Together

Professor Prince began explaining the situation, his tone serious. He mentioned that this was a confidential project, involving many secrets, so he couldn't share everything. Still, he felt it was necessary to reveal some details, as the dangerous situation was getting worse. For now, he only shared the parts that might help with tracking the stolen armor.

He explained that the project was a top-secret experiment. Two days ago, the project leader had died suddenly. The cause of death was unknown, but the circumstances were strange. The team hadn't even started looking into the incident when, the next day, the prototype armor they were researching was stolen.

The timing of these two events—the leader's sudden death and the theft of high-tech equipment—was too close to be a coincidence. When the team sorted through the leader's belongings, they found signs that he had secretly sold the armor to someone. It looked like the leader was killed right after completing the deal, most likely by the buyer, to cover up their tracks.

Now the armor was gone, and whoever had it was clearly dangerous.

Even though he was weak, Professor Prince insisted on explaining how to track the stolen armor. As one of the project's main researchers, he knew some of the armor's unique features. He suggested using magnetic signal tracking and provided the specific signal parameters to look for.

Before Stark left, the professor gave a final warning. 

"You might not think this is a big deal, Mr. Stark," he said, his voice faint but firm. "I know our technology might seem primitive to you. But trust me—this armor is different."

The professor looked like he was about to collapse, so Stark reassured him. 

"Don't worry. I'll get it back. Rest for now, and we can talk more once it's done."

Using Prince's information, they conducted a city-wide scan and found a few magnetic signals that matched the description. Stark suited up as Iron Man and flew out, locking onto a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It didn't take long for him to arrive.

The warehouse looked abandoned. As Iron Man hovered above it, he used his suit's scanners to survey the building. The feedback showed no signs of life inside.

At first, Stark thought he might have come to the wrong place. But he realized that if someone could avoid surveillance drones, they might also have ways to block the suit's sensors. It was better to be cautious.

He landed near the large, rusted metal doors of the warehouse. The doors were locked tight, and the steel panels looked like they hadn't been opened in years. Of course, that wasn't a problem for the Iron Man suit. Stark grabbed the doors with both hands, his armored fingers digging into the steel. With a loud groan, the rusted metal bent and gave way as he forced the doors open.

Inside, the warehouse was dark and silent. The sensors still didn't pick up anything. He stepped forward carefully, the glow of his suit's eyes and arc reactor casting faint light across the empty space.

Then, out of nowhere, he heard the sharp rush of air. Before he could see it, a figure darted out from the shadows, moving so fast it was almost a blur.

Stark had been expecting a possible ambush. He reacted instantly, firing the thrusters in his palms to propel himself sideways. Just as he moved, a bright blue energy beam shot past him, missing his suit by inches. The beam hit a pile of debris behind him, exploding into sparks and sending fragments flying.

A mechanical figure emerged from the darkness. It was wearing armor unlike anything Stark had ever seen. The armor looked like a mix of machinery and organic material, glowing faintly with a blue light. The figure raised its arm, and another energy beam shot out, similar to Stark's repulsor blasts.

Stark dodged again, his suit's thrusters allowing him to maneuver quickly. He counterattacked, firing a repulsor blast from his palm. But the figure was incredibly fast, dodging the beam and closing the distance in seconds.

As they fought, Stark realized the figure wasn't just fast—it was skilled. The armor gave its wearer enhanced agility and strength, but the person inside clearly knew how to fight. Every movement was precise, almost as if the figure could predict Stark's attacks.

Their battle continued, with both sides exchanging blows and energy blasts. At one point, the figure raised its arms, and the glowing blue light formed a shield. Stark's next repulsor blast hit the shield and, to his surprise, bounced back at him. The reflected energy knocked him back a few steps, though the suit absorbed the impact.

"What the…?" Stark muttered, confused. The armor's technology was beyond anything he'd expected. "Great. Now even thieves have force fields."

As Stark regained his balance, the figure rushed forward, aiming to land a heavy punch. But before it could connect, another shadow moved in the darkness.

With a sharp kick to the head, Batman emerged, sending the armored figure flying. The enemy tumbled across the floor, sparks flying from its damaged suit.

Batman landed gracefully, his cape swirling around him. He stood up, calm and unshaken, as if he'd been there the whole time.

"Really?" Stark said, getting back to his feet. "I had this under control, you know. Don't you have a bat-milkshake to drink somewhere?"

Batman didn't reply, his expression as serious as ever.

The fight wasn't over yet, but now they were facing the mysterious enemy together.