Welcome to my newest story. The inspiration came from... I can't remember now, honestly. But I felt this might be a nice idea; Buddy/Syndrome originally wanted to be a superhero, but was driven to villainy through rejection, with nobody acknowledging his genius. But what if he instead didn't squander his potential, having learned about another MCU hero who has no superpowers except his genius and his tech? This will be a story centered on Buddy Pine and Tony Stark, two geniuses who have no 'superpower' except sheer force of will and their ability to monologue. Hope you enjoy. Darien

Where… where am I?

Buddy blinked several times to try and clear his vision. Sunshine, blue skies, chirping of birds… it didn't seem so bad. Especially compared to what he last remembered. He shivered as he remembered the superheated blades of metal, taunting him as he was unable to flee. He opened his eyes. He didn't want to imagine that scene again.

He sat up and realized that he was still in his superhero attire. Or supervillain. Hardly mattered now. He had died, he was certain of it. It was very cold, even of himself, to realize that, but there was no disputing it. One simply did not survive being sucked into a jet engine, and he was smart enough to realize that.

So where was he now? Some sort of afterlife? Trapped inside his own mind?

"Hey, mister, you alright?"

Buddy turned around slowly - God, he was sore all over - and found a girl with a golden retriever staring at him with a curious expression. She had a New York accent. Buddy hadn't been to New York since that one vacation with his grandmother, but he remembered the only place in New York with this much greenery was Central Park. A quick look around confirmed the Empire State Building in the distance.

"Yeah… just sore all over," Buddy grunted. The dog sniffed him and he petted it. "I don't remember how I got here," he muttered. The teenager was staring at him warily; Buddy realized he needed to up his game, for all he was in his costume he might be a weirdo at best, some sort of child molester at worst. "I was on patrol, and… I must have gotten beaten up. Again." He faked a grimace. "That must be why I'm so sore. Yeah." Not the best explanation, but 'self-proclaimed' superhero was better than 'pedophile'.

The girl relaxed slightly and graced him with a smile. "A wannabe hero, huh? I can understand the temptation, what with all those heroes out there these days."

"Heroes?"

The word was strained. Before, having dressed in his superhero costume and insinuating that he was fighting crime, he could have been mistaken for a weird, if harmless, vigilante. However, now that heroes apparently still ran amok in this world, he was mistaken for a wannabe.

Oh, God.

"Yeah, you know. Like the Hulk? Or Iron Man?" She grinned. Buddy hadn't heard of those supers before, and Buddy was not a man to forget easily. "Who's your favorite?"

"Uh…" Buddy swallowed. Come on, you've always been better at lying than this! "You tell me your favorite and I'll tell you mine?" He offered with a charming smile.

The girl giggled. "Fine. My favorite's Iron Man - and not only because he signed my hat once, either!" She smiled. "Now you tell me yours."

"Iron Man," Buddy repeated the name she'd mentioned a moment ago.

She nodded sagely. "Tony Stark is a bit of a narcissist, I'll admit, but a very charismatic person. He can make everyone like him."

Tony Stark? Did the supers of this city not bother hiding their private identities? God, that was such a weird thought… it would lead to assassination attempts and a lot of unwanted public attention, would it not? Buddy cleared his throat and decided to pursue this. "I can't believe he ousted his private identity."

"I know. It seems like more trouble than the benefits the PR would bring," the preteen pulled a face. "Then again I suppose he can only do that because he has the best security, being a billionaire and all."

So for the most part, supers did hide their identities. That was more familiar. Buddy was interrupted however with a slight buzzing sound from the girl's pocket. Buddy idly scratched the dog behind his ears as the girl glanced at him apologetically and fumbled through her pockets, eventually pulling out a small, thin cellular telephone.

Ridiculously thin.

Oh, sure, Buddy himself was able to build that kind of tech, but for it to be so widespread that a common teenager had it on her body? Buddy thought hard, very hard, and was coming to a conclusion he didn't like. Metroville wasn't exactly a backward place - in fact, it was hailed as the second Silicon Valley for the intellectuals it attracted. If anything, Metroville should be more advanced than the Big Apple.

