A discreet black SUV glided silently along the coastal road before stopping in front of Tony Stark's imposing mansion in Malibu.
The vehicle door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped out with confident posture. He was dressed simply, yet impeccably.
As he approached the entrance, the mansion's doors opened automatically.
[Welcome, Colonel Rhodes,] JARVIS announced, his voice polite and perfectly modulated.
James Rhodes gave a slight nod. He was a high-ranking officer in the United States Air Force—and, above all, one of the few people who could truly call Tony Stark a friend.
"JARVIS, where's Tony?" he asked, straight to the point.
[Mr. Stark is currently conducting an experiment of extreme importance,] the AI replied. [It would not be advisable to interrupt him at this time.]
Rhodes frowned slightly. He had come on official business, but he knew Tony well enough to understand that when he dove into research, the outside world simply ceased to exist.
"I see…" he murmured. "I won't disturb him, then."
He thought for a few seconds before adding:
"Can I take a look at his workshop?"
[Certainly, Colonel Rhodes.]
[Mr. Stark is currently using a different workshop.]
The elevator carried Rhodes smoothly down to the underground level. The doors opened to reveal a vast space illuminated by cold lights, filled with cutting-edge equipment, holographic screens, and scattered metal components arranged in what only Tony Stark would call "order."
But what truly made Rhodes's heart race… was right in front of him.
Three armors.
Lined up side by side.
From left to right: Mark II, Mark III, and Mark IV.
"My God…" he murmured, slowly stepping closer. "This is a work of art."
Rhodes let his gaze linger on the sleek, silver Mark II, immediately recalling the incident with Obadiah Stane. Since that night, a part of him had never stopped dreaming of piloting one of these.
"Any man would give anything to wear something this beautiful," he said softly, almost reverently.
That was when JARVIS said something that made him freeze.
[Colonel Rhodes… you may use it, if you wish.]
"…What?" He turned abruptly. "Say that again."
[You have authorization to use one of the Mark Armors.]
Rhodes's brain took a few seconds to process the information.
"Tony… authorized this?"
[Yes, sir.]
The silence that followed was heavy.
Rhodes knew this was no small matter. Even so… desire won out.
"Alright, JARVIS," he said, taking a deep breath. "I'll try it."
He pointed without hesitation.
"The Mark II."
[Understood. Please position yourself accordingly. Initiating opening protocol.]
The metal components moved with impeccable precision. In a matter of seconds, the armor closed around Rhodes, enveloping him completely.
And then—
A thunderous boom tore through the Malibu sky.
The silver figure shot upward like a missile.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Rhodes's shout echoed, filled with pure exhilaration.
It was the exact same sound Tony had made during the Mark II's first test flight.
The system responded perfectly to Rhodes's commands, as if it had been tailor-made for him.
And there was a reason for that.
Tony Stark had left contingencies in place in the event of his death.
One of them granted James Rhodes full authority over the Mark Armor technology.
Tony trusted him completely.
Rhodes wasn't like other military men. He didn't seek power—he sought to protect.
And ironically, Tony had been so excited after discovering the new element that he had… forgotten to revoke those authorizations.
The result?
At that very moment, Rhodes was flying in the Mark II.
Not long after, a call came through the system.
{"Colonel Rhodes, this is Air Force Command."}
"This is Rhodes," he replied, still smiling.
{"Are you with Tony Stark?"}
"Negative." He hesitated for a second. "But I am currently using one of his armors."
Silence.
Then—
{"WHAT?!"}
On the other end of the line, excitement was immediate.
{"Colonel Rhodes, return to base immediately. We need to analyze that armor."}
Rhodes's smile faltered.
"Understood, sir. Returning now."
As he adjusted his course, he thought:
I hope Tony doesn't mind…
---xXx---
*S.H.I.E.L.D.*
Nick Fury was seated behind his desk, reviewing reports, when he heard a firm knock on the door.
"Come in."
Maria Hill entered without wasting time.
"Director, we have new information from the military."
"Are they still asking for custody of Banner?" Fury asked without looking up.
"No. It's about the Air Force."
"Colonel Rhodes took one of Tony Stark's armors to the base."
Nick Fury immediately lifted his head.
"Hm?"
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Looks like Stark finally hit his limit. Go on."
