At Tony Stark's cliffside villa, the sea whispered against the rocks below as sparks lit up the darkened workshop. Inside, Tony was deep in thought, hunched over his newest suit of armor.
The faint hum of arc reactor energy filled the air as he meticulously fine-tuned a gauntlet.
His eye laser focused, mind caught in the endless loop of design and innovation.
"Tony, you really don't have any other hobbies, do you?"
"Also… what happened to the bottle of Romanée-Conti you promised me last time?"
"Ahhh!"
The sudden voice made Tony flinch, nearly dropping a plasma stabilizer. He spun around.
"Soren?" Tony blinked, recognition dawning, followed quickly by guilt.
"Ah. Right. The wine… Sorry, got a little busy reengineering the future."
Soren stood at the edge of the workshop, an amused smile playing on his face.
His gaze drifted to the suit Tony was working on, eyes scanning every angle with a quiet, analytical sharpness.
"I just got here." Soren said smoothly. "Armor's looking good. You've upgraded since last time."
"You're damn right I have." Tony brushed a bit of oil from his hands.
"After what Killian did last time, well, let's say I've had plenty of incentive to make improvements."
He gestured toward the suit, the excitement visible. "Remember that new element you nudged me toward?"
"I've stabilized it. Power output is up three hundred percent. Energy storage's expanded. And check this, modular smart-splicing. Each piece can self-assemble and reconfigure in real time."
Tony looked ready to launch into a full-blown lecture, but Soren raised a hand, chuckling.
"Impressive. But I'm actually here for something else. I need your help."
"You? Asking for help? Must be serious."
Soren's face grew firm. "Can you get in touch with the other Avengers?"
That caught Tony off-guard. "Haven't really checked in lately. Things have been… quiet."
"Hawkeye's gone full family man. Banner's off somewhere in Africa doing… green stuff. Cap's still punching bad guys and kissing the flag…"
"Why? What's going on?"
"Earth is about to be invaded again."
Tony's face fell into a rare silence.
The memory of the Chitauri, the sky opening above New York, the feeling of helplessness, those ghosts still lingered.
"…Another alien invasion?" He asked, tension creeping into his voice. "Don't tell me Loki's back again."
"No." Soren replied.
"This time it's Malekith. Dark Elves. And he's a bigger problem."
In brief, efficient words, Soren laid it all out, Malekith's history, the convergence, the plan to attack Earth, and the possible devastation if they failed to prepare in time.
Tony listened closely, pacing as the weight of it settled in. His expression grew grimmer by the second.
"So we've got a cosmic tyrant with a death wish and a reality-bending weapon… Sounds like a job for the Avengers."
He turned back to Soren, the familiar fire back in his eyes. "Good. I was starting to get bored."
"Then be ready." Soren said.
"When Malekith makes his move, I'll contact you. Make sure your suit's more than just shiny."
Tony grinned. "Oh, it'll shine, alright."
"Let's see how the new armor handles a dark elf invasion."
Soren gave him a nod, then opened a glowing portal behind him.
"One more thing, keep an eye on the sky. The Convergence is coming."
And with that, he stepped through the portal, vanishing in a ripple of golden light.
Back at the Everlife Medical Hall, Soren wasted no time. He activated a communication device, revealing the image of Phil Coulson, seated in a quiet S.H.I.E.L.D. command center.
"Soren?" Coulson blinked.
"You usually call when something's about to explode."
"That's because something is about to explode."
"We have an incoming invasion. Dark Elves. Malekith evil guy, is on the move to Earth."
Soren briefly explained the whole situation to Phil.
Coulson's eyes narrowed. "Understood. We'll reach out to our agents and initiate global surveillance. If anything crosses into the atmosphere, we'll see it."
"Good. I'll coordinate with Asgard and Kamar-Taj. Keep your team sharp, Coulson."
"This is going to be worse than New York."
Coulson's expression hardened as the line cut off.
Back in S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, alarms began to buzz. Around the world, agents stirred, secure lines activated, and a quiet tension swept across the globe.
The storm was coming.
And this time, Earth wouldn't face it unprepared.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
PhantomDream