[ Emergency Mission Complete: Establish Dominance ]
[ Reward: 2,000 System Points, 1x Random Equipment Box ]
[ System Note: A flawless victory. Dormammu is currently pretending he doesn't know these guys. ]
Ethan exhaled, running a hand over his head. He looked over at the six Sanctum staff members, who were huddled behind the staircase, staring at Ethan with a mixture of absolute awe and sheer terror.
In their wide, traumatized eyes, Ethan didn't look like a holy guardian. He looked infinitely more evil, more terrifying, and more creatively cruel than any dark mage they had ever encountered. The way he had just broken a man's mind without breaking a sweat was burned into their nightmares.
"Alright," Ethan clapped his hands together, the loud sound making all six men violently flinch. "I'm going back upstairs to finish my movie. Someone sweep up the splinters, toss the fish into the Hudson River, and drag those bodies into the alley for the garbage truck. And for the love of God, don't step on my new rug."
He turned and walked back up the stairs, completely ignoring the carnage.
None of the staff knew who 'Karl' was, but they all furiously nodded anyway.
Ethan walked back up the stairs, completely unbothered. Back in his room, with the TV still paused, he rubbed his hands together.
"System. Open the blind box."
A small, holographic chest appeared in the air, shook violently, and burst open with a shower of golden confetti. A shimmering, silvery fabric materialized, folding itself neatly onto his bed. It looked like water woven into silk.
[ Item Acquired: The Invisibility Cloak (Harry Potter Universe) ]
Rarity: SSR
Description: A Deathly Hallow. Renders the wearer completely invisible to the naked eye and most magical detection methods.
"Oh, hell yes," Ethan whispered, picking up the impossibly light fabric. "Good stuff. Very good stuff... for, ahem, stealth research purposes. Obviously."
****
The morning after the failed siege attempt, the magical underworld was uncharacteristically dead quiet.
The rumors that had been bubbling for weeks—about a "young, arrogant novice" being a fluke appointment—evaporated faster than a miscast firebolt. The black magicians who had been plotting to "test" the new Master suddenly found very urgent, highly necessary reasons to go on extended vacations in the Mirror Dimension. The message was clear: stay away from New York.
Ethan, however, was in no mood to celebrate his newfound fearsome reputation. He stood in the center of the foyer holding a cup of coffee, looking at the splintered 18th-century oak doors and the singed antique tapestries.
"The reconstruction bill for this is going to be astronomical," Ethan muttered, poking a piece of charred molding with his toe. "If the Ancient One were here, she'd just do that green-glowy-wrist-twist thing with the Time Stone and rewind the room to 11:00 PM. But no, she's out there playing dimensional tag with Dormammu's shadows."
A shower of orange sparks erupted near the grand staircase. Wong stepped through the portal, his eyes immediately widening as he took in the carnage.
"I heard there was a... disturbance," Wong said, his voice flat, though his eyebrows were nearly touching his hairline. "It looks like a herd of rhinoceroses had a rave in your lobby."
"It was a 'cultural exchange,' Wong," Ethan said, not looking up from his new Stark-branded tablet as he browsed contractor prices. "A hundred zealots came over to discuss their lord and savior, Dormammu. I gave them a very 'impactful' counter-argument."
"I see," Wong noted, stepping carefully over a pile of broken dark-magic chains. "But weren't you a bit... cruel? All six of your staff members filed emergency transfer requests to Kamar-Taj this morning. They cited 'extreme psychological distress'."
"Hm?" Ethan raised his eyebrows, looking toward a young sorcerer who was currently sweeping the far corner.
Catching Ethan's inquiring gaze, the staff member froze, started trembling, and began sweeping the exact same spot at twice the speed.
Ethan just shrugged, turning back to Wong. "They are too weak-minded. If they panic over a little transmogrification, how are they going to handle a real dimensional breach? Besides, I had to set an example so this doesn't happen again."
Wong looked at the trembling sweeper, then at Ethan, and slowly nodded. He couldn't argue with the results. "Understood."
"Anyway, come upstairs," Ethan said, leading a reluctant Wong into his living quarters.
The contrast between the floors was jarring. Downstairs was a mystical warzone of ancient, dust-covered relics. Upstairs, Ethan's room featured a 70-inch LED TV and a surround sound system that looked like it belonged in an exclusive Manhattan nightclub.
"Is that... a Stark Industries P-Series?" Wong asked, his voice betraying a hint of genuine jealousy.
"The best money can buy," Ethan bragged, patting the massive screen. "Being a Sanctum Master comes with a 'discretionary fund' that would make a Wall Street billionaire blush. My salary is basically 'whatever I want as long as the world doesn't end.' I'm living the dream, buddy. No more mountain herbs and lentil soup for me."
Wong looked at his own cracked, older-model phone, and then at Ethan's sleek, gold-trimmed tech. He let out a long, deeply suffering sigh. "I hate you. Truly."
"Don't be like that. Sit down, I'll put on something to distract you," Ethan said, tossing a wireless controller onto the plush leather sofa.
For the next hour, the two sorcerers sat on the couch. Ethan had found a premium channel broadcasting a live performance from a highly popular K-pop girl group.
"See? This is what civilization looks like, Wong," Ethan said, leaning back, sipping his soda, and watching the synchronized, short-skirted dance moves with a highly focused, appreciative gaze. "Better than staring at a dusty scroll of 'Infinite Sorrow,' right?"
Wong didn't answer right away, but his eyes were glued to the screen. "The choreography is... technically impressive."
"Right? That's what I've been saying," Ethan chuckled.
The performance ended, going to a commercial break. Ethan picked up the remote and started lazily flipping through the news channels.
He stopped abruptly. A red breaking news banner was flashing frantically across the bottom of CNN.
BREAKING NEWS: CEO OF STARK INDUSTRIES TONY STARK MISSING IN AFGHANISTAN AFTER MILITARY CONVOY ATTACK.
The footage showed a burning military convoy in the desert, smoke billowing into the sky. The reporter's voice was tense, stating that the military was launching a massive search and rescue operation, but there was no sign of the billionaire weapon designer.
Ethan slowly lowered the remote, his relaxed, joking demeanor vanishing in an instant. The gears in his head started turning at light speed.
It was 2008. The Ten Rings. The cave. The Mark I armor.
The prologue was over. The Marvel Cinematic Universe had officially begun.