Zenoxen: A new Ally

By Alex Stark and Matthew Ames

If you like it, please visit http://thelegionnaire-fc.deviantart.com/

Chapter 1: Shadows of Change

Alex Stark was walking in the middle of a dimly light back road. It was way past mid-night, but after that meeting with the board, which wanted to sell a huge part of Stark Industries to a company of medical research, he needed to clear off his mind. So he decided to take a walk outside the campus he worked so hard to build. He knew that if the board took theirs ahead, all his work would be gone in seconds. And that wasnt the worst. He knew what that lab was up to. Felding Labs He was so deep within his thought that he didnt even noticed that he had entered a suspicious neighborhood, where the population was mostly immigrant, and had brought their homelands mafias and such with them. He felt watched and regretted the thoughtless decision of having left Stark Industries without his weapons. Suddenly, what he thought that would only happen to those completely unaware happened. Alex felt someone trying to strangle him, an electrical wire around his neck and pulled hard as he raised his victim. Alex tried to get rid of the man, but all he managed was yelp for help.

The Legionnaire was stalking the rooftops, using his night vision mode to scan for any signs of struggle. Armed with just his sword tonight, he regretted leaving the others back in Nefis City. His crimson hair billowed in the light breeze that the city rooftop provided. Suddenly, he heard a faint yelp, and pinpointed the target with his super-computer mind. He put down his visor and ran toward the source, his skin going from its normal tan color to a gunmetal black with crimson red markings all over. He leaped down from the rooftops and landed with a hard THUD behind the attacker, which smiled as he saw the newcomer. In a deep voice, he whispered. "I'd let go of him if I were you...punk." Another one to mug and kill, hum? Ill deal with ya freak as soon as I finish off Richie Rich here! Alex looked at the Legionnaire as the man tightened the wire on his neck. He was getting purple as he tried to break the wire that was cutting his skin, with his bare hands.

"Help...me..." He begged his voice strained and oddly inhuman. The masked figure nodded as he spun around quickly, his sword going through the man's arms like a hot knife through butter. "I warned you." He then twisted the blade and cut the man's arms off by the wrists, spinning around with a kick to his chest that would break an elephant's rib-cage. The man fell on the ground dead. Alex looked at the figure, and then passed out. Legionnaire checked the dead man for any valuables, plus his wallet, and grabbed Alex. He then leaped up the nearby fire-escape and ran along the rooftops until he came to a safe spot on the roof.

He took off his helmet, his skin going back to normal. His short, red hair billowed in the breeze as he knelt down next to the man. "Hey, sir...wake up." Came now the voice of an 18-year old boy. Alex opens his eyes lightly to face his savior...which turned out to be a boy. "Who...are you?" He whispered. His voice sounded distorted, almost robotic, but still sounded pained. The Legionnaire smiled, setting his armor and cape down. "My name is Ethan Grey. But you probably know me better as The Legionnaire, the one-man army. I saved your life back in that alley, and then you passed out.And before you ask; I came to this city to try out a new scene." "My head....The Legionnaire? Wow...damn..." Alex takes his hand to his neck and whips a bit of his blood. "Damn nanites...they are running low." Ethan cocked an eyebrow. "You need nanites, sir? I've got plenty. You see...I'm not exactly human." "You're not human?" Alex whispers. "Neither am I....and I running low on them" Ethan nodded, and extended his arm. "My skin and circulatory system are made of nanites. Take what you need." "I only need to get home....Stark Industries...Think you can help me getting there?" Alex whispers, trying to get on his feet, but failing miserably. Since his original android body was destroyed a few months later, he was stuck in this temporary solution he found. A rather flawed and not that functional one, as his body, apart from a strong lack of features, had an extremely unperfected power system, and even structural problemslike his healing processes, which failed 90% of the times.like now, as his neck was bleeding a lot. Ethan nodded, putting his helmet on. "You need me to carry you?"

