The Guardian chosen by the Moon

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The Avengers Tower stood proudly in the heart of Manhattan, a masterpiece of modern architecture blending steel and glass, gleaming under the lights of the city that never slept. I landed silently on the edge of one of its massive glass panels, taking in the breathtaking view of New York. I had finally arrived.

I phased through the glass and landed lightly in Stark's workshop. The place lived up to its reputation—bright screens displaying data incomprehensible to most, Iron Man suits in various stages of construction, futuristic gadgets scattered across cluttered workbenches. A massive bay window provided an unobstructed view of New York's illuminated skyline.

I stepped into Tony Stark's workshop with a mix of curiosity and apprehension, scanning the ultra-modern environment filled with holographic screens, half-built suits, and scattered metallic tools. The scent of heated metal and oil tingled my nose, a stark contrast to the icy aura surrounding me.

Tony Stark, dressed in a tank top and sweatpants, was hunched over a new piece of armor, his gaze focused. Beside him, a hologram of J.A.R.V.I.S. analyzed his adjustments in real-time.

Watching Stark so engrossed in his work, a mischievous grin tugged at my lips. I lifted my hand and exhaled a frosty breath over one of the screens. Slowly, frost-etched letters began to form: "Tony, call Thor."

Tony, absorbed in his work, frowned as he noticed the ice creeping over the screen. He tapped on it with his fingers, but the message remained.

"Very funny, J.A.R.V.I.S. If this is some new visual effect update, I swear I'm reprogramming you into a toaster."

J.A.R.V.I.S., unfazed, responded, "Sir, I have not interfered with the workshop. This anomaly is independent of my systems."

Tony raised an eyebrow and, as he turned around, I took the chance to freeze another surface with a second message: "Call Thor. Now."

Seeing his hesitation, I moved silently behind him and, without warning, phased through his body. A sharp chill ran through him, making him shudder and curse.

"What the hell…?!" He spun around, searching for a logical explanation.

A satisfied smirk crossed my lips. "Come on, genius, trust me for a second and call him. Believe me, it's important."

I exhaled gently onto the wall behind him, tracing my name in icy letters. Jack Frost.

Tony rubbed his arms, trying to warm up, then sighed and grabbed his phone. "Fine. But if this is a prank, I swear I'll melt every single frost patch in this place."

I watched him dial Thor's number with satisfaction. I hadn't fully convinced Stark yet, but he could no longer ignore the strangeness of the situation.

"Hey, Blondie, tell me you know something about frost appearing out of nowhere."

A pause, then Thor's voice resonated in the room.

"Jack Frost is with you?"

Tony's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You know who this is?"

"Try believing for just a moment, Stark."

Tony sighed, crossing his arms. "Okay… I'll try to believe."

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suddenly, he tensed. A whisper, faint but distinct, seeped into his mind.

"Hello, Stark."

Tony snapped his eyes open, startled. "Okay. It's official. I'm losing my mind."

After several exchanges, Tony finally agreed to listen.

"Alright, if you're real, who are you?"

I struck a dramatic pose and gestured around the room. "I am Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter and Guardian of Fun!"

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Guardian of Fun? So what, you throw snowball competitions and host holiday parties?"

I grinned mischievously. "Not exactly. My role is to bring joy, laughter, and most importantly, to protect the innocence of children. Winter is my domain, and snow… my playground."

Tony crossed his arms. "Okay, let's say I half-believe you. Why can't I see you?"

I sighed. "Because you don't believe in me. Only those who believe in magic and my existence can see me. It's as simple as that."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Oh, great. A perception issue. Could be linked to cognitive distortion or an uncharted quantum phenomenon. Maybe your existence relies on a subatomic field interacting only with a certain wavelength of brain waves—"

I raised my hand and cut him off. "Shut up, it's magic."

Tony opened his mouth, then shut it again, pressing his lips together, unable to counter such an argument.

Watching Stark so engrossed in his work, a mischievous grin tugged at my lips. I lifted my hand and exhaled a frosty breath over one of the screens. Slowly, frost-etched letters began to form: "Tony, call Thor."

Tony, absorbed in his work, frowned as he noticed the ice creeping over the screen. He tapped on it with his fingers, but the message remained.

"Very funny, J.A.R.V.I.S. If this is some new visual effect update, I swear I'm reprogramming you into a toaster."

J.A.R.V.I.S., unfazed, responded, "Sir, I have not interfered with the workshop. This anomaly is independent of my systems."

Tony raised an eyebrow and, as he turned around, I took the chance to freeze another surface with a second message: "Call Thor. Now."

Seeing his hesitation, I moved silently behind him and, without warning, phased through his body. A sharp chill ran through him, making him shudder and curse.

"What the hell…?!" He spun around, searching for a logical explanation.

A satisfied smirk crossed my lips. "Come on, genius, trust me for a second and call him. Believe me, it's important."

Tony rubbed his arms, trying to warm up, then sighed and grabbed his phone. "Fine. But if this is a prank, I swear I'll melt every single frost patch in this place."

I watched him dial Thor's number with satisfaction. I hadn't fully convinced Stark yet, but he could no longer ignore the strangeness of the situation.

As he waited for Thor to pick up, I took a deep breath and stated, "Tony, I'm not here just to have fun freezing your workshop. There's a real problem, an enemy you can't ignore. Pitch Black."

He raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Pitch Black? What, like a cartoon villain?"

I tightened my grip on my staff, irritated. "It's much worse than that. Pitch Black is an ancient entity, the embodiment of fear itself. He feeds on children's nightmares, amplifying them until they become real. He drowns worlds in darkness by extinguishing hope and light."

Tony crossed his arms. "Alright, let's say I half-believe you. Why should I care? The Avengers have dealt with worse threats."

I stared at him intensely. "Because he's here, in this world. And unlike the usual threats you fight, he leaves no visible traces. He creeps into people's minds, especially children's. Over the past few weeks, cases of terrifying nightmares have skyrocketed worldwide. He's starting slowly, but once he gathers enough strength… he'll be unstoppable."

Tony sighed and leaned back in his chair. "So you want me to help track down an invisible shadow terrorizing kids? How am I supposed to do that?"

I pointed to his control screen. "You have one of the most advanced AIs in the world and access to billions of data points. If anyone can spot a pattern in these nightmares, it's you and J.A.R.V.I.S. I need your help to find out where to strike."

Tony remained silent for a moment, analyzing my words. Then he nodded, intrigued. "Alright, fine. J.A.R.V.I.S., scan all parental complaints about unusual nightmares in children. Focus on abnormal activity spikes. Let's see if your 'Pitch Black' leaves a digital footprint."

J.A.R.V.I.S. responded instantly, "Analysis in progress, sir. Preliminary results indicate an unusual concentration of incidents in Toronto."

I smiled, relieved. "That's a start. Thanks, Tony. Really."

He looked at me curiously, then smirked. "Don't thank me just yet, Frost. I'm still struggling to believe I'm talking to a winter spirit. But if Thor trusts you… I guess I can keep an open mind."

I grinned mischievously. "That's a good start."

I let the wind carry me out toward the cold night sky.

Toronto awaited.