"They tried to dismantle the armor… but the system only responds to Colonel Rhodes."
"At the moment, he's the only one capable of piloting it."
"I see…" Fury said thoughtfully. "You may go."
Hill nodded and left the room.
Nick Fury stood and walked to a rarely used corner of the office. There rested a large iron crate, covered in dust.
He ran a hand over it.
"It's time for a gift…" he murmured. "A gift that might save your life, Tony."
---xXx---
*Arthur's House*
"Alright… installation complete," Arthur said, stepping back.
Several small devices were discreetly mounted along the walls of the house.
"Just a few more tests and everything will be ready, Cortana."
"I won't deny that I'm excited," the AI replied through the laptop.
"So am I," Arthur smiled.
At that moment, the door opened.
"Hey?" Gwen walked in and stopped when she saw him adjusting something on the wall. "What's that?"
"A modified version of a static volumetric display device," Arthur replied without turning around.
She blinked.
"…Can you say that in my language?"
[In simple terms, it's a holographic projector,] Cortana explained.
"OHH~" Gwen broke into an excited smile. "That's really cool!"
"I spent the whole day working on it," Arthur said, finishing the final adjustment.
He took a few steps back.
"Alright, Cortana… do your magic."
[Understood.]
The devices began activating one by one, emitting bluish beams of light that crossed in the center of the room.
Within seconds, a figure fully materialized, crisp and clear.
It was a nude human woman (though her intimate parts were covered by geometric patterns). She appeared to be in her early twenties, with blue skin and darker blue hair at shoulder length, cut shorter in the back. Glowing blue symbols ran across her body.
"Hello, Gwen," she said with a smile. "Do you like it?"
Gwen brought a hand to her mouth in surprise, but then something clicked in her mind.
"Okay, this is cool and all, but…" she asked, "…why is she naked?"
Arthur froze completely for half a second.
Then he reacted like any innocent person unfairly accused.
"Hey, hey, HEY." He raised his hands defensively. "Before anything else: this wasn't me."
Gwen slowly turned her face toward him.
Very slowly.
Her left eyebrow arched.
"Oh, of course not," she said, dripping with irony. "So let me guess… this just happened?"
"Exactly," Arthur replied far too quickly, which only made things worse. "I mean—no! It was her choice! Cortana's! I swear."
Gwen crossed her arms, looking the blue projection up and down.
"Uh-huh." She tilted her head. "So you want me to believe she decided to appear… naked… out of nowhere?"
Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't need to.
"He is telling the truth, Gwen," Cortana said immediately, still smiling, completely oblivious to the accusatory atmosphere. "This body was selected by me based on parameters of communicational efficiency, visual empathy, cultural familiarity, and not the appearance of the individual used as the basis for my creation."
Gwen blinked.
"…What?"
"In simple terms," Cortana continued, "this humanoid form facilitates social interaction. As for the absence of clothing, I deemed it irrelevant for an entity that possesses neither modesty nor functional biological organs."
She paused briefly, as if genuinely reflecting.
"However, if my appearance is causing discomfort, I can alter it immediately. I can assume a robotic, abstract, geometric avatar… or even a dinosaur, if you prefer."
"A dinosaur?!" Gwen repeated, eyes wide.
"Yes. I have several preloaded models."
Arthur rubbed his face and let out a deep sigh.
"No… that won't be necessary," he said, tired but resigned. "Really, it's fine."
Gwen turned to him.
"Arthur."
"Hm?"
"She's naked."
"I know," he replied quickly. "I noticed. Very clearly. My eyes work."
Cortana tilted her head slightly.
"If this is merely an aesthetic issue, I can add clothing. Would that resolve the problem?"
Arthur sighed again.
"Yes. Just… put something on and that's it. Nothing too flashy."
"Understood."
Within seconds, patterns of light flowed across Cortana's holographic body, rearranging themselves like strands of energy being woven in midair.
When the glow faded, she was now wearing something resembling a mix between a simple dress and a military uniform: discreet, elegant, and perfectly fitted, with luminous blue details tracing the lines of the fabric.
"Is this better?" she asked.
Gwen examined her for a few moments.
"…Okay," she admitted. "Now it actually looks like a presentation of revolutionary technology… and not a very specific prank designed to make someone uncomfortable."
Arthur sighed once more.
(End of the chapter)