Tony skimmed the file, noting names: Black Widow, Hawkeye, and a slot reserved for Bruce Banner. "Interesting list," he said, handing it back. "But who's in charge? S.H.I.E.L.D.? The Security Council? Some secret organization?"
Fury stayed vague. "In some situations, the team will have decision-making autonomy."
"So, you're giving the orders," Tony shot back, shaking his head. "Sorry, Nick. I don't take orders, especially not from a grumpy old man."
He hesitated, then added, "And I don't like working for an organization half-infiltrated by HYDRA."
Fury's eye narrowed. "HYDRA? How do you know that?"
"James," Tony lied. "He's got a… knack for seeing through masks. Says a third of your agents are working for HYDRA."
A heavy silence fell. Fury weighed the information's credibility.
"If that's true," he said finally, "it proves we need someone like James. His powers could root out the spies."
Tony turned to the window, gazing at New York. "James isn't the kind of guy you can control, Fury. His power's beyond anything you can imagine."
"Nobody's uncontrollable, Stark," Fury said, his tone menacing. "Not even you."
Tony met his gaze. "Threats don't work on me. I've got a better partner."
The air grew electric. Fury stepped back, stowing his projector. "We'll keep investigating your friend, Stark. If he becomes a threat…"
"Don't waste your time, Nick," Tony cut in. "Instead of chasing James, check your bases. Agent Sitwell seems awfully interested in the Tesseract, doesn't he?"
Fury tensed. Sitwell handled sensitive projects. Tony had dropped the name to test James's HYDRA intel.
"Thanks for the… tip," Fury said, heading to the elevator. "This conversation isn't over, Stark. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be watching."
Once Fury left, Tony slumped into a chair. "Jarvis, any intruders?"
"Thermal signature in the ventilation system, likely Black Widow," Jarvis replied.
Tony smirked. "Let her snoop; she won't find anything."
He opened the safe, grabbing the glowing blue serum. "Jarvis, prep the injection."
"Sir, are you sure about using an untested compound?" Jarvis asked.
"I wrote the rulebook, Jarvis," Tony snapped. "And… I trust James's tech."
He was surprised by his own words. He, who trusted no one, believed in this overpowered stranger. His gut told him the serum was a gift, not a trap.
"Activate the Iron Legion protocol," he added. "Put all Marks on alert."
"Executed, sir," Jarvis replied. "But our weapons are ineffective against Mr. Holden."
Tony grinned, holding the serum. "Who said it's for him?"
He loaded the serum into an auto-injector. A strange warmth flooded his body, muscles restructuring, senses sharpening.
"Vitals stable," Jarvis reported. "Muscle density +240%, bone resistance +180%, metabolism…"
"Muscle analysis: max strength 16.7 tons. Sir, you've surpassed Captain America."
Tony stood, grabbing a steel wrench and bending it like putty. "Wow," he murmured, thrilled. "James wasn't kidding. This is version 3.0."
He sprinted, blurring, then jumped three meters, landing on a console. "Sir, your heart rate's elevated," Jarvis noted.
"Because I'm pumped, Jarvis!" Tony laughed. "This is incredible!"
His expression turned serious. This strength was just the start. With S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, and other threats lurking, he had to prepare.
"Jarvis, send James a message," he said, approaching the assembly area. "Tell him I accepted his gift and can't wait for surprise number two."
Outside, dark clouds gathered, signaling a storm. In Stark Tower, a new Tony Stark was born—not just a tech genius but a true superhuman.
"With this power and tech…" Tony murmured, clenching his fist, "we might not need S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore."