Tony sat alone in his lab, staring at the holographic screen as Jarvis filtered data in front of him.
He was silent.
Too silent.
Anyone who knew Tony well would understand that this kind of silence meant anger-deep, compressed anger.
If not for months of magical training and meditation forcing restraint into his instincts, Tony would have already put on his armor and flown out of the Avengers Compound.
"Damn it..."
Tony exhaled slowly.
The information on the screen was from a 1991 mission log.
Six months ago, after Noah's casual reminder, Tony had grown curious. Curious enough to ask Jarvis to dig through old records, centered around S.H.I.E.L.D.'s upper command.
He hadn't expected to find much.
He found everything.
And among the files Jarvis filtered out was information about Howard Stark.
Tony had frozen when he saw it.
Then he opened the video.
And nearly lost control.
What he had seen before was a heavily edited version.
His parents hadn't died in a car accident.
They had been murdered.
What Tony found hardest to accept wasn't the murder itself-but the murderer.
James Buchanan Barnes.
Steve Rogers' closest friend.
Tony inhaled deeply.
The rationality brought by magic kept him from exploding, but he knew that calm was already being burned away by fury.
After watching the footage in silence, Tony made a decision.
"Jarvis," his voice was cold, "pull every file on James Barnes."
"S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., military archives. Everything."
"Cross-reference with HYDRA files. Keyword: Winter Soldier."
"And I want Soviet intelligence records. All of them."
"Yes, sir."
Data flooded the screen.
Tony picked up a cup of milk tea.
He didn't even like British milk tea.
But for some reason, he wanted it now.
The wait felt endless.
Three minutes passed.
Jarvis finished compiling the data.
Tony set the cup down and began reading Barnes' life line by line.
The early records matched Steve's history.
Childhood friends.
World War II.
HYDRA.
Then Barnes fell into an icy ravine.
Presumed dead.
So how did a dead man return?
Tony found the answer in old Soviet records.
Barnes had survived.
Captured.
Conditioned.
Broken.
Turned into a weapon.
Brainwashed into a super soldier used to assassinate targets across decades.
Tony frowned.
Brainwashing?
The Bucky he had seen didn't look brainwashed at all.
And Barnes should have been over ninety years old.
Tony kept reading.
HYDRA fractured after Germany's fall.
Some scientists defected west.
Others went east.
Barnes was frozen.
Only awakened for missions.
Only unfrozen to kill.
Everything clicked.
Tony closed his eyes.
As a rational person, he wished-just for a moment-that he wasn't so rational.
Killing Barnes might feel satisfying for an instant.
After that?
Regret.
Hollow revenge.
Endless corrosion of the soul.
Tony knew he wasn't like Noah.
Noah could kill cleanly, decisively, without hesitation.
Tony couldn't.
Barnes wasn't a villain by choice.
He didn't belong in that category.
Continuing through the data, Tony learned two more things.
First-Barnes' recovery was only possible because Noah had casually helped Steve.
Barnes remembered nothing.
He only knew he had done terrible things.
And he was trying to atone.
Second-the activation code was still out there.
Held by a former HYDRA colonel.
Currently in Cleveland.
If Tony found that code, everything would be confirmed.
"...Why did it turn out like this?" Tony's eyes reddened.
There was nothing he could do.
Or so he thought.
Then another idea surfaced.
"Pym particles..."
Tony clenched his jaw.
"I still don't have the formula."
He grabbed his head, then slowly lowered his hands.
His expression hardened.
"You want redemption?" he muttered. "Then maybe you should earn it."
"Sir," Jarvis interrupted carefully, "Stephen Strange is requesting a meeting. He does not have an appointment."
-
Stephen Strange sat inside Avengers Tower, tense.
Extremely tense.
The gap between him and Tony Stark felt overwhelming.
Tony had always lived at the top of society.
Strange once did too-medicine was an elite profession.
But now?
He likely couldn't be a doctor ever again.
The Avengers were a government-linked organization.
Strange didn't even know which department oversaw them.
Probably S.H.I.E.L.D.
A global authority.
If that was the case, then Tony's influence was unimaginable.
And more importantly-
Tony was also a sorcerer.
During the Avengers' assembly, Tony had used abilities far beyond technology.
Even if he wasn't a sorcerer himself, he clearly knew one.
Aliens had invaded Earth.
Sorcerers had fought alongside the Avengers.
As one of the leaders, Tony couldn't be ignorant.
"I hear you're looking for me, Doctor Strange?"
Strange stood up instantly.
He recognized that voice.
He'd heard it countless times.
"Yes, Mr. Stark."
He nodded formally.
"Forgive me for disturbing you without an appointment. And... forgive me for not being able to shake your hand."
"I know your condition," Tony said casually, waving it off.
"Multiple ligament tears. Severe nerve damage in both hands."
"I'm sorry that happened to you."
Tony had checked.
The moment Jarvis mentioned Strange, Tony had pulled his file.
To be honest, Tony hadn't planned to meet him at all.
But since he already needed to deal with Steve and Barnes, he figured he might as well see what Strange wanted.
"Alright," Tony said, tilting his head. "I'm busy."
"One minute. Tell me what you want."
"No pauses after that."
"I-"
Strange froze.
He hadn't expected Tony to be this direct.
It felt like looking at his past self.
In a way, they were alike.
Gifted.
Arrogant.
But Strange had no room for arrogance now.
And he was certain that if he hesitated, Tony would leave.
"I heard you have connections with sorcerers," Strange said quickly.
"My hands can't be fixed by technology."
"I met a sorcerer who told me there's a place that can heal me."
"Kamar-Taj."
"But he told me to go to London instead."
"Kamar-Taj?" Tony's expression shifted.
"London?"
He looked Strange over carefully.
"...You didn't just get this idea from a movie and come running to me, did you?"
"A movie?" Strange blinked. "What movie?"
"Huh?" Tony frowned. "You don't know?"
"The latest one."
"If you've seen it, you don't need me."
"If you haven't..."
Tony shrugged.
"Go watch it first."
"Steve, bring James to the parking lot. I need to talk to you both."
After casually dismissing Strange, Tony called Steve and headed for the parking lot alone.
Strange wanting to find a wizard was something Tony hadn't expected at all.
Because of that, Tony had even planted a tracer on him.
As for how Strange knew about this method, or how he thought of it in the first place, Tony had already handed that mystery to J.A.R.V.I.S. He only needed the final answer.
Tony himself still had more important things to deal with.
For this meeting, he needed to be fully prepared.
If they couldn't reach an agreement, Tony knew he would have to act.
And Tony knew very clearly how dangerous what he was about to do really was.
In a sense, this could be seen as tearing the Avengers apart.
But Tony didn't hesitate.
He hadn't directly taken Bucky's life. That alone was already generosity.
As for everything else, he couldn't be bothered to care anymore.
He picked a spot at random and stood there with his arms crossed.
The surveillance cameras had already been shut down. He wasn't worried about anyone seeing them.
After about ten minutes, Steve Rogers arrived with Bucky.
"What's going on, Tony?" Rogers asked, faintly surprised, though he didn't think too deeply about it.
"Honestly," Tony said calmly, looking past Rogers and directly at Bucky, "I really want to kill you, James Bucky."
"Do you remember the '91 mission report?"
Rogers immediately stepped in front of Bucky.
"What are you talking about, Tony?" Rogers said tensely. "Is there some misunderstanding here?"
"Misunderstanding?" Tony glanced at Rogers' reaction and smiled faintly. "I don't think so, Steve. It seems you don't know your friend as well as you think."
"And you don't need to do that," Tony continued evenly. "If I really wanted him dead, you couldn't stop me."
"Now, let me show you what I found."
Tony pulled out his phone and played the long-buried footage.
The moment the video started, Rogers' expression stiffened.
Bucky's face went pale.
The truth was undeniable.
Howard Stark's real killer-
Was Bucky.
The realization hit hard.
Both Rogers and Bucky had been close to Howard.
And Howard was Tony's father.
Only now did they truly understand why Tony had said he wanted to kill Bucky the moment they met.
To be honest, if Tony really did it, no one could call it unreasonable.
Rogers' heartbeat sped up.
Tony was right about one thing-if he acted, Rogers had no way to stop him.
"Listen, Tony-" Rogers began.
"He was controlled. I know." Tony cut him off, tilting his head slightly.
"The Winter Soldier program. I found the records in sealed Soviet archives. HYDRA orchestrated it all."
