sir," Jarvis responded. "The estimated time for completion is three hours."
"Good. In the meantime, I'll prepare the remaining systems."
Although considering Bruce's power, he doesn't need a suit, suiting up once again in the Marvel world as Iron Man would give people hope once again. Besides, he plans to use his Batman persona too. He will remotely control one suit, and the other will be manually controlled. That way, two heroes, one person. Just like the old times when he had multiple suits to do the work for him. And, not to mention, technology is cool... So, for him, despite his power, a suit is must.
"Now then, let's get to work."
Bruce moved around the base, collecting additional gear and checking on the nanites he had stored away. These nanites were a vital part of his plan. He decided to use it to fix his Batsuit and do some upgrades.
The hours passed quickly. The base hummed with activity as the automated systems worked to create the new suit.
Bruce took the time to study the tactical situation on the ground, examining Magneto's movements, and the political situation. Those politicians are just as shrewd and cunning as in the DC world. Their scheming is a potential problem, but not one he can solve right now. Thanks to this war, they secretly decided to support Magneto. Well, Magneto is the immediate threat, and he needs to focus on defeating him, and with him gone, the new world leaders will fall like a house of cards.
Finally, the suit was ready. It stood on the assembly platform, a sleek, dark gray figure that looked both menacing and elegant. The Neodymium armor gleamed faintly under the dim lights of the base.
"Neodymium suit complete, sir," Jarvis announced.
Bruce approached the suit, inspecting every inch of it. It was lighter than his previous Iron Man suits, yet it felt just as durable. The ceramic composite offered flexibility and strength, perfect for the kind of combat he expected to face. He ran his hand along the surface, feeling the smooth, cold texture.
"Perfect," he muttered.
The nanites shifted, covering his body in a sleek layer of armor. He could feel the Neodymium composite molding itself around him. The HUD inside the helmet flickered to life as Jarvis synchronized with the suit's systems. Data streamed across the display, providing real-time analysis of his surroundings and the suit's capabilities.
"All systems are functioning at optimal capacity," Jarvis confirmed.
Bruce flexed his arms and tested the suit's mobility. It responded smoothly, allowing him to move with a fluidity he hadn't experienced in his previous armors. The integration of nanites provided a seamless connection between his body and the suit, allowing for near-instantaneous reactions. This was the latest and perfect model yet.
He deactivated the suit. The nanites retracted and formed a jacket that he slipped on.
"Ok. How many suits can you create? He asked Jarvis.
"30 suits, but if you wish to create Hulk Busters then 10 at max," Jarvis replied.
Bruce nodded. That would be enough for now.
"Begin construction of the suits. Oh, I almost forgot," He entered another design of his new Batman suit, but with a cyborg look. "Use Carbon Nanotubes for this one."
"Yes, sir."
Now, for the hard part.
His DC world Jarvis AI was still offline. He tried to reboot it, but there was some glitch in the programming. And he had a pretty bad experience with glitched-up AIs...
Bruce took his bracelet and extracted the nanites he absorbed from those sentinels, but kept the old nanites touched by DC Jarvis. Then, he placed it in the incinerator and activated the self-destruct sequence.
"Good bye, DC world... For now, at least..."
The nanites exploded within the chamber as intense heat melted them.
"Ok. Time to get out. Jarvis, let me know after you finish the suits. Then, scan these new nanites. I took them from the sentinels. If we can find an opening and create a loophole, we can easily turn those sentinels against Magneto," Bruce ordered.
"Sir. What about the others?" Jarvis asked.
"I'll wake them up in due time."
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