Ethan stared at the flashing red banner on the screen, the K-pop girl group completely forgotten. The burning Humvees, the desolate Afghan desert, the frantic news anchors—it was all exactly how he remembered it from the movie.
The prologue of the MCU was officially over. The main storyline had just kicked down the front door.
"A weapons merchant falls victim to his own wares," Wong commented from the sofa, his tone completely indifferent. He picked up his cold cup of tea. "The mundane world is always so eager to destroy itself. It is tragic, but it is not our concern."
"Not our concern?" Ethan muttered, his eyes glued to the TV. "Wong, that 'weapons merchant' is about to become the center of gravity for this entire universe. He's the guy who pays for the Avengers' damage bills."
Wong raised an eyebrow. "The what?"
"Never mind." Ethan stood up, tossing the remote onto the couch.
Right on cue, a translucent blue screen aggressively inserted itself into his line of sight, accompanied by that familiar, piercing digital chime.
[ Main Storyline Mission Triggered: The Iron Dawn ]
Objective: The era of superheroes is beginning in a dark, sweaty cave. As a premier transmigrator, you can't just watch this on CNN. Go witness the birth of Iron Man.
Optional Objective: Make a lasting impression on the future billionaire without completely breaking his character development arc.
Reward: 3,000 System Points, 1x Random Tech Blueprint.
[System Note: Don't save him too early. He needs the character development, and you need him to build the suit so you don't have to fight aliens by yourself later.]
"Three thousand points," Ethan whispered, a greedy glint returning to his eyes. "And a tech blueprint."
He turned to Wong, who was currently side-eyeing the K-pop music video that had resumed playing on the TV.
"Wong, buddy, I need you to do me a massive favor," Ethan said, clapping the stout sorcerer on the shoulder. "I have to step out for a business trip. Keep an eye on the Sanctum. Don't touch the glass, don't eat the blue jam, and please make sure someone feeds the miscellaneous fish in the lobby."
Wong blinked. "Wait. You are leaving? You just took over this Sanctum yesterday!"
"Duty calls!" Ethan shouted, already jogging toward his bedroom closet.
"Duty? This is your duty."
Ethan didn't wait to retort and apparated away.
He walked back out to the center of his room, raised his hand, and pictured the sandy, sun-scorched mountains of Afghanistan. He didn't know the exact coordinates of the Ten Rings camp, so he aimed for a general location in the Kunar Province based on his memory of the movie's geography.
He formed the Eldritch hand sign, his fingers glowing with orange energy.
Crack!
Ethan folded space and vanished from the New York Sanctum, leaving Wong sitting alone on the couch, staring at the empty air.
Wong sighed, picked up the TV remote, and turned the volume up just a little bit.
*****
Crack!
Ethan reappeared mid-stride on a jagged, rocky cliffside. The transition from the air-conditioned luxury of his New York apartment to the blistering, oven-like heat of the Afghan desert was like walking into a brick wall.
"Holy hell," Ethan gasped, immediately unzipping his leather jacket. The sun beat down mercilessly, the dry wind whipping sand against his face. "Note to self: buy sunscreen next time."
He looked around. Nothing but miles of endless, rolling dunes and jagged mountain ranges. Finding one specific cave in this massive wasteland was like finding a needle in a haystack made of other needles.
But Ethan wasn't a normal guy. He was a Master Sorcerer with the brain of Albus Dumbledore.
"Let's see if we can hack the local GPS," Ethan muttered.
He closed his eyes and tapped into his Wizarding Core. In the Harry Potter universe, the Point Me spell was a simple charm used to find true north. But with Ethan's Eldritch modifications, he could use the underlying spatial geometry to locate specific energy signatures.
He raised his hand, his fingers tracing a glowing, three-dimensional compass in the air.
"Find Tony Stark," Ethan commanded, pushing his intent into the spell.
The Eldritch compass spun wildly for a few seconds before the glowing orange needle snapped into place, pointing dead south toward a cluster of distant, treacherous-looking canyons.
"Bingo," Ethan smirked.
He didn't bother walking. He locked onto the destination, formed his anchor, and Apparated. Crack! He appeared a mile closer. Crack! Another mile. He chained his Apparitions together, crossing the desert in a matter of seconds, completely bypassing the harsh terrain.
Finally, he appeared on a high ridge overlooking a deep, secluded valley.
Down below, hidden from satellite view by overhanging rocks and camouflage netting, was a massive terrorist encampment. Heavily armed men patrolled the perimeter, jeeps were parked in neat rows, and massive crates bearing the 'Stark Industries' logo were stacked everywhere.
The Ten Rings.
Ethan crouched low, pulling the silvery fabric of the Invisibility Cloak from his pocket. He threw it over his shoulders, pulling the hood up over his head. Instantly, his body melted into the background, perfectly blending with the rocks and sand. He wasn't just camouflaged; he was completely erased from the visible spectrum.
He carefully made his way down the ridge, slipping right past two armed guards who were complaining about the heat in Arabic. They didn't see him, didn't hear his footsteps, and didn't even sense the displacement of air as he walked by.
"SSR rarity is no joke," Ethan whispered to himself, grinning beneath the cloak.
He wandered through the camp, dodging terrorists and avoiding the open fires. He eventually found what he was looking for: a massive, heavy iron door built directly into the side of the mountain. Two heavily armed guards stood on either side, looking bored.
A thick, black cable ran from a rattling diesel generator outside straight under the heavy iron door.
Ethan stood a few feet away from the entrance, completely invisible. He closed his eyes and listened.
Through the thick steel and rock, over the low hum of the generator, he heard it.
Clang.
A heavy hammer striking hot metal.
Clang.
The sound of history being forged in a cave with a box of scraps.
Clang.
Ethan smiled. "Found you."