Tony's gaze darkened.
"But controlled or not, he killed my father and my mother."
Tony exhaled slowly.
"That's why I haven't acted. Because I know he wasn't in control."
"Thank you," Rogers said quietly, finally breathing out.
If that was the case, then this was the best possible outcome.
Because Rogers could already imagine what would have happened if Tony had truly attacked.
The current Tony was no longer an ordinary man.
He was a sorcerer.
"Don't thank me yet," Tony said flatly.
"I need you to do something."
Rogers' heart sank again.
"Something?" he asked cautiously.
"Yes." Tony took a breath. "I need Pym particles."
"I need to go back in time."
"Go back... in time?" Rogers stared at him, stunned, unsure how to respond.
After a moment, he forced a bitter smile and shook his head.
"Tony, I know this hit you hard, but-"
"Shut up."
Tony glanced at him calmly.
"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean I can't. The Quantum Realm isn't something a museum-renovating antique like you can understand."
"You and Bucky have two choices."
"First: you both die here."
"Second: you get me the Pym particles."
As he spoke, Tony crossed his arms.
Red armor unfolded around him.
Reactors glowed at his chest and waist, faint magical fluctuations rippling outward.
A blue cloak floated behind him without wind, runes shimmering faintly across its surface.
This was Tony's decision.
Final.
This was a brand-new suit, merging magic and technology.
One he had never revealed to the public.
Looking at him now, Rogers and Bucky knew they had no room to stall.
If they didn't choose, things would turn ugly-fast.
-
Strange stepped out of the Stark Theater, his mind still unsettled.
He didn't know when The Noah Finnell Trilogy had been released.
But the moment he learned the films were from the magical world, he bought three tickets and watched them back-to-back.
His thoughts were still in chaos.
He hadn't expected the magical world to be so vast.
So full of things beyond imagination.
Just the bone-regeneration potion shown in the second film was enough to make his eyes burn with envy.
Even though his condition couldn't be solved by bone regrowth, who knew what else magic could do?
Magic could make bones vanish and grow back.
So why not nerves?
Strange walked out slowly.
The sky was already darkening.
He decided it was better to leave early.
London.
He had been there many times before.
But this time, his heart was filled with anticipation.
Taking a deep breath, Strange prepared to find a taxi to the airport.
The despair he once felt was gone.
In its place was curiosity.
And excitement.
Even if the mages refused him, he was willing to try.
A single ray of hope was enough.
"Finished the movie?"
A familiar voice spoke beside him.
Strange reacted instantly and turned.
"Mr. Stark," he said politely.
Tony stood by the roadside wearing sunglasses, holding a cup of milk tea, looking like he just happened to be passing by.
But Strange knew better.
Tony was clearly here for him.
In more ways than one, Tony was the first person who had opened the door to the magical world for him.
"It looks like you're heading to London," Tony said casually after taking a sip.
"Yes," Strange nodded. "Thank you for recommending the films. They were incredible. Are they all from the magical world?"
"Of course," Tony said lightly. "I don't fake things like that."
He finished the milk tea and tossed the cup into a trash bin.
"Let's go. I'll head to London with you."
"You're going too?" Strange blinked, then smiled in surprise. "Then we can travel together."
Tony nodded and said nothing more.
Not long ago, he had finished things with Rogers and Bucky.
It hadn't been easy.
They were grateful he hadn't pursued the matter further.
But they were deeply troubled by his demand.
Stealing from within the Avengers.
Betrayal.
A fracture.
Tony didn't care.
Two choices.
Agree-and maybe he'd explain everything later.
Or refuse-and he would show no mercy.
Even former comrades weren't exempt.
Tony wasn't an ordinary man anymore, but he still wasn't a pure sorcerer either.
He needed a reason.
Refusal would give him one.
Fortunately, it didn't come to that.
Bucky agreed in Rogers' place, ignoring Rogers' objections entirely.
Tony wasn't worried about those objections.
He had already prepared for the worst.
Without giving them any chance to react, he opened a portal and left the Avengers Compound.
Now, he was going to see Noah.
What he was about to do violated their agreement.
So Tony needed to explain himself.
On the way, he might as well bring this unlucky doctor to London.
Who knew?
Maybe luck would finally be on his side.
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