"Tony Stark!"
Bren snarled through clenched teeth.
He hadn't anticipated Iron Man showing up here.
"Yes, that's me—Iron Man. You've heard of me?" The voice from inside the suit was cocky, carrying an air of amusement.
"So, are they showing the news to zoo animals now? Or is your zookeeper a fan? Should I sign an autograph for you, little lizard?"
"Sir, I doubt this creature escaped from any zoo," Jarvis interjected, his precise voice cutting through Stark's humor.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Jarvis," Tony replied with an exaggerated eye roll.
It was obvious to anyone, let alone someone with Tony's intellect, that the creature before him wasn't any known species on Earth. Jarvis's lack of humor, though, often made Stark's jokes fall flat.
"So, who are you?" Tony asked, waving a hand as if presenting Bren like a magician unveiling a trick.
This encounter was pure chance. Tony had merely been testing the new engines on his suit when Jarvis flagged something unusual, an unidentified entity zipping through New York at impossible speeds. Bren, in his Accelerator form, hadn't exactly been subtle, leaving a trail of beaten thugs and startled witnesses.
Several calls flooded the NYPD about a "blue velociraptor on the loose," but they dismissed the reports as pranks or drug-induced hallucinations. Jarvis, however, wasn't so easily fooled.
"You... Jurassic mascot? Walking velociraptor? Or wait, your name's Blue, isn't it? My God, Jurassic World's real! Let me guess, a mad scientist's trying to resurrect the Mesozoic era?"
Bren didn't respond to Tony's playful rambling. His glowing triangular eyes locked onto the armored Avenger with icy precision. He quickly glanced at Dennis, still crumpled on the ground, ensuring the man hadn't escaped.
"This has nothing to do with you, Stark. Stay out of it."
"Nothing to do with me?" Tony's voice hardened. "When a guy like you is trying to kill someone, it has everything to do with me!"
Bren scoffed. Stark's smugness was unbearable.
"You? Stop me?" Bren's voice was dripping with disdain.
He crouched, preparing to launch. A sleek black mask slid over his face, an ominous blue "X" glowing at its center.
"Try me."
Tony raised a hand, repulsor primed and glowing hot.
"Okay, Dino Boy. Hands up. Surrender now, or—"
"Or what?" Bren's mask distorted his voice into an otherworldly growl.
Tony fired.
The factory floor erupted as the repulsor blast slammed into the metal platform where Bren had stood. Shards of iron and steel scattered like shrapnel as the structure collapsed under the force.
Tony smirked.
"Gotcha."
He waited for the dust to settle, intending to dig through the wreckage and study the mysterious creature up close. But then Jarvis interrupted.
"Sir, you missed."
"What?" Stark's tone sharpened.
"That's not possible. I was—"
"Look down."
Tony's gaze shifted.
Bren was no longer on the platform. He was now standing over Dennis, claws poised to strike.
"Drop him, Dino Boy!"
"The name," Bren growled, "is Accelerator!"
And with one swift motion, Bren's razor-sharp claw plunged into Dennis's chest.
Blood sprayed into the air, splattering Bren's black mask.
The red "X" glared vividly against the darkness.