"Who?"
"Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange." The Ancient One repeated. "The man you were about to help. He has a greater destiny, Anthony Edward Stark… do not meddle in it."
Tony crossed his arms and deployed all the safety systems he had on his armor. "First of all, ease up on the full-name treatment. That's what the bad guys do—you a bad guy?"
"No... I am the Sorcerer Supreme. Protector of Earth against magical... and mystical threats. Doctor Strange is gifted—yes—but his path... his destiny... must be his own."
In truth, Tony had given a few dozen commands to Jarvis by then. X-Gene, radiation-based mutation, and now this—magic. Earth had so many secrets that he still didn't know half of it, and it alarmed him. How was he to unite the planet if he didn't even know how many power users lived on Earth?
"So, you guys got what? Hogwarts or something? Where's my letter?"
The Ancient One chuckled, a knowing glint in her eye. "Close… but the mystic arts we wield are far beyond. Our duty is to shield this reality from forces unseen. You may struggle to grasp it, Mr. Stark, but it is not only aliens that threaten this realm. There are beings—vast, unfathomable—lurking in the dark between dimensions, ever hungry to consume all that is."
"Is that so? And what was that round ring? Portal?"
"You have no reason for apprehension, Mr. Stark. I will answer your questions… for you are the one soul I cannot look beyond. Even so, your existence has brought more light than shadow. I am curious to see where you take it from here." Ancient One explained and raised her right hand. With a single gesture, she created a sparkling portal, tiny, no larger than her hand. Another appeared by the wall, beside a modest vase. "You are correct. It is a portal."
Tony gawked at the thing in absolute awe. "What's the range? Where did you pop in from?"
"Nepal."
Tony sat straight at that revelation. "And how does that work?"
"Nepal is where I came from, Mr. Stark. But the true range depends on the one who wields it. For me, another galaxy is but a step. For Strange? He will carry vast armies through them." Ancient One plucked a flower from the vase and pulled her hand back from the portal. "The magic we wield, the magic of my Order, is Eldritch Magic. It draws upon energies from dimensions beyond your own. Symbols, arrays—these are but instruments to shape intent into reality."
"There are types?" Tony inquired.
"As there are branches in engineering… so too, in magic. You know of Asgardian magic. Yet, there is also Chaos Magic, Witchcraft, Dark Magic, Necromancy, and even Divine Magic."
Tony didn't like that one bit. That just meant he needed to be more careful of those threats. Mysteries were his greatest enemy.
"Mind if I give it a shot? Not the magic—I'll leave the sparkle fingers to you. That portal thing," Tony asked. "I mean, it's... pretty convenient. Could totally change the game if used right."
Amused, the Ancient One put her hand into another small portal and pulled out a strange, two-finger ring. She then placed it on the table and pushed it towards Tony. "I must warn you… the Mystic Arts require years of study, and even then, not all who seek, find. Talent… differs. But you… you are a man of great intelligence. I wonder—what might you become?"
Tony grabbed the ring and slid two of his fingers into the ring holes. He wore the ring above his armor, however. So the rings were pretty much covering nanotech.
Jarvis was quick to scan the heck out of it. Record its engravings, its compositions, and everything one could possibly check.
"So, any tips?"
"Focus. Visualize. See the destination… within your mind's eye. Let go of what you know—your ego, your knowledge. Be curious… be present… like a child seeing for the first time. Look beyond what is in front of you. The details… they matter. Good luck."
Taking the Ancient One's instructions, Tony tried to copy the actions she did to make the portal previously.
The ring hand raised forward, he used the other hand to draw a circle in the air. Then, he emptied his head of all the random thoughts and focused on his destination. He tried to visualize it, feel the magic. It wasn't his first run-in with it, after all.
"I know just the place."
A smile crept across his face at the thought.
Spark!
Faint, flickering sparks appeared on the President's table.
Tony focused more. He thought of the room, every detail of it, every corner, every item, the paint. Jarvis helped him, sending images of his destination directly into his head through energy waves based on Charles' ability.
Spark!
More sparks developed.
