The Man of Steel in Marvel

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Tony was completely absorbed in the holographic nanotech model, fingers flying as he adjusted molecular diagrams and muttered energy parameters under his breath.

Jiro suddenly looked up, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

"Tony, put your toys away." He tapped on the workstation.

"We've got company."

"What? Now?! I'm just getting to the good part—"

Before Tony could finish, JARVIS cut in with an alert:"Sir, incoming S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet detected. Estimated arrival on rooftop in 30 seconds."

Tony cursed and quickly shut down the projection. "JARVIS! Encrypt everything! Hide all research related to the nanotech!"

Jiro strolled over to the window and looked out as the black aircraft slowly descended onto the Stark Tower helipad.

Nick Fury's signature black trench coat flapped wildly in the wind whipped up by the spinning rotors.

"This guy really loves dropping in uninvited," Tony grumbled, raking a hand through his hair.

"Ever since he brought up the Avengers Initiative, I told him no—loud and clear."

Jiro chuckled. "He's here for me."

The moment the elevator doors slid open, Fury's one eye locked straight onto Jiro.

Two fully armed agents followed behind him, but Jiro noticed their fingers weren't anywhere near the triggers—clearly, Fury had learned his lesson from last time.

"Mr. Jiro," Fury said in a low, tightly controlled voice."We need to talk about what you did in New Mexico."

Tony stepped between them. "Hey! Nick, this is my place. You want a meeting? Make an appointment—"

"It's fine, Tony." Jiro patted him on the shoulder. "I'm actually curious what the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to say."

Fury's gaze swept across the lab and finally landed on a box containing Uru metal."As far as I know, you got your hands on alien tech without clearance. And from the looks of it, you even brought alien material back with you."

Jiro raised an eyebrow. "So what?"

"So what?" Fury's voice rose slightly."You're aware this violates the Alien Technology Regulation Act, right? That stuff could be a major threat to Earth!"

Jiro couldn't help but laugh. "Nick, are you confused about something? I'm not your agent, and I'm definitely not under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction.

I go where I want, bring back what I want. Bottom line—I do whatever I want."

Fury's expression darkened. "Everyone has to follow the rules, Mr. Jiro. Even someone like you… someone special."

"Rules?"

Jiro's gaze suddenly turned sharp. "You mean like the way you guys secretly studied the Tesseract? Or maybe how you let HYDRA worm its way inside S.H.I.E.L.D. for years?"

Fury's one eye narrowed. "That's an internal matter."

"I know way more than you think, Director." Jiro stepped forward, and a bio-field silently rippled out from him, freezing the air in the lab.

"Like that Tesseract project you've got running off the books. Or the Winter Soldier you're hiding in that Siberian facility. Or…"

He stretched the last word on purpose. "Carol Danvers."

As soon as the name left his lips, the mood in the room shifted instantly.

Fury's face twisted into something unreadable, while the two agents reflexively reached for their weapons—only to realize they couldn't move a muscle.

Jiro's bio-field had them completely locked down.

"Relax, Director," Jiro said calmly."I'm not interested in your little secrets. But if you keep trying to interfere with what I'm doing…"

He paused, then slowly floated into the air, golden light glowing in his eyes."I've got no problem letting S.H.I.E.L.D. feel what a pissed-off Superman is really like."

Fury glared up at him, his jaw clenched. "You think you're invincible? There are other superheroes in this world besides you."

Jiro dropped back to the floor and shrugged. "Of course I'm not invincible. If you think it's necessary to call that cosmic cop Captain Marvel back from space, go ahead and try.

I'm honestly curious—who wins in a fight, her photon blasts or my heat vision?"

Fury's breathing quickened. "How the hell do you know all this?"

"I suggest reading some Superman comics," Jiro said, turning to face the window, his back to Fury.

"Now, if there's nothing else, Tony and I have work to do."

The lab fell into silence.

Tony glanced at Jiro, then at Fury, wisely choosing to keep his mouth shut.

After a long breath, Fury turned and headed toward the elevator. "Thanks for the heads-up, Mr. Jiro. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be watching you."

Right before the elevator doors shut, Jiro said without turning around, "Say hi to Secretary Pierce for me."

As the doors closed, Tony let out a low whistle. "Damn, Jiro. That was badass. But... who the hell is Carol Danvers? And what's up with Pierce?"

Jiro let the bio-field dissipate, and the air in the lab seemed to flow normally again."Carol's Fury's trump card—an energy-wielding powerhouse who can fly in space. As for Pierce…"

He gave a meaningful smile. "That's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s problem."

Tony nodded thoughtfully, then perked up. "So you really can hear anything happening anywhere on Earth?"

"I told you, Tony, I'm not interested in your private life," Jiro said, rolling his eyes.

"Now, are we getting back to your nanotech armor or what?"

"Hell yeah!" Tony instantly dropped the earlier topic. "JARVIS! Pull up the latest data!"

Meanwhile, aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjet, Fury's one eye was deep in thought.

He pulled out an old-style pager, his thumb hovering over the call button for a long moment—before putting it away again.

"Not yet…" he muttered to himself.

Back in the lab, Tony Stark was laser-focused on tweaking the nanotech suit's prototype, holograms shifting constantly around him.

Jiro stood off to the side, eyes closed, super-hearing tuned in to scan the entire planet for unusual energy readings.

Unfortunately, nothing interesting popped up.

The only thing that had really surprised him lately was that this world had characters straight out of comic books.

Like that Spider-Man he saw the other day—an earlier version of the hero.

And Daredevil, Blade, Taskmaster… they all existed here.

Just then, a calm voice echoed inside Jiro's mind.

"Mr. Jiro, if you're willing, Kamar-Taj welcomes your arrival."

Jiro opened his eyes.

That voice… it was the Ancient One.

Tony noticed something was off. "Jiro, what's going on?"

Jiro paused for a second. "Tony, I need to head out for a bit."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Where to?"

"Nepal," Jiro said without giving much detail. "An old friend wants to see me."

Tony looked puzzled but nodded. "Alright. I've got this project to figure out anyway."

Jiro didn't bother taking off his suit. With a loud whoosh, he shot into the sky, turning into a black streak as he raced toward Nepal.

Nepal — Kathmandu

Jiro landed on the ancient streets of Kathmandu, his enhanced senses scanning for unusual energy signatures.

It didn't take long for him to pick up a strange magical current flowing from deep within an alley.

"Gotcha," he muttered, heading toward the hidden magical barrier.

As he approached, golden ripples shimmered through the air. A portal slowly opened, revealing the traditional gates of Kamar-Taj.

A man in a dark blue robe, with a stern face and sharp eyes, stood just inside the doorway, hands clasped behind his back.

"Mr. Jiro?" the man said in a calm, steady voice.

"I'm Mordo. The Sorcerer Supreme asked me to wait for you."

Jiro gave a slight nod. "Lead the way."

Mordo stepped aside, and Jiro walked into Kamar-Taj.

The scenery instantly shifted—ancient wooden buildings, incense burning in the air, a thick sense of magical energy, and sorcerers in the distance practicing spells.

This was the sacred heart of Earth's mystical arts.

Mordo led the way, his tone flat. "The Sorcerer Supreme is expecting you."

Jiro didn't say much and followed him through the corridor, eventually arriving in front of a quiet meditation room.

The door opened slowly. The Ancient One was seated cross-legged on a cushion, a steaming cup of tea placed before her.

She looked up and smiled gently. "Mr. Jiro, welcome to Kamar-Taj."

"..."