Which meant Buddy had been… out of commission for a while, now, and remained in a coma that had lasted at least twenty years, judging by the fact that this girl's telephone was less than a centimeter thin and had touch-screen capabilities. Or… he'd been reincarnated, into an entirely different universe, a parallel universe.

Buddy wasn't a very religious person. He'd always considered science to be his religion, and science had never failed him. God had given others superpowers - but Buddy's powers came from science, and so science Buddy would continue to worship. As the girl spoke to her friend, Buddy's enhanced eyes recognized that the manufacturer of this device was a certain 'Stark Industries'.

Tony Stark - Iron Man. Billionaire.

Owner of Stark Industries. It had to be.

Buddy stood up, cringing slightly at the pain, as the girl ended her call and looked apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, I forgot I had an appointment with a friend of mine. Are you really okay? Don't need to go to the hospital?"

"I'll be alright," Buddy replied, with his best charming grin. "I should get going, though. What's your name?"

"I'm Mary Jane, but you can call me MJ," she said happily, shaking his hand.

"Buddy," Buddy said.

"And what should I call you while you're dressed like that?" MJ said.

Buddy thought about it for a moment. "I've yet to decide, actually," he said. "I don't want to overlap with someone else, you see."

After all, there might already be a 'Syndrome' in this world.

"Fair enough," she chuckled. "Maybe I'll see you around, then, hero."

Hero.

Buddy swallowed thickly as the girl disappeared. She'd called him a hero. How long had he waited for someone to call him that? Even though it was probably meant in jest… just how long had he wanted to be a hero?

Perhaps somewhere, someone had seen fit to give Buddy a second chance. To start again as a hero instead of a villain. He couldn't waste it in good conscience. He could not. He was certainly not the best of people, but… he could change. All these lectures on morality he'd once thought a waste of time, but if someone believed in him enough to reincarnate him…

Well, then, he had no choice except to be a hero. Right?

Forty-five years in the future.

Forty-fucking-five! And the best part? He wasn't even in his old world anymore. There was no mention of Metroville, or of Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Gazerbeam… instead, there were a group of other heroes running about. The biggest name out there was Iron Man, or Tony Stark, who'd built his prototype suit in a cave while being held hostage by religious militants (Buddy was starting to feel a lot of respect for that man). He'd started professionally operating as his Iron Man persona about two months ago.

And finally, he'd discovered all of this through an incredible invention called the Internet. Connecting all the computers in the world with a virtual cloud… this was - dare he say it? - incredible.

However, the world had not advanced as much as he thought it would. A lot could be accomplished in forty-five years, and indeed, the advancement of computers, the Moon landing and whatnot were all quite interesting, but Buddy felt that more could have been accomplished by the likes of Tony Stark (who seemed to be a certified genius like himself) in the field of technological development. Then again, the man had squandered his lifetime making weapons. Not that he could say anything himself.

Much of the computer language seemed to be the same, thankfully, so Buddy was able to hack into the private servers of some technology giants. He avoided the top-secret files because even he didn't know everything and there was a strong likelihood he'd mess up somewhere and gain unwanted attention. But he managed to piece together that Stark's 'Iron Man' suit was powered by a revolutionary clean technology development called the 'Arc Reactor'.

If it had been up to Buddy, he'd have pushed this reactor into the civilian market and become a super-company like this so-called Google. Instead, the man was flying around like a fool in a metal suit. Buddy sighed. Had he seemed this silly to damned Mr. Incredible when 'Syndrome' was doing the exact same thing? It was painful self-reflection, Buddy had to admit. And there was more in common between Stark and himself than he previously thought.

Well, it was understandable. The man himself never wanted to be a businessman, if the footage of him showed anything. He wanted to be an inventor and a visionary. His company, apparently, was only a way for him to earn the money required to build more Iron Man suits and Buddy related to that more than he cared to admit.

He'd been deep in thought his entire trip to the library. Everything he researched so far gave no indication that any elements of his old world existed in this one. No Metroville, no Mr. Incredible… he was starting as a clean slate, with no information on his own identity either. Perhaps this was a chance to start over. He could never be considered friendly to anyone really, not even the silver-haired vixen Mirage, whom he'd had a slight crush on when he'd hired her. This was his chance to become a bonafide hero. A good Samaritan. Gain fans, fame, and most importantly, friends.