Finally, Tony thought of the person he wanted to see on the other side. And just like that—
Wooosh!
A full, round circle emerged on top of Tony's table. It wasn't big enough for him to walk through, but big enough to act like a window.
"Hey there, little buddy." Tony fawned over the cradle on the other side of the portal. The deep ashen-haired baby boy slept in the soft crib there. "Look here, it's dad."
Right then, rushed footsteps echoed. Then, Ororo emerged, as if shielding the baby. Dressed in a homely, long dress, she raised her hand towards the portal, ready to attack. But seeing Tony, she relaxed.
"Tony? W-What are you…"
Tony took a moment to admire the woman first. Somehow, she'd gotten even hotter after giving birth. Her ivory, long hair wasn't tied, and he liked that style the most.
"Surprise! Just learned to do magic today. Isn't this amazing? Anyway, looks like I can pop in whenever I want and hang with Dexter." Tony declared, with no desire to give the ring back. "Oh, and while you're at it, tell the cooking bots to make dinner. Something fancy. I feel like celebrating."
Still confused, Ororo just nodded.
Tony stopped thinking about the destination then and willed the portal to close. Once again, silence returned to the Oval Office and he looked back at the Ancient One's face. No doubt, the ancient woman was a little surprised.
"I know, I'm awesome—shocking, I get it. But this isn't luck. I did my homework on Asgardian magic way back. And lately, I've made another… magically inclined friend," he said, thinking about Wanda.
"Ah, Miss Maximoff, if I am not mistaken. Hers is Chaos magic. Rare, indeed. And immensely powerful. It bends reality, reshapes life, and twists time itself. Even allows one to walk unseen between dimensions. But it is dangerous. One misstep and darkness takes hold. You are fortunate, your friend has yet to awaken fully."
Tony was no fool and saw through her words. She was warning him of the dangers Wanda possessed.
"Can I keep this?" he asked, waving the ring fingers at her.
"You may, Mr. Stark. By embracing magic, you have earned the right to wield it," the Ancient One replied and stood up, conjuring herself a large, walkable portal behind her chair. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I have no doubt—you will prove a valuable ally in the battles to come."
That sounded ominous.
Tony eyed the bald woman silently.
"We shall cross paths once more… in time, Anthony Edward Stark."
"Ah, again with that villain speech." Tony groaned and watched her leave, the portal closing behind her figure.
As silence returned, Tony looked at the strange ring on his finger. Since it restricted his mobility, he covered it with nanotech too, hiding the little thing.
The warning about Wanda concerned him. Chaos magic sounded utterly broken.
Can't leave Wanda in Fury's hands.
But there was more work to be done first.
He picked up the phone and dialed Darcy outside the office. "Where are the Wakandan boys?"
"At Manhattan Shield base, boss."
"Alright, I'm heading out. Don't wait up—tonight, tomorrow, maybe longer. Send the paperwork and whatever else is lurking in my inbox to the secure link. I'll be at the tower," Tony said, pushing back his chair. "And get a move on with the transition prep. Six months isn't as long as it sounds."
Finally, the massive windows of the Oval Office shifted open and he flew out.
He chose not to use the Sling Ring, keeping it a secret in case of emergencies.
####
Two Wakandan men sat side by side in the metal-like, very reflective, box-like room. It was an interrogation room and they were cuffed, hands and feet.
Creak!
Tony lazily dragged his chair, making an ear-shattering sound before settling in front of the two men. They were both tall and looked pretty athletic. The videos of them fighting on top of the subway sure were entertaining. The incident was live-streamed by the Iron Guardians as they were caught.
"So… What's this? Family feud?" Tony looked at their files on the table. Fury also stood behind him, arms folded, sneering at the Wakandans who had entered illegally.
"It seems so," Fury blurted. "That's Erik Stevens. Calls himself Killmonger now. Ex-Navy SEAL turned mercenary. We matched his blood with the royal highness there, and they're both related."
Tony looked at the other one. "He's a prince?"
______________________
This story is finished on Patreon.
Check out Emma Frost NSFW art, Tony X Rogue NSFW ART and
Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format.