Chapter 5: A Curious Encounter

Ethan stood at the corner of a bustling street, the newspaper still tucked under his arm. The mention of the Avengers in the article had sparked a curiosity in him that he couldn't shake. These so-called heroes intrigued him, but one name stood out among them all: Tony Stark. The genius inventor, billionaire, and, according to the paper, a man in a high-tech suit who fought alongside gods and soldiers.

Ethan grinned as he considered the possibilities. He had no real interest in the concept of heroism, but the idea of someone crafting such an advanced piece of technology? That piqued his interest. "I think it's time to pay Mr. Stark a visit," Ethan murmured to himself, feeling a twinge of excitement at the thought of testing Tony Stark's famous suit.

After a little searching and listening in on conversations around the city, Ethan found out where Stark's home was located, a heavily fortified mansion perched on the cliffs of Malibu. Breaking into a place like that? It sounded fun.

With a flick of his wrist, a small black circle appeared in the air before him. Ethan stepped through the portal and vanished from the streets of Manhattan, leaving only a faint shimmer of distortion behind.

....

Ethan emerged from the portal in Malibu, the sound of crashing waves and the salty scent of the ocean filling the air. In the distance, perched on the cliffs, was Tony Stark's mansion. It was sleek and modern, with floor-to-ceiling windows that seemed to defy gravity as they jutted out over the cliff's edge. A smirk tugged at Ethan's lips. Breaking into this place would be nothing.

With his eyes set on the house, Ethan entered his spot mode, his skin turning stark white as the swirling black circles reappeared all over his body. With a snap of his fingers, he opened another portal directly into the heart of the mansion. Security systems be damned, he wasn't here to sneak around.

Ethan stepped through the portal, arriving in the main living area of Stark's house. The view of the ocean from the expansive windows was breathtaking, but Ethan's attention was elsewhere. His eyes, or rather, the black circle on his face, scanned the room, taking in the advanced technology scattered around. Holographic interfaces flickered to life as he moved, responding to his presence.

"Not bad," Ethan muttered to himself. "But where's the man of the hour?"

Before he could take another step, a sharp voice rang out from behind him. "You know, I usually prefer guests to knock."

Ethan turned to see Tony Stark standing at the entrance of the room, a look of mild annoyance on his face. Stark's casual demeanor was betrayed by the subtle tension in his posture. He wasn't unprepared. And judging by the metallic briefcase resting on a nearby table, Ethan knew what was coming.

Without a word, Tony pressed a hidden button on his watch, and the briefcase snapped open. In a matter of seconds, pieces of armor began flying through the air, attaching themselves to Stark's body. The iconic red and gold suit took shape around him, and within moments, Tony Stark had transformed into Iron Man.

Ethan grinned. "I've been curious about that suit of yours, Stark."

Tony's helmet slid into place with a smooth hiss. "Yeah? You're not the first. But breaking into my house? That's a little rude."

"Just wanted to see it in action," Ethan replied casually, his stance relaxed despite the fact that Iron Man now stood fully armored in front of him.

"Well, let me give you a personal demonstration," Tony quipped, his arm raising as a repulsor beam began charging.

Without hesitation, Ethan moved. His body flickered as a portal opened in front of him, and he vanished just as the repulsor blast fired. He reappeared on the other side of the room, his movements impossibly fast, almost as if he had never moved at all.

Tony frowned inside his helmet. "Okay, not bad. But let's see how you handle this."

The suit's thrusters roared to life as Tony launched himself across the room, aiming another barrage of energy blasts at Ethan. But Ethan's reaction speed was beyond anything Tony had seen before. He moved like a blur, stepping through his own portals to avoid the attacks with ease. Every time Tony thought he had a shot lined up, Ethan would disappear, reappearing behind him or above him in a way that made him nearly impossible to predict.

"Gotta say, you're a hard guy to pin down," Tony grunted as another blast of energy missed its mark.

Ethan chuckled, his body swirling with black circles that allowed him to move in any direction, seemingly without effort. "Thanks to these holes, I can see everything, Stark. You can't catch what you can't hit."

Tony fired another volley of blasts, but Ethan's 360-degree vision allowed him to dodge each one, his body slipping through portals at lightning speed. His movements were fluid, graceful even, as he danced around Tony, testing the limits of the Iron Man suit.

Despite Ethan's relentless dodging, Tony's suit held up well. The repulsor blasts were powerful, and the suit's durability protected him from any serious damage. But Ethan wasn't looking to destroy the suit. He was testing it, pushing it.

With a sudden burst of speed, Ethan closed the gap between them. His hand flicked out, and a black portal opened at his side. From it, his fist emerged from another portal behind Tony, landing a solid hit on the back of the suit's armor. The force of the blow sent Tony stumbling forward, but the suit absorbed most of the impact.

"Impressive," Ethan mused, inspecting his hand. "That armor is tougher than I thought."

Tony grunted, righting himself before launching into the air, his thrusters blazing as he hovered above the ground. "You like it? It's custom."

Ethan grinned. "Mind if I push it a little harder?"

Before Tony could respond, Ethan opened another portal, this time directly beneath him. The swirling black void pulled at Iron Man's legs, threatening to drag him into the unknown. But Tony's thrusters roared to life, allowing him to hover just above the portal's grasp.

Ethan watched with amusement. "You're putting up a good fight, Stark. But how long can you keep up?"

Tony didn't answer. Instead, he activated his suit's Unibeam, firing a concentrated blast of energy directly at Ethan. The beam tore through the air, but just before it made contact, Ethan slipped through another portal, reappearing behind Tony once again.

"Gotta be faster than that," Ethan taunted, his voice light with amusement.

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