He tapped his finger on his chin. Now, what were his plans for the future?

He was currently sitting in the New York Public Library, using a library computer to catch up on this world's history. In this world, there were 'mutants' - who seemed to have the traditional 'superpowers' of his own world, and just like the supers, were under fire for having unique abilities. Then there were certain experiments gone wrong, like the Hulk. Others, like Iron Man, used their genius to build weapons and suits of armor.

The main problem right now was that Buddy had no money, none at all. That meant he couldn't operate as a hero, because heroes had to be all selfless and not-for-profit. He would starve, and God forbid any of his equipment break down because he wouldn't be able to fix those without purchasing spare materials.

He'd also realized that the most popular super in this world was just like him. Mr. Incredible had rejected him for not having a superpower - well, guess what, old man? Iron Man, the most popular and famous super in this world right now, had nothing but his genius and no real superpowers.

That meant Buddy could succeed, too.

So, Tony Stark has the funding Buddy needed, and the carefree, spontaneous attitude that would likely get him a job as soon as Buddy proved himself in some way (which he could do in many ways). And while he was loathe to admit it, Stark was a lonely soul - just like himself - and would be longing for a companion with the same genius as his own. Buddy has struggled with making friends at school for his brilliance, after all. Furthermore, having an army of gold-plated lawyers, he had some immunity from government interference. Finally, a like mind, a friend that he could have a conversation with.

And maybe, this time, he could earn the adoration of the masses for real.

The only problem was, Stark was located in Malibu, the opposite end of the North American continent, and Buddy had no money with which to buy airplane tickets, train tickets, and probably nowhere near enough juice to power his rocket boots. Which meant he had to hitchhike, or he had to earn Stark's attention.

He groaned internally at the thought of being reduced to a hitchhiker.

But apparently, Stark was a computer prodigy and had an extensive security system of his own design surrounding his digital home. Buddy was a computer prodigy who'd created his own AI for his Omnidroid in a time when individual transistors were still visible with the naked eye. And a man as competitive as Stark… he would never back down to a challenge, especially one that presented itself from a library.

Buddy cracked his knuckles and prepared to hack Tony Stark's home.

"Fire at will," Tony grinned.

With his prompting, Jarvis began to fire a .50 caliber machine-gun at the newest Iron Man suit. He'd decided to use the most recent advances in nanotechnology to supplement some of the plate armor with a more flexible, self-repairing material, especially around the joints. It would also make the entire suit lighter if Tony succeeded in using it in any significant capacity.

Of course, the technology was still rather crude, even after he'd spent a week or two looking through it. So while the plate of the armor held up well - as they should - the nanotech was crumbling off, and the self-repairing far too slow to match the volume of lead flying into it.

"Well," Tony sighed as the head fell off. "That's no good, is it?"

"No, sir," Jarvis replied dutifully.

"I suppose we'll have to leave it alone for now," Tony shrugged, wiping his hands on a spare rag and tossing it carelessly back on the table. "The plate armor works well enough anyway. Should probably focus on the repulsors - they're not working at peak efficiency…"

"Sir," Jarvis said.

"Plus, they just don't look cool enough! I think that's the main problem, the cooler something is, the better it is."

"Sir," Jarvis said with some urgency.

"What?"

"An unknown entity is hacking into your home systems," Jarvis said, and Tony blinked. Did he just hear urgency in Jarvis' voice? Was he even programmed for that?

"Can you trace them?" Tony asked as he crashed into the chair in front of his many computer screens.

"Absolutely, sir. In fact, they're not at all bothering to cover their tracks," Jarvis said. "It's almost as if they're trying to get your attention."

"Show me," Tony ordered.

On the holographic screens popped up a security camera feed in… a library? Tony was impressed. Even if they were only really brute-forcing their way through the firewalls, to do so against his security with a public free-use computer was quite the achievement.

"Is that our guy?" Tony said, leaning into the screen. "What the hell is that dude wearing?"

The man turned away from his computer and stared straight into the camera. Half of his face was obscured with a classic superhero mask, the black one that fit around the eyes. The infuriating ginger had his hair all stuck up like he'd been ten years late for the 90s and he wore a black-and-white skintight suit.

"...seriously, what the hell is this guy wearing?"