"I'm a bit heavy....damn..." Alex grunts as he tries to tie his tie to hide his injury. "Things are not very clear to me at this moment, Legionnaire...." He whispers. "It's like the ground is trying to slip away from my feet" "Stark Industries, huh?" Ethan activated his GPS and found its exact location. He changed his skin back, as well as putting his helmet on once more. He then grabbed Alex, who he knew he was more than capable of carrying, and made a dash out the door with him. "So...Ethan, hum? What brings you here?" Alex whispers. Ethan can feel his blood dripping on his skin. Android's blood, but with very few nanites, and he could feel two strange power sources on him. Ethan looked to Alex as he's running through the rooftops at an alarming rate, his android mind calculating every step. "I came to give a hand to this city. I also came to perhaps make a deal with Stark Industries. You see, I know my machinery is advanced, and perhaps Stark Industries could help figure me out a bit. I know the company isn't run by pompous idiots." He said that with a grin towards Alex. "I'll do everything I can to help. Me, the Black Project crew and the androids that live here with us." Alex says, astonished with Ethan's reaction times and feeling a bit jealous. He knows that he's a lot weaker and low tech, being completely aware of his creations problems and can't avoid looking at Ethan with admiration. "After all...this might be the only place in the world where androids, humans, and mutants co-exist and help each other out like if everyone is the same." Ethan nods. "All I ask is for you not screw anything up. After all, my soul is still human, and there are others who would notice. Like my beautiful soon-to-be-wife, Whisper." He looked at Alex. "I once told myself that I'd help people. When I told my mother what business I was going into, she flipped out. Know what I said?"

He leaped high and flipped onto the next building, holding Alex tightly. "If I don't... who will?" He stopped short of Stark Industries itself. "Do I hit the top floor, or do we go to the lobby and take the elevator?" "There are more means to study something than opening it, you know? My personal assistant, Edwin Jarvis, has developed a scanner that has proven itself extremely useful in medical examinations. And I mean for both human and androids alike. After all, Edwin is an android as well." Alex adds. "Is Whisper in town as well? I can arrange you two a home and safety. And I have to agree on you...Unless you come from a superhero family, Parents tend to act like that...I know...my mom didn't took it lightly when I built my first armor...And I'd say...Top floor. Edwin and my fianc must be there." Ethan nodded as he let his android mind wrap around his way up. "This is gonna be a bumpy ride! Hope you trust me to catch you." Ethan looked at the distance between the tallest building and Stark Industries. It was a good ten floors. He could make it, but not with Alex. However, he knew he could THROW Alex that high.

"I do. Anyways...I can take a fall." Alex says, as his own mind runs thought the same calculations as Ethan's to make that work. Ethan nods, and then runs at top speed, throwing Alex insanely high up to the top of the building...and a good distance past it. Ethan then ran like a madman and jumped a powerful jump, one that would make Spider-man jealous, and caught Alex in mid-air, then landed on the top of the building, his feet slamming hard into the top of the building. "That was very well made, Ethan." Alex greets. It was pretty obvious that he didn't felt any fear. The door suddenly opened and a lovely blond girl with emerald eyes and a blond guy came closer. "Alex! Thank God you are alright!" The girl said, kissing his lips. The blond man came closer to Ethan and reached out his hand. "Thank you for returning Mr. Stark to us...Is there anything we can do to repay you?" He asked in a British accented voice. Ethan nodded, taking his helmet off. "I'm Ethan Grey. I'd like to join your group for a while. I feel I can be of use to your company, seeing as..." His body changes to its normal skin-tone, and he holds up an arm, exposing his metallic skeleton underneath. "I'm a highly advanced robot that perhaps could lend a hand to some of your technology. Anything to see Felding Labs taken down." He grins. "You are extremely welcome here...but I'm afraid that super heroes here at Stark Industries tend to run short there are only three currently. We're not Shield, or the Avengers." Edwin explains. "Although getting rid of Felding will be a pleasure." He then signals Ethan to follow Alex and the girl, which are getting inside Alex's office, a comfortable wooden building with a fireplace, cozy couches and a warm decoration. It's a nice change in comparison to the snow outside. Alex then points at a one place sofa. "Care to sit? So we can discuss further?" He asks, smiling and sitting on a couch himself. Ethan took a seat on the couch, removing his breastplate and bracers. He looked like a typical 18-year old and not the advanced cybernetic warrior he made himself out to be. "Can I offer you something warm?" Alex says, smiling as he gets a warm cup of tea for himself and adjusts the black silk scarf hes using to hide his neck injury. "Thank you...for saving me..." He whispers. His voice is low and calm, despite the damage, and he keeps looking at Ethan, examining his features carefully. Who could've say that without that armor, he was a typical kid with his age...or with the age he would have if that accident didn't had forced his guardian at the time to turn him into and alien android. Ethan smiled. "I'm good, although I was wondering if there would be a way I could access my e-mail later? Despite everything, I don't come with a web-browser." Alex smiles. "Of course, my friend." He replies, lifting himself up and bringing his laptop to Ethan. "Use it at will."