The ginger grinned at the camera and beckoned. He obviously knew that Tony and Jarvis were watching through that particular camera. Cocky bastard - he really thought he could get away with hacking into Anthony Stark's security system as if it were a mere challenge to be enjoyed?

"Jarvis," Tony barked, standing up. "Get me his coordinates and keep an eye on his movements through security cameras. I'm going to teach him a lesson."

"Sir, I think it's his intention to have you seek him out," Jarvis said nervously.

"Well, he's going to get more than he bargained for. Get me the speedster, please."

The speed-oriented Iron Man suit was grudgingly presenter for Tony on the launch pad. Tony outstretched his arms and the landing platform revealed mechanical arms that began to attach gold-titanium alloys to Tony's body. Tony smiled grimly as the plates clicked, whirred and slammed into place, the background speakers playing metal in the background to accompany Tony's epic transformation.

"Let's roll," Tony said, his visor slamming down on his face.

The thrusters activated at 10% capacity, launching Tony into the air. He angled himself forwards, rocketing through his laboratory and through his garage, throwing himself through the circular ramp out onto the road. Once outside, he rocketed up to 20,000 feet and began screaming east.

Clouds formed around his shoulders as he approached the sound barrier, and they slid down his body, down his legs, as he broke the speed of sound. Tony grinned in exhilaration as the suit began drawing on more and more power from the arc reactor, and the various panels adjusted angles in pursuit of aerodynamic efficiency.

The virtual display read that he was now traveling at Mach 2.6, while still climbing slowly but steadily. At this rate, he'd catch up to his challenger in an hour and a half. "You still got eyes on him, Jarvis?" Tony asked, and his artificial book-keeper answered in the affirmative. "In the meanwhile, run scans on the guy. I know he's got a mask and all, but I trust you to be able to find his identity. Passport, driver's license, whatever."

"Scanning, sir," Jarvis said.

As Tony flew on autopilot, his mind was considering what might be his newest enemy. Tony was hotheaded, spontaneous and foolish more often than not, but what he most certainly wasn't was an idiot. He knew that this man was luring him out, using his hacking abilities as a challenge. And, those skills were very impressive indeed. Bulldozing their way through a security system guarded by the most sophisticated AI in the world, using a public computer that likely cost as much as Tony's toothpaste? That was some showing off.

It was soon enough that Tony reached Central Park, where Jarvis had highlighted the mystery man's location. He slowed down to subsonic speeds as he rocketed through the skyscrapers of Manhattan. There! Outlined in red (thanks Jarvis!) was his challenger. His technological equal, at least in computer skills, apparently. He was waiting, rather confidently Tony might add, standing in the middle of the park with his fists resting on his hips.

"Hello, Stark," the man said with a slight grin. "I've been wanting to meet you, and here you are."

Tony considered him. The ginger was wearing a skintight, monochrome suit, and a classic superhero mask. The pattern on his chest was stylized like an 'S', and his hairdo was… impressive but in bad taste. What really took up Tony's attention, however, were the man's slightly bulky boots and his gauntlets.

Tony hovered in the air in front of him, physically looking down on him. "Everyone wants to meet me. What's your deal, monochrome Superman?"

"Superman?" The weirdo looked confused before he noticed Tony was staring at the 'S'. "Oh, this doesn't stand for Superman. This is my old suit, back when I used to go by 'Syndrome'. But I've decided… I might change the name."

"Syndrome?" Tony scoffed. "And what exactly does that imply? That you're mentally ill?"

"Possibly," Syndrome admitted, and to Tony's surprise, he began hovering up to Tony with a pair of rocket boots. Tony was surprised, even if they were fundamentally different to his own - they obviously ran on a liquid or solid fuel , judging by the blue flames. "But, Tony Stark, I tried my best to catch your attention because you and I are remarkably alike."

"A lot of villains have also tried to tell me that," Tony quipped, and thrust his palm out towards Syndrome. "But all of them have decided by the end that that wasn't the case. If I give them the time to think, that is. You get one chance to explain yourself - who are you and why were you hacking my home?"

"To get your attention, obviously," Syndrome said easily. "You're a busy man and you're not going to just meet some nobody who scheduled a meeting with you. But a security threat, an insult to your pride, a bruise to your ego? That you cannot ignore. I know this, because like I said, we are remarkably similar."

Tony ground his teeth. "So you hacked my home because you wanted my attention?"

"Yes."

"Well, you have it."

Tony burst forward and prepared to strike Syndrome. The man, however, was agile with his boots; he gave a "whoa!" and ducked underneath Tony's swing, dropping like a stone. Tony prepared to fire both his repulsors at full blast, before deciding against it; if he missed, he might hit someone in the park. This was a battle in the skies.

"I think I might be able to interest you in a partnership," Syndrome said, giving no indication of just having been attacked, as he and Tony began to float upward, circling, like two titans about to make battle. "I won't be modest - I am a genius. Just like you. Not born with any superpowers, but with the intellect required to make true change. I am certain we could both benefit from working together."

"Work together with someone who, despite their supposed best intentions, attacked my home?"

"Please. You know I didn't steal any private information from you. I only proved that I could get through your defenses because I am as knowledgeable and skilled in computing as you are."

"Sorry if I don't feel like trusting a guy I just met on that one," Tony said. "And one who dresses like they're forty years out of date."

Syndrome stiffened but forced himself to relax. "You wouldn't be very far off the mark with that comment, actually."

"What the hell does that mean?" Tony sighed. "Whatever. Jarvis, combat mode."

"Yes, sir."

Tony surged forward as the multitude of flaps on his armor opened up, revealing hidden weapons. He could see people on the ground filming the now-starting fight. Tony blasted his repulsors at Syndrome, who dodged both of them by floating quickly to the side. His balance was impressive - he was only wearing boots, so the boots alone must be able to move his whole body. Syndrome chuckled. Chuckled! The guy was in for a beating, that was sure.

Tony surged forward, intent on knocking the teeth out of the guy's jaw. However, Syndrome only pointed his index finger at Tony - and Tony froze.

"Jarvis?" He tried to say, but no voice came from his mouth.

"Sir? Sir? Are you alright?" Jarvis said in panic. "Running diagnostics scan, sir. Please… be patient."

Tony's eyes were wide open; Syndrome was only pointing his finger in his direction, and Tony had been completely immobilized! The dude said he didn't have superpowers - surely this wasn't the result of technology. It was ridiculously advanced, it had to be.

"This, Stark, is my greatest creation," Syndrome said proudly. "Zero-point Gauntlets. I am able to manipulate zero-point energy using these gloves and create a quantum field. The theory behind it is complex enough that even I don't understand all of it, just most of it and the fact that at I know it works. It can inhibit the flow of energy from within and out the barrier, and can also inhibit movement."

Syndrome's finger flicked downward, and the strange beam connecting his gauntlet and the Iron Man suit moved accordingly. Tony was thrown toward the ground at rapid speed - the quantum field was cancelled as he approached the ground. Tony ground his teeth as he rocketed back up to Syndrome's level before he struck the dirt.

"That's… impressive," Tony allowed.

"I promise you, Tony, I do not want to be your enemy," Syndrome said hesitantly. "Look, we might not know each other personally, but I know you. You're a genius in a herd of sheep - well-meaning sheep, perhaps, but desperate for intellectual conversation. One that I can offer. And you know what? We both want to be heroes. I want to be a hero. I've always wanted, since I was a child - they told me I couldn't be, because I didn't have powers." Syndrome spat. "But you've caught my interest. Because you are exactly like me, and… I need a friend."

Tony remained slightly stunned by the man's speech. "Right."

"Please, Tony," Syndrome said, this time with a hint of desperation. "Let me become a hero. I'll work for you. I'll work with you. We can create Iron Man suits that approach invincibility. We could challenge gods and aliens and whatever stands in the way of peace. Just… give me a chance. A chance that nobody else has given me before."

Tony knew that part of this speech was designed to guilt-trip Tony into accepting the guy. But fuck, it was definitely working. Tony sighed and his visor flipped up, taking a good look at Syndrome. "Alright, buddy." He held out his hand. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not impressed by your brains. Come work with me, then, and you can be my faithful sidekick Tin Man or something."

Syndrome chuckled as he grasped Tony's hand. "You know, you were probably just using it as an affectation, but Buddy is my real name."

Tony stared. "Seriously?"