Ethan nodded, producing a USB cord. He plugged himself in at one end, then into the laptop at the other end. "Would you like any files that I have about my structure?" "Anything you can give us." Alex says. "In the meanwhile, is there anyone you want us to contact? The area outside our campus is dangerous...many...enemies, so to say." Ethan shrugged. "Not really. I just got to check in with everyone really quick, and I'm handling that right now." His eyes were facing forward, open, but still. After a few more minutes, he closed his eyes, and then removed his USB cord from his neck. "Alright, done, done, and done." He smiled at Alex. "So, your ports are in the back of your neck as well, hum?" Alex smiles as he takes the laptop. "You...fascinate me, you know. I wish I was as advanced as you are." Ethan smiled. "Actually, I created that one at will, but it's also a secure location to me. And apparently I was, if you open up the file, a 10-year project. I stole a few files when I was at Felding." "Secure location?" Alex asks, not having understand what he meant. "A ten year project...wow. How did you got your human soul?" Ethan pointed to the back of his neck. "I feel that it's a quick, secure location that would be pretty hard to tamper with. And the term 'human soul' is pretty much a metaphor. I know I'm a program, but I feel, too. I love, I get angry, I even cry." "I got to agree on that, my friend..." Alex pushes his long hair to one side to reveal a small scar on the back of his neck. "Well...love is what makes humans, humans...I used to a human once...until the device that was keeping me alive was critically damaged and shut down. Edwin over there took me to a place where they made me into an android. Unfortunanly, my original body is no more, and I have to settle with this...rather imperfect solution I managed. Anyways....I'm going to give you funds, resources and anything you need to take those bastards out." Ethan smiled. "Perhaps with a bit of study, you can have yourself a powerful shell like mine. But remember, the shell doesn't matter as opposed to what the shell holds." "I can't possibly create something as complex as your body." Alex whispers, looking at the flames in the fireplace. "Nor am I a supercomputer. I'm just my father's shameful little secret." He looked down. Edwin and the girl left. It was way beyond 8PM, and everyone had gone home already. Ethan shrugged. "If Felding can do it, Stark Industries can make it better." "Apart from the fact that we don't create androids...and the only person working in that sort of tech is me." Alex says as he picks up a syringe and injects it on himself. His face shows that he's in pain, but his voice doesnt reveals it. "BesidesI might not have ten years more." He adds.

Ethan nodded. "However, these nanites are self-replicating. And my structure itself is actually a very powerful allow, stronger than titanium. "Self-replicating nanites...amazing." He says as he lays the syringe with silver traces on the table. "These are all we have. Non replicative. And an alloy stronger than titanium? Mind if I make a molecular analysis of it?" Ethan nodded. "Would you like to scan me and see what you can get? I have no issues with that." "Sure...but not today. It's night and I cant operate the machinery alone. ..What do you say on staying the night on my home?" Alex suggests. Ethan nods. "Not a problem. I'm a bit tired, actually." Alex smiled. In that night, Ethan sleeps on Alex's home, a traditional wooden chalet near a river.